Frequently Asked Questions
How long and how far has she ridden?
- Emma Zen started riding at 6 months of age. By age 6 years she had over 35,000 miles under her tail!
How Often does she ride?
- Every weekend!!!
Is she seat belted in?
- Yes, she uses a Batzi Belt restraint system.
Are we making her do this?
- No. She views the sidecar much like a dog who is crate trained views their crate. For Emma Zen it is her safety spot, her security. She gets in on her own and doesn't jump out when the ride is through. We think that speaks volumes.
How did you train your dog to do that?
- We didn't. I know that sounds sort of sarcastic but truly we didn't teach her a thing. She jumped in our neighbors sidecar and sat her lazy sit and faced forward and was ready to go from day one! Being a
Biker Dog is truly in her blood. Since then we have however trained a number of pets to successfully ride.
What are some of the BASIC's on teaching a pet to ride?
- Becoming noise tolerant.
- Hanging out in the sidecar when the bikes not on.
- "Teach" your pet how to wear doggles "before" they learn to ride.
- Make sure your pet is comfortable in restraints.
- First ride is with your human in the sidecar for comfort!
- Gradually your human moves to the rear set behind the driver
- Then your in the drivers seat and your off, slowly at first.
Disclaimer; It's not for every dog. Most people agree "my dog LOVES to hang his head out the window." But the noise, vibration, weather all take a toll. If you've never been on a bike, you try it in the middle of summer or the middle of winter. If you ride, you know what we mean.
Are there any special considerations?
- First and foremost she enjoys it, she is not being forced to ride.
- Yes, she is buckled in the harness is attached to the seats from both side. If you have seen us on the road these restrains may not be visible to you, but they are there.
- The windshield is not on the bike because she did not like it.
- Doggles are worn to protect the eyes from objects and to keep them from not drying out.
- She wears baby sunscreen on her nose, ears and belly at all times.
- The head bandanna is a functional as it protects the wind from going into her ears. We also have ear muffs that she wears to give her a sound break on longer rides.
- She wears loose light color shirts, yes somethings in the summer too, to keep the sun off her. Black is hot.
- She has a water mat that she is sitting on during hot weather.
- She drinks a mixture of pedilyte and water to prevent dehydration.
- We take lots of road breaks.
- The driver of the bike is a Pet First Aid & CPR instructor.
Note; We know it looks scary when she stands up but she is completely safe, harnessed in and protect. Within the confines of the side car she chooses when she wants to stand, sit, lay down and go to sleep, drink water, play with a toy or motion to us to get out if she needs to go potty. Not only is she a good communicator we are good listeners too.