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The byACRE Overland - The Perfect Companion for a Service Dog

Elizabeth Pode May 22, 2025 5 min read

When Mobility Needs Change

Disability is dynamic: whether you've been living with your disability for six months or your whole life, you've likely come to realize that the daily challenges shift constantly. If you are like me, sticking with one mobility device may not be an option as your body and circumstances change.

In 2022, I received the wonderful gift of a service dog through Canine Companions. Suddenly, navigating the world independently day-to-day didn't seem so scary. My service dog, a yellow labrador retriever named Edge, is always by my side to lend a helping paw. Whether he's picking up dropped keys, opening a heavy door, assisting with laundry duties, or retrieving a rogue walker, he manages to help me every day (in between naps, of course).

Prior to Edge joining the family, I have used a walker for the past 18 years, settling on it as my main mobility device after periods of time using canes and a wheelchair. For the most part, I managed well, using it through high school, college, and into the corporate world, but when my walker rolled away from me, whether through faulty brakes or simple user error, I became stranded, necessitating my four-legged insurance.

The Perfect Pairing: Service Dog and byACRE Overland

As you read this, you may be a current walker user contemplating a service dog, or you may be a service dog handler whose mobility will be complemented by a walker. Either way, the byACRE Overland is the perfect companion for your canine friend! Shifting from my the walker I've used over half of my life to the byACRE Overland has been an adjustment, but Edge has seamlessly transitioned and walks calmly beside it as if it has always been there.

Recently, we spent a lovely sunny Saturday in downtown Ventura, California, cruising the shops and eateries while testing out the new wheels. While not high on everyone's priority list, I loved that the byACRE Overland comes in a variety of fun colors, allowing me to express my individuality and see it as an accessory, not just a medical device. Since we're always on the go and throwing the walker in the trunk, the fact that there are also paint corrector pens available to match the frame color is a game changer for me: the days of boring black walkers and fixing scratches with Sharpies are over! Luckily the frame and paint have held up much better than my past walkers, so no fixing needed so far.

Elizabeth with her dog, Edge and her byACRE Carbon Overland rollator

A Day on the Town: Testing the byACRE Overland

We started our morning visiting Tiki Girl, a local fashion boutique that was having an open house, featuring local florists, wine makers, and tea crafters. Edge lavished in the pets while I navigated to the different vendors with ease. I'm looking forward to adding a cupholder to my byACRE Overland, one of the many helpful accessories when tea and wine tasting.

We then walked down Main Street to browse for Mothers Day gifts, where the byACRE Overland handled all of the sidewalk cracks and hills with ease. With prior walkers, I have always had to watch the sidewalk for any rocks, cracks, debris, etc., as my wheels would easily get caught. But with the byACRE Overland, I could finally look out and feel confident that the tough tires could handle anything they encountered with ease!

We meandered to Smitten, a woman-owned independent bookstore that exclusively sells romance novels. As Edge and I browsed the shelves, the byACRE Overland easily maneuvered through the tight aisles and around the charming bookshelf ladders, reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast. Edge knows the command "behind", meaning that he could fall in line behind me and the walker as we squeezed through the shelves, and with a long enough leash, the back wheels of the byACRE Overland were compact enough that he did not step on them or hesitate to change his walking position.

Finally, we just had to stop by Palermo Coffee, where we picked up a few handmade cups for our new espresso machine and indulged in an iced matcha latte. As I stood, leaning against the counter and enjoying my foamy green drink, I could easily hang Edge's leash on the byACRE Overland's sturdy handles without fear it would fall off. I was even able to use a carabiner to hook his container of doggy waste bags to the loop in the brake, a necessity if we're on the go all day.

The coffee shop was crowded, typical for a weekend in downtown since the smell of roasted beans wafts out to the busy sidewalk, but Edge was able to easily tuck between the byACRE Overland's large wheels, ensuring he could keep his tail out from under the feet of passersby. Overall, Edge adjusted faster than I did to the new set of wheels, but by the end of the day, I felt extremely comfortable taking him out with the byACRE Overland, knowing it could handle the many adventures Edge and I go on!

Learning Curve: Tips and Adjustments

Adjusting to a new mobility device can be tricky, especially when you've been using the same one for many years. I've found different tips and tricks with my old walker that I've had to re-learn with the new one, so there have been pros and cons.

To go up a curb, I normally lift the front bar of my walker. The byACRE Overland has a step in the back to pop the front up for this exact purpose, but unfortunately my balance is not good enough to use this. It's a great feature for those who use the walker more for strength and stamina than balance, and a front strap is available on the Overland, although I chose to leave it off my model. I've recently discovered that I can lift one side of the seat to help myself over a curb without it folding, so that has been extremely helpful to stay independent.

While I'm still adjusting to the best way to put it into my vehicle with my limited balance, I love that the byACRE Overland folds flat, with no pesky handles or bars sticking out. It fits easily in my car without taking up all the trunk space, and is almost the same weight as my current walker, even with the giant wheels! Perfect for tucking away at a restaurant as well. Speaking of the tires, they're a game changer, and I can't wait to wander from Ventura's Main Street down to the beach and see how it does in the sand.

Pros and Cons: An Honest Assessment

The only downside I have seen is that the seat of the byACRE Overland is a sling seat rather than a flat, hard surface. Because of my limited balance, I use my walker seat as my hands, setting plates of food, drinks, my laptop, keys, purse, etc. on it. It is the only way for me to carry items since I need both hands on the handlebars at all times, so having a sling seat limits the types of items I can carry, as well as how stable they are when balancing on it. The seat, however, is necessary for the ease of folding and is comfortable when sitting on it, so consider how often you use your walker seat and how you transport items daily when considering the byACRE Overland.

Overall, the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to the byACRE Overland. While I will still keep my old walker in my back pocket, the wheels, ease of movement, size, weight, and foldability of this product make it a game changer when it comes to adventures. I felt more stable, more confident, and more at ease with the byACRE Overland than I have in a long time, and I can't wait to continue learning all of its ins and outs for everyday use, especially with Edge by my side.