# Dogs?



## bblument (Oct 22, 2012)

I did a quick search of the forums, but didn't find any posts discussing dogs on board... perhaps I searched poorly.

In any case, my wife and I are new sailors... OK, so new that calling us "sailors" is actually pretty funny. I was out once with a very experienced friend of mine, and then I took my wife out and we did OK.. no boat bending, and we made it back. Pearson 26.

Soooo... we'd like to get real serious about this. Get out there for a couple days. The issue? As our three sons grew up and left the house, we added one dog for each son. We now have a 90 lb German Shepherd, a 60 lb retriever mix, and a 7 lb waste of dog kibble (ooops... I mean, chihuahua). We hate to leave them alone; it's not fair to the kind beasties. Can two small yet active and silly adults coexist for a day or two (or three) on board a Pearson 26 with a German Shepherd with the energy level of a chihuahua, a geriatric retriever mix who can still make it up stairs (barely), and a chihuahua that's.... well.... sigh.... a chihuahua.

Any and ALL hints/observations/anecdotes/advice would be most welcomed...

Best to all...

Barry


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## benesailor (Dec 27, 2012)

Yes you can; i hope you are very energetic. Don't forget the bathroom breaks. Its like having small children on board.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

As a long-time English Mastiff owner, may I make a suggestion for the chihuahua? 

Nevermind.

You might consider getting a dinghy so that you can anchor out overnight and dinghy the dogs to land for breaks. I see that all the time.


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## MSter (Apr 1, 2008)

We have a ~70 lbs Golden which is not quite used to the boat. We have taken her out a few times over several days but she refuses anywhere but in the grass. Our friends have a dog which they have trained to go on a piece of artificial turf which seems to work. I guess we'll either have to break her in slowly with artificial turf on land or I will have to lead by example! ;-P


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## knuterikt (Aug 7, 2006)

bblument said:


> I did a quick search of the forums, but didn't find any posts discussing dogs on board... perhaps I searched poorly.
> 
> In any case, my wife and I are new sailors... OK, so new that calling us "sailors" is actually pretty funny. I was out once with a very experienced friend of mine, and then I took my wife out and we did OK.. no boat bending, and we made it back. Pearson 26.
> 
> ...


Don't know where and for how long you are going to sail, based on my experience..

We have two boxers and my brother have a German shepherd and we have sailed with all three on summer cruise.

Having a dinghy to get the dogs ashore is essential - they need to get ashore for exercise and going to the toilet (they can be trained to do the last bit on the boat - but most dogs refuse to do so where they live..)
Getting of and on the dinghy for large dogs can be a task - when we bought the current boat a swimming platform that could be used for stepping on of the dinghy was a requirement.

Get a god PFD for the dogs, it's almost impossible to get a slippery panicking dog out of the water w/o anything to lift in.

Some pictures 
Smell of land 









Shore leave - playing









The German shepherd 









Help with navigation









Sailing


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## bblument (Oct 22, 2012)

Loved the pictures!!! Your shepherd is gorgeous... looks just like our first shepherd back a few decades. I'm in awe of German Shepherds... we're on our third one. Too bad they don't have the same lifespan we do. 

Thanks for the encouragement. We'll find a way, and we'll definitely get some life jackets. None of them are particularly excited about swimming, anyway.

Barry


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## bblument (Oct 22, 2012)

DRFerron said:


> As a long-time English Mastiff owner, may I make a suggestion for the chihuahua?
> 
> Nevermind.
> 
> You might consider getting a dinghy so that you can anchor out overnight and dinghy the dogs to land for breaks. I see that all the time.


You couldn't POSSIBLY come up with a suggestion for the chihuahua that I haven't already thought of..... I'm a dog lover, and the chihuahua is just a really, really loud cat.  In all seriousness, he's not near as bad as I thought he'd be, and my wife loves him. It's all good. I play with the REAL dog.

I've considered the dinghy idea, but our boat seems so small. Is there really a way to incorporate one on a Pearson 26? Would I have to tow it?

Thanks for the reply, Donna.

Barry


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## desert rat (Feb 14, 2013)

if you have lived with german shepards, you know , I know, everyone should know. They will go anywhere you do and adapt, but they hate to get wet.


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## knuterikt (Aug 7, 2006)

desert rat said:


> if you have lived with german shepards, you know , I know, everyone should know. They will go anywhere you do and adapt, but they hate to get wet.


Have you told that to this one?


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## knuterikt (Aug 7, 2006)

bblument said:


> Loved the pictures!!! Your shepherd is gorgeous... looks just like our first shepherd back a few decades. I'm in awe of German Shepherds... we're on our third one. Too bad they don't have the same lifespan we do.
> 
> Thanks for the encouragement. We'll find a way, and we'll definitely get some life jackets. None of them are particularly excited about swimming, anyway.
> 
> Barry


The shepherd is my brothers 

The problem is not to let them swim voluntarily, but if they fall into the water.
Our oldest boxer fell in once on the way from the dinghy on board the boat, she did not have a life jacket on - it was not fun... and this was on flat water.

The boxers are good swimmers - but prefer going into the water from the rocks/beach


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## Sal Paradise (Sep 14, 2012)

We have 3 grown sons too! I just spent a week with my family day sailing our boat and while I would have loved to have the dogs with us it would have been a disaster.

Do yourself ( and your dogs) a huge favor and hire someone to walk and feed your dogs at home while you go out sailing.


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## fryewe (Dec 4, 2004)

MSter said:


> ...or I will have to lead by example! ;-P


I tried that. Didn't work.

We use an 8 foot Portabote as a dink. Keep it folded on deck and unfold and launch it from the cockpit. Not enough boat for all your crowd in one trip but perhaps you could make two trips to the beach each way.


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## Lubrdink (Sep 1, 2011)

Mac the broken-coated Jack Russell hates water but hates being left behind. He prefers sailing with "the pack" then staying home. We also use a dinghy-blows up easily and you can get one for pretty cheap.


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## Dauntless Brent (Jun 8, 2013)

I have a 110 lb. Bull Mastiff that lives with me on my Ranger 29R. She is just fine with the boat life. From the day that she stepped on you would think that she was born to sail.


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## Dog Ship (Sep 23, 2011)

We have two dogs, a 100 lb GSD and a 155 lb Landseer. Neither dog goes on the boat as it is just not fair to have them on board in the heat and unable to relieve themselves. 
We found an awesome kennel that we are comfortable with and so are the dogs. The last time our Landseer didn't want to come home from the kennel. The dogs have a way better time there than they would cooped up on the boat for hours or days on end.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

We summer aboard with our compact sportsdawg, Finn, and our mildly psychotic mid-size grand touring dog, Ellie.
Two different dogs, two different sets of needs. Finn likes to explore and has a bladder the size of an immature blueberry, so every 4 hours or so he hops in the dinghy for shore patrol.








Which is cool, because he can leap from the deck to the dinghy, and back. no fuss no muss.

Ellie, on the other hand, is like many bigger dogs- not much of a leaper, at least strategically. Frisbees, fine- she's got, like, 27' of vertical, but the landing is anywhere within a half-acre radius. So, the cockpit to dinghy (or vice versa ) shuffle simply freaks her out. which is okay, because she has a bladder that makes camels go "daaay-ummm" we can sail for 8 hours before she needs to crack the seal.


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## caberg (Jul 26, 2012)

We have a ~65 pound lab and she is a nervous wreck on the boat. We knew that from previously taking her on a power boat years ago, but decided to try the sailboat this summer. Panting and shaking so much that we had to return to shore. So, even though labs are thought of as mellow water-loving dogs, not all dogs will tolerate the movement of a boat.


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## ChristinaM (Aug 18, 2011)

We sail with 30 lbs of herding dog who's usually pretty happy sailing. Mostly he's happy to be with us and enjoys his shore excursions. We've found him in the dinghy a few times when he wasn't told to go there.









Unfortunately he thinks we're just really dumb sheep, including barking out instructions while we're trying to dock. Apparently we can't even check the bilge without his help.









And we require constant supervision.









He's a little nervous in weather, especially at anchor. He's usually more comfortable than most of our guests. We once terrified family members by turning upwind and heeling (okay, we should've made sure they believe us that it was going to happen). As they all turned white and grabbed onto the closest part of the boat he hopped out and trotted around the foredeck.


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## srah1953 (Dec 15, 2012)

Hi all.
I have a dog, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, who doesn't like the boat at all. He's now very old, so will come to be replaced one of these days (or not, I'm not sure). Anyway, does anyone know what difference, if any, it makes in whether a dog takes to sailing, if they are started off as a pup? Sometimes, pups are quite nervous.


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## RunningRabbit (Dec 7, 2012)

I live aboard with a Yellow Lab (10% dog, 90% fish) and two cats. They seem happier living aboard our 37-footer than they ever were in big houses or with big yards. They haven't been out under sail, so they may not like heeling any more than I do, but they haven't ever minded motoring around. In fact, the dog is terrified of the decks (too slippery for her taste) but as soon as we cast off the lines she runs up and down the decks watching birds, trying to help with lines, et cetera. She's also been out on powerboat fishing trips going on plane with big loud engines and never batted an eyelash. She had no problem holding it for 8+ hours on fishing trips, but I would hurry her to a grassy spot once we docked. She holds it 8+ hours when I'm gone to work, too.

I tried Astroturf in the winter when the tides were very low and it was very difficult to get her on and off the boat. She hasn't been willing to use the Astroturf. (Yes, I even peed on it myself so she'd know what it was for... the things we do for our kids!) A few folks have told me that to really get them to go on the deck or the Astroturf you probably need to anchor out for a few days so there is no other choice. Their natural first choice will always be real grass on terra firma. But I do believe they can be trained with enough time and patience. 

I have not yet gotten her in a dinghy... I don't have a swim platform or anything, so it'll be a few feet down from deck to dink no matter what. My options will likely be either trying a ramp or making a sling to lower her in by swinging the boom out over the dink. I've heard of people doing this; not sure she'll enjoy the feeling of puppy davits, but it might work.

Far and away most dogs would rather be with their pack than be left behind, so unless they are clearly very stressed by being aboard, I would make the effort to bring them along. If it isn't being fun for you and them, then perhaps they get to visit friends or a kennel while you cruise.


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## ardoin (Mar 8, 2008)

I have two mini-schnauzers and they are great on the boat. Just can't teach them to tail the winches. Otherwise, they are good salty dogs. The companion way steps are too steep for them, but that is a good thing. I have to hoist them up and down. All the same, I recommend a dog or two on the boat. You can train them to do business on astroturf tied to the bow. 
The youngest dog is the purser and "owner" of the boat. The other is the assistant boatswain, he can't tie a line but will tell me anytime something is out of place. They also make great watch alarms! Schnauzers are very vocal.


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## steve77 (Aug 5, 2010)

My first mate is an 85 lb shedding machine. I don't think anyone has mentioned hair yet. Get decent vacuum. The hair gets EVERYWHERE.


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## TomMaine (Dec 21, 2010)

I think some dogs like to sail, some don't. Mine do.


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## Tanley (Aug 20, 2009)

We sail with 2 of these and they kind of just shut down under passage (she picked the dogs, I picked the boat). I can't imagine having dogs the size you're talking about on board a 26', but I'm sure people do it. Give some thought on how you'll get them on and off the boat, both intentionally and in an emergency.

Grew up on the Finger Lakes, where do you sail out of?


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## bblument (Oct 22, 2012)

Thanks for all the thoughtful, encouraging, and cautioning replies. All dogs are different, and I'm sure there's no way to tell how they'll like sailing until you take them sailing. We've taken the German Shepherd and the retriever mix flat-lake canoeing with us (all four of us in a 17' canoe!). The retrieve was fine.. she just sat there looking around. The shepherd was about 6 months old at the time, and did OK, but was a little anxious at first. He puked all over the canoe JUST as we were about to reach shore and head home.. <grin>. I think he's over that stage.. he doesn't get car sick anymore (he's five years old now). As GSD's go, he's pretty small... about 90 pounds or so. The retriever is 14 years old, and not very stable on her back legs any more, so I don't think I'll subject her to sailing, sadly. The chihuahua can be clipped anywhere, and will double as a safety noisemaker... .yappy little cuss... sigh..

Tanley, the boat's still up in Chaumont, and will probably end up staying there for a while until I feel a little more confident in my abilities to make the 40 mile sail from there to Oswego. I'm a little less worried about motoring down the canal to Oneida lake. Everyone's telling me to just suck it up, deal with the long drive, and leave it up in Chaumont.

Thanks again, everyone!

Barry


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## Cap'n Russ (Jul 15, 2013)

Our Schipperke loves our B311. He was at home the first time we brought him aboard. Went down the companionway steps into the cabin and came back up without assistance. Easily patrolled the deck's perimeter including a tour of the swim platform. He loves being our "bow lookout" when we're underway.


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## Jaramaz (Aug 9, 2013)

A Sailing American









/J


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## atoro (Aug 13, 2011)

Where can I get dogs lifejackets?


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## Cap'n Russ (Jul 15, 2013)

Ours is made by Ruffwear. We searched the Internet last year until we found a good price on it.


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## mrslubrdink (Sep 11, 2011)

We bought Mac's at Amazon


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## FirstCandC (Mar 26, 2013)

She is still nervous about sailing, but she hates to be left behind.


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## wannabsailor (Jul 9, 2012)

By all means give it a try. A friend of mine "had" a chihuahua but he didn't know they tend to fall overboard at night. It's a win-win situationfor you. You'll find out how the dogs do and the chihuahua...well... you know, they tend to fall overboard at night.


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## atoro (Aug 13, 2011)

Beautiful dogs


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## BentSailor (Nov 10, 2010)

Some gorgeous dogs in this thread. Whilst I'm not shocked to see a lot of small dogs are being taken sailing, I'm (pleasantly) surprised to see the big ones seem to like it too. We've got one of each (hers = small moodle, mine = siberian huskie). Her dog will do anything so long as it's with us... the huskie, not so much.

Though, having the mother-in-law has chihuahuas and this line just cracked me up 


bblument said:


> I'm a dog lover, and the chihuahua is just a really, really loud cat.


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## ChristinaM (Aug 18, 2011)

Does anyone have a vacuum cleaner that deals with dog hair well and isn't huge? We have a Miele canister vac that came with the boat but it just takes up too much space. Heard good things about the Hoover Sidewinder but I'd rather not use the beater brush on the teak & holly.


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## bblument (Oct 22, 2012)

Update...

Haven't taken the dogs sailing yet, mostly just because I don't feel confident enough in my own abilities to deal with watching after the dogs while I'm still learning to sail well. We need to get life jackets for the dogs and maybe do a few MOB/DOB practice sessions to make sure we can get everything we need rigged quickly for recoveries, should they ever be necessary.

We HAVE taken the GSD and the ChihuaCat to a nice deserted lake beach and given them extensive swimming lessons. Not bad. The Chi does fine, but won't enter the water on his own. Once he's in it, he swims fast and calmly. The GSD loves to romp in the water... weird for that breed. Once it gets to the point where he HAS to swim and can't reach bottom or "porpoise," he gets a little panicky and heads for shore although, like all dogs, he swims just fine. He seems to try to swim "up and out" more than forward, but I think he'll relax eventually.

Mel (the GSD) and I spent the night on the boat last night, and he was great. First trip down the floating dock he freaked a bit ("Dad... the earth is MOVING!!"), but he got used to it and I can't keep him OFF the boat now. We had a great night sitting on the foredeck, watching the stars, and got a good night's sleep inside; he was really relaxed the whole time. Next, we'll motor and see how he does with that... then sail. I think it'll work!

Oh... I found a great vacuum cleaner.... "Dos Manos." Sigh. He sheds a LOT. I just went around the boat, clumping the hair together with my hands. It really wasn't THAT bad, but I'm sure it'll get old.

Thanks again for all the helpful posts!

Barry


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## irasman (Nov 21, 2014)

Two questions
1. Large dog how where to take a dump?
2. how to prepare the dog and or the deck so that the dog does not slip and slide?


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## knuterikt (Aug 7, 2006)

irasman said:


> Two questions
> 1. Large dog how where to take a dump?


We try get the dogs ashore to do this - a dinghy is necessary so we can get ashore. 
When we are at sea for more that 8 to 10 hours they can be convinced to do it on deck. A bucket of sea water can be used to flush.

I know that some have trained their dogs to do it on a piece of astroturf with a rope attached - just throw it overboard after use for cleaning.



irasman said:


> 2. how to prepare the dog and or the deck so that the dog does not slip and slide?


By keeping the dogs claws short, our dogs (2 boxers and 1 German shepherd) have got surprisingly good sea legs.

Relaxed sailing (watching the dinghy)


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## PhilCarlson (Dec 14, 2013)

I read somewhere that a seasick dog can actually vomit twice its body weight.


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## knuterikt (Aug 7, 2006)

PhilCarlson said:


> I read somewhere that a seasick dog can actually vomit twice its body weight.


do you believe everything you read?
That is impossible.


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## hellsop (Jun 3, 2014)

knuterikt said:


> do you believe everything you read?
> That is impossible.


It just seems like it sometime... :laugher


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## Boogie Nights (Oct 15, 2014)

I have a chihuahua. he's a perfect dog for a small boat. he's grown up with it and is totally cool and relaxed (except when i run the engine, he doesn't like that, pretty much like me)
my parents dog is absolutely terrified of walking down the pontoon, never mind getting on the boat. I'd be a bit nervous about bringing a German Shepherd on board if it wasn't confident around water. 
and definitely, always make sure pets wear some sort of harness or harness floatation device.
retrieving them when they inevitably fall in is made that much easier if they have a handle on their back. Finding one the right size for a chihuahua, is a devil of a job. Theirs heads are so close to the water even with a flotation device, means a chin flap to hold their head up is ideal.


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## Boogie Nights (Oct 15, 2014)




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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

Our excitable little dog really relaxes once we are under sail. We only take her out once or twice a year, and only for daysails. We did take her on an overnight marina cruise to Philly once, but we've never taken her out long enough to have to worry about dinghying ashore to do her business. She has started to lose her bladdar control a little bit (can only hold it a few hours) so we re-trained her to use wee-wee pads when we're out of the house. Now that she's trained for that, it's what we would probably do on the boat instead of dinghying to shore.

Note in the pic below that we have a clothesline safety tether for her when she's on the boat.


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## deltaten (Oct 10, 2012)

No less than three, and sometimes as many as seven dogs running about our little slip. One owner asked what kind of dog I had. 
I responded with "OPDs".. 
She asked "what?"
"Other People's Dogs" was my retort. A pocketfull of treats makes friends with near any dog . The resident and visitor canines know. where my treats arre stowed by now and come to "visit" with regularity.
Enuff "dog time" for me


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