I never thought it would happen but the dogs may be joining us

Tacoma290 said:

We used a roll up dinghy with a trolling motor and a small gel battery (to avoid concern over the battery tipping). For the motor you have a choice of the more expensive salt water rated unit or the standard unit. We went with standard and used it in salt water for years. I just rinse it well at the end of the season. Very light weight setup, and quiet for evening runs in the bay after dinner.

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I’ve thought about an electric motor and haven’t ruled it out. But a couple of years ago I was given a 1987 2 Stroke Sears Gamefisher with probably less than 10 hours on it.
My friend’s brother in law bought it brand new, used it a few times and then stored it in my friends shop.
It stayed there for decades. The brother in law died, and when my friend retired and was cleaning out the shop he gave it to me.
We sprayed some oil in the cylinder and it turned with no problem.
It’s lightweight enough at about 35 lbs and the price was right.
All it needs is a spark plug and impeller change to run.

Be sure and get life jackets for your dogs. Our dogs wore them whenever we were underway. One dog just went to sleep, the other enjoyed the ride and liked to watch the scenery go by.

These 2 are both gone now as is that boat.

Wow Thanks for all the tips and personal stories. I learned and feel a little more prepared. A little!!!

We love our pets don't we?

I think the biggest challenge is going to be the logistics of what you do when you need to leave the dogs behind. I know you said you will never leave the dogs alone, but never say never. What happens if you are in your slip one evening and decide to go out to dinner?

I think acclimation is key. Purposely leave them alone on the boat for increasing periods of time. Once they figure out that you always come back, they should settle right in. It also wouldn't hurt to have a marina mate keep an ear out and report back should the dogs make a ruckus in your absence. The quickest way to "Win friends and influence people" is to leave barking dogs on the boat.

Your comment on walks on the dock bears a little more discussion.
My wife's dog is very good on the boat (in fact I suspect Edgar likes being on the boat far more than my wife does).
But Edgar is a rescue dog, and he really doesn't like other dogs, no matter how friendly they are. The docks' narrow walkways are a challenge because we can't always find an easy spot to pull aside and let other dogs go by like we can at local parks. And some owners that are lucky enough to have ultra-friendly dogs forget that not all dogs are ultra-friendly.
By asking the questions you did, you are a thoughtful pet owner and are already working on training. Just keep in mind that not all other owners will put as much time as I suspect you and my wife are willing to in training. Their dog may react in an unpredictable manner, and they may not have the same training techniques that you do. And docks don't always leave easy escape routes.
Now carry on and enjoy your boating companions!

This thread is a good read for me. My family's life isn't great for pets. We both work (although she's home at least 2 days a week), our kids have lots of sports and activities all year, we like to go skiing (when there's an actual winter), like to travel for vacations, and use the boat all summer. While I grew up having at least 1 dog at all times, it's felt like having a dog with our current lifestyle wasn't conducive to pet ownership. I would feel badly leaving the dog home alone so much.

Now my wife is seriously thinking about getting dog and shows me photos of local rescue dogs on a daily basis. A big question is what about the boat - I would want to take a pup with us. This discussion helps with the boat aspect, if not the rest of it. We have a dinghy so that aspect is covered.

What are the pet policies for most marinas? We want to start traveling more on the boat and that would be a consideration.