Dog on Board

[tdappleman]

What is your boxer mixed with?? Pretty boy..

Thanks! He's actually all Boxer - he's the first brindle color I've had and we called him Tigger after his stripes. He's constantly getting his lips caught in his teeth so we call him snaggletooth half the time.

 

[fc3]

We picked up a starving boxer pup last fall on the golf course & he'll get his intro to the boat this spring.

Interesting. I didn't know boxers golfed.

My only advise is to get them life jackets. I can't tell you how many people tell us they had dogs drown.
They get used to the jackets very quickly.

It's not a bad idea to put even a retriever in floatation. Until you know that they are good strong swimmers, it can't hurt. The handle on the back of the floatation device help when you have to haul 80+ lbs of wet dog from the water.

Our first golden, Ducky, was a very good swimmer. Frankly, I think he was insulted and embarrassed when my wife put the PFD on him. She eventually realized that he didn't need it.

And dogs do dive.

Best regards,
Frank

 

[avguy]

Where did you get the ladder? I need to get one of those:thumbsup:

Boaters World,West Marine, Overton's all carry them. They run around $200 or so. We wouldn't be without it as the dogs can come & go from the boat without any assistance from us.

Interesting. I didn't know boxers golfed.

They don't & neither do I :thumbsup: Friend of Kim's who does golf called us & we went & picked him up. Poor guy was nothing but skin & bones. He weighed 19lbs when we got him & the vet said he should have been at least 40lbs.

I'll second the strap on the life vest too. The lab loves the water so much she will actually swim untill she can't swim any more. She weighs every bit of 100lbs and she's an absolute beast to move after she wears herself out swimming.

tdappleman.....great looking boxer! I was a little concerned about our boxer/mix as he just looks like he'd sink straight to the bottom :lol: Does yours swim OK?

 

[tdappleman]

He doesn't swim well - he actually does his best attempt at drowning himself. His front paws actually cross his face somehow and he ends up splashing water all over his face. He's definitely getting a life jacket this year!

 

[jrirvine1]

Your very lucky dog will love boating, probably just as much as our golden does. In addition to what others have said, I would suggest setting up a spot on the boat, if that is possible, that is for the dog and includes the food / water bowls, toys and perhaps bedding. They seem to like having a designated space.

For some odd reason, our dog was petrified and would not get in the dinghy when at anchor. To get past this, it became necessary to force her in and take several rides to and from the beach area. Now she will jump in the dinghy before I launch it.

One other oddity is that she is somewhat scared of the sound of the diesels, which I just can’t understand as they sound like sweet music to me.

 

[Sublimetime]

Dogs can pick up on their owners "vibes" very easily. When you arrange your first outing to the boat you shouldn't feel any hesitation on your part.Dogs pick up on the pack leaders body language, so you should just approach the boat as though it was just another type of car ride to the park. One other thing, after initial acclimation to the boat, train dog to never leacve the boat without your command first. It can be very unsafe for the dog to leep off at the wrong time.

good luck-----dogs are so much fun to have around.

 

[Jack380AC]

Buffy is an American Cocker Spaniel and she LOVES the boat. She loves hanging with us on the hook, taking up too much room in our bunk, exploring the beaches and ESPECIALLY fishing. She is convinced that we fish for her sole pleasure in chasing them in the shallow water after release. She has practiced so much that last summer, she actually caught one on the fly. Then she just walked around with it in her mouth not knowing exactly what to do next. She was proud, We laughed our butts off. The fish survived to swim away - in a hurry.

However, after 6 years of her boating experience, she still is very afraid/nervous when we start up the engines and get underway. She hides directly under my feet at the helm. Nothing can get her to move.

 

[Sundancer]

Our Golden was exposed to the boat around 5 - 6 mos of age. She didn't have any problems with it at all. We took her to the beach and she sort of played in the water without getting to deep. She loved the wind in her face when the boat was moving. She was a little nervous, but soon fell asleep. As far as the swimming goes, she adapted very fast. On our 250 DA she could crawl up the ladder by herself. It had just enough of a bed in the lowest rung she could do it. On the 300 DA she can almost do it, but not quite. She didn't get much time on it last summer, so we're hoping to train her to come up by herself this year. I might have to add something like a towel around the bar she can pull with her teeth to help her up. If we dive in to go swimming, she's never the last one in the water!

 

[jrirvine1]

She has practiced so much that last summer, she actually caught one on the fly.

Very impressive! Was she using perhaps a 9 weight rod with sinking tip line and a Clouser bucktail minnow? I wonder if she can do that difficult double haul casting.

 

[Uplate]

Don't let the dog drive your boat....

That is one awesome picture . Perfect pose and face.

You should print this and put it in your cabin.

 

[Go Aweigh2452]

Our Dalmatian loves the boat. We did not have to do anything special to have him get use to it. I think getting in the truck was the toughest. When we first rescued him, he did not know how to climb stairs to the second floor. Took him a couple of trys and now, every time the truck starts up and the boat is attached, he knows its time to go boating.

We spent almost three weeks on the boat last summer on an extended trip.

 

[Uplate]

We have a Standard Poodle (no shedding thank you) and she loves our bow rider. She is always out front with face in the wind. When we bought the crusier she adapted very well.

Only problem was one of the first times she exited the boat via the swim deck to dock she slipped and fell into the water. It was night, she is a black dog. It was amazing we could fish her out so quickly as she was hard to see. She is not likely to make that mistake again as she learned the danger. While underway, she has a lifevest straped on.

At home, We have to be careful about saying the "boat" word as she will run for the door.

 

[PMvdb395DA]

That is one awesome picture . Perfect pose and face.

You should print this and put it in your cabin.

Thanks Mike,

Actually a similar photo is in the 2009 CSR calendar.

It's hanging in the boat already.

Peter.

 

[PMvdb395DA]

Most dogs really love the water.
Only you have to be carefully that they don't get afraid.
Be easy when they are puppy, just what others said.

Peter.

 

[gman9352]

Love to see dogs on board and in the water! There is a really cool doggy boarding ramp made by Paws Aboard out of Tampa, FL. Great way to get your dog back on the boat if he is a big boy!

 

[hack4alivin]

Boaters World,West Marine, Overton's all carry them. They run around $200 or so. We wouldn't be without it as the dogs can come & go from the boat without any assistance from us.

Thanks:thumbsup:, I will need to get one of these this season.

 

[Kurt]

Our biggest obstacle is getting "Freddy" into the boat without falling in. He only has 6 inch legs so he really can't jump. He has never missed a trip to the lake so he is getting pretty good at "walking the plank" to get aboard. I just made a plank from ship to dock that he uses. He knows it is the way off on and on now.

The other issue we have had is he gets his claws stuck in the railing of the cabin sliding door. He lost a few and it was a nightmare. I have never until that moment seen an animal cry, it was heart breaking. So know when the door is open a throw rug goes over the railing.

 

[mrsrobinson]

Wiggles chilling after a tough day on the water and her standing guard at the cabin door:

 

[Turtlesboat]

my bait fish lookout.

 

[In Two Deep]

Thanks everyone. These are great tips and suggestions. Coco is about 6 years old and seems to be adapting very well to his new home. He is a little nervous in the car, but we keep trying to take him in the car as often as possible so he can get use to it.

We do spend alot of time on the hook and in harbors where it is a bit difficult to go on shore due to private beaches and homes. So any suggestions regarding Coco using the bath room etc, would also be appreciated.

Thanks again for all you advice.