Dogs and sailing

marilou · Post by **marilou** » Dec 27th, '06, 08:35

There was an article in the local paper about what strange things local watermen have found/caught. One was a fisherman that found and recscued a lab swimming 20 miles off shore. How she got there is a mystery...but probaly fell/jumped overboard unnoticed.

Steve Laume · Post by **Steve Laume** » Dec 27th, '06, 12:22

I could have been that the stick sank and he she was still on the trail. Labs have a lot of heart, Steve.

Judith · Post by **Judith** » Dec 27th, '06, 16:36

Wow.

Thank you for a wealth of information and encouragement: great experiences, memories, and photos; practical advice and pointers; the dogs-eye-views, even (!); and medical expertise to boot.

I'm immensely glad I asked--yall are astounding!

Tod Mills · Post by **Tod Mills** » Dec 27th, '06, 16:56

Judith,

Your pooch may find that life on a slippery, tilting surface is nicer when he/she is wearing them.

I'm presently sans pup, but I tried some dog booties on Bill and they clearly boosted his comfort aboard, allowing him to move about without sliding and scraping while the boat was heeling. The particular brand I bought (at Cabela's) did not stay on him very well, but I've since heard from other dog owners that there are brands that will stay on.

<img width=540 src=http://www.todspages.net/images/Bill11.jpg>

Judith · Post by **Judith** » Dec 27th, '06, 18:25

I happened to notice various dog-boots on the site Rich pointed me to for the life-vest. I'll have to go back and look at them more closely.

Neil Gordon · Post by **Neil Gordon** » Dec 27th, '06, 18:50

Bob Luby · Post by **Bob Luby** » Dec 27th, '06, 22:44

One note- Check out how the dog actually does with the life vest you are providing him/her with.

Bulldogs ( I'm owned by one ) have heavy heads, With the standard life preservers they float nose-down

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M PLATFORM
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HERBALAIRE

dasein668 · Post by **dasein668** » Dec 28th, '06, 08:51

Tod Mills wrote:The particular brand I bought (at Cabela's) did not stay on him very well, but I've since heard from other dog owners that there are brands that will stay on.

We (Bailey and his family) strongly recommend MuttLucks. Bailey likes the all-weather version. The stay on well and have a faux-leather sole that grips the deck really well whether dry or wet.

Bailey always wears his lifejacket when underway or in the dinghy.

He also likes his canvas, collapsable food/water bowl from the outdoors-type-store (we got ours at LLBean, I think, but I've seen them at EMS and REI as well.) This is especially great for water in the cockpit, as it doesn't hurt if you inadvertantly step on it!

Jack & Jo Chamberlain · Post by **Jack & Jo Chamberlain** » Jan 1st, '07, 10:37

1- As to tethers, we have used them to teach our dogs not to jump overboard and to keep them in the cabin or cockpit when necessary. Just be sure the one you use in the cockpit is short enough that your dog cannot get over the coaming.
2- After buying hunting boots for our Chesapeake I decided to copy the disign but make some using scraps of sunbrella with rubberized nonskid shelving fabric on one side. They really worked well.
3- Because our dogs have been large we toss a log carrier into the quarter berth in case we ever have to hoist an injured dog off the boat.
4- My husband has made removable steps to fit into the companionway ladder and stern ladder to help our dogs as they became less agile.
5- If your starting with a young dog, teaching them to go to the bathroom on board should be a top priority. We didn't do that and have tried every suggestion with no success which has caused some uncomfortable days when there was no shore.

The Cape Dory Board

Dogs and sailing

Keep an eye on your crew

Looks like a [furry] new crew member in future

speaking of boots....

Good point, Tod

Excuse the messy cockpit

Life vests and weight distribution

Re: speaking of boots....

tethers, nonskid boots, and other canine adaptations