Tips for preventing dogs from tearing your boat up

[wingssail]

I realize that dogs become beloved family members and if you have one (or more) in your household you aren't going to consider parting with them.

That being said, keeping any dog on a boat requires considerable compromise, not only on your part but on the dog's.

Dogs do have toe nails and these will scratch interiors and exteriors. I don't know about cutting or other approaches but it seems that this leaves the dog without some of his natural capabilities. I think carpets, changed frequently, would protect the boat from much of the damage.

Bigger dogs particularly need room to run and exercise.
The owner needs to provide those daily opportunities.

Many dogs, are simply unable to use mats or rugs for their daily duties (lucky you if yours does, but then do you somehow get it into the holding tank or simply wash it overboard?) so again, the owner needs to get fido to the beach daily or more frequently. To not do so is cruel to the dog.

Dogs (nearly all) will leave hair everywhere, and certainly leave an aroma on the interior of your boat.

Caring for the dog while sailing is a distraction from sailing.

Many countries do not welcome dogs (and some localities and marinas as well) so you will be limited as to where you can go.

Bringing your dog to the marina and surrounding uplands, where permitted to do so, without packing away the droppings is irresponsible and your local boating community won't appreciate it if every piece of lawn is littered, to say nothing of the marina floats, as ours are on this particular day.

And when you are in port and you want to go out to dinner or to a friend's boat you must decide on whether to leave the dog on your boat or take it with you. Most restaurants are not going to be happy about admitting your dog, and in fact may be in violation of health regulations if they do so, to say nothing about how other guests may feel, but if you leave to dog at home it may bark continuously or need to be contained inside the boat. None of these choices are optimal.

So, to me, I think you should consider carefully about where your priorities are.

If your dog is you priority, keep your sailing trips to short day sails and, if possible, leave to dog ashore. If sailing is your priority, particularly long distance sailing or cruising to foreign lands, part company with the dog.

[Pete7]

Use use a couple of these to protect the saloon floor not only from the dogs who jump down the companion way on their own, but also us with wet feet. They go home and in the shower a couple of times a year.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TrendMakers...613094&sr=8-12

[TrentePieds]

Numerous posts above caution against shipping a dog. If you do, do bethink yourself that your boat's welfare must be rather less of a consideration than the dog's. “Dogs are people too”, has been my refrain for many a year, so IMO if you are going where the scattered waters rave, you must so fit the boat that the dog has a sea-berth where he can not only protect himself against injury by bracing himself against the rolling and pitching, but where he will also feel so secure that HE will seek it out when he's had enough. Dogs get seasick too!

The twice or thrice daily business can be handled on deck, and feces is no more difficult to handle aboard than on land. Urine, however, is a pain. Under way you can simply flush it off the deck using the deck-wash pump or a bucket. While alongside in a marina you cannot do that without getting on the receiving end of queer looks, and you need to make the walk to a designated area. Some marinas have such areas, some don't. In ours, the walk is long enough that you need to be considerably proactive. Our dock master [RCN (Ret)] takes a VERY serious view of anyone “soiling” the pontoons!

Some breeds will learn to negotiate a companionway ladder GOING UP, but I know of none that will do it going down. A dog going up a CW ladder while underway is off his natural balance and is likely to be thrown with injury being the result. Lack of hands is a serious impediment to negiotiating any ladder, let alone one that moves! Dogs can only handle the down direction of the CW by jumping. Few dogs, if any, should be permitted to jump into an abyss even if it is only three feet deep! These circumstances set a limit to the size of dog that it is feasible to ship. My preferred breed is the Old English Mastiff and my last bitch weighed in at a swelte – I mean it, “swelte” for an OEM – 220 lbs. A dog of such mangitude has no place aboard a yacht IMO, and certainly not in a 5-tonner.

Something else to be considered is that dogs can and do jump overboard. Some breeds are long on slobbery affection but short on wit. Some have been bred to be the other way about, specifically because they were intended to live aboard boats, the Skipperke being one such. But whichever way about your dog has it, you need have gear permanently rigged to get him safely back aboard, because he WILL go over the side sooner or later, and you never know when it will be. You need to be a strong man to get even a generic “forty pound brown dog” up and over the rail. Very few women could do it, so you need a hoist or other device to do that part of the job, and it needs to have a submersible platform that the dog in the water can get onto by his own efforts.

No need to mention, I'm sure, that for skipper or anyone else going in the drink to save a DOB is simply not on. That will only aggravate the situation.

No reason not to ship a dog of a suitable breed, but do remember that “dogs are people too”!

TrentePieds

[tarian]

My goodness me so much advice from those that have not had their dogs on a boat ,
as said above dogs are like people and all people are different , learn new skills and adapt , so did my 2 large dogs on my Boat, these Dogs are loved . spoilt and well looked after , no it is not their natural home but either is tied up in a yard ,locked up in a house when you go to work , or left in the back yard , before we set off they get a great run , tire them out and they are more relaxed , one the Bitch needs to be up on deck next to someone, at first she trembled now she walks all over the boat no problems , the big Boy just sits with his head in the wind never moves .
Get to destination dogs out again , then for night time , I t is our choice and therefore the so called hassle is no hassle at all it gets us off the boat and exercise .
They have the whole saloon to sleep on , and seems to be very excited every new location.
Dogs by nature can hold their business in without harming them over many hours, but they will do their business if desperate on deck at a point designated to them.

Only once has one went in the drink , that was the dinghy moving from the boat at the wrong time , my Wife has been in more times
Do not humanise a dog it is a dog and therefore you cannot lump them in Human emotions or categorise them like a human , if they seem happy and are still eating and no skin flakes and acting normally then they are fine,

As for hair everywhere , I get hair everywhere in my house , I hoover it up , like I do on my boat .
if your dog does not like the water the boat then do not force them but do not tell others that they should not have theirs on the boat as they are better advised and knowledgeable to their pet.

My last pooch came all over Europe with us in our camper , she had no problems with the locals , the immigration , or returning to the UK

[Mike Banks]

Large dogs in small spaces mixed with motion are never a good combination, especially when they are not toilet trained.

One of my pals had a large German Shepherd aboard, but he had had it from a pup, and it always went topsides and crapped in a gravel box, and had a pee on a stanchion that meant that most of it went over the side. But he had had it since it was tiny, and I think if it could have held a sextant it would have probably been able to take a noon sight. I also had such a dog once, but never aboard.

So--in answer to the question of dogs afloat--when one goes over the side how are you going to rescue it? Better prepare some slings and lifting tackle in advance.

[fatherchronica]

Our 85 pound Lab and our 15 pound Feist terrier and our 20 year old cat all loved cruising, except long periods of terrible weather. I never worried about the floors because my dogs loved me more than all the humans I ever met combined.

[Simi 60]

Trade it in on a cat.
Much less drama and far cleaner.
Plus cheap to keep, ours prefers to feast on scrap fish.

[Slainte1]

Well said Tarian

[billgewater]

Some friends who were in the yacht charter business (the owners always skippered the yacht), had poodles. Only one dog at a time.The reason was that the poodle apparently become instant friends to any of the guests. The dog would lie at their feet and were very tolerant of changing circumstances. I am no dog expert but it worked very well for them.

Poodles are generally not large and can be readily lifted up galley way ladders etc. They had carpeted interior flooring which seemed to work well. No doggy shoes. Their poodle also just loved adventuring but needed training to keep away from the water's edge and only swam when invited by the owner to do so. Crocodiles love dogs.

Some dog breeds are very hierarchical in that their relationship can differ with different humans, so maybe furniture/floor damage is not the only issue. Referencing many of the canine sites may be a good idea if considering having a dog on board.

Also as mentioned by others, dogs left on board boats at marinas can become distressed and start howling. Of course they never howl when the owner is present.

An American family I met in Darwin yonks ago had a fairly large lizard as a pet. Didn't seem to be a problem. It appeared when people sat around the saloon table and liked being held/stroked/fed.

Then there are cats. At least they can help keep nesting birds away. Cats don't need to be taken for walks although some love to go hunting on shore at night. Cats also tend to behave as if they own the boat as well.

[rslifkin]

As some have pointed out, it really depends on the dog. Our current dog loves the boat, but with the caveat of only when we're with him. We'd never leave the boat without taking him with us (unless he gets a lot more comfortable being alone on the boat), so he doesn't always come boating with us. On the other hand, the golden I had growing up could be left on the boat for hours and would typically be napping exactly where she was when we left (and marina neighbors confirmed she was always quiet). But she was introduced to the boat as a puppy, while the poodle was almost 5 before he set foot on the boat. However, with both dogs, if you say the word "boat" (or with the current dog, pick up his shoes) while we're at the house, it's instant excitement and the dog heads right for the door to leave.

Some boats are also more dog friendly than others. I'd say a swim platform is a requirement for ability to get a dog out of the water. And for the most part, due to room to move, stairs vs ladders, etc. powerboats are often more dog-friendly than sailboats (there are exceptions on both sides, of course).

In our case, other than to get down to the swim platform, we have all stairs, no ladders. And the dock to boat jump is well within manageable for any decent size dog, plus we can pick the current dog (Xander) up if needed, as he's only 55 lbs, although he's taller (and just as long) as the 65 lb golden was. The golden wasn't so liftable, as she absolutely hated being picked up and was a squirmy mess if you tried. Fortunately, lifting was never really required and the only times she ended up in the water were due to a failed jump getting on the boat from the dock. We don't allow the dog to walk around the side decks unattended for safety, he's normally confined to the bridge deck during the day (which is fine, as he's fairly lazy and spends most of the day just looking around or napping, so a bit of exercise on shore in the evening keeps him happy).

[conchaway]

A man walks into the doctor's office and says, "Doctor it hurts when I do this."
The doctor replies, "Don't do that." Don't take the dogs.

[KP44]

Originally Posted by Selliott

Does anyone have any tips for keeping dogs from scratching the gelcoat and cabin sole up?

Our hardwood floors have scratches all over them in our house, which is ok, it comes with the territory ….

thanks,
EM

Some people have a designated area for their dog(s). That does not seem to fit your lifestyle or your sensibilities. You should expect some damages. Rugs or carpet runners may help in heavy-traffic areas but will be a hazard in heavy weather. And a wet or damp carpet runner will damage your cabin sole if left there.

[NewBeginings]

My dog is a 23 pound beagle terrier shelter mix. I got him when he was about 5 or 6 years old. He hated the boat at first and was very nervous, but has adapted well. Since he is little, he doesn't scratch things up. He likes to go in the cabin a lot and curl up in his little foldable, soft-sided crate. He also likes to lay in the cockpit if the sun is shining and music is playing. He is my first small dog. I think it would be much tougher with a big dog. I have seen soft nail caps that you can place over their nails to protect floors, but I think they require maintenance and tend to pop off.

[cyan]

Originally Posted by conchaway

A man walks into the doctor's office and says, "Doctor it hurts when I do this."

The doctor replies, "Don't do that." Don't take the dogs.

Nonsense. You have failed to understand that all dogs are different. Our 2 Australian Shepherds are happy with their humans and sad without their humans. They understand about 50 words, and the phrase on land “do you want to” really gets their attention. Follow that up with “go for a walk” and they get excited. Follow that up with “go for a ride” and they are even more excited at the prospect of riding in a car with a nose out the window. “Go to the boat” causes them to jump over each other in a mad frenzy at the prospect of sailing in the sea breeze. Dogs do not fake enthusiasm.

My friend’s bulldog hates sailing. Our Aussies absolutely live to be on the ocean. Someone here stated that a dog’s natural place is not at sea. Well, a human’s natural place is not at sea. Except for some of us. Don’t assume too much.

[NewBeginings]

Originally Posted by cyan

Nonsense. You have failed to understand that all dogs are different. Our 2 Australian Shepherds are happy with their humans and sad without their humans. They understand about 50 words, and the phrase on land “do you want to” really gets their attention. Follow that up with “go for a walk” and they get excited. Follow that up with “go for a ride” and they are even more excited at the prospect of riding in a car with a nose out the window. “Go to the boat” causes them to jump over each other in a mad frenzy at the prospect of sailing in the sea breeze. Dogs do not fake enthusiasm.

My friend’s bulldog hates sailing. Our Aussies absolutely live to be on the ocean. Someone here stated that a dog’s natural place is not at sea. Well, a human’s natural place is not at sea. Except for some of us. Don’t assume too much.

I agree regarding a dog's place on a boat. If it is the right dog, I think they just plain love it. Domestic dogs are very adaptable. Their natural environment is wherever their human is, within reason...be it a house, or cave, or hut, or boat. Not all dogs have an offending odor. My terrier mix only gets a bath about every 2 months, and even then he barely has any notable odor. You have to practically put your nose directly on him to smell him. I really just bath him to fluff him up. I didn't raise him from a pup, so he prefers to be inside the house rather than outside in our yard, which keeps him really clean. I think that is why he loves to go in the cabin of the boat and curl up in his bed. He also does not shed much. I used to have standard poodles. They did not shed. They left a tiny bit of poodle "lint." The grooming, however, was relentless. I get upset when people don't pick up their dog waste. It gives dogs a bad rap and ruins it for the responsible owners. Taking a dog on board or anywhere does create extra work, though, and can really cramp your style sometimes.