Polgara's Shadow Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 (edited) Does anyone take their dogs sailing with them? We are planning on doing an extended sailing trip (3 months to 1 year) in another year or two's time and will be taking Vulcan (SBT) with us. I've been wondering about all sorts of things such as toileting, excercise, acclimatising him to a heeling sailboat not to mention how to keep him secure in rough weather. I'd love to hear about everyone's experiences! Edited June 4, 2010 by Polgara's Shadow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisygirl Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 I have a book out of the library at the moment called "Lucky for Me" by Frank Robson. See if your local library has a copy or can get it for you as probably answers quite a few of your questions as its all about a little dog who goes sailing quite a lot. From memory you need to be careful in bad weather and best to have a lifejacket for them. A friend of mind had a long piece of rope tied to their dog so if we fell overboard they could maybe quickly grab the rope and get him back on board? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 Lucky you! Is he already acclimatised to the boat? We have taken all sorts of breeds on all sorts of boats for all sorts of time frames. You can get some great life jackets that have a loop on the back like a collar, to fix a lead to, and if you put a swivel attachment on the lead or rope it is non tangle. Another good idea (although we have not needed it ourselves) is to have a fold up travel crate for times when you just cannot supervise the dog properly, to keep him very safe. We used newspaper for a 'loo' or any nearby island, but these days those petpad things are more absorbant and neater etc. A neon high visibility collar for constant wear is also good as they light up under a torch etc. and are easier to see, just in case. Over the years our dogs have been on game boats, trawlers, ski boats, fishing boats etc and have loved it, although banging over the waves they have been in my lap! Be careful if he is prey driven as if he sees a fish/bird etc. he may make a jump for it. I guess he is microchipped in case he does go missing somewhere else. An agility see saw may help him with getting used to 'the earth moving under his feet'. You have a while to teach him 'boat skills' I'm sure he'll be fine.xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 Friends of the family used to tie a line to a cleat, then coil it up. The dog was trained to toilet on the line, then nudge it over the gunwhales. Self cleaning! I thought that was very practical, at least while at anchor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerraNik Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 We take our two on my Dad's boat but never longer than just during the day. I would highly recommend getting a good life vest though. We have the Ruffwear Float Coat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 The first Corgi I ever met went out on the yacht with her folks all the time. She was only a wee puppy at the time. It cracked me up that she would fall asleep on the deck and roll backwards and forwards with the waves. Gotta love rolly polly corgis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mish13 Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 Ella my standard poodle used to come sailing out to sea when she was younger. I put a harness on her and then a line that I attached to the boat. She was funny when the boat healed over she would shove her butt against the bulk head to stabilise herself. When I have four on board I would not take them off until they went to the toilet, that way they know its ok to toilet on deck. Sometimes you just cant get off so they have to go on board. You can get some artificial grass and put it up the bow so they know that's where they need to go. I take my four down below as soon as it gets dark and they stay down until the sun is up. I never left them on deck when it was dark, and I also made sure they had shelter when it was hot on deck during the day. We have friends that have traveled extensively with there dog and I know of one funny occasion. She was up the bow of the boat watching some dolphins when she fell over board. They were lucky their dingy was on davits so it didn't take long to put it into the water and go and rescue her. Hence the reason for putting a life jacket and a harness on so this doesn't happen. You will most likely not be able to go into a number of marinas with the dog, but if you were not planning on doing that its not a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumof3 Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 When I was a kid we used to sail lots, with our golden retriever riding on the bow. He never quite got the hang of a sharp tack or jibe, and landed in the drink several times. Of course this was the eighties, before any normal person would have put a life jacket on their dog, but he was fine. He still loved the boat, even after getting pulled out of the water by the scruff of his neck. If I did it today, I think I'd use a life jacket for my dog. A nice bright one - easier to see. I might also consider doing some gentle tacking up a river on a nice day so the dogs can get used to the "ready about, heave ho" routine (don't know if everyone does that, but we used to. Also think about wether your deck will be slippery for your dog when the boat is on a bit of a lean, and what you may be able to do to give him better grip. My GR used to lap up the salt water at every opportunity, which of course made him sick. Just something to look out for. Sounds like great fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanabanana Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 Awesome advice Monah: The dog in your second picture is just stunning! Can I ask what he/she is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Awesome adviceMonah: The dog in your second picture is just stunning! Can I ask what he/she is? Italian Spinone, I won't tell the queen vizsla you said that either Roisin was only a baby then. Hijack, sorry, but Spinoni are so cuuuuute :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 (edited) Frank Robson has done 2 books about Lucky - I've read them both and they would both be informative for you re how they manage Lucky on their boat. Plus there are lots of islands that are national parks where you aren't supposed to have your dog so tehy cover some of those issues. Frank Robson is a Australian journalist and I bet if you had a look online you could find a contact email for him and ask him some specific questions about living on a boat with a dog, which he would answer with honesty. Have fun! Edited June 5, 2010 by Puppy_Sniffer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanabanana Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Awesome adviceMonah: The dog in your second picture is just stunning! Can I ask what he/she is? Italian Spinone, I won't tell the queen vizsla you said that either Roisin was only a baby then. Hijack, sorry, but Spinoni are so cuuuuute Just gorgeous!!! No offence meant to Queen Vizsla...my friend owns to Viz (Zoey and Lani) and they ar eboth gorgeous girls but not as stunning as your spinoni...I think I am in love. My partner might have to forgo the bulldog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furballs Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Awesome adviceMonah: The dog in your second picture is just stunning! Can I ask what he/she is? Italian Spinone, I won't tell the queen vizsla you said that either Roisin was only a baby then. Hijack, sorry, but Spinoni are so cuuuuute You have beautiful pups Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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