Best Sailing Dog ?

[bobconnie]

Boy I did not think about the food thing !! or I would have gotten a bigger breed !! the 2 of ours would barely make meal !!lol O well Im Old and forgetful !!

[Cheechako]

Your description sounds like a Lab to me! You need a dog big enough to climb the ladder....

[mikereed100]

Best sailing dog? I was going to say my Seabird Yawl, but it was too deplorable even for my dubious standards.

[Sunnyside]

We have 2 retrievers (Golden and Lab-mix); each weighing 65+ pounds shown here. Labs shed continuously, while the Golden shed only twice per year and thin coat of fur because born and raise in the heat of the south.

But our friends purchased a ducktrolling retriever as a puppy (full grown <40 lbs) to sail around the caribbean islands once she reached 6 months. She did great (similar friendly nature of the Golden). Easy to get on and off the boat, swam with the dolphins when tethered to the boat, and trained quickly to use the wooden deck of the 36' Cheoy Lee for the bathroom. Smaller dog means less food to store and smaller clean up. Great cruising dog...

[Jimbo485]

Ya mean a MONOHULL???

Ha ha, just joking

Now, seriously, jokes aside, we got a rat terrier pup from death row at the pound. We asked about swimming ability and we were shown his paws which are webbed.

"Great swimmer," they said.

Later we realised that he has webbed paws so he can dig for rats. So now he digs up the beaches, hunting for crabs instead of rats. Initially he hated going in the water, but could swim fine, so we tossed him overboard twice a day for a month (training!) and now he is great. He even tows us about when snorkelling, loves going sailing in the dinghy with other boat kids, etc.

In fact, he swims ashore by himself and comes back and climbs up the swim ladder by himself as well. But usually uses the forward tramps as his toilet.

So it appears the type of dog is irrelevant, it depends on the age and the training.

What always makes me laugh about boat dogs the most are those silly lifejackets. You usually see them around the boats from over-regulated, marketing-driven nanny states. But each to their own...!

[zeehag]

best sailing dog is a maine coon cat....

[guyver]

We haven't got our boat yet,but when we do, our Bull Mastiff is coming with. He is 130 lbs and still growing (14 months old).

Any dingy thiefs in the night will be in for a real surprise.

Guy

[SailFastTri]

We have a whippet we take with us aboard a Dragonfly 1200 and he's a great boat dog. Whippets are very mellow 99% of the time, not too big, and low-shedding. He does swim but not as well as water breeds. Also he does not smell. (many dogs especially ones with oily coats have a strong smell that gets worse when wet. You don't want a smelly shedding dog in your DF35.)

Here he is n action:

Nike Whippet retrieving a ball in Block Island - YouTube

I agree the no-shed water dogs would be good, but most are high-energy, and might be difficult to get to settle in when aboard. Poodles are a good dog. In a plain cut they're great. If you haven't owned a dog before, a mellower more easy-going breed would be easier to live with. Also neutered males are much more easy-going than bitches. There's a reason the word has developed derogatory connotations. They tend to be more bossy, territorial and high-strung. More active and smarter breeds require more skill from the owners to be pack leader... Many breeds will become socially dominant in the family if allowed by passive owners.

EDIT: before you jump on me for being politically incorrect about gender, I am ONLY talking about dogs. BTW we have owned males and females, and my wife heartily agrees with my statements above.

[SailFastTri]

Would also add that having a thin coated dog makes it "wash and wear" . After a day on the beach, a quick rinse on the swim platform or nets and he's clean, 15 minutes after toweling off he's dry too. If you get a long haired breed it's easier to keep it short clipped. Also at 30 pounds, he's easy to heft in and out. Others will disagree but I wouldn't want to go over 40# for a boat dog.

[ohdrinkboy]

I've got a minature labradoodle. Does not shed, loves the water, swims like a champ, and is a hunter (several birds and mice). She loves people, but will bark if she doesn't know you. Best of all weighs 18 lbs. and isn't too big on the boat.

[earthbm]

Thanks guys! Sounds like I will be looking for a labrador mixed with something smaller at the shelter.

Now, this is a non-sailing Q and i should probably go to a dog forum with this but i don't know any. I would feel terrible neutering a male. If I don't neuter him, how do they cope with the same problem confronting males all over the species spectrum? Would I need to arrange his love live, let him sort it out, or let him hump visitors' legs?

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by earthbm

Thanks guys! Sounds like I will be looking for a labrador mixed with something smaller at the shelter.

Now, this is a non-sailing Q and i should probably go to a dog forum with this but i don't know any. I would feel terrible neutering a male. If I don't neuter him, how do they cope with the same problem confronting males all over the species spectrum? Would I need to arrange his love live, let him sort it out, or let him hump visitors' legs?

LOL If you want a pet you should neuter him. Only breeders and show dogs should be intact.
Best book for dog owners: GOOD OWNERS GREAT DOGS Amazon.com: Good Owners, Great Dogs (9780446675383): Brian Kilcommons, Sarah Wilson: Books

Buy it and read cover to cover before you go looking for a dog. This is very good advice.

[SaucySailoress]

Originally Posted by Jimbo485

What always makes me laugh about boat dogs the most are those silly lifejackets. You usually see them around the boats from over-regulated, marketing-driven nanny states. But each to their own...!

I don't think there's anything silly about them. When your dog is 45kg, and her fur gets waterlogged, a lifejacket ensures she floats comfortably and makes swimming a pleasure for her, rather than simply a race to the steps.
What, exactly, is silly about that?

Also, when the seas pick up, the dogs are the first to have their lifejackets on, even the little spaniel mix. The reason? If they do get knocked overboard I want to be able to see them clearly, so we can get back and retrieve them, and be better able to lift them out of the water with a handle.
What, exactly, is silly about that?

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

I wouldn't want to go over 40# for a boat dog.

Yeah. Good point. HWMO redesigned our hatch steps totally so that they now lift on a hinge, so we can raise them part way and then prop them so that the aging, 100lb, St Bernard mix can get down more easily than me shoving her through the hatch into his arms!! She can also get up them independently, without WHMO and I having to lift her fore paws up onto deck and then shove her botty after her!!!

[goboatingnow]

As a dog lover and having grown up with several large dogs. I think it's cruel to subject a dog to sea passages or extensive periods cooped up on a boat, even more so for any large variety. I denied my kids one as we sail regularly and I would not even subject a dog to the kennel thing. Do the right thing.

Dave

[AllezCat]

I've had plenty of big dogs. Couple in the Australian country side. A couple in New York City apartments. I reckon the apartment is similar to the boat.
I would not get one - do not want to be a prisoner to them.
However, if I did it would be a golden retriever, or German short haired pointer...
cheers