Dog on board?

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Gypsyjoss

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Hi Guys
Having sold up in the Med I'm proposing buying a 27 to 29 foot something e.g. Moody 27 bilge keeler, for some weekend Uk sailing but I also intend to have a dog.

So please tell me the hazards of having a dog on board, how you deal with them, and is there any breed that you would recommend? Needs to be able to help with fenders!

Cheers!

Pete
 
Gypsyjoss said:
Hi Guys
Having sold up in the Med I'm proposing buying a 27 to 29 foot something e.g. Moody 27 bilge keeler, for some weekend Uk sailing but I also intend to have a dog.

So please tell me the hazards of having a dog on board, how you deal with them, and is there any breed that you would recommend? Needs to be able to help with fenders!

Cheers!

Pete
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Collies seem to adapt to dinghies well & love to be involved in everything their 'dad' is doing. However they can suffer separation anxiety & get bored easily. Good with fenders though.
 
Just imagine being anchored off some cold wet storm bound evening and having to dinghy a dog ashore for a pee. And then taking the soggy doggy down below.
 
howard easton said:
Just imagine being anchored off some cold wet storm bound evening and having to dinghy a dog ashore for a pee. And then taking the soggy doggy down below.
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That's why it's important to teach the dog to go on a square of astroturf on deck. Often not possible with an older dog, but if you're taking on a puppy then I'd have thought it should be reasonably straightforward alongside normal house-training.

Then you throw the astroturf overboard on a length of line to clean it.

Pete
 
You might need a larger boat than a moody 27 though to give a working dog the space it needs plus its own crew cabin and a deck for the astro turf. We have a found a working cocker spaniel is just the right boat size as easy to lift on board ( not too heavy) so no need for ramp ,very intelligent so learns quickly how to trim sails ,fetch lines and fenders , and wash the decks etc.
 
ashtead said:
You might need a larger boat than a moody 27 though to give a working dog the space it needs
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+1, a bouncy active collie seems completely the wrong breed for a boat dog to me. Admittedly I've never tried a collie on a boat, but my aunt and uncle have always had them and I cannot imagine taking any of their dogs on board.

I'm mostly a full-size-dog person (labrador, golden retriever, etc) but for a boat it seems like some kind of terrier would be more practical.

Pete
 
If you invest in a cockpit tent you will get an extra room, a drying space for foulies and a bedroom for the dog which then need never go below. We sailed for two years with a golden retriever and an Old English sheepdog in a Sundream 28. In my view the only real limitation, especially if you can find a boat with a sugar scoop or bathing platform, is that the dog should start sailing as young as possible.
 
Our Collie x Retriever has sailed with us for several years now. If anything she gets more exercise than at home, because we're not out working all day. If you habitually do all-day passages which leave no time to go ashore of an evening, then maybe it wouldn't work, but I find that our average 30nm-ish days leave plenty time for a walk to explore whatever anchorage/island we've arrived at. That's actually one of my favourite things when cruising, and the dogs love it too.
The other dog is a whippet cross, and he spends all day asleep. Is also quite adept at crawling into your sleeping bag which can be welcome on a cold night!
 
We sail with two Patterdale terriers. They have even crossed the Atlantic with us. Very agile dogs so well suited to life afloat. They will happily jump between dinghy and yacht. They are excellent swimmers. Just the right size for a boat. If you have a cockpit tent they will live in the cockpit. In the Caribbean our dogs dont come below. Helps to keep hairs out of the boat!
If you are goin for small boat then you really need to get a big dog. All the smaller dogs seem to be on bigger boats!
 
Seajet said:
Just be sure to get a doggie lifejacket - they're very useful with a handle on top for getting pooch in and out of dinghies and tethering them on.
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And get in the habit of using the loop rather than the dogs collar to attach the lead and tether to when anywhere near boat, quays, pontoons etc. So you don't risk hanging the dog if it goes over.
 
Try to get a Bald One! I purchased in France last year and despited thouroughly cleaning the boat after handover we spent 2 months pulling cat hairs out of the Bilge and Shower pump filters.
Kinsale 373
 
Lots of long distance boats have dogs usually small Terriers. They need a lifejacket with handle and a tether to clip on, some boats put netting around all the stanchions, and safe place to sleep.
 
1. pick a dog type that is light enough to stick on your shoulder to carry across a raft or get out of a dinghy easily
2. suggest a puppy as they will think sailing is normal, as is being carried up ladders, across boats etc
3. personally and as I'm allergic to dalmation fur, we went for a non shedding breed (cockapoo), and the size means that he doesn't need miles and miles of walking so is ok on the boat for a reasonable time without going for a walk = anchoring is fine
4. astro turf is the answer
5. our dog is at his happiest probably (although he's a happy bugger) sailing as it's always full of interesting smells, sights, beaches, walks, and stuff.
6. be prepared to hose down the odd bit of pontoon and always carry poop bags
7. aim for a breed that isn't yappy (watch out for snausers coz they can be)
8. enjoy coz its fab sailing with a dog

eg of flash 2 (1 of 1)-2.jpg
 
In my working life i have been about 15000 to 18000 houses of which a large number have dogs or cats.
It is amazing how many people seem quite happy to let them pee & sh.,t on the floors, furniture & even , in the case of cats, beds & leave it there for ages. So i assume they would do the same on a boat with no problem. Save all that rowing ashore lark.
The best of it is , the more they stink & the more the filth the more the owners seem to claim how clean they are.
 
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Daydream believer said:
In my working life i have been about 15000 to 18000 houses of which a large number have dogs or cats.
It is amazing how many people seem quite happy to let them pee & sh.,t on the floors, furniture & even , in the case of cats, beds & leave it there for ages. So i assume they would do the same on a boat with no problem. Save all that rowing ashore lark.
The best of it is , the more they stink & the more the filth the more the owners seem to claim how clean they are.
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I guess all that one can say is, "thanks for your helpful contribution to the conversation"
 
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