animal passengers

Hi everyone who lets their pets ride with them!!!!!!!!

I have two dogs and always wanted to take them for a ride in my hack.
I don't know of anyone in my area who does this so iam going to rely on this discussion site for help.
How do you train the to ride with you?
I have this fear that as we are riding along the road the dog will panic and try to jump out and either cause an accident or the dog will get out and get injured.
I envy all of you who can take your pets for a ride and hope to get some advice from all you animal lovers.
Iam I being to over cautious?
The dog I want to take along for a ride is 6 yrs old and weighs about 60lbs.
So I hope this will open the door to alot of responses and help for those with a similar interest.

Thanks sidecarlenny

I thought I would have received some responses by now so come on gang lets hear from some of you how ride with their pets in the tub.
My wife will not permit it until you all give some advice and make her feel more comfortable about riding aroun with our dog in the tub.

Thanks

Personally, I wouldn't have a dog in my sidecar. But I think any dog worth having is smart enough not to jump out of a moving vehicle. It seems like most dogs like to ride and apparently, there are people willing to pay the cost of a sidecar just to take them along. Why not try a short, slow speed ride to gauge your dog's reaction?

i took both my dogs in the chair from when they were pups, i had a friend whose hobby was leatherwork make me an adjustable harness which i attached to the chair through eye bolts.
not so sure about taking a full grown dog out for the first time, just try him on some quiet back roads i guess.

If you go to the Ural web site, you can see a ton of info on dogs in the hack as well as many pics. http://www.imz-ural.com Many, many people put dogs into hacks. Many use Doggles (eyeglasses for doggies) when they do so. Some dogs do not like the engine noise, but many seem quite content. Many owners use a leash attachment of some sort, but I do remember one owner saying that his dog did climb out once and did what looked like a surfing episode and hanging 10 on the front of the hack as he stood there. It was a scary experience for th eowner and he explained how he came to a slow stop and did not shoot the dog off the hack in the process. Doggles site has pics of dogs, but over time the monkey area of the Ural website has had multiple stories and pics of dogs in the hack. Some owners have modified the seat to accept a dog as well. I would think that simply bringing the dog up to the hack when the bike is running and allowing him to set inside for a few minutes at a time would quickly aclimate him to the set up. Noise of the engine is most likely the worst distraction for a dog. Then a short trip or two done slowly may help as well. They make seatbelts for dogs as well these days. I used to have a specific site saved, but have lost it. When I get the set up I want, I fully plan on adapting my dogs to becoming biker dogs, as the wife does not really have the same passion for bikes as I do. Hard to imagine her loving riding in a hack, but I'm gonna' work on her. Put a leash on her and drag her down the highway for short trips at first.......wait, the wife may not like me doing that to her.....I better just put the spouse in the seat and hope for the best, huh? 🙂
Huey

Hey Lenny, I have 5 dogs, toy french poodle(its the only thing that's french I like), silky terrier, silky poo, golden lab & a white german shepherd(it's the only thing that's german I like). The poodle loves to go in the side car, I have a cross bar below the windshield & I knot a leash around it with 6 or 7 inches to clip to the dog. Guess you could put a eye bolt in the sidecar if you don't have a cross bar. Put the dog in the hack, attach leash, start bike & pet, talk, whatever to the dog while bike is warming up. Tough to get the dog in the hack if bike is already started, noise kinda freaks them. Now when I start my bike, the dogs are competing to see who will get to go, once I pick one, it jumps right in the hack. I bought a set of car floor mats and use them to protect the seat when dog is going riding. Kevin

I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this subject.
I have received several ideas that I feel will help me try to get my dog as a passenger.
If anyone else ahs something to contribute ,please respond.

Thanks again Lenny

Hi all....

My dog rides with me all the time and I see a lot of other riders doing the same. I think it's great that our pets can go along with us when we ride. We should be just as safety minded with our pets as we would be with a human passenger. Thats why I put a travel harness on my dog and have rigged a seatbelt like apparatus that attaches him to the seat. It prevents him from jumping out, yet offers a little mobility.

Since dogs are subject to eye tissue diseases such as Panus, I have a pair of Doggles goggles for him. He also has a motorcycle helmet that he wears as well. If I'm required to wear one, I thought he might as well have one too.

He is definately the ultimate Biker Dog now!!!!

My dog Dina loves to ride in my GL1100/Ural hack. She is a border collie/Schipperke mix and weighs about 35 pounds at one year old. I rescued her from the pound when she was about 3 to 4 months old. She is very wary and afraid of most things, esp. people due to her bad puppyhood but has become the best buddy and sidecar monkey. We won the long distance award at the Bigfoot rally in BC this year while on a 5000 mile/21 day tour. She has been to four sidecar rallies and the BMW international and rides with me most days around town. I started her in the hack as soon as she came home with me and started out with her tied in and on some very short and slow trips around my nieghborhood. She went to her first rally, the Carlsbad NM rally, this spring, as her first long distance ride (about 300 miles round trip) after she had been riding for only a month. While around town she rides in the chair with the seat in it. When we are traveling I take the seat bottom out and load a layer of camping gear in the hack. I leave the nose of the hack fairly empty and that becomes her "cave". She sits or lays on top of the gear when not in the cave.We ride with the windshield up so she rarely wears doggles. I also made and mounted a rail along the inside of the sidecar on the side nearest the mc. I have a leash about 10" long with swivel snaps on each end that can slide along the rail so wherever she is in the sidecar, she is tethered at the same length in regards to the outside of the car. I use a leash not so much because she might jump out but because she could be thrown out if we have an "unplanned incident". She is crate trained so I take along a folding crate that I carry in a mount that I built and attached to the outside of the hack next to the bike. The key to harmony in this endeavor as I see it is to have trained the dog and keep working with her so she is as comfortable as you can make her. I think a quiet bike helps as far as not freaking her out. We use a harness type collar rather than a neck collar while riding.I don't know about your dog but mine loves to go camping and loves to ride!

Thanks for all the info gang !!!! Keep it coming.
Regards Lenny

Hey, just found the best site so far for animal/doggie helmets and such. Total accident that I found it, but nice to view. It is at http://www.zoomergear.com. Zoomer is a neat looking dauchound and looks very sharp in the photos at the site. Zoomer's friends look pretty cool as well and the helmet they all wear look just like a regular motorcycle helmet. Add the Doggles and you got quite a great combo. My lazapoos and schnauzer will probably fit into the small size helmet. They give a sizing chart at the site and cost is nominal (about $30-35 bucks) for helmet for a dog owner. I don't know how to post pics here, but check out the photos there and you will see some sharp looking and happy pets that look great with helmets on. I suspect someone getting a helmet like these will have some great photos to post on this site in the future.

I am not associated with the company and have never seen a helmet from them in person, so I can't attest to the actual quality. However, one can view the site and make their own decision. I plan on getting one and think it can work well for my dogs. I'll try to give a report later, once I actually purchase one and receive it.

Huey

Thanks Huey for the info and website.
Lenny

http://www.hogsfordogs.org/ is a website created by a couple that is traveling to 48 states with 2 Harleys with two sidecars with two Golden Retrievers to spotlight charities involved with Guide and Assistance Dogs. As far as mileage they must be the champs at hauling dogs in sidecars. The website is well thoughtout and entertaining. Give them a try.
Sam Jones

Hi Sam Great website.
I hope everyone who is involved with USCA looks at this site.
Great job.
Regards Lenny