# Dealing with a BIG dog...



## Benobo (May 23, 2009)

Hi there,

My wife and I just welcomed a rather large new member to the family: Kayla, a 140-pound malamute-retriever cross. Kayla comes from an unfortunate background -- she was found chained up and starving with three broken ribs and a fractured jaw -- so we thought we'd take her in and give her a taste of the good life for the remainder of her days.

With summer cruising starting to get underway, I've been trying to figure out how to bring Kayla along with us on the boat (we leave next week for our first week-long trip). She's timid, understandably, but so far has been happy to join me down at the dock while I work on the boat, and I think I'll be able to get her on-board with a little convincing. 

My problem is how to get her from the boat to the dinghy. We don't have one of those ledges on the transom, so for us it's a matter of stepping straight down the topsides (boarding ladder) and into the boat. There's no way Kayla will go for this, and lifting her 140-pound mass seems like a poor course of action.

Does anyone have any solutions for getting such a large dog into the dinghy (and back out?). Harness/halyard? Some kind of special ramp? 

Thanks for your help!


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## jjablonowski (Aug 13, 2007)

There are a number of different ramps available that might fit your pooch. Here's one: Portable Floating Water Ramps for Dogs | DoggyDocks™
Search "dog boat ladder" on Google.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

We have to deal with him all the time around here...arrggg, often I just ignore him...oh wait, sorry I thought you were talking about "Sailingdog" :laugher   

BTW, a friend just had a litter of 15 Mastiffs if anybody's interested PM me for her contact info.


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## CLucas (Feb 10, 2007)

Davits? Kidding aside, does she like to swim? I have a 140 Bernese Mountain Dog who doesn't like water will avoid even puddles at all costs. Be sure whatever you decide on that you try it well before leaving on a week long trip. The doggy ramp looks great, but you need to make certain your pooch doesn't freak in the dinghy -- that could be bad all around. Remember that whatever solution you have is going to need to be easy enough on you and your dog to do a couple times/day when you need to bring her ashore to um... do her business. How about getting a slip instead of anchoring or taking a mooring? easier on everybody. If it were me, I probably try a few single overnights before subjecting the dog and yourself to a full week.

My $.02 YMMV.


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## joethecobbler (Apr 10, 2007)

you might want to re-think the dog thing. 3 years aboard w/ a dog and I count the days.
Definately diminish's the "fun" factor. particularly on cold rainy days ,mornings ,evenings. 
Of course landing on a oyster bank at low tide to walk a dog in the rain is a
nautical experience everyone should enjoy at least once.
'course that's just my experience.


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## inshallamiami (Jan 2, 2004)

First, let me say you are good people for taking that doggie into your home! We had a 110 golden retriever, who cruised with us for a year on our 34' Morgan. It was actually great fun, he was an outstanding dog, and we made many friends thru him (he was way more outgoing than we were!)

We anchored out almost exclusively -- the way WE did it was a joint effort- Billy (the dog) would get from the dinghy by placing his front paws up on the side of the boat and we would "boost" him up by his back legs. A little ungainly but doable with one person only. Getting into the dinghy was a little easier - he knew if he wanted to get to shore ( to pee or whatever) he needed the dinghy so he would jump in himself, at first with someone in the dinghy, but eventually he would leap in alone, with gusto.

It might take a little time, but I believe in the power of love. A dog on board is also great security!


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

It would help if you said what kind of boat and dinghy you have. That can make a big difference in what approaches will or won't work. I hope you have a hard dinghy, since a large dog can easily damage an inflatable. 

A lot of the PFDs for dogs, and you will want one for Kayla, have hoisting handles on the back.

T37Chef- *BITE ME!!!! You bastardo sujo..*


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## catamount (Sep 8, 2002)

We used to have a 150 lb. Newfie/Golden mix. Unfortunately, he was relegated to the cockpit when aboard, because there was no way he was going to fit down our companionway into the cabin. I don't recall what we did to get him off the boat, but getting him back on we would lift his front end up to get his paws on deck, then boost his rear and shove. We really only sailed with him a couple of times before he died.

Currently, we have a 65 lb. flat-coat retriever. He jumps off the boat into the dinghy, and we can hoist him back up by the handle on the back of his life jacket. To get him down the companionway ladder, we made a slide out of old sailcloth, tied off at the compionway sill and then down by the sole at the forward end of the salon. Getting him back up out of the cabin we either haul him up by the handle on his life jacket, or give him a boost -- he doesn't climb ladders too well.

The best dog life jacket we've found is from Ruff Wear.


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## joethecobbler (Apr 10, 2007)

Of course ,overnight sails make walking the dog impossible. so you either don't walk the dog or do the clean up. in small living areas neither is pleasant.
Dogs and sailboats are not a very good match. unless you plan on only 8-10 hour day sails. which make an already slow trip longer and slower. When you do reach your destination the dog gets to be excluded from much as dogs are not welcomed everywhere. (beach,hotel,rest.bar,bus,etc.)
but if your into it, enjoy.


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## Benobo (May 23, 2009)

Thanks a lot for your advice, everyone -- and sorry about not responding until now (we took off on a last-minute trip for a few nights...without dog). 

It seems like there are a few options, with no one sure-fire method of getting her in and out of the dinghy (which IS inflatable -- I'm considering cutting up an old sail cover to use to protect it from her claws) so I'm going to find a dog-sitter for this trip and experiment on a day sail to see what works, if anything. Morning walks in the rain don't concern me (in fact, I make a habit of them, with or without dog) and temperamentally I think she'll make a perfect boat dog (very mellow -- happy to lounge about so long as you're within sight) so it's just a matter of physics at this point.

We'll start with inshallahmiami's method and work our way up from there, with that doggydock thing as a last resort (though I'm not even sure it will work in this case all too well as our deck is about 4ft off the water). 

Thanks again!

Ben


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## Capnblu (Mar 17, 2006)

As a pure saftey issue, if you cannot lift the dog with one hand by the scruff of the neck out of the water onto the deck, don't do it. IMHO, your dog is gonna be too big. Sorry.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Ben, check out the stores that sell "dog" supplies to duck hunters, like Cabelas.com who sell all sorts of "water dog" supplies like dog life vests and boarding ramps, usually way cheaper than chandleries.

You may need to do something old fashioned, like set up a snatch block and swing out the boom to hoist the dog in/out of the dink, it the dog will stand still for that.

Instead of an old sail cover, I'd suggest ten bucks worth of outdoor carpetting or astroturf to protect the side and bottom of the inflateable, since big dog claws can easily go through a sailcover, or make a puncture despite it.

If you haven't had a big dog before, and you don't walk it on concrete every day, you're going to need to look at keeping the claws trimmed down. Rotary trimmer, or a clipper (there's a newish one with a sensor to help avoid clipping the vein) and styptic powder strongly recommended.


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## cruisingdream (Feb 7, 2007)

*one Word .... Kennel*


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

1. Use the boom as a crane, and load the mutt from abeam.

2. If you're lucky enough to have a hefty boom gallows, hang a block and run a line through it and winch the dog over the transom.


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

Lots of wonderful advice here: 
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/cruising-liveaboard-forum/29867-cruising-bull-dogs.html


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

you ain't right, miti.


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

You have to admit it is worth a read. The only thread on Sailnet that had me laughing so hard I was in tears.:laugher

ps And I like dogs!


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## ambianceack (Aug 27, 2006)

We have found that a 2 person assist w/ a dogliejacket that has a handle is enuf.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

mitiempo said:


> You have to admit it is worth a read. The only thread on Sailnet that had me laughing so hard I was in tears.:laugher
> 
> ps And I like dogs!


A SailNet classic that one. Shame about the divorce.


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## arisatx (Sep 2, 2004)

Benobo:

First - good on ya for rescuing that dog.

We had a Golden who was also rescued and at first was overweight (~120lbs). We got her a Ruff Wear PFD which was fine for wearing around the boat and dock but did not provide enough support to sling her in/out of the dinghy.

For that we found a "working girl's" sling (no, not that kind) with Search And Rescue (SAR) gear. I can't find the specific brand now, but something like this:










Here is the actual link 

As for puncturing the floor of an inflatable, we were worried about that too and wound up buying one of those thick rubber entrance mats (like you see in commercial store lobbies) and found one that pretty much fit the inflatable floor.

Good luck w/your dog and keep us updated on your adventures together.


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## casioqv (Jun 15, 2009)

I have a German Pinscher (much smaller) but I have the MTI 
Dog PFD which includes a stout handle on top. It is safe and comfortable for the dog to lift him by this handle in and out of the boat. Since my dog is small, I lift him by hand (via the vest handle)- but I think the larger versions of the vest could be used with a "Handy Billy" on the end of the boom and two people- one to hold the "dog sheet" and the other to hold onto the dog to swing him out, while keeping him stable and comforted.

We also use the vest as a sailing harness for clipping the dog into our jackline system, and the handle can also be used to retrieve the dog if he goes overboard, via a plastic tipped boathook.


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