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Soviet Steeds: How Do You Secure a Dog in the Sidecar?
Filed Under (Ella the Hack Hound) by Anthony StClair on 25-06-2008
Ella has responded very well to being in the sidecar. She has become much more adept at getting into the sidecar on command, but one thing we have not sorted out yet is her riding on her own in the sidecar. We’ve been practicing that some, but more practice is needed.
Our first line of defense in keeping in the sidecar will be obedience, and making sure she perceives the sidecar as positive, a good place for a wee dog to be. But that’s not the only option, and we are keeping on eye on other solutions to keeping a dog in a sidecar, such as solutions shared in this Soviet Steeds discussion:
“How do you safely/securely rig your dog in the sidecar?” Follow the whole discussion: Soviet Steeds - Dog In The Sidecar
Leash? Harness? If we decide to install a physical means of keeping Ella in the sidecar, we’ll most likely look into the harness solutions discussed. That way if for some reason she did try to jump out of the sidecar, she could be stopped by a leashed harness, keeping the force of the stop spread over her body and not just her neck.
For now though, we’re going to focus on training. Ella is a very obedient dog, and I’m confident that all we need to do is practice more with just her and me riding, and her getting lots of praise for staying in the sidecar. We’ll see how she progresses.
Hi -
I’m opposed to any kind of restraint. A dog can’t undo a restraint. That means he can’t get clear of an accident scene. The dog must for its own safety be able to follow its instincts and get away if need be just like a person would. Also, many would argue that on a motorcyle or in a sidecar being thrown clear is preferable to being attached to the vehicle in case of collision, and I think that’s a reasonable argument to make.
After 28K miles on the road with my dog, I strongly believe that a dog that doesn’t stay in the sidecar doesn’t belong in the sidecar. My dog has never been restrained and has never once tried to exit the car without permission.
My 2 cents…
Van and Bo
I am 63 years old.I am speaking from personal experience.My first owned ride was a Cushman Eagle 47 years ago.I have had a Georgia class 2 license ever since.I have ridden Dogs on my Motorcycle numerous times.I now believe that I was irresponsible and a danger to myself,my dog,my family and all others sharing the road with me.I had no right to risk and endanger all of our lives.
Allowing children and dogs to ride unrestrained in the back of a pickup truck was a old Southern tradition for generations.We also had our occasional deaths and tragedies.A child or Dog has only to forget or react the wrong way for a instant for tragedy to strike.
I have known of and once even saw a Dog,Adults and Children die,get injured and cause other vehicles to wreck because of this practice.The dog saw a Deer suddenly appear attempting to run across the busy road.A child had the large Dogs lease looped over his wrist.Both went out of the back of the pickup truck on the drivers side into oncoming traffic.It caused a pileup of following and oncoming traffic.I was watching the Deer.It took off and suddenly I saw vehicles going everywhere.The Deer turned at the last minute,reversed course and did not cross the road.I have never forgot helping the survivors or the father and dog owner who saw nothing until he heard the noise and looked into the mirror.This accident was written up as “caused by the Deer”.”Nothing was said about the Dog and child as the father had enough to live with”.
The fact that they have ridden safely for years means nothing in the instant that it takes to happen.
How many times in our lives have we suddenly done something stupid and wondered why we did it?To expect more of a dog or child is really unbelievable and makes no sense does it?
I rode like this and I rode my children and dogs.I risked their lives every time I did.You know it can happen.If it does,it is negligence on your part and you are responsible by law in most states.This has never brought back a life or undone the tragedy.It has never helped the driver “get over it” as I never knew one that did.
I also remember a good size child falling out of the back of a creeping pickup truck a block after they had stopped where I was.I will never forget the screams.Not only did the child die,it broke up the family as the mother who was driving could not handle it.Yes,this family too had done it for over 50 years with no mishap.Suddenly a child was dead!This incident broke up this type of Halloween Trick or Treating in my home town of Guyton,Georgia and the whole of Effingham County for that matter.
There will always be irresponsible people.I myself have been one.Not all but some of the dogs along our interstates and roads are victims of this.My dog once “Bailed out” the window while traveling down the road after years of riding safely.To this day,I have no idea why.
I once thought as Van.Personal experience has taught me different.
Restrain them for their sake and the sake of ALL others on the road.What does it hurt?NOW,it does inconvenience us,and this is the big reason for most.We do not want to be bothered,so we justify our actions.
Please think about it.There really is no excuse when it happens!Alfred Price-Williams.
Thanks for your input. I agree that pickup truck beds are inherently unsafe for dogs and I wouldn’t even think about allowing my dog to ride in one. I also agree that most sidecar rigs are inherently unsafe for dogs. However, I disagree that restraint is the best safety mechanism. My dog’s sidecar has several safety features that ensure that he cannot get out of the car without my permission. Most notably, the seat has been removed and the car is outfitted with a hatch that must be opened for the dog to exit. With the seat removed, the dog sits down so low in the sidecar and the hatch encloses his torso so completely that it would be quite difficult for him to jump out while the hatch is closed. And if he were ever to try, I would be right there 2 feet to his left to put him in his place. The dog will not exit the sidecar without me first opening the hatch. Period. If there’s any doubt in your mind about this, watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El0vCOyxb3A&fmt=18
You’ll note that only the dog’s head protrudes from the sidecar. I’ve also devised frontal shock absorbers and shoulder guides to accommodate the front-leaning anatomy, which is much different than the rear-leaning anatomy of humans, for whom most sidecar ergonomics are designed.
In this setup, from my vantage point two feet to the right I can prevent the dog from jumping out by voice command or by hand, but in an emergency situation the dog can escape of his own accord. There is no active restraint holding him to a dangerous accident scene. If something happens to me or I can’t get to him quickly enough to detach his restraint, he will follow his instinct to get away thereby increasing his chances for survival. I am completely comfortable with this setup and I think it’s superior to most canine sidecar setups in which the dog sits upright on a seat which wasn’t designed for his anatomy and is restrained at the neck or shoulders, whereby the restraint itself is the most probable cause of injury.
Alfred, I agree with you on most points and take the safety of my beloved companion animal very seriously. My approach is to seek the best of both worlds: 1) Prevent the dog from exiting the sidecar without explicit command from me and 2) Avoid active restraint that could prevent him from escaping an accident scene of his own accord.
As often is the case, when people have stupid and irresponsible actions in their own past that they regret, they’re quick to judge everyone else’s behavior as stupid and irresponsible. Alfred, perhaps you shouldn’t be so quick to judge. I’ve spent a lot of time and energy ensuring that my dog has the safest ride possible, and I’ve redesigned many features of the sidecar towards this goal. Surely, no sidecar rig can ever be 100% safe. But I stand by my contention that active restraint is no substitute for appropriate canine sidecar design, adequate training and constant oversight.
Thanks,
Van Frederick
Great information in your posting, I saw this report on tv yesterday about this same thing and since I am going to be married next month and the timing could not have been better! thanks for the tip!, I have bookmarked, thanks Randy Living
Even I have seen people keeping their pets at the back side of their pickup trucks. As Alfred said the same thing in the above comment. Nice post giving information about keeping pets in sidecar.