Dogs on a 31?

[Bel Canto]

Do any of you have experience with dogs on tugs? We have two Texas White Fluffy Dogs, who don't seem too happy about boating. Does anyone use a boat based dog potty (piece of AstroTurf, etc. ). Where do you set it?

Have you made any mods to your boats for dogs?

They were pretty annoying on our Mainship.

 

[NorthernFocus]

We've boated with dogs for 20 years. Started on a 23ft daysailer, then on a little 22 ft C-Dory. and now on an R25. Never been successful at getting them to use any kind of on-board potty. Unfortunately if they are clean dogs in that regard it goes against their nature. I suppose you'd have to train them from pups to go on a bit of turf. With ours I'm stuck with taking them ashore in the dingy every morning at 0400. Typically in bear country. Our last pair got weak bladders in their old age and had to go ashore every four hours. That was a PITA.

One challenge we are finding with the tug is that the windows are so high. Ours likes to look out and/or stick her head out the window. She can't jump up on the seats in the tug without help. She ends up spending a good bit of time standing on the entry step in the cockpit where she can see over the rail.

It helps acclimate the creatures to the boat if you take them down and just spend time aboard at the dock. In our case I take ours aboard with me sometimes when I'm working on the boat on the trailer. They're creatures of habit. If the boat becomes routine it makes things a lot easier.

Good luck with it. If you enjoy being with your dogs it can really be a blast having them aboard.

 

[Boont Boater]

We have just the one terrier. She does pretty well with bladder control, etc. but doesn't love rough water. That being said, given the choice, we would always have her with us. I know that all those walks with her, even when raining, have been good for us. We rarely anchor out but if we do, just an excuse for more exercise. When we were in Sidney, BC every other person needed to pet and say hi to Princess Leia 😀

We close the door to the berth when we leave to keep her off the bed. We're also careful about her water dish since we don't want a lot of water on the floor and risk de-lamination.

 

[S. Todd]

We purchased a "Tinkle Turf" on the internet and intend to try and acclimate our 9 month old puppy (that has quickly grown to 60 lbs) to use it on the swim platform. Ask me after a week in July and another week in August if we had any luck. She goes for a long time without relieving herself so I do not know how easy it will be to train her, but if I can teach her to swim (labradoodle that would not play in the water in early June but it was cold then) she may drink enough that she will need to go more.

 

[Longbranch Louie]

Some folks drop their table to make an interior berth / travel spot. Gets the pups up a little higher. We found our lab was less nervous in his canvas crate in the cockpit. Putting some padding on the floor to lessen engine vibration helped too.

 

[H28]

We have no-slip dog booties for our black lab which helps with footing. Also have a yoga mat that he lays on in the cockpit and cabin sole.

Being a lab he would rather be in the water than on the boat but he manages. I would not want to train him to do his business on the boat. They naturally don't want to soil their "den". I would be cautious about going there.....

 

[Nit-Sea-Moose]

The dog on the boat is the dumbest thing I have been talked into, stink, hair, cleaning up crap, too much other peoples dog crap in parks, on the docks, on the sidewalks etc. dogs too hot, dogs too wet, dog barks, hair everywhere, cockpit drains full of hair, (on the 31 the cockpit drains are shallow and don't need to challenged further by dog hair) dinghy full of mud and hair, it goes on and on!!

Also issues with crossing the border with dog food

 

[baz]

I've found that dogs either are OK with boating or they're not. We had two Wire Hair Fox Terriers on board at times on our R-25. I have to say, they were very tolerant for up to a few hours then they want out. Cruising without stopping for 5, 6 and 7 hrs at a time is/was very hard on them and they could not understand why the cabin door was always closed. They would look out the cabin door longingly and I felt bad for them.

My advice is that if your dog(s) aren't happy onboard (especially after several attempts to make them comfy/happy) then don't take them as I consider it to be cruel.

Some dogs will sleep all day (normally older ones). Puppies and younger dogs need room to play and run... and they need your attention at times.

Dogs can also be a big distraction at times and if that happens when at the helm and navigating obstacles or in an unsafe situation, the last thing you want is a howling dog scream.

 

[JamesTXSD]

Having a pet is a commitment. Our furry kids have always been a part of the family, and we have made accommodations for traveling. I am firmly convinced that we bought our first motorhome for the convenience of the cat. Our last two cats have been very content on the boats. Some of you may know that I wrote a book about our travel adventures with our cat, Molly. Our current furry kid, Isabella, was raised with traveling, and is a delight on the boat or in the motorhome.

We tried one boat trip without a cat, when Molly passed. It just didn't feel right.

Yes, there is some fur that gets scattered around... we have a small vacuum cleaner that takes care of that. Yes, she gets her own "private bath" (for her litter box) that means we give up some storage. You make accommodations for family. And, Izzy (and Molly before her) walks on a leash. We started with her when she was young. She did her first overnight on the boat within a week of her adoption.

You can't just put an animal on a boat and expect them to understand the new sensations and sounds. A "build-up" with time on the boat, before any extended travel, lets them know that: this place is home, too.

That all said, dogs are more work than cats (yes, we have been dog parents, too). Izzy goes for walks on her leash because she wants to, not because of "nature's call" several times a day. If you don't have the time or patience to give an animal what they need to be comfortable and feel safe, you should not have one. On your boat or in your home. They need to be groomed regularly to keep the flying fur down. They need to be cleaned up after. Proper nutrition and exercise. Mental stimulation. Hug time. If you can't make that commitment, you are being unfair to the animal.

While there is work that goes with any additional family member who comes along, our animals didn't ask for it. You have to put out extra effort to have them along... and the rewards of that companionship are worth it to some of us. But, I understand it isn't for everyone.

My wife has been known to say, "A purring cat in her lap or by her side is so soothing - nice way to lower your blood pressure." I felt that same way about our dogs when we had them... but a big ol' sheepdog is better as a foot-warmer than a lap-warmer.

Jim B.

(For full disclosure, in our younger years, we traveled with two Old English Sheepdogs and a kid in a campervan. Rainy days were a challenge. 😉 )

 

[NorthernFocus]

The dog on the boat is the dumbest thing I have been talked into, stink, hair, cleaning up crap, too much other peoples dog crap in parks, on the docks, on the sidewalks etc. dogs too hot, dogs too wet, dog barks, hair everywhere, cockpit drains full of hair, ... dinghy full of mud and hair, it goes on and on!!...

I guess I'm missing the point :mrgreen:

 

[NorthernFocus]

Though I do completely agree with others' comments regarding pets needing something to do while aboard...

 

[Crewdog]

Dogs just want to have fun.....

Craig and Mary Farnsworth from Rum Tum Tugger with Winnie the Westie, Desolation Sound 2013

 

[baz]

Do any of you have experience with dogs on tugs? We have two Texas White Fluffy Dogs, who don't seem too happy about boating. Does anyone use a boat based dog potty (piece of AstroTurf, etc. ). Where do you set it?

Have you made any mods to your boats for dogs?

They were pretty annoying on our Mainship.

1) I tried the 2' square piece of astro turf.... didn't work at all.

2) Keeping a water bowl at the ready is important, but can be messy and somewhat dangerous if spilled in the gangway when rough seas are encountered.

3) If you have hype-active dogs it can be very difficult.

4) One time at Bremerton here in Puget Sound my young Wire Hair Fox Terrier (Jake) spotted a seagull on the Bremerton breakwater. I had him on a 25' extendable leash and he suddenly went into full speed toward the seagull, jump at it, the seagull flew away and Jake simply flew through the air over the breakwater into the open sea. I, together with another Tugnut who came to the rescue helped me retrieve him which required me leaning over the breakwater dangerously and I also almost fell over as well. Things happen.... so be aware.

5) We love our two WHFTs and found boating was just too much for them at times.

6) If the dog(s) love boating then that's fine, but not all dogs take kindly to a rocking, noisy and confined space. They may get accustomed to it, but I bet most would rather be at home running around in the yard.

7) Some dogs are swimmers and love the water scene. They are quite likely the best type of dog to have onboard.

8) Ensure your dog has a life jacket.... 🙂

 

[WA6BTK]

We have four small dogs and a Ranger 27. We have, and will, typically cruise for 3-4 months with them in the PNW. Leaving them home, boarding them, or not cruising because of the compromises are not an option for us.

Here are a few things that have worked for us. We have a Shihtzu, a Bichon, a Cairn terrier, and a chihuahua -- all rescues.

1) we use 6' leashes, not retractable leashes. The leashes are different colors to match their harnesses. That makes handling them much easier. If I am the one walking them, then I take two at a time. If my wife is helping, then we each take two. The poop bag containers are cable tied to two of the leashes. An LED light (very small) is on one of the leashes for those night time walks.

2) the water bowl is a No Spill bowl available at Camping World. We use it RVing and on the boat and we never have water on any surface, regardless of conditions. They simply don't splash or spill. The bowl sits on a small non-skid pad.

3) with Kenny's help, we had a piece of canvas made with snaps that attach to the passageway into the v-berth. It has a snap in each corner and takes 10 seconds to deploy. When we are underway, all four dogs are contained in the V and are in their soft dog beds (from Petsmart). When we are docking or leaving the dock, the dogs are cloistered in the V, out of the way.

4) when at a dock, or at anchor, the dogs can come into the cockpit. We have short lanyards to clip on so they can't jump or fall overboard. We also carry collapsible kennels (from either Orvis or My Dog Companion) that are 2" thick when collapsed but when deployed, they can hold two small dogs each. We carry two of those kennels.

5) if it's been raining or the paws have picked up mud or sand, we have a small dish tub with 3" of water in it. As each dog comes aboard, the paws are quickly dipped and toweled.

6) we also carry an adjustable ramp (Petsmart) for those times when having them walk off the boat to the dock is easier than lifting them off.

7) we have a simple expandable dog gate that fits at the door if we want to keep them in the cabin but not on tethers.

This may seem complicated, but it isn't. Having our kids with us is part of the fun.

Stu & Sue Clark

 

[WA6BTK]

I forgot to mention in the Emmy Lou reply that the ages of our dogs are 15, 10, 10, and 2. The Bichon is diabetic, has Cushings, and has only one eye. BUT, he loves boating so he is frequently sitting in the nav seat.

All of the dog's Meds, and supplemental items are in a Stanley toolbox. In that toolbox are needles, eye drops, Pill Pockets, syringe container, pill dispensing containers, Cushings meds, flea/tick meds, heartworm meds, gauze pads, ointment, 3 cans of spare dog food, etc. The only thing not in the toolbox is the insulin which needs refrigeration.

Next to the Stanley toolbox is a binder. In the binder are pertinent vet information, where to go for help by area, prescription slips, etc. The binder is in our ditch bag. The toolbox is next to the ditch bag. If we should need to exit the RV or the boat quickly, the yellow/black toolbox will come with us and we would be able to sustain the well being of the dogs.

In a second binder are all the personal items we would need (drivers license copies, passport copies, medical directives and information, prescriptions, etc.)

If anyone wants more detailed information, please let me know.

Stu Clark
Emmy Lou, Anacortes