It’s probably too soon to be thinking about spring, but yesterday was a truly glorious day in Seattle — one that called out for a bike and, yes, a small dog. Last spring, I wrote a post about several bike carriers (and, alternatively, carrying your dog in a backpack carrier). One of the most intriguing carriers I found was the WalkyBasket, but I couldn’t find a supplier that would send one to the U.S. Now it’s available (I bought ours from Canine Concepts), and here’s what I think.

Photo by Bice

The WalkyBasket is, relatively speaking, a large carrier (15.7Lx13Wx10H). That’s good news for me, because Chloe’s a big small dog. The carrier is made of a sturdy PVC fabric, and it’s nicely put together. It has several outer pockets, two of which will be occupied with the optional zip-in mesh top and the rain cover. Still, you’ll have room in the others for a water bottle and some treats and a leash. There is a tether to attach to your dog’s harness, and the bottom of the carrier is lightly-padded and removable for cleaning.

The zip-in mesh top is presumably meant to keep your dog contained, but it’s very lightweight. The tether is a more reliable restraint. The rain cover, by contrast, is very sturdy — if it covers the carrier completely, it’s hard to see where your dog’s air would come from. Happily, you can adjust it so it leaves a section of the top open, like pushing a shower cap to one side of your head (consider carrying a couple of clothespins or binder clips to ensure that the cover stays on the carrier and doesn’t get popped off by its elastic).

The WalkyBasket would, I think, be a good choice for someone who wants to travel somewhere else and then go biking. The sides of the carrier are unstructured, so the carrier collapses into a packable oval about 2″ deep. It comes with a shoulder strap, and once the carrier is unhooked from the bike, it functions well as an over-the-shoulder carrier. It mounts to a bicycle with a KLICKfix handlebar adapter, which is pretty easy to install (remember to bring a Phillips-head screwdriver with you). Please note that KLICKfix also makes an extender that attaches to your seat post; I prefer to have my dog in front of me on a bike, but the extender might be a good option if you need to carry two dogs.