Innopet Hercules Large Dog Stroller for Dogs upto 50kg (IPS-060)

We purchased this for our chocolate Labrador retriever who is 10 years and has mobility issues. It has been absolutely brilliant and works in just the way we had hoped. We now go on long walks again and our dog Indie gets in and out of the trailer. Its almost as if she knows she now needs help. We have a new puppy arriving next week and we feel so relieved that in time we can continue to do longer walks all together. Would also like to make mention to Pets Own Us who could not have been more helpful - 5 stars to them !!!!

Both dogs have taken to this very well (they have to take turns!). I have to heave up the back legs for one of them to get in (which can be an issue if he is muddy), but the other manages. I have also put a foam pad on the base for their comfort. Very easy to manoeuvre. Easy to fold down and set up - although I haven't done this in the rain yet! It basically gives me confidence when I go out with my two elderly Labradors that if either of them starts struggling I can get them back to the car or home, so we continue our longer walks.

Very solid, well made stroller. It was easy to assemble. It's for taking my Bassett hound to the vets as I don't drive and it's a bit far for him to walk. Only downside to it is it's too wide when assembled to go through a standard door so will have to unload him and disassemble when I'm there so I can get it into the vets. Wouldn't want to risk leaving outside, it's a great piece of kit and would be upset if I left it outside and it went walkabout.

It's a beautiful pram, purchased for my 36kg Springador, Princess Grace. Extremely well made, super-sturdy. I always knew I'd have to purchase one one day, as she has arthritis. But local police have been AWFUL to locals driving to the beach (2 mins from our house!) during the virus hysteria, and she would struggle on hard pavements. So, I bought this wonderful pram, and I trundle her down to exercise on soft sand, and swim/paddle in the sea every day. Although scared initially, after a couple of 'short runs' up the road, she quickly came to LOVE her pram, and I'm only surprised we haven't had Queenly Waves from her, as we've glided past her 'subjects' in the street! I have a damaged right arm, weak hands and am still getting used to false ankle ligaments, BUT I can manage this stroller easily, including getting wheels on and off and putting it up and down. It is BRILLIANT on sand, and was recommended to me for the beach, instead of one with plastic wheels. Also great on grass and tarmac. Totally recommend it. My ONLY gripe, is that nobody checked the tyres before dispatch, and I ended up marooned at Tesco's garage with two flat back tyres! Saved by a man from RNLB with a foot pump! So, buy a bicycle or foot pump and give the tyres a blast before your first outing! This pram has given us freedom at a time when it would otherwise have been curtailed, and Princess Grace would have suffered. So, am thrilled to bits with it, thank you. And more importantly, so is she!

Correcting a small mistake in my previous review:

We wanted a dog stroller for my 12 year old 34 kg Doberman cross: her back legs were getting weaker and we did not want her to miss out on her walks! We wanted something that would last for many hundreds of walks and not start falling apart after a couple of weeks. After a few months of almost daily use this stroller has not disappointed, it is very robust and well made, and I seriously doubt any of the alternatives are sufficient for dogs of this size or larger as a long term solution.

As others have said, it is also very maneuverable and it does fold down well to fit into our car boot (BMW 3 series estate) , and fairly quickly too. It also works pretty well over fairly rough terrain (woodland paths, fields that are not too muddy) so it is not just for tarmac.

There are a few minor negatives that I will mention before going on to describe further how this buggy has been such a god send for us. The first negative is one of the spring pins that holds the handlebars in place broke within a week- the spring popped out so it no longer stayed in place. We probably could have asked for a replacement, but thought they would keep breaking and needing to be replaced. So we replaced it with an M6 nut and bolt of the kind used to keep lawnmower handles in place, which works very well and will not break. You can get these things on amazon market place and probably DIY stores too. Hopefully this is a handy solution for others too. The description given here says there are 3 handle heights, whereas the manufacturer says 2. In fact neither is really right- there ARE two positions- one is folded up and one is for pushing the buggy, so there is only really one usable handle height, but this should be fine for everyone. The pocket at the back should have more Velcro on it to stop things falling out when one opens the back of the buggy, and we find the rain cover to be of little practical use. So there are a few minor design flaws but these are not really a big deal.

As for how the buggy has worked for us: we bought it alongside a Walkin' Wheels wheelchair. Our doggy does most of the walk sitting in the buggy, with shorter sections walking in her wheelchair. The wheelchair sections are getting longer and more frequent as she regains strength in her legs. Because we have the buggy with us, she can get in as soon as she gets tired so she does not injure herself and undo all the hard work! To carry the wheelchair during the walks, we mount it upside down on top of the buggy, and use two Velcro straps to attach the back crossbar to the handle of the buggy, which is a perfect way to combine the two bits of equipment. Because our doggy's legs are getting stronger she is also able to walk much more unaided (e.g. in the garden and around the house). I can therefore recommend this rehabilitation approach for others in the same situation!

Even if the rehabilitation had not worked, the buggy itself would have been a great solution. Our doggy loves riding in it! She quickly figured out what the deal was and is quick to climb in the back with a helping hand (using a sling or just a little push under her thighs). She now gets all the joy of her walks without any of that pesky effort! She sits with the front open and her head sticking out of the front, taking in the sights and smells and saying hello to her human and doggy friends. I can imagine that most other dogs losing mobility would love it too.

So overall highly recommended and worth the money it costs.