Riding with Pets

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jennysmith said:
Riding with your pet is always going to be fun, but i cant imagine something like strapping my pet to the sit or making him sit into a box or carriage where he might be really uncomfortable, is cruelty to them better way is to ensure that you make your pet really comfortable with the vehicle and give him short rides, so that they are relaxed and start enjoying being there.
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I was fortunate in that I got Suzi as a puppy and was able to familiarize her with the bike before she rode it for the first time. At that point, I used liver and chicken treats to get her used to the bike, then running bikes, and of course having friends drop by got her very excited about hearing motorcycles and seeing riders in gear and helmets.

I had her ride in a backpack for the first few trips, then found that having her in front of me was the best as I could watch her interest in the ride. She hated speeds over 70 kph, possibly too much for her nose? I'd another dog that pulled her head in from the car window, so I was expecting that. The most trouble I had was pulling up to a stop waiting for a long light with idling cars, and she didn't appreciate the exhaust fumes and became agitated right then and there, but later on accepted that we would be moving again and it never occurred again.

I did have an issue with a car load of young teen aged girls. They rolled down their window at a stop and got excited about Suzi in her Doggles, and Suzi wanted to bail and join them in the car but was attached to me via carrier and harness.

I purposefully made the trips short and at low speeds so she would learn to love being on the bike. A weeknight ride at 60kph around the neighborhood and to a dog park met with her approval.

Fast forward to the second season... She'd already been out to PEI to my sister's place on the bike the previous year, and this time around the weather was just so hot that we both had trouble beating the heat (ALWAYS carry water on your bike for the dog!), and she started to leave the carrier with her front legs while riding under 60kph in and around town. I called it tank surfing, then she started doing this on the secondary roads between the small towns, as long as her doggles were on and we did 90kph or less, she was totally in her element, sniffing out manure piles, seaweed and dead fish along the coast.

I found that while I can do an 800km day on the bike, it was a bit hard on her, so if we had to go further, I'd have to stop more frequently and she was reluctant to get back on the bike. In Napanee, about 3 hrs from home, I felt like a cretin loading her onto the bike for the second last time, and when we hit Oshawa, I was apologizing to her and telling her we'd be home in an hour.

That being said, when I get ready for a trip, and bring out her carrier and harness, she makes sure to follow me outside and wait anxiously until she sees me approach her with her harness in hand.

Unfortunately the the DR650E has a pyramid style tank, so we may have to redesign a platform atop it where she can rest her forelegs, so until such time she can't ride the bike, and that is highly unsatisfactory for us both. :(
 
mudmojo said:
Sighted this summer...

View attachment 29752
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I met a lady that rode with her Jerk Russell Terrorist on her cruiser. She'd simply strapped a sheepskin across the tank and the dog sat between her legs and behind the generous windshield.
 
My dogs stays in my tankbag. He or She is strapped in to the bag and a strap goes to my body so i can control him/her. goggles is a must and the windscreen keeps the wind out of their ears.( i worry about protecting their ears from noise, so no over revving and stay in local roads only)
My two dogs would literally jump off the car when I ride beside them, thats how I know they want to go on the bike and i think they love it.
Accident happen but when i have a passenger either dog or human, i ride much more carefully.
 
My smallest dog is about 11lbs, but I'd never even consider taking her on my bike, or any bike, and exposing her to that risk. But that's just me.
 
I don't see what the difference (dog's perspective) is between being on a bike or sticking it's head out of a car window.
 
I stopped at a light beside a guy on a cruiser yesterday... he looks at me and points at his lap saying something like "taking him for a ride".

For my surprise he had a bearded dragon on his leg!!!
 
Griffin said:
It's a risk managmenent thing.

If they are going to be exposed to wind they should have doggles.

Then you have several other challenges:

1. How do you keep them on the bike?
2. How do they get away from the bike should it go down? If a smaller pet they could go with the rider and that's probably not too bad, depending on how they're attached and how the rider tumbles or falls.
3. How do you protect them from the damage they will be subjected to if you do go down, i.e. dog helmet, dog jacket?

All of which is irrelevent if you only consider them to be property and are only concerned about the $1k replacement cost. But if you love them like family then why would you treat them differently then a human you were going to take for a ride? Which leads you to those three questions above.

And, FWIW I would never take my large dog or small cat on my bike.
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+10000.

These threads enrage me. They don't make proper helmets for pets.. you might say you have one, but it's a novelty, it won't really protect them in a crash. Moreover.. there is a reason you aren't seat-belted to your bike.. you need to be able to disembark easily in the event of a crash.. but it's ok for your pet to stay strapped to the bike or to you as you/it slide across the pavement in the event of a crash?? News Flash - The dog is dead. IMO anyone caught doing this should be brought up on animal cruelty charges and given the maximum penalty.
 
No thanks. Dog is 100lbs.

He loves car rides though, but i dont like him in the car, his malamute/huksy fur weaves into the fabric. Im sure its ALIVE
 
This morning I saw a guy on a cruiser with a small dog, rear legs on the seat and forelegs on the metal tank. While the dog didn't appear distressed it didn't look safe.
I didn't see any tether so if it slips does it just drop to the ground and tumble or if there was a leash does he drag it until he can come to a stop or lose control of the bike juggling the tasks?
The rider was not in a position to maintain full control over his vehicle, (IMO of course).
If you're going to do it then do it right.
 
I always thought that if I had a small dog, I could rig something up in the "Stuffbay" of my CS. It's really the perfect size for this.

Not my bike, but same make/model:
bmw-f650-cs-scarver.jpg


Didn't get a small dog - I got 2 LARGE dogs. Stuffbay idea is out the window. Oh well.
 
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IXFe said:
LOL. beat me to it... best doggy-bike pix ever! :p

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This chick is famous. I've seen a lot of her pics here... is she even in the forum?
 
just_luc said:
+10000.

These threads enrage me. They don't make proper helmets for pets.. you might say you have one, but it's a novelty, it won't really protect them in a crash. Moreover.. there is a reason you aren't seat-belted to your bike.. you need to be able to disembark easily in the event of a crash.. but it's ok for your pet to stay strapped to the bike or to you as you/it slide across the pavement in the event of a crash?? News Flash - The dog is dead. IMO anyone caught doing this should be brought up on animal cruelty charges and given the maximum penalty.
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There is no law against it, and until such time as the countless law enforcement officers Suzi and I have encountered, we will continue to ride together and enjoy life.

My dog wants to be with me 24/7 and this is our compromise.
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