We've been adopted...

Gofirstclass

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,670
Tri Cities, WA
Boat Info
Boatless in WA
Engines
No motor
So last Saturday I was sitting on the back porch reading when my wife yelled at me to “come look at this.” She was walking quickly toward the river with a destination clearly in mind. I got up and looked to see where she was headed and saw two neighbor couples kneeling around a dog that was lying on the ground. Figuring that the dog was injured or something I followed her the 100 yards or so to where the neighbors were kneeling.

When I got there I saw a black dog that looked like a Lab but with light tan and white on its lower legs. The dog looked exhausted and was not moving. Someone had put a water dish next to it and the dog was trying to drink while lying on the ground. His tongue was hanging out and only after he rolled up onto his chest could he drink.

Well, you know where this story is headed. After a few glasses of adult beverages (for us) and some food and water for the dog, he was up and moving around, albeit slowly. He was in rough shape. His paws were rough and red and swollen and he was having difficulty walking.

Anyway, to make a long story short, the dog chose us to take him home. We continued to feed and water him (borrowing dog food from one of the neighbors) and all he did was sleep for the next 36 hours or so.

We debated over a name (bowser, champ, scruffy, blackie, etc.) and couldn’t decide. My wife put ads on Craigslist, 4 different places on Facebook, in our local newspaper and called the Animal Control and Humane Society to see if anyone had reported him lost.

So now it was Monday and we were watching the Seattle Mariners (yup, Seattle’s bottom of the heap baseball team) and lo and behold, so was the dog. His attention was glued to the TV. We joked about him being a Mariners’ fan and so I suggested the name Sailor. It stuck.

Tuesday we went to Petco and dropped $240 on a bark collar, dog tag, 2 leashes, 2 dog toys and a lifejacket. Ouch. This dog was starting to get expensive. And that didn’t count the bag of dog food she bought for him at Target. Or the new dog dishes.

As it turns out he’s a great dog. He’s starting to learn his name, comes when he’s called and his biggest failure is that he likes to be outside and wants someone to play with him all the time. That ain’t likely to happen.

So what does this monster look like, well here’s a photo of him relaxing on our couch while he’s watching….guess what….the Mariners. Say hello to Sailor, the dog who’s about to become a boat dog.

Sailor-on-the-couch.jpg
 
What a GREAT story. Looks like an awesome addition to the crew. Our dog, Finnegan, is the un-official mascot of F-Dock at our Marina. Enjoy. They are the best crew members. Always happy to be aboard!
 

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Awesome!.

We love dogs and donate to the humane society a few times a year. My wife has a pile of blankets and dog toys downstairs now that she has to drop off. We also donate cash to them a few times a year.
 
Congratulations on the new addition.
Love dogs, grew up with them.
Now that the kids are basically gone my wife had suggested getting a dog. Thought about getting one that would also be a good boat companion. Only problem is that now I want to start traveling more in the off season and we don’t have anyone to leave a dog with.
 
Sailor is still a (temporary) member of the family and he's still up for adoption by a couple/family that wants a good dog. We took him to the club for breakfast this morning and he was the perfect gentleman, being friendly to everyone even to the point of letting a 2 year old boy climb on him while Sailor was lying down.

We did have him checked for a chip before we even brought him home but no such luck.

This afternoon I was cutting some dead limbs out of the willow tree and Sailor was right there to help. Guess who jumped in to help.....
Sailor-with-a-branch.jpg

What a dog!
 
Beautiful pup , ours came from the north , we are talking real North here not central Central Ontario / southern Georgian bay where I live but James Bay , she's one of those dogs that prefer sleeping outside on the porch winter -30 centigrade and of course summer. Awesome dog best ever and helps keep my ASD 2 year old safe. At 8 months now she is around 80lbs and will get him on command with a gentle bird mouth grasp on his bicep to guide him back to safety or hold him till I reach him.wspwcially helpful for a single parent with a broken foot
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Well the old Sailor got his first boat ride today. He wasn't too keen on jumping over the ~1' gap between the swim platform and the dock but did it with a gentle tug on his leash. Then he settled down in the cockpit while we got things ready to go.

I had Tina video him as I fired up the engines and here's the result...

That was about as nervous as he got during the while trip. I wouldn't go so far as to say he was very at ease with being on the boat, but he did fine. We made it a short cruise then back to the slip. We took the side and back curtains off the fly bridge for the summer and he was fine watching us get on and off the boat.

When it was time to leave, a gentle tug on his leash got him to jump over the open area at the stern, then it was time to go home.

All things considered it was a good day afloat.
 
Well the old Sailor got his first boat ride today. He wasn't too keen on jumping over the ~1' gap between the swim platform and the dock but did it with a gentle tug on his leash. Then he settled down in the cockpit while we got things ready to go.

I had Tina video him as I fired up the engines and here's the result...

That was about as nervous as he got during the while trip. I wouldn't go so far as to say he was very at ease with being on the boat, but he did fine. We made it a short cruise then back to the slip. We took the side and back curtains off the fly bridge for the summer and he was fine watching us get on and off the boat.

When it was time to leave, a gentle tug on his leash got him to jump over the open area at the stern, then it was time to go home.

All things considered it was a good day afloat.

Looks like a great dog!
 
Thanks for all the great comments. He's become a part of the family now and all of us are enjoying his presence. He's housebroken and in the middle of the night if he has to go out he wakes me, I take him out, he does his thing and we both go back to sleep.

The cats have adjusted to him. Both the cats have gone nose to nose with him and realize he's not a threat to them, so they're feeling better about having him in the house.

He also has a new motto: #BlackLabsMatter.

Now I'll probably get tossed off CSR for what will likely be perceived as a racist comment.

I almost forgot to mention--the cash drain continues. He goes in Thursday for the full range of shots plus he'll get chipped and last, but not least, he'll get tutored (as we call it). He's really going to be neutered, spayed, clipped, or whatever term you like, but I bet that night and Friday he's going to be walking with a limp.
 
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Why would you cut his balls off at his age, no reason to that. You to the front of the line. sir.
He may be too old to cut the mustard, but he can still smell a female in heat and head out to newer playgrounds.

And as to going the front of the line, I was "tutored" many, many years ago after my daughter was born in 1985. I milked it for all it was worth, stayed home for a week, lay on the couch most of that time, etc.

I suspect Sailor will do much the same.
 

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