Dog on board - dos and don'ts please

[Stooriefit]

Thinking about acquiring a dog - probably a bad idea - but wondered about folks experience of havings dogs onboard. Things that occurred to me are:

- what type of dinghy is best - I have an old Avon with the 'spongy' hypalon floor. Do I need to think about a solid floor - wood / aluminium / inflatable?

- what if you can't get ashore - astroturf, disinfectant and sponge!?

- how do you keep the dog in one place - or can you keep the dog in one place? In rough weather I was thinking that the saloon floor beside the table is probably best as this is enclosed by the seating and would have least motion.

- is netting of the guardrails a good idea?

Thoughts very welcome.

Thanks

 

[chanelyacht]

Thinking about acquiring a dog - probably a bad idea - but wondered about folks experience of havings dogs onboard. Things that occurred to me are:

- what type of dinghy is best - I have an old Avon with the 'spongy' hypalon floor. Do I need to think about a solid floor - wood / aluminium / inflatable?

- what if you can't get ashore - astroturf, disinfectant and sponge!?

- how do you keep the dog in one place - or can you keep the dog in one place? In rough weather I was thinking that the saloon floor beside the table is probably best as this is enclosed by the seating and would have least motion.

- is netting of the guardrails a good idea?

Thoughts very welcome.

Thanks

I suppose a lot depends on the dog, and boat. A dog lifejacket is a must though...

One guy locally has a 3m Avon tender and a Newfoundland dog. Works really well - he sits in the tender, dog swims and tows it!

 

[John.edwards]

Ha! doggie do's and don'ts!! only one rule....no doggie do's!

 

[John 32i]

Having a dog is great fun but is yet another consideration when trying to go sailing...we bought a labrador puppy in February...loves the water but wont even walk down the pontoon, never mind get onboard - needless to say our sailing trips have been further curtailed (weather, tides, work, family commitments...and now a dog!!) doesnt seem to work for us, but it does for lots of people - good luck!

 

[dylanwinter]

my advice is...

a jack russel bitch

first.... bitches have great bladder control

jack russels are small and dry quickly

they do not like swimming that much so they will stay on the boat

I speak as a labrador owner - she loves sailing but she needs a lot of excercise and is a real fag getting on and off the boat and brings a lot of **** onboard with her - and she takes an hour or more to dry

 

[NUTMEG]

+1. Wot Dylan said. I have a 45kgm Lab cross Water Spaniel, love him to bits but a pain on the boat. Not naughty just big, wet and in the way. Jack Russell would be perfect.

As for doo doo, Inca can go six or seven hours without complaint but I would not push my luck any further. Plastimo 2.6 with slat floor and little O/B

 

[prv]

I've always been a "big dog" person, but I'd have thought a small dog would be more practical on a boat as you can manhandle them into the dinghy, etc.

Best getting a puppy rather than an older dog from rescue or whatever, so that they can grow up with the boat rather than having to adapt to it. Easier to teach toilet training from scratch to include whatever the rules on your boat will be, than overcome a lifetime's habit of only going when on a walk in natural surroundings.

The companionway is likely to be a problem. Some bigger dogs on smaller boats can jump it (our labrador could jump over quite high stiles when sheep-fencing prevented him going through at ground level) but otherwise I guess you'll be lifting him up and down every time. Or is there a porthole from an aft cabin that a small dog could use?

I reckon the best toilet solution is a square metre of astroturf on deck, with a rope securely attached. Just throw it over the side for a rinse after use - better cleaning when under way, obviously. You'll need to train the dog to go here and only here. I reckon it's unfair to have a rule saying "on shore only" - I wouldn't like to have to hold it in that long!

Pete

 

[Tranona]

My new Labrador (one year old today) does not like the boat. Perhaps I left it too late at a bout 9 months to introduce it. My last one also did not like it, but the first one I had loved the boat perhaps because we had young children then so it went where they went.

Not sure you can predict whether a dog will like it, but seems smaller breeds adapt better. Met a 4 month old cocker spaniel last week which seemed very happy on its boat, but not sure would be a good idea having it on board after a good muddy swim!

 

[srp]

My terrier x pup was born on a boat and spent the first six weeks of her life on board. When I first took her out in the dinghy at about 12 weeks I think she'd forgotten about the early days, but she was reasonably well behaved (probably because she was scared!). A few more dinghy trips, some time walking up and down the pontoon and a few trips in the launch and she's now ok at around 6 months - not completely at ease, but certainly manageable.
The training stage would have been a lot easier with another pair of hands, and I would not have managed at all with a larger dog.

 

[Mudisox]

My present dog is a working ESS dog and the 5th, that I have owned and taken onboard.
They get used to anything if encouraged, and want to be with the Alpha of the pack. [You]
They can all swim perfectly well, as a pup- just walk into the water from a beach and they will follow, then do doggy paddle, an extension of walking. Never ever needed a lifejacket, seeing one on a dog causes merriment but the handle to hold onto them is useful for those unable to move much.
All my dogs have learnt to jump in from the boat and swim ashore to do whatever, between High water and low water marks, and then swim back. After encouragement and initial help they also are able to climb aboard up the stern ladder unaided.
Astro turf works well for long passages, but needs training and another dogs wee on it [get some from a greyhound owner, they are trained to pee into a receptacle for drug testing].

They have an uncanny ability to find their preferred place to sit/lie, normally at the point of least motion.

Oh- they much prefer to have a solid floor of some kind the wobbly nature of rubber dubs doesn't give confidence.

 

[TiggerToo]

A dog lifejacket is a must though...

Genuine question: why is this? I thought for a long time it was just for a larf... obviously I was wrong. All dogs I ever had, where such good swimmers....

 

[prv]

Genuine question: why is this? I thought for a long time it was just for a larf... obviously I was wrong. All dogs I ever had, where such good swimmers....

Indeed. I can see a use for bigger dogs where the "suitcase handle" on their back may be the only way to get them out of the water if they jump in - we had a few episodes where our black lab jumped into water (canals etc, not at sea) and then found there was nowhere that he could climb out. One of those times my mum made me (aged about 14) undress and go in to help push him up the bank. But he certainly didn't need any help to stay afloat in calm conditions, where I often see dogs wearing uncomfortable and hot foam saddles these days.

For a small dog, it strikes me that a butterfly-type net stowed alongside the boathook would be handy!

Pete

 

[VicS]

I have two cats and a parrot

One cat stays at home, the other stays on the boat..

 

[SimonD]

Our four year old Lab loves the boat. Actually, probably more accurate to say she loves water. We have a life jacket for her but never use it. Far better to have a harness (ours is by Ruffware) to keep her in the boat and provide a handle to lift her about the place.

She's happy to lie on the cockpit sole most of the time on passage, but likes the occasional promenade round the deck if conditions are right. I don't think she'd take to being below on passage; rather be with us.

She's a bit nervy coming down the stepped sugar scoop into the dinghy (I suspect she can't see the steps clearly) but has no trouble climbing up. Don't laugh, but I've just made a passarelle for her to go down to the dinghy. A solid floor dinghy (ours is an aerodeck) is probably best, but I doubt it's too critical.

To get her below, she's learnt to put her paws over my shoulder from where I can pick her up and lower her to the sole. With a bit of assistance, she's happy to scramble up the companionway ladder.

A piece of astroturf on the foredeck is a boon. First thing in the morning and last thing at night is not the time you want to be getting in a dinghy to go ashore. She's quite happy to do the business on it and it gives the neighbours a laugh. She can manage a ten hour passage without needing to go by the way.

All in all, it's fair to say that having her on board adds to our workload and is not always convenient. But, she's a great companion and we wouldn't be without her.

 

[prv]

She's a bit nervy coming down the stepped sugar scoop into the dinghy (I suspect she can't see the steps clearly) but has no trouble climbing up.

Could also be the unbalanced feeling of having her bottom above her head, pushing her downwards. A work colleague has a horse who will happily walk up a staircase, but will not walk down steps because he feels like he's going to topple forwards. His owner has jokingly threatened (it's a long story) to bring him into our first floor office and let Security deal with the problem of trying to get a reluctant horse down a twisting stairwell

Pete

 

[SamanthaTabs]

Tommy, our long legged Jack Russell, has lived onboard for 5 years. He didn't like it at first and was very seasick for the first few passages (usually on my pillow...).

Life jacket was bought from: http://www.ruffwear.co.uk/dog-gear/life-jackets
Not cheap but very good, we only put this on him when it's rough, he also has a Raymarine life tag on the jacket. That said in bad weather he tends to stay indoors. Sensible animal

Tinker dinghy, Dragonfly kayak - just try and keep him out of them!

Loo issues; we have a catamaran. For reasons known only to himself he does his business on the trampoline, always in the same spot and I just use a bucket; detergent and a brush. We tried AstroTurf to no avail, first Biscay crossing I was worried as he'd not "been" for about 24 hours - standing in the galley making tea I suddenly felt warm and wet from one knee down. No, I do not resemble a tree...

Brilliant swimmer and climbs up the ladder unassisted.

Obviously injections etc need keeping up to date and remember that if going back into UK waters you can't take pooch on the boat.. It has to be on an approved carrier so ferry or plane and if ferry then not as a foot passenger even in approved carrier. I found this out after taking a train from Brest to St.Marlow to be declined boarding (even though they'd accepted booking online) then stranded there for 3 days as was the weekend which meant that the flea/tick treatment timing had expired and couldn't find a vet. The Boss has just told me that Calais to Dover have kennels so would take foot passengers.

Great company, good luck choosing doglet

 

[prv]

The Boss has just told me that Calais to Dover have kennels so would take foot passengers.

How recent is that information? As of a month or two ago, I read that they no longer did. There's a guy with a small campaign to get them to reconsider - he used to send the missus on the ferry with the dog while he sailed the boat across, and he says that the other routes allowing dogs with foot passengers are too far for him to sail the boat on his own.

Pete

 

[clyst]

Two jack Russels ,two life jackets, netting on guard rails,in the saloon when leaving or coming alongside and 2.7 seago air deck . Both dogs ,one aged ,one puppy love life aboard . tons of walks and swimming . BTW also live aboard

 

[cmedsailor]

my advice is...

a jack russel bitch

first.... bitches have great bladder control

jack russels are small and dry quickly

they do not like swimming that much so they will stay on the boat

I speak as a labrador owner - she loves sailing but she needs a lot of excercise and is a real fag getting on and off the boat and brings a lot of **** onboard with her - and she takes an hour or more to dry

What about a beagle? Similar size and ....less crazy! They know how to swim and in general are quiet characters (well mine is anyway). Only problem they follow their nose no matter what you do/scream...

 

[SimonD]

Could also be the unbalanced feeling of having her bottom above her head, pushing her downwards.

You're probably right. She'll happily go down steeper hills, but that's at a rush and she can see the slope. I'm hoping the passarelle makes her feel more secure cos it looks more like a sloping hill (but then I'm no dog psychologist).