Getting Dog on the boat?

JVM225

Well-Known Member
Apr 8, 2008
6,560
New York
Boat Info
2002 410 Sundancer, Monaco Edition.
Engines
3126 Cats.
We took in a young rescue 71 lb. German Shepherd back on 12/19 and it’s looking like he may be a keeper.
There is still a few months to go before boating season but I’m starting to think about how to get him on and off the boat at my dock.
I’ve got a side tie dock, in a high tide he will probably have to go on and off the swim platform which will be lower than the dock, and in high tide when the platform is way too low to get on and off he will have to go on and off the gunwale and in to/out of the cockpit.
I’m imagining a lightweight portable ramp. Something that folds in half or something so that we can take it with us on the boat when we leave the dock with him.
I don’t want to spend a fortune on it in case he hates the boat.
Does anyone have any experience with this that can offer a solution?
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Handsome for sure, it’s a shame that someone treated him so bad that he had to be rescued. Love GS

good luck, hope he loves it
 
Just a thought here, We had a 70 +- lb lab when we had our 83 Dancer and she just leaped with ease over the gunnel or on to the swim platform. If the dog is young and athletic at all I don't think you will need a ramp. I've seen people use a piece of carpet secured to the gunnel to protect the surface and give the dog some grip as well. I think a ramp would be a PITA.
Enjoy your new addition! I'm sure you already know how much fun it will be dealing with the fur she will leave behind. Occasionally we have a visitor that brings their Shepard aboard even for a short visit or cruise and I am always amazed at how much hair is left behind. I just smile and vacuum it up as it all comes with the territory.
Cheers
Carpe Diem
 
German Sheppard are pretty athletic you might surprise what he will do for a puppy treat to jump into the boat.
 
We took in a young rescue 71 lb. German Shepherd back on 12/19 and it’s looking like he may be a keeper.
There is still a few months to go before boating season but I’m starting to think about how to get him on and off the boat at my dock.
I’ve got a side tie dock, in a high tide he will probably have to go on and off the swim platform which will be lower than the dock, and in high tide when the platform is way too low to get on and off he will have to go on and off the gunwale and in to/out of the cockpit.
I’m imagining a lightweight portable ramp. Something that folds in half or something so that we can take it with us on the boat when we leave the dock with him.
I don’t want to spend a fortune on it in case he hates the boat.
Does anyone have any experience with this that can offer a solution?
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Had a 31 Chapparel that my big ridgeback couldn't stand. You couldn't bribe him on the boat with a T-bone steak. Then we got the 400DA and you couldn't keep him off the darned thing. Moral of the story is if the dog wants to be with you and likes the vessel then he'll do what it takes to get on board. By the way, I found those floating ramp things not to work with larger dogs. Just to much dipping and slipping for the bigger dreads
 

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You could install a pig ramp which should be no problem for a German Shepard.
 
I use one of those plastic steps. He's still getting the hang of using it, but when he does it works pretty well. He's still young and athletic enough that jumping works too.
 
I second post no. 6 and that ramp. Used it both on a Class A motorhome and on the boat. Excellent product and easy to store.
 
How do you handle the dog having to go to the bathroom on the boat? Actually looking for a boat and a yellow lab. Beautiful GS, btw OP.
 
How do you handle the dog having to go to the bathroom on the boat? Actually looking for a boat and a yellow lab. Beautiful GS, btw OP.

You remove the dog from the boat :)

A dinghy is a must if your on anchor with a pup...
 
We took in a young rescue 71 lb. German Shepherd back on 12/19 and it’s looking like he may be a keeper.

That's awesome! I hope it all works out. GSD's can be a handful if you don't know what to expect, but the rewards are more than worth it.

Luke was a K-9 Academy reject - we have no idea why, because he was possibly the most perfect dog I've ever known. When he was young, the only requirement to get on/off the boat was traction. (floating dock). We used mats, rugs etc to make sure he had a solid footing. He wouldn't make the leap if he saw bare fiberglass or dock planks. As he aged, he lost confidence/coordination and strength (trying to not to tear-up here, but he lived to be 14!). We bought a folding ramp designed for getting into tall vehicles, but he didn't like it for the SUV and it had sharp edges that could scratch the boat, so that was a failure. Instead, I would just grab a hold cover from the galley sole and use it as a gangplank. That worked for his final years. It cost nothing and didn't have to be stored.

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We got Jade from a rescue shelter last spring. (co-incidentally, she was also 71 lbs. At 2.5 years old, she's now 84 lbs)
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She's the same as young Luke - if she has traction to leap and land, she'll make it! She has friends in the marina with high-freeboard cockpits. She leaps in an out of them like a trapeze artist. In fact, if I don't want her to board those boats, we have to stand out of range or she'll make the leap uninvited.
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Great looking dog. Congrats. Have had a few GSDs and love the breed. They are very intelligent. I agree with others that a young GSD can board the boat easily. Keep the weight in the normal range and it will be easier on the joints.
 
I like the above post by rollercoastr with one exception, “Luke was a K-9 Academy reject” We wholeheartedly disagree with this. He is just not understood nor trained in his talents. Pretty lucky dog though considering where he ended up.
 
I like the above post by rollercoastr with one exception, “Luke was a K-9 Academy reject” We wholeheartedly disagree with this. He is just not understood nor trained in his talents. Pretty lucky dog though considering where he ended up.

Yep - there had to have been more to the story. Initially there was something about him being under-sized, but he was perfectly average in size... His behavior and temperament were beyond reproach. The entire pier loved him. He'd stop and "talk" to anyone who would listen. :D

I didn't get sad writing about him today - only fond memories. I credit Jade for that.
 
Yep - there had to have been more to the story. Initially there was something about him being under-sized, but he was perfectly average in size... His behavior and temperament were beyond reproach. The entire pier loved him. He'd stop and "talk" to anyone who would listen. :D

I didn't get sad writing about him today - only fond memories. I credit Jade for that.
He was probably too good when things were supposed to get thru a special hole. No offense to the trainers but others sometimes get involved.
 
I would wait and see. You might be surprised at how well your dog canget on and off your boat. My 60 lb labradoodle who seems atheltic hates getting on and off. He loves it when he is on and has no problem leaping off into the water. I have to bring my swim platform up tp the level of the dock with my lift and tuck him under my arm and step on - a bit daunting. My daughter's fat boxer can leap on and off like it were nothing.
 
You could hire a guy from 7-11 to carry your dog on and off.

That is good for the economy from the latest economics teaching.
 

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