Dog on a boat in the Med. Advice please?

[Bouba]

If however wondering around with a big brown fluffy poodle in tow in SoF is going to attract the attention of the local mademoiselles, that might soften my attitude a bit

Many years back, my mate had a dog in London, he takes me to the park and says watch this....the dog is an instant pick up with girls, indeed they start the chat. If a girl is sitting on a park bench you can sit next to her right away. And because the dog is usually doing something disgusting, then the conversation is instantly about sex (saves hours of chatup)
Of course, now I’m an old man, I probably have just become the lonely old git with a dog in the park. So it will probably lose it’s magic.

 

[Clancy Moped]

Leave it at home with a pet/house sitter.

 

[MapisM]

Should she wear a flotation device if she looks like she wants to jump in the water from the boat?
How do we get her out (she weighs about 25kg)?

Zero first hand experience as an owner, but here's what I rigged for that specific purpose when I had a barking guest onboard.
From 1:58 onward, but it goes there automatically if you just click the play button.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

This turned out to be very difficult. We bought ours so long ago that I can’t find any supplier. But even then we did get them from the States. The inflatable dock (used to be called Doggy Dock) is a bit of a hassle to set up and store (but I think you have a big lazaret in your swim platform that would be perfect). Once set up, and it needs experimenting because without little fenders it can scratch the boat, you have to teach the dog how to use it. But they learn quickly and enjoy using it, I found I had to put some non skid tape on it so the dog gets a good grip.
The folding step is by far the easiest, but it needs to go about a foot under water, so you have to judge if the dog can leap from that level to the top of the swim platform. Also, they have to be taken off so you can use the swim ladder, but that is not hard as they are tied on by straps and will just unhook and hang in the water until you put it back on. Fits so easy into a car boot, very compact
I’m not sure if you could get any of these by the time you leave.
There are lots of dog ladders and dog ramps on the market, but I’ve never used one so can’t give a recommendation.
Hugo does not swim, even if his life depended on it, so we haven’t used one in years

Thanks. I already found those products on the internet and I was more interested in the inflatable one because it doesnt have to be attached to the boarding ladder. In fact it looks as though I could get one of those shipped from the USA in 3-5 days so I think I will order it. If the dog doesnt like it I can always sit in it myself

 

[Bouba]

The other issue is getting your dog from the boat to the inflatable and back. This can be a two person job, the dinghy has to be securely held with two hands against the the swim platform or the dog will fall in between. Also, very important, I use rubber car mats on the tubes so the dog claws can’t pierce them.
Don’t forget, lots of doggy bags, and remember in the summer lots of beaches (or parts of beaches) are off limits to dogs, and this can be vigorously enforced, so find out first before you anchor

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Leave it at home with a pet/house sitter.

Already been through that. SWMBO doesnt want a stranger living in our house and apart from that they charge £50 a day or something so its not a cheap option

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Also, very important, I use rubber car mats on the tubes so the dog claws

Thats a good point

 

[Bouba]

Thanks. I already found those products on the internet and I was more interested in the inflatable one because it doesnt have to be attached to the boarding ladder. In fact it looks as though I could get one of those shipped from the USA in 3-5 days so I think I will order it. If the dog doesnt like it I can always sit in it myself

Make sure you pick a bright color for the tubes, not blue, because the dog has to aim for in between the two tubes. So he needs to be able to differentiate them from the boat and surrounds from a distance

 

[Richard.C]

Well I should get this straight. I like our dog but I dont want her on my boat. It is the SWMBO that is insisting that she's too precious to go to kennels and has to accompany us on our holiday. So I've left it upto the SWMBO to sort out all the vaccine/microchip shit and if the damn thing gets arrested by Les Flics at Calais and ends up in a casserole in a local restaurant then its only going to be the SWMBO who's to blame. My aim with this thread is damage limitation to my boat

If however wondering around with a big brown fluffy poodle in tow in SoF is going to attract the attention of the local mademoiselles, that might soften my attitude a bit

We would never take our dog back to a regular kennels, mostly horrible places. We have however found two home boarding locations near to where we live, I think they are licensed to have up to 5 dogs only and they stay in the home with the family. Both are wonderful places and I swear our pooch doesn't want to come home after he's been there for a week.

We do however take ours on the boat, never been able to teach him to go to the toilet on astro turf though. I actually bought a boot liner (I think it was for a mercedes estate car) and put the astro turf in that.

 

[Portofino]

Assuming S sorts out the “vet shit “
Find a French vet in Antibes and get them to issue a French dog passport. Reason as a now 3 P dog entering the EU post the B word , they need a fitness to travel cert , fresh every trip @ what ever U.K. vet rip off fee .
If mutt has a French dog passport( or any EU Schengen, ours had a Swiss ) then this fee is got around .
Still need the other” shit “ rabies evey 3 years and a worm tab to rtn to the U.K. , sorry enter now as it’s a French passport holder .
But no fitness to travel cert ever .

Astro turf works well in a corner place an old fendersock on it as they like to sniff it .Reward with usual dodgy teat .
Ours trained up in a day .


We used to do shore patrols like MC Anderson , but theses days basically can’t be arsed launching the tender rowing if next to a no motor buoyed of beach .

Cooling .
Feet and tongue have the only sweat glands so we have a plastic backed water proof mat that we wet , and put ice on etc .
Also put ice ( cut the bottom of bottles off to make a big ice piece ) in the water bowl .
Surprise surprise they sit on the cool albeit mat and lick the ice lump in the bowl = all sweat glands getting iced effectively.
See the ice lump below .

Keep them in the shade .
Take them swimming with a suitable dog LV which should double up as the strap / handle carrier .
Obviously @ 3.4 Kgs ours is one handed lift in / out .Hmm 25 kg use your passerelle to get her put , I guess you could just ( slipped disk aside risk ? ) man handle her in .Put S n first so the dog swims for S .
We do not get water in our dogs ears , as wife heard so prickle prackle on line it might lead to a vet bill .
Perhaps that’s bread specific ?

Suggestion with your Passerelle @ the dock get some matting to hide the holes , as it’s claws will sense them and spook it .
Wife carries ours .
Other marinas no issues .

So the mat is wet and cool , the ice in the water bowl keeps his water cool and he’s just finishing off some tuna .
They eat when they are ready , and seem to poo on shore .We usual set off 11 am and tie up in a Marina by 7 pm .
He,s never pooed on the boat .
Obviously theres no teak to stain in my boat , I just hose it out if necessary.
Suggest bucket of sea water , you will doing a lot of rinsing initially .

 

[Portofino]

Mike I think we share the same attitude to SWMBO s and dogs on board .

I just figured it a small price worth paying .

 

[stelican]

You need to check out Portos comment re dog passport purchased in France.
I have recently read on Motorhome fun "chat forum" that the French Vetinary has been instructed by the French Gov. not to issue UK dogs with EU passports. Loop hole they had recognised. But still check it out. The relavent thread is titled-Is France clamping down on EU pet passports for brits. posted Tuesday 7.53am. you can do a search for it or scroll back.

 

[Portofino]

You need to check out Portos comment re dog passport purchased in France.
I have recently read on Motorhome fun "chat forum" that the French Vetinary has been instructed by the French Gov. not to issue UK dogs with EU passports. Loop hole they had recognised. But still check it out.

Use your Fr address on the PP .

 

[stelican]

Use your Fr address on the PP .

So is there no border check for dog intially entering France from UK? Or are you saying put the french address on the UK issued dog passport

 

[Hooligan]

It sounds to me as if it’s a straight choice btw you and the pooch you are ending up in the crew cabin!!!! With luck it will not have had it’s morning ablution on the entrance to your new quarters???

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

You need to check out Portos comment re dog passport purchased in France.
I have recently read on Motorhome fun "chat forum" that the French Vetinary has been instructed by the French Gov. not to issue UK dogs with EU passports. Loop hole they had recognised. But still check it out. The relavent thread is titled-Is France clamping down on EU pet passports for brits. posted Tuesday 7.53am. you can do a search for it or scroll back.

Dont know exactly what the SWMBO has done but she's definitely been down to the vet to sort out some sort of passport to allow the mutt to visit the EU. Are you saying that it is only a French vet who can now allow a Brit dog into France?

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

It sounds to me as if it’s a straight choice btw you and the pooch you are ending up in the crew cabin!!!! With luck it will not have had it’s morning ablution on the entrance to your new quarters???

There's no straight choice. When it comes to a choice between the dog and me I lose out every time so it will be me in the crew cabin

 

[Clancy Moped]

I seem to remember it was 'my' dog when it needed walking mid-winter in the driving rain......

 

[stelican]

Dont know exactly what the SWMBO has done but she's definitely been down to the vet to sort out some sort of passport to allow the mutt to visit the EU. Are you saying that it is only a French vet who can now allow a Brit dog into France?

From what I understand reading forums there was a loophole by getting a Shengen country passport for dog that meant you did not has to get a fitness to enter EU cert for dog from you vet. Apparently you need this health document renewed by a UK vet every time you ( DOG) enter the EU.
You need to fully check this out as I do not have all the details its only what I have seen on Forums.

 

[Bouba]

There's no straight choice. When it comes to a choice between the dog and me I lose out every time so it will be me in the crew cabin

Never put your wife in a position where she has to choose between you or the dog. It always will end badly