Dogs & Boating

[Marabeth]

DH and I have two dogs (hoping for a third but that's taking some convincing).
Gizmo, my 7 year old Shih Tzu

Tonka, my 6 year old American Cocker Sp.


I need all the advise possible in regards to boating with dogs. Do you put Life Jackets your dog? What do you do about them going to the bathroom? How was your dog the first time on the boat... the questions go on and on.

We don't have kids so these little guys are like my babies so I will not do anything (hobby/recreational wise) that I doesn't include the dog.

[jlbutl]

We have a little Min Pin that we've taken out a couple of times. Highly recommend the life jacket for them as they could jump out if allowed to run around, and the life jacket not only keeps them afloat, but lets you retrieve them with a boat hook by grabbing the loop on top of it. As for bathroom breaks, we haven't been out long enough with her to find out yet, but I was planning on beaching and taking her for a walk. First time out she was a little curious and ran around checking everything out, second time she stayed on her be a good bit, but was still a little nervous. Best advice I can give is to plan a trip just for the dogs, only spend an hour or so out the first time, and see how they do. Oh, and bring water bowls for them, they get hot and dehydrated quick out there on the water.

[RonKMiller]

I know exactly how you feel about your pooches. KoKo, our 13 lb. poodle (a real MAN'S dog) absolutely loves going with us on the boat. Highly recommend getting a life jacket for them as suggested - just in case. He's a great swimmer but having that handle on the top is reassuring if you ever need to snag them quick. We take plastic "poop" bags and always clean up after him.

Here he is lounging during cocktail hour on a cold and windy day:

koko lounging.jpg (82.81 KiB) Viewed 5321 times

and riding his motorcycle:

and a link where you can buy a good quality vest - just measure the girth to get a proper fit:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003MU ... 17MMFAP5ED

KoKo in Yosemite.JPG (72 KiB) Viewed 5316 times

[chill'nthemost]

I was thinking a while back reading the news and some of the violent crimes that always seem to be the norm, some people live too long and most dogs never long enough. Our son's German Shepard and I have been joined at the hip since his murder. He's been the best friend I've ever had and I've been blessed with many excellent friends.

[bassn386]

Our dear-departed Murphy (cock-a-poo) loved the pontoon; hated the open bow. I think it was because she could feel the water against the hull, whereas on the pontoon she didn't get that sensation.
While almost every dog can swim instinctively (hence the "dog-paddle), they can get tired. especially if they are out of shape (just like us humans). A life jacket is a great idea. You may not need it on them all the time unless they are the excitable kind and might jump out of the boat if they see something that gets their interest.
The water bowl is excellent, as is a leash for going ashore. If you are going to spend any appreciable time ashore (camping, picnic, etc.) bring along a tether and a long piece of line so the dogs can roam a little bit and you don't have to hold onto them or the leash all the time.

[ROLAND]

Here's a few pics of our sweet little Mandy.. mixed breed we got from the pound 1 day before they were going to put her down. She was about six weeks old when we got her from the pound.. Person at the pound told me that someone had thrown her and her siblings into a dumpster ( assholes )... Little Mandy is now 17 1/2 years old... I know the end is near, but so far she still gets around pretty good, not great, but pretty good.. She's had a history of seizures since she was about 14.. has cost me several thousand in vet bills but finally meds have stopped the seizures for the last year... Even at her advanced age she still waiting at the door when I come in from work every night... she's a sweetie...



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[bassn386]

Roland, they become part of your family; you get used to having them around all the time forgetting that their time here is short.
Dogs are just great companions. When our Murphy was near the end, she would sleep so soundly she didn't hear the garage door open and close and when she did wake up and saw me, it was like she was embarrassed that she wasn't there to greet me. She's been gone for more than two years and I still miss her. She loved the lake and would walk along the sea wall to check out what was happening on the water. She was a great little watch dog and didn't have a little dog bark.
When it's time for yours to go, please don't prolong the suffering. I know people who have kept their animals (cats as well), going much longer than they should have. Let her go, mourn the loss, then move on and, if you can, find another dog to love and care for.

[chill'nthemost]

I know people who have kept their animals (cats as well), going much longer than they should have. Let her go, mourn the loss, then move on and, if you can, find another dog to love and care for.

It's difficult to do, but we owe that to our "best friend"

[dockholiday]

Wow 17 1/2 years, think Bandit was 14 when we had to put him down. I am finding it more difficult as I grow older to make that decision. How much is too much to spend in vet bills seem to be my latest situation. Just picked my cat up from her third week of radiation treatment. Have not totaled it but right at 4k, and that was just for hope. The doctor said she did well but would have to wait and see if the cancer comes back. Really hard to sit an do nothing when your pet may be helped staying alive by some operation or treatment. On the other hand, I will not let any pets suffer if there is no hope, just cause I don't want to loose them.
doc

[ROLAND]

I know people who have kept their animals (cats as well), going much longer than they should have. Let her go, mourn the loss, then move on and, if you can, find another dog to love and care for.

It's difficult to do, but we owe that to our "best friend"

While I certainly am not looking forward to the day that I give the "ok" to put little mandy down, rest assured I won't let her suffer. In fact when she had her last seizure ( it was so sad...she kept trying to stand, and kept falling over.. after a few minutes when she did get to her feet, she just kept going in circles to the right ) I asked our vet "is it time"... surprisingly she told me "no"... she said the seizures "look" alot worse than they are.. after doing all sorts of tests they concluded that her seizures "may have been caused " by blood pressure that was off the charts... since she has been on bp med, only 1 seizure in the past year.. anyway what I started to say was when I asked the vet is it time to put her down, she said absolutely not, that even though she was 16 ( at the time of the incident ) her heart and lungs were still good and she still had decent mobility. She also has terrible arthritis from her neck down her back, but she's on a twice a day pain med for that and it dosn't seem to bother her at all... My wife and I are both in agreement, when the vet says " it's time ", we'll do it.. then we'll go home and cry like babies...

[ROLAND]

Roland, they become part of your family; you get used to having them around all the time forgetting that their time here is short.
Dogs are just great companions. .

I hear you bass... about 4 or 5 years ago I fell down the stairs here at the house and broke my right leg... I had to have surgery for a plate and a bunch of screws and was in the hospital for 5 days.... When I got back home, I was off work for about 10 weeks... From the time I came home from the hospital to the time I went back to work, little mandy never left my side.....24/7 she was either in the recliner with me, in the bed with me, or sitting outside the bathroom door waiting for me to come out. She never hung with me 24 7 til I broke my leg... but I really believe they know when something is up, she sure seemed to sense it...In fact the morning I broke my leg when I was laying at the bottom of the stair case I actually said to her " go get momma, go get momma "... my wife actually heard me fall and was coming thru the dining room at the time I told mandy to go get momma... but I'll be damned if that dog didn't run up to my wife and start barking.... they know!

[bassn386]

Roland, the do know. I guess you've read about the dogs that can detect cancer in humans. How about "seizure dogs"? I met one not too long ago. A beautiful golden retreiver, smart as a whip. If you said its name, it came instantly and sat down beside you.
We don't have a dog right now because I/we travel so much it wouldn't be fair to the animal, having to put it in a kennel every time we went out of town. But, our neighbors (weekenders) have dogs and they think our house is a second home for them. They know where the treats are and as soon as I say the magic word, they go right to the cabinet and stand there. I'd say they have us trained pretty well. One of their dogs, Abby-a boxer,now deceased, would come to our door and wait patiently to be let in. After greeting us and getting a treat she would lie down on the floor just like she belonged. When the neighbors couldn't find her they would call and ask if Abby was there.

[Marabeth]

How about "seizure dogs"? I met one not too long ago.

I have a family member that works here;
http://www.dogguides.com/doghome.htm

They train dogs for many different reasons. She specializes in training dogs for blind people.

Before coming to Canada from England she trained dogs to find land mines. She says this job is much more rewarding.