Sailing with a dog

[sethpool]

Dogs are generally better adjusted than people and typically won't have much trouble, and if any, is typically short lived.

[revedelamer]

Originally Posted by Cherise

My girl started sailing at 4, she is now 10 and is a liveaboard, local cruising Collie, 65lbs. My suggestions: 1) Buy a folding doggie ramp. You can find used.
2) PFD that you can carry her in, or hoist her in. 3) Add netting around your lifelines. 4) Going potty. Find a flat spot on the boat to teach her to do her business. My girl likes the flush deck foredeck. She didn't need the faux grass since I taught her to pee there. Gather some of her pee and apply it there. I squatted in walking circled and made psss, psss noises while telling her to do her business. It worked. Going in the cockpit is the safest, however, she has yet to go underway so there is no safety issue with the foredeck.

Dinghy: I have an open, sugar scoop transom. Its fabulous, she can actually hop in the dinghy from it. If I had a high freeboard boat and no open transom I would use that ramp. That ramp also, if long enough, could be her way up and down the ladder. One could also do a block and tackle house using the boom (just ensure that pfd wont hurt her while doing that).

Staying calm with her while underway will ease her anxiety. She likes staying in the aft cabin berth, when below. On deck she always does best in the cockpit, assisting at the helm.

Others here have made the good suggestion to buy anti-anxiety meds from the vet for passages.

Sent from my SGH-T999L using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Are you able to confirm or provide a picture of the ramp that you're using and how you connected it? We have the same issue with a 65 lb dog and a long vertical rise off the back of our sailboat and without a transom.

What have you done to accommodate your dog and still be able to get in the water with your dog to swim around where you too can get back on the boat without the dog ladder being in the way?

I've already emailed WAG (WaterDog Adventure Gear Sales) and they confirmed:
"Unfortunately, none of our products will work with that much freeboard. You will want 16" of steps (min.) in the water for your size dog. That means freeboard would have to be less than 32 inches."

[manawatuman]

Astro turf with some soil and grass clippings sprinkled into the pile would possibly work

[Hudson Force]

There are some breeds known as "boat dogs" and these might do best aboard.



Our Schipperke, Zorro, cruised with us for 13 years. We never had a need to take him to shore. He would leave his product on the aft deck...

..... for an easy quick rinse. He was well trained as a puppy and would run back to this "pee position" on command.



Zorro was always on watch and, typical of the breed, he would bark at other boats in passing. He would even bark in the direction of unseen vessels in the fog.

He was once lost overboard in the Pamlico Sound, but fortunately rescued and returned by another cruiser.

I would consider size, breed and training important for the success of cruising with a dog.

[seidulas]

I intend to adopt a puppy as my sailing companion and have never travel with pet before. So other than housing and training a dog to suit the sailing life, can anyone also share their experiences of entering foreign countries with their pets? Is there any difficulty with the check in procedures or are there any country that forbid pets?

[paulajayne]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

Dive contemplated taking my Aussie Terrier out with me.

How do they go getting up and down the gangway hatch?

And will they poop on deck? Or is it a case of just cleaning up after them?

That what the Poop deck is for.....

[IMACSS]

Hi Bob,
Not "Cruising" really (as we only sail in Lakes and Rivers) but we have two Toy Poodles who love sailing with us and we have at times stayed on board for up to 5 days. The "boys" will use the cockpit floor if tested but love to go ashore. They will sleep "anywhere" and they are usually very quiet when we visit other boats (tethered in the cockpit of course). We don't like to sail without them but National Parks are "funny" even about little dogs I believe. (I try to understand).
Most people try to be "dog friendly" but there are always limits to be aware of.
Good luck with your experiences as they are wonderful companions IMO.