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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on August 10, 2013 at 6:42pm

I don't know much about boats or boating, but I once sold a dog to a couple who were avid boaters and also had a three year old child.  They told me they had installed safety netting that was made to keep small children or pets from falling overboard.

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Permalink Reply by dale sherman on August 10, 2013 at 7:32pm

thank you  that 's making stubby smile  or maybe it makes me smile

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Permalink Reply by Sarah Weippert on August 10, 2013 at 9:25pm

Nemo is 16 weeks old and spends 16-30 hours a week on a boat of some sort. Most of his sea time is on a 28' barge, but he has also been on multiple rides on an 18' open skiff, a 32' sailboat, and an 8' zodiac. Below are a few of my thoughts on your boating concerns. 

1. The handle on the doggy life jacket is worth your dog's weight in gold. I think it is probably more important than the flotation itself. It's great for hoisting your dog over the gunwale and across gaps too big for our short friends. If he does fall overboard you can also snag it with your boat hook.

2. If Stubby is a little overweight the added fat will actually make him more buoyant. 

3. I think the dog paddle is a natural survival instinct. My brother recently took his year old mutt in the pool. She absolutely hates water. She won't get anywhere near it on her own. She shakes and cowers. But my brother (he's kinda a dink sometimes) took her in anyway. I had never seen a dog swim so fast to get out of the water, but the point is that she swam beautifully on her first attempt.

My Nemo, on the other hand, currently tolerates water. He loves to splash in puddles. He will wade into the ocean and lakes up to his chest. He will swim to you so he doesn't get left behind but you can tell he isn't thrilled about it. We have been introducing him to it slowly and letting him go at his own pace. He is a lot more comfortable in places that have a gradual depth so he can walk in. You might consider testing Stubby's water reaction. 

The first time Nemo ever went swimming was when he fell off our barge. I scooped him out of the water before we had a chance to see his skills in action (he wasn't wearing a life jacket). Nemo's second time was when he fell in my mom's bog/pond without a life jacket, luckily the water was low and puckybrush was the biggest hazard. His third time swimming was when he fell in my mom's bog/pond again, this time with a life jacket. I found him paddling away trying to find a way out. It wasn't until his forth time swimming that he did it intentionally. I think the point of this story is that puppies are clumsy and wouldn't survive to adulthood if they didn't have pre-programmed skills.

4. A lead or rope tied off to a cleat is a great way to keep track of your dog while you are still learning how he is going to respond to boating situations. Plus if you attach the lead to his life jacket instead of his collar you don't have to worry about him hanging himself if he did jump or fall overboard.

5. Having a safe zone is a great idea. On our barge, the back corner of the wheelhouse is reserved for Nemo. He has a water bowl there and we put a tarp down on the deck to provide some cushion. As soon as we get on the barge he trots over and checks out his spot. Initially we put his crate in this spot, but it turned out to be too cumbersome and he seemed to prefer the tarp to his crate anyway. On our sailboat he likes the alcove under the aft seat.

6. When we were first introducing him to the noises of the boat (and we have some really terrible noises) we used lots of treats. The first time I started our hydraulic motor up he was too busy with his kong to notice.

Since we first brought Nemo on the boat his balance and spacial awareness has improved immensely. We now let him roam the deck with his life jacket on when we are moored. If we are putting, he also has full range with slightly higher supervision. When we are steaming, we keep him in the wheelhouse, but usually that's where he wants to be. He doesn't like the sea spray and the water on deck.  

I hope my experience and success can help give you some ideas. 

   

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