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Dog tethers

As I prepare to get my first hack, I got to wondering how best to secure my dogs. I have three goldens, one of whom is rock solid dependable and often rides the ATV with me, one who will bail out at 50mph if he sees a squirrel, and one who is a 70 pound, month old pup who is remarkably obedient and well-behaved for his age...but still untested on the road.

What are some options for keeping the dog (only one at a time will ride) inside the car?

Pete

Hey Pete: We use halter hooked under the chest to a chain hooked to the bottom of the tub. Be sure to use a "rotating" snap to the halter. Maddie's did come un-hooked once from her turning around in the car.

You should find a good bit of information from a search for "tether" in the forum archives.

Lee / Summer Grove, Louisiana: Ural cT, CJ750, Burgman/Texas Ranger, Zuma 50F, MB5, TW200, CRF250L, GTV300

"Tether," thanks! I tried just about every search limiter I could think of but that one escaped me till I used it in the title. Doh!

http://www.muttslinger.com/dealers.html

It took a while to get mine but they said they had supplier issues. I took my dog out for a run with it and it works really good. I installed the quick coupler to the tub of the sidecar just in front of the seat. Also get your dogs some Doggles if you take them out often as it will preserve there eyes. Thing I like about the buckle up pup harness is that unlike a seat belt tether this doesn't go side to side (which matters in my hitchhiker sidecar). My dog doesn't like the rear part of the harness much though.

Hello Coalminer16.

I was just wondering how long it took for your pooch to get used to the doggles?

Joe.

westerner - 5/18/2010 2:54 AM

Hello Coalminer16.

I was just wondering how long it took for your pooch to get used to the doggles?

Joe.

The question wasn't directed at me but I'll give my experience. I have three golden retrievers. I started two of them with rides in front of me on the ATV when they were small enough to fit inside my jacket. Much caressing and talking to them helped them enjoy the rides. When they were too big to fit inside my jacket they still wanted to ride with me the half mile to our mailbox and back, so I had them perch on the seat in front of me. By the time I introduced them to doggles they so loved our daily rides that they very quickly accepted the doggles as the cost of riding. I think the fact that they were in front of me and I could touch them and speak to them made it easier. Would it be possible for you to have a passenger in the hack to help with that transition?

BTW, that's Tadcaster (my gun dog) wearing doggles in my avatar. He is jealous of riding time, so I made no attempt to train the youngest golden to the saddle.

Pete

I have a yellow lab, Bailey. I use a harness with a D ring on the chest and a short length of poly rope spliced onto a swiveled leash snap. The rope is spliced to a ring bolt that is bolted to the floor of the hack, just in front of the seat. I didn't have a problem getting Bailey to wear doggles. He always watches my wife and I suit up before gong on a ride, I think he justs accepts the doggles and harness as the gear he has to wear to go along. As soon as he gets out of the sidecar, he wants the doggles off, but he's fine with them when we're riding.

Dave

What Dave said. My dog accepts them for the riding. But not long after stopping she is trying to pull them off. When I first put them on her she really didn't think that was too cool. Each dog will act differently. My dog doesn't like wearing anything other then a collar anyways but she knows certain times she has to wear certain things. In the tent she gets booties so she doesn't rip the tent and air pads, running with me she gets a harness, hiking/camping at night she gets a vest, sidecar she gets a harness doggles and possibly the vest if she gets cold and going to others houses she gets the shock collar (she knows what it is so I don't have to use it anymore-very well behaved).

My brothers dog rides sometimes on his 3 wheelers. If he gets off and goes in the house for an hour if he tells his dog to stay it will. Mine wouldn't ever obey that much. Again each dog has there own personalities and fears and enjoyments.

Thanks for the replies. 🙂 I was sorta hoping someone had a quick easy method of attaching the doggles so a pooch cant get them off. I'm thinking maybe bailing wire and duct tape for my pooch. I just know he will not want them on his head at all. Buzzsaw is two now but has been riding dirt since he was 4 months old. Getting him used to riding is not a problem. 😉

Joe.

Might try the reward system. Make your pup wear them for a few minutes and then reward with a treat. Possibly while in the side car so he/she can relate to wearing them in the sidecar and knows it is just part of the deal. Then increase the times till they don't have an issue with it while in the side car. The wire might work to keep it on their body but it is unlikely to keep it lined up with their eyes which is the point of them. It is hard to keep something on a dogs head if they don't want it so you can only hope you can reward them into it.

Well, after a few rides, Maddie learned to use the corner of the sidecar cockpit for leverage to push the doggles up to her forehead. She always waits until we are moving and I can't punish her. Now she seems to "pout" even when I put them on her.

Lee / Summer Grove, Louisiana: Ural cT, CJ750, Burgman/Texas Ranger, Zuma 50F, MB5, TW200, CRF250L, GTV300