Liveaboard Dogs

[lucseawalker]

That they shed a lot is relative ... I don't think it is very important in quantity of hair as the dog is so small to begin with. One thing is great with Schipperke, they don't smell bad ... not even when wet ot when not have a bath for weeks!
We had 1 or 2 schipperke together since 1992 when we cruised full time from the Caribbean to the South Pacific.
Never regretted our choice of breed!

Smart dog, strong personnality, good swimmers, great watch & guard dogs ... If anyone know of any male shipperke now in anywhere from Marshalls towards SE Asia, please, let us know ... Zenne, our 4-yr female is looking for a temporary boyfriend )

Originally Posted by sparklegirl50

Bev and Bill,

Good luck in your dog search.

If you have a Schip on your list, be aware that they shed a lot. We love our Holly, but find massive amounts of dog hair EVERYWHERE, even in areas she does not go or have access too. You should see how it piles up in the cockpit, and the scuppers!!

Great boat dog, it's what she was bred for, but, OMG, the dog hair.

Did I mention they shed a lot?

Toni

[Talbot]

I had a black labrador/collie cross whose coat was that waxed coat of the black lab. Two or three good shakes (normally as close to a human as possible!) and he was nearly dry - and no smell!

The only way to get him soaked was with a shampoo which got right through to the undercoat. - we always then dried him with a hair dryer.

We always used to use a vacuum when combing and brushing vigorously and that definitely cuts down on the hair, but will never eradicate it!


Lets face it, hair hidden in every corner is just one of the consequences of owning a cat or a dog.

[dancarrigan]

arg:
My Akita and I have lived aboard eight boats so far, and he's about 85 pounds. My last boat was a 42', our biggest yet, and he wouldn't even come below! I had to rig up little biminis for him on deck. I think he had issues with the high companionway ladder, and the forward hatch wasn't his deal either. Now when a boat is a consideration I get him on and in it.
We did, however, live out of an 11' sailing dorey (previously the sloop dinghy) for a few weeks, which was pretty tight. Life in an open boat!
Get the potential dog on board and see how it responds if you can. It's really handy to be able to carry it when full grown too (freeboard can be a hassle getting onto larger boats also). finally, a rugged dog will be easier to throw over the side as necessary.
best of luck!
dan
www.myspace.com/dancarrigan

[Irie]

When I was in France I saw people bringing thier dogs to dine with them. We will be bringing our miniature poodle when we cruise the St Lawrence River. Do restaurants in Quebec allow dogs in like they do in France?

[jdoe71]

Originally Posted by Irie

When I was in France I saw people bringing thier dogs to dine with them. We will be bringing our miniature poodle when we cruise the St Lawrence River. Do restaurants in Quebec allow dogs in like they do in France?

Working dogs, not pets. try dogfriendly.com for travelling with dogs info.

[Mule]

Labradore on a boat..no way. Great dogs, smart loyal et to al....but they shed constantly and their hair is hard to deal with, for most boats they are too big and a coal shovel is needed for clean up.

Take out the hair and a standard poodle fits above.

Keeshond, mid size dog, bred for barges in Holland to look after the children on the barges, very domestic and protective. Deep threatening bark, ok with water. Down side, Loooonnngg hair, but manageable hair, does not embed in fabric. Not as smart as may dogs, such as border collie types poodles and so forth.

I have a minature 15lb poodle, now 2 years old and I do not see a downside with her, I have or do own all of the above breeds so I have a basis to compare. Poodle is easy to train, wants to please and small enough to be manageable but big enough.

I have also had golden-irish setter mix..to big, airedale terriers, too big and as with most terriers, a bit hard headed.

I like a 35 lb dog but could not find that size poodle and I looked hard, they don't make em. I settled for a 15lb minature and I am really glad it worked out that way.

[hanschristian38]

I vote for the Portuguese Water Dog. Azore is a great boat dog.
Cartmel DownEast Bela Azore

She is retired now.

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by Irie

When I was in France I saw people bringing thier dogs to dine with them. We will be bringing our miniature poodle when we cruise the St Lawrence River. Do restaurants in Quebec allow dogs in like they do in France?

Chinese restaurants probably will welcome you

[Hudson Force]

I'd say any good boat dog needs some skills;


Can he intimidate a rat?


Does he bark at other boats that I can only see on radar?


Can he pee off the stern?

Choose wisely & train well, Aythya crew

[dancarrigan]

I 've only been back to quebec once in the last fourteen years so i don't know what the current deal is with dogs and restaurants... no dogs allowed last time i checked.

[dancarrigan]

i dream, however, of returning down the st. laurence, to Montreal, under sail and maybe coming around the world from the opposite direction...

[Pete7]

This is 88 lbs of labradoodle and unfortunately very clever. Quite capable of untying a bowline knot, loves water, chases seagulls off the end of the dock with predictable results. Molts like mad which really shows up on a white boat and finally wants lifting up the companion way steps a dozen times a day although he can do it himself.

We also have a pug, much more manageable on a boat, so choose something you can lift because 88 lbs from a wobbly inflatable dinghy into the yacht is an interesting task that one day will go disasterly wrong.

Pete

[Reluctantsailor]

Montreal has really strict rules against dogs in restaurants when I was there two years ago ours wasn't even allowed to sit on the patio with us even if he was outside the actual patio they said he has to be across the street. We use to take our dog all the time to restaurants with patios in toronto and never had a problem, he just had to stay outside the designated patio area so we always got a table at the rail so we could sit with him...not so in Montreal...it had to be the most undogfriendly place I have ever been. Not sure about Quebec city but imagine they have the same rules..

[ActiveCaptain]

There is nothing like cruising with TWO labradors:
TakingPaws

[Seahunter]

Well this is a long thread. After many years boating and always with a dog at our side, I've come to the conclusion that it's up the the individual(s) and the boat. However, some requirements to picking the right dog are:
Swimming skills; our Dalmatian loved the boat, a great watch-dog, loving family member, would sink like a rock any time she got in the water. The boat hook was always on the ready.
Barking skills; remember a good watch-dog doesn't bark incessantly its just to warn you there's something afoot.
Shedding; as anyone whose lived aboard, it's hard to keep things clean and dust free. A short haired shedding dog is better than a long haired one and bilge full of hair is always going to find its into your machinery. Think wet-dry shop-vac and dog clippers.
Boating skills; When cruising, it's imperative that your dog has been taught "were to go".
Exercising; Large, high energy dogs are going to be a problem, especially if you don't find an outlet for them to keep their minds and bodies fit.
Smell factor; Most breeds emit that "doggie smell", especially when they've been in salt water. Boats with an on deck fresh water shower or wash-down are best, but a good onboard shower works too.
Crew skills; A dog that's always in the way, is a pain and can be outright dangerous. The first thing a boat dog needs to learn is to "come" and "stay". This becomes apparent when just getting into the dinghy, staying on the boat at the fuel dock or when all hands are needed to drive your boat.
I've met many boat dogs over the years and found it's not in the name or breed, that makes a dog good or bad for boating. The dog I least like as a breed on a boat are the Schipperkes with their gravelly temperaments, their ever so annoying bark and their lack of people skills. On the other hand for good or for bad we have a female Standard Poodle who completes the crew quite nicely. She doesn't shed, barks only to warn, big enough to get up the ladder on her own, has great communication skills, knows where "home" is no matter where we are, handles all types of weather and keeps our master berth warm.