Do you take your pets with you?

[windmill]

Originally Posted by guitarhack

I love my dog dearly (as I am sure all of us do), and I would hate to be away from him for such an extended amount of time. But for my dog, taking him would be selfish. He would HATE it - and likely drop dead as mentioned above. Seriously, it would mentally scar him - assuming he didn't have a heart-attack. I just couldn't do it to him.

Love 'em and leave 'em rings true for me.

Depends on the dog.

Our dog Taffy loves riding more than anything else, If she gets in the hack, even bacon or her favorite toy wont get her out until I take her for a ride.

On the weekends, If I go near the garage she will go into a panic, if she sees her hack leash or doggles she will start dancing and yipping.
If I do leave her behind, she will sit by the door and whine.

Some dogs love riding more then you can possibly imagine. That said, I wouldn't be comfortable with a dog on a 2 wheeler.

[pastor passum]

While I don't know about 2 Yorkies, I traveled for years with my Schnauzer. He loved riding and would go crazy everytime I'd break out the doggles and the bag he rode in.
Bagster, the company that makes tank covers and tank bags, also makes a pet carrier that mounts on the tank instead of a tank bag. It's big enough for a 20 Lb. Schnauzer so if the Yorkies get along being close, it may work for them too.



I don't think I would like carring a dog behind me. If he's in front you can see if he's OK and enjoying himself or if he's having trouble.

We began with short trips around the neighborhood and graduated to longer and longer trips. We put cotton balls in his ears to protect from wind noise and Doggles for his eyes.

The first long trip was from Charlotte NC to Cass, W. Virginia for a rally. That was about 400 miles. We stopped about every 100 miles or so to give him a break and let him run. Back roads especially the mountains (Blue Ridge Pky) are his favorite. After about 30 minutes on the Interstate he curls up inside the bag and goes to sleep. The bag has a clear plastic front so he can see out and the top zips shut in case its raining. We traveled from Charlotte to Daytona for bike week 6 different times. Conservatively I'd estimate he's traveled 30,000+ miles with me both on the K1200RS and the 1200 GS.

Baxter passed away 2 years ago at 15 years. He traveled his last 9 years with me on the bike and I've never regretted it...great memories. Beats the heck out of leaving him in a kennel in my opinion. The new puppy has ridden around the neighborhood a few times so far. We'll see if he enjoys it or not. If so great but I won't force it. You can tell without a doubt if your dog enjoys it. They'll let you knowGood luck with whatever you come up with. Enjoy

At the Halloween Campout in Ashboro NC in 2000


Taking a break on the Parkway near Mabry Mill in 2007



and standing guard over the tent at Daytona on his last trip. He was 14 1/2 at the time.



Get this show on the road

[sam104535]

Wonderful story Pastor...thanks for sharing. Hope the new puppy gives you many many memories like Baxter did.

[Bucho]

A buddy of mine takes his little mutt dog w/ him all the time. He and his wife have been on long trips and the dog rides on the passenger's lap.

If I didn't have a mastiff, I'd bring mine along too. I'll probably add a sidecar to the stable sooner or later...

[SteelB12]

Somehow I don't think my cat would be too happy on my Bandit

[LaurelPerryOnLand]

Originally Posted by German Trick

I saw this little guy up on Mt. Palomar a few weeks ago.

I think that he's looking for the nearest TACO BELL.

Aye...che-wa-wa!

[mb90535im]

I don't have any suggestions for carrying two, but Tyler, one of our three Papillons lives to ride. We ride practically every week even if it is just a 1 hr ride each way to the cabin and back for the weekend.

He rides in a $40 pet store carrier re-purposed with a little sewing creativity by my wife to attach at the same points as my Bagster tank bag, tethered in via his harness. Like me, he doesn't care for riding the slab, but mountain twisties and FS roads he loves. Like the pooch above, when Tyler sees my riding gear coming out he starts barking and turning flips. On rides where he doesn't get to ride along he is quite the sad little dog according to my wife.

I need to try the cotton balls for his ears. He has goggles, but I'm having a difficult time getting him to keep them on.









I did see a tiny Yorkie once riding in what appeared to be a small camera case attached to the handlebar crossbars on a bike.

[California]

There's more than one way for your pet to ride along. This is Tucker, a 70lb Australian Shepherd.


He loves to ride, but I only take him for short rides when the weather is mild because he's got no way to get out of the sun, and I don't have anywhere to carry water with me. His longest ride was probable about an hour.

The other problem is that most stores don't allow pets, and I'd have to leave him when running errands or such. So far, he only gets to go for "pleasure" rides.

[Roadcraftnottingham]

I suppose the questions are

Will the dog be scared (you know them better than anybody)

A small dog in a top box is over the rear suspension and may get thrown about on bumps you won't feel

If he does his business on the ride he'll Get covered in it

If you have an accident for any reason, how would you feel if he gets injured or worse?

Are you doing this because the dog will enjoy it or because you'll miss them



Good luck with your decision

A cat lover. :-)

[mb90535im]

Originally Posted by California

So far, he only gets to go for "pleasure" rides.

A "pleasure" ride to the Vet huh? What a cruel trick.

[mb90535im]

Originally Posted by Roadcraftnottingham

I suppose the questions are

Will the dog be scared (you know them better than anybody)

A small dog in a top box is over the rear suspension and may get thrown about on bumps you won't feel

If he does his business on the ride he'll Get covered in it

If you have an accident for any reason, how would you feel if he gets injured or worse?

Are you doing this because the dog will enjoy it or because you'll miss them



Good luck with your decision

A cat lover. :-)

Valid questions and concerns.

I prefer to ride with Tyler in the carrier in front of me and with him being relatively small that works where it wouldn't with a larger dog.

Tyler definitely enjoys the ride. He has a temperature sweet spot of 60-90 F. Anything cooler or warmer and he doesn't seem to enjoy it as much.

Regarding how I would feel if he were injured or killed in accident is something I have struggled with, because if you notice the first pic I posted, the damage to the top of my GPS was from an accident where if Tyler had been along on the ride he would surely have been killed. The bike low-sided coming out of a sharp right hand turn, then after I come off the bike its tires grabbed asphalt and it flipped twice in mid-air and slammed down hard on that left side of the handlebar area.

One rule I have is that if I'm planning to be riding with others at a more "spirited" pace, then Tyler doesn't go. I know that still leaves the fact that on 2 wheels it is just inherently more dangerous regardless of how careful and slower paced I ride.

Here is how I reconciled it. Tyler was a rescue dog. He was raised in a cage in a barn for a year and half with little to no human contact. The breeder took him and 5 siblings to a vet and said, "Either find them a home or put them down." When we adopted him from a Papillon rescue group out of Chattanooga he was so pitiful he couldn't do anything but sit in the corner and shiver. He wouldn't have anything whatsoever to do with me.

As he slowly warmed up to my wife and we would go for rides in the car we started noticing that where our other Papillon would be asleep before we could get out of the driveway, Tyler wanted to ride with his head out the back window the entire time. Rain, snow, summer, winter, it didn't matter. He wanted that head out looking around at the World.

When I bought my GS my wife said, "You know Tyler is going to want to ride." I was skeptical at first, but sure enough he loved it. Now he and I are best buds, and if something were to happen, sure I would mourn him, but to see the joy on this dog's face when the riding gear comes out of the closet and when he realizes he's going to come along, or the look on his face and his attitude during and after rides, there's just no way I can deny him that pleasure knowing his background, and that's just how it is.

I know some on this board would and have criticized that as me being selfish, but I think the rewards for Tyler outweigh the risk the same as how justifying riding, knowing the risks.


Tyler after I left for a ride without him -




Tyler mounting back up after a rest stop in the mountains of N GA -

[Roadcraftnottingham]

If the dog is genuinely happy and comfortable I don't see much of a problem but I think you need to be aware of the potential problems and then make an educated decision.

I'm not sure what I'd do to be honest but I'm sure if you did take him you'd make sure you were extra careful and didn't take any chances.

[mb90535im]

No different than if you ride with either your child or spouse. There's that added level of responsibility when riding two-up regardless of who or what the pillion is.

[dwoodward]

Google "Articulated sidecar". That's a hack that lets the bike ride and lean as normal. In some cases the car also leans...

[hahmule]

US made option for tail section might fit two small yorkies.

http://www.t-bags.com/detail.aspx?ID=57&SelectedCat=3