There are so many people who give up one thing or another to ride. It shouldn’t have to be a compromise, but sometimes it is.

Can’t join a baseball team that has practice and games all weekend long if you want to attend weekend rallies.
Can’t make it to the barbecue when you’re four hours away and the road keeps rolling in the opposite direction.
Can’t have a dog.

Wait a minute. Can’t have a dog? Can’t have a dog and ride?

Recently I’ve been considering the possibility of getting a pup. Honestly, it’s my girlfriend who wants one. But when one person wants a dog, both of you end up with one—or two for that matter. I’ve been resisting both kittens and puppies, not because I don’t enjoy them, but because I like my freedom. With cats, you can leave them alone for days, but some will crap in your bed if you’re gone too long—just to let you know they noticed. They’ll also give you the very cold shoulder when finally you return.

No, cats don’t like to be left alone while you go for that fabulous three-day weekend ride. And they DON’T like to ride. Dogs on the other hand can’t be left alone. They need to go for walks, answer the call of nature, and so on. They need a dog sitter. Finding a regular dog sitter can be a problem. And it has to be someone the animal knows and likes. And that would most likely be the person you want to go riding with. Ha!

No cat. No dog. Perfect.

But then, consider the example of Marla Garber who used to write travel stories and lifestyle features for Canadian Biker during the late 1980s and early ‘90s. She always took her dog Scooter with her, and together they practically lived on her well-worn FLHT. Neither seemed to have a problem with the other while they were on the road.

When I rode to Sturgis back in 1993, I ended up part of a motley crew that included a dog. I met Gai, who was riding a 900cc Honda from California to Philadelphia to attend a wedding. With Gai was a little fox-like dog named Ready—the two had met along the way. Then we were introduced to Richard, a North Carolinian on a Decker pulling a trailer. Toss in my oversized enduro, and we made an odd trio—quartet, counting Ready—especially when you consider the silly “rule” that says people riding different makes of motorcycles aren’t supposed to get along. But our common denominator was that we were all long distance committed riders with years of experience, and we all rode solo. Except for the presence of Ready that is, who didn’t have any trouble riding in a tank-mounted wicker basket.

So, here I am now wondering what to do when considering a Westie? A Westie is more formally known as the West Highland Terrier. It’s a Scottish breed of little white dog with a big dog attitude. Of course, my girlfriend Kathryn Hunter needs a Scottish dog to match her family tartan and there’s something to be said for smaller stature dogs. They require shorter walks, are happy running around a small city backyard and can fit in a tank bag. Right? Of course they do make special tank bags for dogs, don’t they? Funny, I haven’t noticed any at the bike shops. I must not have looked in the right places.

This little Westie (or two) would have to arrive as a pup and be trained to ride. It’s simple. Most dogs love car riding—that much is made apparent to me everytime I see one with its head stuck out the window and nose pointed into the wind. I’m sure they really want to be on a motorcycle, like most people do when they’re stuck in a car. But I wonder, do Westies like motorcycles, and are they easy to train?

I have friends who never go for long rides. They haven’t given up riding; it’s just that they prefer day trips because first they have to walk the dog, then they have to come home to walk the dog. That kind of dog life doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest. But with the exception of a trip to Europe (to ride), where would I go in the summer that I couldn’t take a dog? Do Westies like canoeing? I know I do. I’ll often ride to a place where I can rent a canoe and then go up river to a nice secluded spot. But, can Westies swim?

There is so much to consider before getting a pet. I remember I got my first dog when I lived with my parents—which is to say that I always had dog sitters and never had to worry about it. Training a dog to ride should be easy. But when I look around, not that many bikers have their four-legged friends riding with them. In fact, I think they number less than one per cent. Hmm. Do I want to join the way less than one per cent club? I don’t know. But I sure don’t want to join the Poop and Scoop club. That will be Kathryn’s job! But knowing her, she’ll be busy at that moment ...

I wonder if StatsCan has figures on the number of motorcycle riding dogs.

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paka00 said:

I ride with my dog every day rain or shin and he loves it. It took me a littel bit to get his seat made but now when I show him his harness he just starts vibrating in antisapation. It took about 15 minets to train him and now he rides like an old pro. There are 4 of us now and we are trying to get it together to start a club called Stray Dogs MC So if you know anyone that rides with there dogs they can find me riding around Abbotsford BC just about every day

December 26, 2007