Travelling with your dog by motorcycle can be great fun but comes with difficulties. Maybe you’re like me and it breaks your heart to leave your pup at home or maybe you think it might be fun to carry a furry copilot. Well, after a year-and-a-half of riding with German Shepherd Moxie as my pillion, I can tell you that “fun” doesn’t even begin to describe it. Whether you’re itching to leap in, tickled by the idea, or just curious to glimpse another slice of moto adventure; we’ve pulled together some hopefully not-so-obvious tips for motorcycle travel with your dog.

1. The Carrier that Doesn’t Carry

The first question is how to carry your dog securely and comfortably on your motorcycle. ‘On’ is the operative word here because, if you’re thinking trailer or side car, then skip this section. In the beginning we investigated various carrier options:

• The Beast Rider is intended for cruisers and requires the dog to be seated the whole time.
• The Pillion Pooch is large and protective but allows the dog a lot of freedom to move around.
• The K9 Sport Sack is good for carrying small dogs but probably not comfortable wearing all day.

My husband, Greg, and I came up with Moxie’s K9 Moto Cockpit, which is the carrier that doesn’t carry her. The dog lays down facing forward on the pillion seat cushion and the Cockpit provides a rigid, padded enclosure to secure and protect her.

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2. Safety means AT(Dog)G–ATT

We haven’t found a safety helmet for Moxie that accommodates her pointy shepherd ears, but safety is always top of mind. After leaping onto her Cockpit, Moxie lays down and we secure her in place with Rok Straps that connect to the Cockpit at five mounting points. The age-old debate over hard vs. soft luggage might finally have a winner, at least in terms of riding with a dog safely; my wide 37L SW-Motech aluminum panniers keep Moxie far from the ground and unscathed during crashes.

Your dog’s comfort is essential to everyone’s safety because their fidgeting will make you unsteady. In warm conditions, consider a cooling vest or a pressure-activated cooling pad on their cushion; likewise, have a poncho or insulated dog jacket for cold and rainy conditions. Most importantly, get a pair of Rex Specs dog goggles. Your dog won’t like it at first, or ever, and if they're anything like Moxie, they'll rub them against you to try to get them off whenever you stop; but the goggles will protect your pup's eyes from an infection and those awful, yellow, eye snots!

3. Your Load and Carrying Capacity

Greg and I used to divide the camping load, but with Moxie and her gear on my bike he volunteered to be our pack mule. For day-rides a small bag of treats and a collapsible water bowl are probably all you need, but for overnights and multiday rides, consider packing the following:

• Review your human gear and cut it in half; good advice with or without a dog on board.
• Install tank pannier bags; my Wolfman Luggage Tank Panniers are dedicated entirely and selfishly to Moxie’s gear.
• Consider waterproof bags on top of your panniers and store tools in an external tool tube.
• Be creative. For example, Giant Loop’s Zigzag Handlebar Bag fits perfectly around the padded K9 Moto Cockpit bars, as Moxie’s pockets for treats and other small necessaries.

We’ve covered the basics so now let’s dive into the nuances of riding and traveling with a dog.

4. Rubberneckers and Selfie-palooza

You’re going to be a sight when you pull up to the Starbucks, people will want to take a photo with your dog! It’s really wonderful to see people’s reactions and a special gift to bring joy to their day. Your dog will make you much more approachable even if you do actually fit the ‘bad boy biker’ stereotype. This creates meaningful interactions with people you probably wouldn’t otherwise meet on your travels.

But have patience and a wary eye for a couple of things. It’s always at the end of a break after you’ve put on helmet, gloves, and heavy riding jacket and are now sweating profusely in the 35ºC degree heat that a whole family will clamber out of their air-conditioned minivan to show you a photo of their labradoodle and take selfies with the furry beast on your iron horse.

Back on the road an SUV of smiling commuters spots you and draws alongside with their cellphones raised. For certain they’re going to edge into your lane as the driver positions for the perfect shot for his Instagram Story. But in these cases, at least I’m safer being object of their attention; one time, Greg was almost pushed off the highway by a trucker holding a selfie stick out the window.

5. Ride Your Dog’s Way

Whether you enjoy off-road or long stretches without stopping, now you have to adjust your riding rhythm to what your dog needs. Fortunately for us, Moxie has a camel bladder, which means that once she has peed and pooped, she can lock and load for hours at a stretch. Some riders slip into a pattern of feeding and watering when they stop for fuel at petrol stations. Now is your chance to shake off that bad habit and ride on in search of SRDs (Scent-Rich Destinations) like grassy turnouts and unfenced fields. This way your dog can stretch their legs and do what dogs like best: explore the smells. Your rides will be all the more satisfying for it.

6. How Slow Can You Go?

As a shepherd, Moxie is the radar-operating Goose to my Maverick and she takes her job very seriously. Whenever she smells cows, sheep, goats, or you-name-it, she shifts her body,swings her snout, and extends her necklike a crane.It’s no problem when you’re cruising along at speed but what about when you’re crawling along the uneven cobblestones of Antigua Guatemala and a cat bolts across the street? Or how about when you’ve just arrived at a campsite and before you can dismount a curious donkey approaches to sniff you over?

The point here is: practice, practice, practice your slow skills.

 

7. Dogs Beyond Borders

Having a dog on board only complicates the stress of border-crossings and police checkpoints, but in our experience with and without the dog, the best and only way to reduce stress is through patience, a friendly attitude, and a chatty disposition. Of course, having the right travel documents matters a lot too and every country has slightly different requirements. For example, the forums are filled with overlanders complaining about the difficulty of bringing a dog into Belize. Is this small Central American country particularly rigid or unwelcoming to canines? Not at all, but they do require that you complete a simple online form at least 24 hours ahead of time. Do that and you’ll fly right through customs; don’t do that and the online travel forums are the only place to register your complaints.

The best tip I can give here is an obvious but essential one: do your research ahead of time.

8. Bring a Piece of Home to Hotels and Campsites

The number of dog-friendly hotels is increasing in Central America, but camping is always more fun. Either way, your dog will be more at ease in the unfamiliar surroundings of a hotel or campsite if they have something familiar that smells like home.

What could I bring that’s familiar, useful, and reasonably compact you might ask? Well, if you’ll permit me the shameless plug, how about a travel dog bed that’s water-resistant, rolls up, and looks gorgeous too? I also recommend a reflective collar and a rechargeable LED collar in case your dog wonders off in search of chase-worthy creatures.

K9. When It Comes to Tip-Overs: Be a Man

Robert Duvall taught us that “rubbin’ is part of racin’” – Days of Thunder anyone?– and Ewan and Charley showed us that crashing is just part of moto travel. Well it certainly is for Greg and me, and that hasn’t changed a bit since Moxie joined us. We still ride off-road plenty, which is nearly impossible to avoid where we live in Guatemala anyway, and we definitely still suffer our share of crashes. On that topic, a wise old owl of an overlander once told me, when it comes to moto crashes, men and women often behave just like they do in relationships. Women tend to do everything they can to save the bike, and are more likely to get hurt for it. Men, on the other hand, throw their hands up and bail out at the first sign of trouble, and for that they often get away without a scratch.

Dubious gender stereotyping aside, always let your 500+lbs bike go when she loses her footing. Having your dog onboard is going to trigger the save-this-at-all-costs instinct deep in the amygdala. So, whatever dog carrier you choose, make sure you can trust that your pup is safe, secure, and far from the ground in a crash.

I hope you enjoyed these tips and would love for you to reach out with any questions or to share your own fun anecdote about motorcycling with your pup.

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Jessica Stone along with her husband, Greg, are the founders of Ruff on the Road handmade dog apparel based out of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala and Los Angeles, CA. In their travel video series on 2 Wheels + 4 Paws, German Shepherd moto-copilot Moxie shares the people, places, and lessons from the pack’s motorcycle travels and outdoor adventures throughout Mexico and Central America. Follow the 2-Wheeled and 4-Pawed travel pack on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.