Boat Dog Breeds

[bobconnie]

And remember as my daddy said "to train a dog, ya must be smarter then the dog !"

[barboak]

We have cruised for years with our West Highland Terrier aboard. Annie barks at anything that moves in the water near her boat and wakes us up if anyone comes near at night. Gets me into the dinghy for beach walks on a regular basis but will go up on deck for a night walk if necessary or under way. Our first one Maddie died at 17 and we immediately got Annie to take her place on Mojo. Wouldn't head out without her

[Butler]

Some great dogs here! Funny /cool shot of the Schnauzer! I forgot about poodles... they also come in a range of sizes eh?

[saw77]

I have a Siberian Husky. Sheds like crazy (and he's all white), doesn't do particularly well in the heat, but he's a great dog and therefore a great boat dog.

[SVNeko]

You need a mutt. They seem to be most adaptable and, if you get it from a shelter, he'll forever show his gratitude by living every minute aboard.

[SVNeko]

PS: Our mutt learned to pee/poop on a mat on the foredeck at the tender age of 12. What is that saying about old dogs and new tricks..

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

My wife and I have been together for ten years and I think its time for us to get serious.

Guys, we need a boat dog.

I need to hear from folks who own boat dogs. We are looking for a mellow breed or breeds (mutts need love too!) who can hang out and cuddle but still be a spaz when the time comes to go ashore. I'm thinking French Bull Dog, beagle/basset mix, dachsund, or Westie. I'm also interested in the hair vs fur debate. Dogs that don't shed can be a real plus! Anyone out there have a successful pooch living on their boat with them?

I LIKE THESE GUYS. (std Poodle) Sid never complained when it was his turn for standing watch. Great swimmers, they have webed feet. no shedding, no allergies. Sid even learned to stay on the high side and to keep out of the lines on my Tornado. Very friendly and non-menacing dogs. Instant friend makers everywhere. Everyone wants to pet them.

[bradweston]

My Jack Russel Terrier can sit in a canoe all day. When he gets bored he stands at the bow and "points". Not all Jack Russels are hyper, they do seem to be generaly pretty smart. His best trick: he will jump up and take paper money that people are holding and put it in a bucket. I taught him that in case we ever run out of money.

I wish that my dog was small enough to fly in the cabin of an airplane. That way I could leave the boat somewhere and fly back for the occasional job.

[DaBod]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

Rottweilers are my favorite, however their size is not good on a boat. After our last Rotty died, we got a Queensland heeler, just a pup right now, only been to the boat once, and he immediately christened the door mat. He is now a few months old and my Wife has had a lot of time to work with him, I'll be taking him back to the boat when I get home to see how he does. I'll report back in October and let you know how he does.

You're going to love that dog. Heelers are absolutely incredible animals. I was fortunate enough to rescue a red and a blue (about a year apart) and I will never own any other type of dog. I haven't yet had either on the sailboat, but both immensely enjoyed a bass boat I used to have. I know they'll do fine aboard as they are so loyal and loving that they are happy being anywhere I am. I've had dogs my entire life, but these two have been a life changing experience...I just can't speak highly enough about them. I can't wait to hear more about your experience with the breed.

[Ocean Girl]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

I would recommennd a dog that "can" swim but not a dog that "likes" to swim. We've come across a few dogs that decided to go for a swim while the owners are gone. In a lot of marinas, there's no way for the dog to get out without assistance.

Great point. Our little guy has yet to jump overboard. When we swim, we lower him in the water. His lifejacket has a harness attachment. The life jacket is really really nice, it has a wide chest strap with a added belt clip for security. Because of the design, I can carry him like a suitcase, very handy. I'm adding netting and weather cloths to Rain Dog to lessen the chance of him going over.

Here is another pic of Scupper the boat dog to show the life jacket.

[Ocean Girl]

A picture of Kaela the boat dog. She passed away about 8months ago at 17 years old. We miss her more than we can say, she was a perfect dog. She was 16 when this picture was taken.

The caption of this picture is "What blimp?"

[TxCoastSailor]

Anyone out there have a Lagotto?

[Mknebes]

I had to look that one up- and I like to think I know about a lot of dogs!

Monica

[RTB]

The coolest boat dog that I ever saw was when we were anchored off Stocking Island, near Georgetown, Bahamas. The guy would run the dink within about 50 yards of the beach, and the dog would jump out and swim to the beach. Then, the guy in the dink would race the dog (on shore) up and down the beach about 4 times. Then, the dog would swim back to the dink, and they returned to their boat. It was so cool to see. Sorry, no idea what kind of dog it was, other than big and light colored.

The beach-


Ralph

[Normanby]

Originally Posted by DaBod

You're going to love that dog. Heelers are absolutely incredible animals. I was fortunate enough to rescue a red and a blue (about a year apart) and I will never own any other type of dog. I haven't yet had either on the sailboat, but both immensely enjoyed a bass boat I used to have. I know they'll do fine aboard as they are so loyal and loving that they are happy being anywhere I am. I've had dogs my entire life, but these two have been a life changing experience...I just can't speak highly enough about them. I can't wait to hear more about your experience with the breed.

Plus 1 from me too.

I love the working breeds, they're totally devoted to the welfare of their master(s).

Having said that, I reckon the "best boat dog" is the one you connect with at the shelter. Choose your dog, whatever the breed, and you'll find a way to manage any problems that come up.

Lulu the kelpie loves sailing:




Well, maybe she does, maybe she doesn't, but she loves being with me.