A dog wheel cart is not a ‘wheelchair'

There are a lot of questions about dog wheelchairs and I notice that people do not always find the right answers. That is why I would like to get rid of three common prejudices here.

A dog wheelchair is not a rolling chair

Sometimes the wheelchair is mistaken for a dog as a wheelchair is for people. Dog owners see their dog 'sit' in the wheelchair, with no movement of the hind legs. But comparing a dog wheelchair to a human wheelchair is incorrect. The dog is not in his wheelchair. The dog hangs up in a saddle, and with the correct adjustment the dog can still use the hind legs actively.

A dog wheelchair is best compared with a pedestrian bike for children. The child sits on the saddle, but can walk with the legs.

A dog wheelchair is not a wheelbarrow

Some dog owners think that a dog wheelchair puts more weight on the dogs' front legs; they see the dog wheelchair as a wheelbarrow, which is lifted at the back so that the weight comes to lie all the way to the front (in the case of the dogs: on the front legs).

But with a properly adjusted wheelchair, you will see that the front legs and the rear legs are at the same height. The frame of the wheelchair remains horizontal, keeping the back straight. As a result (just like with the normal walking of the dog) 60% of the weight is on the front legs and 40% on the hind legs.

A dog that has 'sit' in a dog wheelchair will never step again

Sometimes a dog temporarily needs a wheelchair during rehabilitation after surgery. Some dog owners assume that this is not a good idea as it will make their dog 'lazy'. The owner fears that the dog will never learn (or will want to) walk again.

Now I can speak from experience here: I have never known a dog who could walk again but because of laziness would rather keep walking in his wheelchair.

A dog that has been sufficiently rehabilitated will no longer use his wheelchair for pleasure. A dog that has regained its balance and ability to walk independently would rather not be dependent on wheels. Take that from me!

Would you like to try out a dog wheelchair? Then you can easily rent a wheelchair for one month.