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Motos and Mutts
 Many
people love to take fido with them for a cruise. Whether
it’s a pet carrier for your small dog, or a sidecar for
your larger one, furry pillions have more options then
ever to experience a safer ride. To find out more, HH
spoke to Sylvia Delino, from
Road Hound pet
carriers, to get
her insight on gear and tips for your traveling
companion.
HH - Does it take some time getting used to
riding with the pet carrier, i.e.; does it make the ride
a bit more awkward?
Sylvia - My husband and I both ride motorcycles.
Because he is a “no windshield and no saddlebags” kinda
guy, I knew that I would have Smokey, our Miniature
Schnauzer, with me on my bike. I wanted to bring her
with me but initially was a bit concerned about how it
would affect the ride. I was very pleasantly surprised
at how well Smokey and I did!
A typical response from a new rider with a pet carrier
is that they are surprised at how little they feel the
pet on the back of the bike.
 HH
- How does your dog really do in a carrier? Did it take
some time for her to adjust?
Sylvia - Smokey absolutely loves to ride. We
truly share the adventure of the road together. I love
riding down the road and looking in my rear-view mirror
and seeing Smokey with her head out and the wind
whipping through her hair with her goggles to protect
her eyes. She adjusted immediately to the carrier. All
it takes is for me to start moving down the road and she
is in dog heaven.
One thing to keep in mind is that your dog is just like
you. If you need to wear a jacket, need a drink, or need
sun protection, they probably do too.
HH - Do you need to be a very experienced rider
before you attempt to ride with your pet?
Sylvia - Carrying a
pet in your Road Hound motorcycle pet carrier generally
will have little affect on your ability to handle your
motorcycle.
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One’s decision to travel with a pet on a bike
might take into consideration the following:
- Will
the driver’s concern about the pet be a
distraction? Road Hound carriers are mounted
behind the driver in a position so that, in many
cases, the driver can see the dog in their rear
view mirror. We’ve found this setup is much less
distracting than a less secure device such as a
harness or in a pet pouch.
- Is the driver comfortably aware of their
surroundings while in traffic? When traveling
with your pet in a Road Hound pet carrier, you will get
a lot of attention. While riding down the road, it is
common for people in other vehicles to pace your
motorcycle to check out the pet and the carrier. They
will smile, wave, take pictures or videos and just get a
big kick out of it. While we’ve never experienced a
problem, it can be a bit disconcerting for a new rider
and the rider must do their best to ignore them and stay
focused on the road.
-Will you be comfortable? Forget the days of pouches that cause
backaches or baskets/harnesses that distract the driver
and cinch the pet down in an uncomfortable manner. In a
Road Hound pet carrier, the pet is free to get
comfortable and the driver is free to stay focused on
the road.
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Don’t have a dog that will fit into a carrier? No
problem. There are a handful of manufacturers who make
sidecars -
some will even modify their sidecars so that your
Marmaduke can travel comfortably. Some so comfortably,
in fact, they travel cross country. Take for example Max
and Bailey, two golden retrievers that rode across 48
states via sidecar with owners Blaine and Janet Parks
for a charity called Hogs for Dogs
(read their story
here), which raised money for numerous canine support
groups throughout the United States.
To find a sidecar that’s right for your pooch, check out
sidestrider.com for a list of reputable sidecar
companies.
above: Bruce and Kyla test their motion sickness and
room factor on their backyard swing set aka: sidecar ‘simulator’
before making the commitment to take on the freedom of
the road.
Read Kyla’s special story here.
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