Getting Dog on the boat?

Thanks for the input guys! I’m going to take the wait and see approach, and if there is a problem I’m going to go with a foldable ramp like Tom and GFC posted. They look like good choices.
The port side of my boat sits about 14” from my fixed bulkhead.
Having him jump down on to the swim platform during high tide will at the very least require a piece of carpet or something to keep him from sliding in to the water.
Access during low tide will mean jumping up on to the gunwale and I just fear he will hurdle all the way over in to the cockpit and hurt himself.
But, he’s pretty smart and I’ll give him a try in April.
 
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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Amazing!
My guy is a dead ringer for your Luke!
Look closely at the markings and coloring.

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This is all very encouraging. Having some anxiety about balancing a dog and getting my boating time in and glad to see some are able to pull it off with bigger dogs.
I vacuum the boat frequently anyway, so I’m very willing to put up with the shedding.
Having grown up with a German Shepherd, I knew that shedding is part of the deal.
I got him on 12/19 through a local rescue that works with a network of people down in North Carolina.
This dog (his name is now Mike) showed up on one of the North Carolina rescue lady’s doorstep in early December.
She thinks a car pulled up, let him out the door, and then took off on him.
They brought him to a Vet down there to bring him up to date on his shots, etc., and then put him on the website.
We picked him up directly from the transport van early on the morning of 12/19 and got him started with a local Vet first thing Monday 12/21, including a much needed bath. All those hours in a crate in that van along with about a dozen other dogs left him pretty raunchy smelling.
He seemed to have never been on a leash before when we got him, wasn’t house broken, didn’t know any commands, was food obsessed and jumped all over people and anything else in front of him.
In just a few short weeks he is really good on a leash (thanks to a training harness and endless hours of walks), is doing really well with the house breaking, knows sit & stay as long as there are no distractions, let’s us eat a meal in peace when we are at our table, and pretty much understands that jumping on people, counters and furniture is not a good thing,
The one and only thing he was good at when we got him was sleeping in his crate at night, so he has obviously spent a good portion of his young life in a crate.
We got him a crate to sleep in at the foot of our bed and he seems to love it.
The Vet estimates him to be at least 12 months, but probably no more than 18 months old because he seems very young.
Looking in to getting him some pro training through a retired K9 handler I worked with in the PD for many years.
Unfortunately, my former co-worker can’t take it on because he works so many hours and travels with his new career, turns out his new employer has hundreds of working dogs around the country and he is one of the main trainers/handlers for the company, but he has given me the number of another retired K9 handler he knows from our old job that runs a training business.
Mike still has some separation anxiety, and it’s difficult to teach him to lay down because as soon as I have him sit, and approach him, he goes down on his back and submits.
Not sure if that means he was swatted around a bit or not, but a little professional help certainly can’t hurt.
 
We're in the market for a Class A motorhome. Our dog is getting up in years and in weight. After looking at many brands of ramps I decided this one would be best for our needs. WeatherTech is a brand I'm familiar with and happy with. It's 16lbs, 38" long (folded)

https://www.amazon.com/WeatherTech-PetRamp-High-Traction-Foldable-Ramp/dp/B07JLRF5ZW/ref=sr_1_41?crid=1J7SE1A1E5495&dchild=1&keywords=pet+ramp+for+large+dogs&qid=1609707975&sprefix=pet+ramp,aps,251&sr=8-41
+1 here. We have the exact same ramp and its great
 
Mike still has some separation anxiety, and it’s difficult to teach him to lay down because as soon as I have him sit, and approach him, he goes down on his back and submits.
Not sure if that means he was swatted around a bit or not, but a little professional help certainly can’t hurt.

He does look like Luke!! Lukey was fully-trained by the time I met him.

Jade, not so much. This is her 3rd home, and I got her at 10 months. She's dog-reactive. The shelter told me that her first family had dogs that attacked her, and they gave her to friends who couldn't keep her. We said "be nice" once in her first few months, and her reaction broke my heart. I'd bet some serious money that those words were regularly spoken during abuse.

We've had 3 trainers. That field attracts weirdos! The first was ok, but she didn't quite have what it takes. The second subscribed to the "alpha" theories. I didn't know at the time that those have largely been debunked, but I could tell that progress was too slow and he was an ass to work with. Our successful trainer is positive/reward based, and has made all the difference. The concepts are simple and logical and while Jade will probably always have lingering effects from her past, she's done great and I can't imagine my life without her.
 
It is so cute. I always wanted a dog but my parents can't afford it because they said we won't be able to keep him in the apartment and it will be hard. We have argued many times on this subject and I have exposed them as I see things, but it does not make sense because every time they insist only on their opinion. Just the other day I found an article about the English lab and the pictures there were so cute that I started to want a dog even harder. If you want to see those cute little ones, find more on this site.
 
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You have to be the Alpha to your dog, that dosen't require brutal treatment at all.
Its as simple as he never enters a door in front of you. Being the Top Dog (Alpha)
just means he see's you as the leader, thats a must for a German Shephard.
 
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Couple of things. we had a Black Lab that could climb up the ladder onto the swim platform on our 20’ Cruisers Inc.
We had to lift her over the transom into the boat.
Everyone was amazed.
Yesterday we lost our 12 year old Golden due to cancer.
Couldn’t keep him out of the water but had to haul him into our 20’ Sea Ray.
Looking for a rescue dog, hopefully a Lab mix.
 
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I normally back in my 400DB with a port finger pier. My daughter has a one year old black Siberian Husky and he easily gets on or off the boat over the gunwale especially when she says "Come on Jett" (Code for walk). We went up to Milwaukee and had a starboard finger pier. My daughter left the dog in the cabin and we were sitting up on the bridge. My grandson opened the salon door to bring Jett up to the bridge and said "Come on Jett" and Jett promptly leapt over the port side gunwale and realized in mid jump that there was no dock, only water... sploosh! He figured out how to swim very quickly....
 
I normally back in my 400DB with a port finger pier. My daughter has a one year old black Siberian Husky and he easily gets on or off the boat over the gunwale especially when she says "Come on Jett" (Code for walk). We went up to Milwaukee and had a starboard finger pier. My daughter left the dog in the cabin and we were sitting up on the bridge. My grandson opened the salon door to bring Jett up to the bridge and said "Come on Jett" and Jett promptly leapt over the port side gunwale and realized in mid jump that there was no dock, only water... sploosh! He figured out how to swim very quickly....
My Auzzie goes everywhere I go. He rides in the back of a Ford crewcab in the back floor seats folded up. I had bought a Yeti cooler for the boat. His key word is to load,
well he bailed in and rolled back out after thumping the cooler I forgot about. Now he looks before leaping in.
 
One thing is have a back up in case he "misses". I have one of these on our dog unless we are locked in the cabin for the nite. If the dog "misses" you have something to grab and get him back aboard. Dogs can and do drown if they get tired. These come in various sizes and some are insulated if that water is cold.

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Our dog has ended up in the water at unplanned times, and as a Goldendoodle, she swims life a fish.

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View attachment 101034 Couple of things. we had a Black Lab that could climb up the ladder onto the swim platform on our 20’ Cruisers Inc.
We had to lift her over the transom into the boat.
Everyone was amazed.
Yesterday we lost our 12 year old Golden due to cancer.
Couldn’t keep him out of the water but had to haul him into our 20’ Sea Ray.
Looking for a rescue dog, hopefully a Lab mix.

Sorry for your loss :( What a beautiful dog
 
One thing is have a back up in case he "misses". I have one of these on our dog unless we are locked in the cabin for the nite. If the dog "misses" you have something to grab and get him back aboard. Dog can and do drown if the get tired. These come in various sizes and some are insulated if that water is cold.

View attachment 101042

Our dog has ended up in the water at unplanned times, and as a Goldendoodle, she swims life a fish.

View attachment 101043
We also had to use a life jacket when our Golden was young.
Mainly to make him visible to fishermen.
150C9EE1-A2EF-4CA7-A61F-6A51ACF1B072.jpeg
 
View attachment 101034 Couple of things. we had a Black Lab that could climb up the ladder onto the swim platform on our 20’ Cruisers Inc.
We had to lift her over the transom into the boat.
Everyone was amazed.
Yesterday we lost our 12 year old Golden due to cancer.
Couldn’t keep him out of the water but had to haul him into our 20’ Sea Ray.
Looking for a rescue dog, hopefully a Lab mix.
I'm sorry to hear that. We lost our Golden at 13 four years ago. It was a hard loss, but we couldn't have asked for him to go any easier. He fell asleep on our porch and just didn't wake up. We finally rescued another dog last year.

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Congrats on your new furry friend! I've had a similar situation, and I found a foldable dog ramp to be super handy. They're relatively affordable and portable, perfect for boat trips. Start with short introductions to the boat so your pup gets used to it gradually. Also, as a fellow dog owner, I suggest you chek out this guide (https://www.orlandomagazine.com/best-cbd-oil-for-dogs/) to learn more about products for your buddy's health. Good luck!
 

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