Sailing with Dogs (Canine Variety!)

[Zagato]

Used to sail with my Border Collie in my fathers Westerly Pageant - no problems, wasn't sea sick but heavy to get up from the tender. Were planning to get a Working Spaniel as they are easier to throw about

Love the one in the pics

 

[ferroboat]

We always sail with our dog, a Bedlington Terrier bitch, a nice size, does not loose any hair, and a very people friendly companion, who does not mind visiting dogs on her boat. We have a 44ft ketch, and when in the cockpit she likes to be under the sprayhood where we have a wooden locker cover with fiddles, and her bed fits perfectly in it. Prior to her, we had a Jack Russell for 15 years, and he loved sailing, but did leave lots of little white hairs everywhere. She will not do her business on the boat but can go for over 20 hours without wanting to go ashore. Bedlingtons are not a common breed, but we get a lot of attention wherever we go with her, as she has such a lovely nature. We do always keep her clipped on by her harness when sailing as a precaution, but we are possibly over protective, as we have seen lots of boats with dogs running around the decks with no problem. We have also seen several people with cats on board, and they take them ashore in a dinghy to do their business.

 

[Otter]

Salina - your hound is nice but I love the look of that Parker 235 - what's she like to sail?

Back on thread - we have a Patterdale Terrier, medium size, low shedding, good guard dog and as daft and friendly as they come.

 

[Uricanejack]

My uncles black lab loved the boat but not bad weather.
Had to be care full she would jump into the dingy underway.

My GoldenDoodle. loves going out in the boat.
Not for long trips needs a good long walk at least once or twice a day.

 

[Chrissie]

Charlie a Cocker Spaniel, on a Contessa 26, he loves it,

 

[NigelCraig]

Sorry to bring down the tone of the thread but how do people deal with toiletting?

 

[l'escargot]

Sorry to bring down the tone of the thread but how do people deal with toiletting?

I use the heads but the dogs generally go ashore. The Yorkies will go on the decks eventually but the Lab won't, she won't even go on a pontoon and once went seventeen hours.

 

[Kelpie]

I've done everything I can (within reason!) to encourage the dogs to use the foredeck as a toilet area, but with little 'success'.
I even tried going for longer and longer sails to force the issue, but after they crossed their legs for a 28hr passage from Orkney to Lewis, I had to admit this approach wasn't working.

In practise, when doing shorter coastal hops, the way to do it is to find a patch of intertidal zone- an exposed rocky islet is ideal- and back up with the dinghy, under oar power. The dogs will self-disembark over the stern, and I can drift close by for a few minutes until they are done. Then they hop back into the dinghy and that's that. At the next high tide, everything is swept away.

The biggest problem is persuading the dogs not to jump overboard before we get within range of the shore. Big wet dogs don't tend to be compatible with small dry boats.

 

[nickd]

We have Jasper a Sprocker Spaniel
He loves the boat and the water
And he is a brilliant wave spotter in the rougher weather, if you see him charging down the side deck to the cockpit then its time to hunker down under the spray hood!

 

[Koeketiene]

Sorry to bring down the tone of the thread but how do people deal with toiletting?

She generally does her business on the foredeck (if underway for an extended time), short daysails she just holds it and jumps ashore as soon as we're alongside.

 

[prv]

The Yorkies will go on the decks eventually but the Lab won't, she won't even go on a pontoon and once went seventeen hours.

Have to say, this would worry me. I'd feel like I was being cruel every time I did a passage of more than a few hours.

I guess it's something you need to train them to as puppies, as part of normal housetraining. Seems like the astroturf square technique would be easiest for them to understand.

Pete

 

[Normanby]

I'm wrestling with this too.
Have a Kelpie (rescued from the pound) who so far refuses to empty bladder or bowels on the boat. In our trailer-sailing days she sometimes even jumped overboard when we passed close enough to land to go and evacuate.
Now that i have a bigger boat i want to do longer passages, but i worry about her holding on.
Much as i love to have her with me, and she loves to be near me at all times, i still feel a little cruel making her come sailing with me. I don't really think she's enjoying it per se, but simply glad to be with me.
I suspect she's just tolerating it and hoping to get back on land soon to go smell and chase stuff.

 

[l'escargot]

...I suspect she's just tolerating it and hoping to get back on land soon to go smell and chase stuff.

Don't underestimate it. I am on the boat probably every other day even if I'm not going out and the Lab comes with me. Sometimes she sits out on deck and sometimes she comes down below for a sleep, she always gets excited when we set off though. The Yorkies generally only come when we are heading off somewhere, they actually get excited when we approach the marina and run down the pontoon and wait to be lifted on the boat. I have no doubt all three get pleasure out of the boat as well as being with us.