How Was
Springer Invented
Like other dog owners
Springer's inventor, a Norwegian
immigrant, Sven Arntzen, wanted
to give his dog all the exercise
and physical activity it longed
for and needed. But although a
fairly good athlete, Sven soon
realized that when it came to
running, he was no match for his
strong German Shepherd. So he
asked his vet and the breeder of
the dog for advice and was urged
to bring his dog along on bike
rides, which he did.
Dogs have no regard for a biker's
safety, and go their own way
without warning, if they see or
smell something interesting along
the trail. Leash in hand and the
hands on the handlebars, it did
not take long before Sven lay
flat on the ground, with bruised
knees and hands. A couple of
incidents like that and he could
not take it anymore.
But instead of giving up biking
with his dog, Sven became
determined to do something about
the problem. He decided to
construct, just for his own
personal use, a bicycle
attachment for his dog. One of
his best friends owned a welding
company and had often let Sven
use the welding shop during the
weekends. So the following
Saturday Sven brought his
sketches and went to work.
It didn't take long for him to
figure out that whatever 'gadget'
he came up with, it had to keep
the dog's leash away from his
hands and the handlebars. Some
flexibility, like a spring, would
of course be excellent too. Also,
the lower the point of impact,
when his dog unexpectedly tugged
away the less chance of himself
taking a spill. But he didn't
want the leash to sag around the
dog's feet, and there was the
bike's pedal to contend with.
It became more and more apparent
why among millions of biking dog
owners, none had come up with a
safe and comfortable means of
enjoying this wonderful and
excellent form of recreation.
However, we are not pretending
that Sven's invention is one of
life's great accomplishments, by
making a big deal out of it. So
let us simply state that after
some 'trial and error'
"SPRINGER" emerged.
Once the prototype was there, it
was all obvious:
•An attachment clamp fits
most standard bike frames,
directly underneath the seat,
near the center of gravity.
•A strong tubing brings the
all important coil spring out,
away from the biker's leg and
pedal area, and lower to the
ground, reducing the torque of
the dog's tugs.
•A small extension, like a
short 'mast' on the top of the
low mounted coil-spring, lets the
leash approach the dog from
above, hence keeping the leash
clear of the dog's paws.
Anxiously Sven mounted the
prototype to his bike, attached
his dog and set out on the first
"SPRINGER" test run!
From the very start his dog loved
it, comfortably, almost cockily,
trotting alongside the bike. But
suddenly came the big test, the
neighbor's angry male Rottweiler
was out walking with its Master!
"Uh-oh, what now?",
Sven thought, but there was no
time for turning back. His dog
charged to the side, but to his
enormous surprise he had no
difficulty at all in keeping his
balance. With his SPRINGER
equipped bike he gently pulled
his dog along, and in less than
two seconds, Sven's dog seemed to
have lost all interest in his
adversary, and was trotting along
happily unaffected by the recent
dramatic incident.
The eyes of his neighbor almost
popped out of his head. He had
expected to see Sven sailing
through the air, as the two
string dogs were about to clash.
So, when they met later that
afternoon, Sven had to show him
SPRINGER and let him try it with
his Rottweiler, with which the
neighbor had long ago given up
biking. After a few minutes they
returned.
"This -ehh -'THING' is
fantastic! -absolutely
unbelievable", the neighbor
exclaimed. "It felt just
like biking alone. And my dog
loved it and took to it
immediately. Sven, you have to
make one for me too, I don't care
what it costs!" One could
see that the neighbor was
thinking about something. Then
suddenly he revealed what it was.
"Sven, do you know what you
should do?", he asked.
"You should patent it and
start to manufacture them. I bet
every dog owner would love to
have one!"
To make a long story short, he
patented his invention, then
founded SPRINGER, Inc., with his
friend who owned the welding
shop. SPRINGER was developed with
the guidance from several vets,
breeders, trainers and official
traffic safety experts that were
consulted for advice and asked to
test SPRINGER during its
development. When they were
convinced that SPRINGER was close
to perfect, they built a factory
and began production and
marketing of SPRINGER in Norway.
SPRINGER became an immediate
success. A leading marketer
explained it this way:
"SPRINGER is the right
product at the right time and the
right price. SPRINGER possesses
many properties that are
important to people today: it
promotes exercise and fitness;
togetherness with a pet; getting
outdoors; families sharing
activities together; enjoying
already existing things (dogs and
bikes) with only a small added
investment (SPRINGER)".
So they extended to 14 different
European countries, and now the
time has come to introduce
SPRINGER to the dog owners in the
U.S.A.
The
Ingenuity of SPRINGER
•SPRINGER is
often called "the third hand
on your bike", because it
keeps your dog gently in place at
your side, protected from
traffic, pedals and wheels, and
prevents it from getting
entangled in the leash, while you
may always have both your hands
on the handlebars.
•SPRINGER's low-mounted coil
spring absorbs and reduces as
much as 90% of the force of your
dog's unexpected tugs when it
lunges to the side, making it so
much easier to keep your balance.
•With SPRINGER you let your
dog set the pace and never force
it to run, you allow it to run
-to its heart's content! No
pre-training is necessary,
(except that you must know how to
ride a bike, of course).
•Dogs love SPRINGER from the
very first moment, and from then
on they look forward to every
trip. One reason is that the
flexibility of SPRINGER is just
as gentle to your dog as it is to
you and your bike. So running
SPRINGER is actually more
comfortable for your dog than if
you were jogging with the leash
in your hand. Another reason why
dogs love SPRINGER is the simple
fact, that dogs love to run!
•In an emergency (for
instance if you look the other
way, while your dog runs on the
wrong side of a lamp post) a
special, patented "safety
release" will free your dog
instantly, without any discomfort
to either of you.
•SPRINGER installs on either
side of most standard ladies' and
men's' bikes, including mountain
bikes and touring bikes. Between
trips SPRINGER may be mounted or
dismounted in two seconds, using
only the tip of your finger.
Springer In
Action
SPRINGER lets you
relax and enjoy the company of
friends and family while taking
your dog along on bike rides. No
need to leave your dog at the
house, or tensely watch the dog
as you ride your bike. SPRINGER
"the third hand on your
bike" handles your dog for
you.
With SPRINGER you maintain your
balance even if a strong dog like
a German Shepherd suddenly
charges out. But even better,
because SPRINGER puts you back in
charge, your dog will very soon
realize this, and restrain
itself, even when passing a cat,
a squirrel or another hostile
dog. Believe it!
7
TIPS FROM SPRINGER'S
INVENTOR:
1.Start out slow,
and allow your dog to get back in
shape gradually.
2.Always let your dog set the
pace.
3.Avoid biking in hot weather.
4.On longer trips bring along a
water bottle for your dog.
5.Slow down (easy trotting) when
biking on paved surfaces.
Frequently check your dog's pads
for wear.
6.Slow down and be considerate
when meeting other bike trail
users, especially children.
7.The manufacturer of SPRINGER
recommends that you always wear a
protective helmet when biking,
even when you don't have your dog
with you!
Why Your Dog
Needs Springer
We know you love
your dog. But did you ever
consider that, although
domesticated, your dog is by
nature a predator, created to
hunt -running and stalking its
prey all day for survival.
So your dog needs more than your
love, nutritious food, and a
leisurely walk through your
neighborhood. According to vets
medium to large dogs may need as
much as 4 hours of brisk walking
or 1 hour of running every day
(weather permitting) in order to
stay fit, healthy and happy.
Most of us are to busy to walk
our dogs 4 hours a day, and very
few are fit to run for 1 hour at
a pace that will also give our
dogs a healthy work-out. So our
dogs end up getting far too
little exercise, causing more and
more dogs to suffer from typical
'human ailments' like heart
trouble, shortness of breath,
arthritis, obesity, atrophy, etc.
Many vets and other dog experts
go so far as to call this lack of
sufficient exercise the most
serious collective mistreatment
of animals in today's society!
However, as recreational biking
becomes more and more popular
here in the U.S. as well as in
Europe, more and more vets,
breeders, trainers and other dog
experts recommend that dog owners
bring their four legged friends
alone on daily bike trips.
Hence, a large, rapidly
increasing number of
conscientious and caring dog
owners throughout the U.S. and
Europe are biking with their dogs
for the exercise. It is much more
fun than walking, far less
strenuous than running and the
dogs love it. They are
exhilarated by the opportunity to
use their muscles and natural
speed, making them ever more fit,
healthy and happy. This is also
an excellent opportunity for the
owner to get in shape!
"Trotting along next to a
bicycle is one of the best ways
for a dog to get the exercise it
needs".
Countless other dog experts agree
with Mr. Klever. Wouldn't it be
great if you too could bring your
dog along on a bike ride every
day, or even only once in a
while, let it run to its hearts
content, while you enjoy biking
as a break away from the often
tedious and boring routine walks?
You thought about it? But the
problem of controlling your dog
from a bike kept you from trying?
That's understandable, for also
when biking with your dog, common
leash laws apply, perhaps even
more so that when walking your
dog. Countless dog owners biking
with the leash in hand or tied to
their bikes, have experienced
unfriendly encounters with
pavement, gravel, ditches and
worse. Their dogs had suddenly
decided to lunge after another
dog, a squirrel or a cat. The
results: bruised hands and knees,
torn pants, and sometimes even
sprains, stitches and broken
bones.
Those days can be over, at least
for the happy owners of a
SPRINGER. There is a saying:
"You can't have it both
ways". But now you can!
Thanks to the patented invention
SPRINGER your dog can have all
the exercise it needs and longs
for, while you enjoy biking,
almost as easily as if you were
biking alone.
References
SPRINGER has been
tested for safety, quality and
functionality by the world
renown, reliable testing
laboratory of "TUV
Rheinland" (Germany) and
"The Norwegian Bureau for
the Promotion of Traffic
Safety" (affiliated with the
same international association,
"P.R.I."), and is both
approved and recommended for
biking with dogs.
Countless SPRINGER users have
called or written to SPRINGER's
inventor just to thank him
personally for inventing it, and
to tell him enthusiastically how
much their dogs love to run with
SPRINGER, and how it has made
their dogs both healthier and
happier.
So far, more than 200 European
newspapers and magazines have
reviewed SPRINGER very favorably,
generally calling it "a long
needed, extremely useful,
ingenious product of high
quality".
SPRINGER has been presented on
national television in Norway,
Sweden, Holland, Germany, France
and Italy, so far!
After hearing about SPRINGER the
Swiss police were at first
skeptical. So we sent a sample to
the dog patrol of the Zurich
Police. A few weeks later the
Chief of the department wrote
back on official letterhead:
"For two weeks we have
tested the bike rack SPRINGER
with a two year old patrol dog of
the breed German shepherd. We are
thrilled and enthused! Most of
all, with SPRINGER the biker man
concentrate fully on the other
traffic, without ever being
hampered of distracted by the
attached dog".
Already SPRINGER is rapidly on
its way to fame in the U.S. as
well. Totally without our
knowledge, the World's No. 1
cycling magazine Bicycling,
tested SPRINGER with a German
Shepherd. From the full page
article, "Aerobic
Animals", in the Nov. '91
issue we quote:
"I was intrigued when a new
product called the SPRINGER
arrived recently. Imagine being
able to ride (your bike) and walk
your dog at the same time. I
tested the Springer and to my
surprise, the thing works. It
keeps the dog far enough away
from the bike that they can't get
caught in the wheels or drive
train. And as a security device
that can't be beat.
I was impressed with SPRINGER. In
fact, I see the day when bike
paths will be filled with happy
dog/bike combos. And your dog
will be as fit as you are".
How Springer
Reduces Tugs
The lowering of the
point of impact, but in
particular the flexing of the
coil spring, gives you, the
biker, time to react
instinctively to re-adjust your
balance, just as you do today
(without even thinking about it)
if caught by a gust of wind.
Biking with your dog and SPRINGER
becomes almost as easy as biking
alone, only much nicer. And
because SPRINGER does not jerk
your bike, it does not jerk your
dog either, but is actually more
gentle on your dog than if you
were jogging or walking with your
dog, leash in hand! This may be
one reason why dogs love SPRINGER
so much.
Your dog needs to run, it is in
its nature. And your dog loves to
run -if you would only give it
the opportunity. With SPRINGER
you can. With SPRINGER you don't
force your dog to run, but allow
it to run -to its heart's
content- by letting your dog set
the pace. If you love your dog,
buy it a SPRINGER today!
SPRINGER is recommended by vets,
breeders, trainers, official
traffic safety consultants and
tens of thousands of dog owners
like yourself throughout 14
European countries and is
acclaimed as "the best think
that has happened to dogs in 100
years"!
Even if you consider yourself
just as average biker, simply
start biking with SPRINGER and
your dog. In less than one minute
(but probably from the very first
second) you and your dog will
feel as if you have been doing
this for years! Bringing your dog
along for its daily exercise
becomes so much nicer, healthier
and more fun for both of you,
than you could ever imagine,
until you try SPRINGER. We
wouldn't be surprised if you too
ended up sending us a letter in a
few weeks, simply to say:
"THANK YOU"!
So, what are you waiting for? If
you love your dog and like to see
it fit and healthy, but most of
all, happy, buy your SPRINGER
today! It may be hard to believe
for some, but there are few
things your dog will love more
than simply running alongside you
as you ride your bike.
Order The
Springer Only $62.85
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