Six weeks ago, Yogi, my terrierist, snapped her cruciate ligament.  It’s not life threatening, but it was definitely life changing.  She used to come everywhere with me – to work, running, hiking and, well, basically anywhere I went my little white shadow went too. Following the diagnosis, the vet told me that there could be no walks, no work, no steps or stairs, no jumping on furniture and definitely no running for six months (for Yogi, not me).

After a month I noticed that although Yogi’s leg was already starting to get better, she was not the same old ‘mad dog’; she had lost her spark a bit and was, dare I say it, looking a bit depressed.  She was definitely missing being out and about and spending time on the mountains.

I dug out a child’s ruck-sack, which I had converted for my old dog when she had problems with her lungs and couldn’t walk far.  That was OK, but we still couldn’t run and it seemed to make her leg worse sometimes. That wouldn’t do.

As I was driving home one evening I saw a woman pushing a small child in a pretty cool pushchair – it looked quite sporty, so I came home and Googled ‘sporty pushchairs for dogs’, not really expecting anything to come up. But lo and behold, Pets Own Us, based in Covent Garden in London, offer a whole range of Doggy Strollers, and there was a Sporty version which was described as ideal for the beach, trails and for running. Hooray!

To cut the rest of the story short, Yogi and I had a fabulous time last weekend running over the mountains. Well, me running, and her enjoying the views and the fresh air from her ‘pup mobile’. She absolutely loves it and thankfully has been back to her normal happy self for the past week, as the great photos

from www.mixmedia.net show. 

Apparently there is quite a market for the Strollers, with owners of aged and poorly (or just spoiled) dogs wanting to keep their best friends happy and involved. I had no idea – and wasn’t even sure that Yogi would adapt to being pushed around the hills in a glorified go-cart but yes, she is and we are both much happier (and me, fitter) as a result. I'm well impressed by the fabulous quality of the product and it’s maneuverability.  It took Yogi a day or two – and some treats – to get used to it and we have already been running over all sorts of mountainous terrain and are planning to go to the beach soon. It is a delight to use ‘off road’ as well as on the country lanes, and easy to push whilst running.  It also has a big handy pocket on the back which is useful for all those necessary bits and pieces … and dog treats!  The Sporty Pet Stroller has given us back our ‘together time’, which is priceless.

 

Here is video of us out and about in our favourite places - the mountains and on the beach putting the stroller to the test. 

 

More of Lynnes & Yogis's adventures at www.lynneallbutt.co.uk