Do you have a dog aboard? Thinking of taking one with you on trips or long-term cruising?
Two years into our cruising, we adopted Paz — and consider her to be the best thing that came out of our years aboard Que Tal. And while The Boat Galley isn’t really about cruising with dogs, a number of the articles I’ve written do touch on topics related to having a dog on board. I’ve listed these below — the one that seems to get the most interest is Training a Dog to Be a “Boat Dog”, which refers to teaching them to use a piece of carpet on the bow instead of needing to go ashore when nature calls.
Additionally, as I find other resources for boating with a dog, I’m adding them in a list. If you know of other web sites, books, helpful products or anything else that should be added, please put a note in the comments below — comments come to me as an e-mail — and I’ll add items to the list so that others can benefit.
The Boat Galley Articles:
- Disinfecting With Bleach
- Food Safety 101
- Four Easy Ways to Conserve Water
- How to Get Rid of Ants
- Make Your Own Gel Ice Pack
- Non-Slip Solutions
- Rehydration Drinks
- Storing Dry Dog Food
- Training a Dog to Be a “Boat Dog”
- Ventilation
- Water Filtering Systems
- What to Eat with the Stomach Flu
Useful Books:
No, I don’t own these — I wouldn’t recommend the books we did pick up along the way. These have been recommended by other “cruising dog families” and also get high reviews on Amazon. Links are to Amazon, unless otherwise noted.
- The First Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats — highly recommended by a couple of friends, particularly for its use of things that you’re likely to have on board, a list of human medications that can and can’t be used on your pet, and what should be in your pet’s first aid kit.
- Doggy on Deck: Life at Sea with a Salty Dog – Absolutely Everything You Need to Know Before Cruising with Fido — recommended if you’re considering getting a dog or are wondering about how yours will react to cruising.
Web sites:
- LibertySails — Cruising Dog FAQs — lots of good information!
- BoatUS — Boating Pets — Lots of helpful tips on keeping our pet safe and happy.
Several of the cruising forums also have had discussions about various issues in cruising with pets — some of the information is helpful, other bits are questionable. Above all, remember that you know yourself and your dog and make decisions accordingly.
Products
Warning: like many other “marine” products, some of these items aren’t cheap! The only special item we bought for Paz was a life jacket (other than always using a harness instead of a collar that could potentially break her neck).
For a larger dog, however, the ladder or ramp could mean the difference between being able to cruise and not, as they could also be used to get the dog in/out of the dinghy.
- Paws Aboard! A number of innovative products such as a boat ladder for dogs that I haven’t seen elsewhere.
- PupGear — dog boat ramps and a number of “indoor potty” products.
- CrittersInflatable — yep, an inflatable life jacket for your dog. See more info (including a testimonial on how it saved one cruising dog’s life) in the comments, below.
Please be sure to add more resources in the comments below — and also let me know if you have a blog with stories about your boat dog, so that others can read what it’s like with a dog aboard.
I tried many methods including the used carpet which didn’t work on our dog. I’ve now trained 3 of our boat dogs to “go.” Waited 1 day so used dog food was in their colon. Took dog up to foredeck, husband held dog, I lifted tail and inserted suppository. It might take 2 suppositories, but it will work. Waited minute or so, they then “went” and received praises and treats. They were “trained” from then on because they knew it was o.k. to go on foredeck. We used to keep the poop in bags and take ashore, but then started putting it in the head, which works just fine.
Critter’s Inflatable pet life jacket
Now is a great time to buy your dog a Critter’s Inflatable life jacket for his/her Christmas or Hanukkah present, because I just activated our Holiday Special. If you go to our Website at http://www.Crittersinflatable.com you will see the following: “HOLIDAY SALE! (Limited Time Only) ALL LIFE JACKETS ONLY $99.99”
Critter’s Inflatable® life jacket is a fully automatic inflatable life jacket that provides your pet the same improved safety and comfort that humans have enjoyed for years. In addition to it being automatic, it can be orally inflated as needed to save on rearm kits. When inflated, it provides additional buoyancy directly under your pet’s neck to keep its face and mouth out of the water. Also, the bright yellow color of the inflation chamber and the retro-reflective tape on the lifting handle make it easy to spot a pet in the water. This life jacket has adjustable neck and collar straps, and two adjustable harnesses (each with upper and lower sections that can independently be repositioned) to ensure proper fit, safety and comfort. The wrap around straps can be secured so the ends do not hang. The strong lifting handle has retro-reflective tape and a D-ring for a leash attachment making for quick and easy pet-overboard rescues. The cover is a sturdy tear-resistant fabric. This product is the perfect solution for all pets that go in the water, especially those that are muscular (don’t float well), those that need extra buoyancy while undergoing water therapy, or those of advanced age.
To learn more about Critter’s Inflatable and view videos, please visit our website at: http://www.crittersinflatable.com.
Best Regards,
Dan McCormick
Two comments were left on Facebook about the CrittersInflatable — one credits it for saving the life of her dog:
Mary: I boat with two dogs and can testify to this product. The dogs wear them without even noticing, unlike the old hot ones they had to wear. Prior to using I inflated them and let each dog swim around. You should have seen the Bassett, lik…e she was a real queen! Most importantly they work and I credit the Critter Inflatable with saving the life of my Beagle who decided he would go for a dinghy ride while underway only of course the dinghy moved away from the boat. I didn’t hear him at first or even notice he was gone. He just paddled along in his infltable!!! With the handle on top I was able to easily lift him aboard. Don’t go anywhere without them on!
And Hannah said: we use it w/our cat. its amazingly well constructed. every aspect is clearly designed for safety and comfort.
I’ve sailed with Rudy from LibertySails and his new younger sister, Gretchen. They are great little sailors!