Dogs and boats

racerone

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Messages
36,033
Had a dog one time ( mostly Labrador ) , he sat patiently in the van wherever I went.-----But at the harbor he would have no part of sitting in the van.----He would bark and bark in protest.-----He would run straight to the front of my sailboat and waited for a boost with back legs to get on.--------Would lay on the high side when out in 6 foot waves or bigger.----He loved it.
 

JimS123

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
7,952
I probably stepped on many toes, but facts are facts.

My daughter just spent $9,000 for her sheperds back surgeries. I told her she was nuts, BUT " Dad, he is family".

So, think hard

No, not my toes.

But I have to say that is really a very minimal cost..!!! (TIC) How about if they were horses? Or, try having 7 of the big beasts...!! You don't know what animals truly cost until you have to pay room and board for a whole herd as well.

The good thing is that they CAN'T fit on the boat. Also, the wife does her horsy thing when I go fishing, and weekends are all for boating. The other good thing is that after spending thousands on vet bills, when I proposed draining half the 401-K to buy a new boat she didn't dare say no....LOL.

OTOH, I have been told that some vet remedies can be done at home. When one of the horses broke a leg someone suggested I shoot it. So, I did. Now I have a horse with a broken leg AND a gunshot wound. If he doesn't get better soon I may have to shoot it again
 

roffey

Commander
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
2,186
Just a side note about vets and gouging, I think the cost of running a vtes office would be huge and the amount of education to become a vet is more than a medical doctor (I think). I had to say good by to my long time friend last week and I am truly impressed with the care and compassion my local vet showed..

anyway, Vets have nothing to do with dogs on boats or this post.

As I mentioned earlier, you and the dog like it then why not. Dogs have been a part of my like since I was 9. My current dog does not like the boat or the water, strange as he is a potcake dog (https://www.google.com/search?source...10.Ii0NgsjEK40), lol, look it up
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
15,414
But I have to say that is really a very minimal cost..!!! (TIC) How about if they were horses? Or, try having 7 of the big beasts...!! You don't know what animals truly cost until you have to pay room and board for a whole herd as well.
We agreed long ago there are two things we don't talk about... horse and boat expenses.... lol

We have 5 of the big beasts. Fortunately, we have enough land to pasture them 8 - 9 months out of the year. Boarding fees cover hay and grain in winter and help out on the day to day expenses of the farm. All things considered, boat and horse expenses have been pretty even over the past 20 years.

Positively, absolutely no dogs ever again on my boat. The last time cost me a days fishing and $393 to extract an a 8/0 hook from her jaw.
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
15,414
@dingbat, How do the horses manage on the boat, better than the dog? Do they add extra horse power?
Never lost a day of fishing nor spent $390+ to have a hook removed from the jaw of a horse.

No gain in HP but a momentary boost in thrust when they fluctuate in the opposite direction of travel
 

Figacres

Cadet
Joined
Feb 4, 2019
Messages
7
The key is when you pick out your dog is to find the one who is not jumping and crawling all over you to get your attention. Instead go for the one in the back that is sitting on his butt and looking into your eyes. That’s how I chose my dog and he still has those attributes even in his old age. Not a hyper dog but just loves being around us. Don’t forget to ask for to take that dog for a test drive in the car. I had one that threw up on the way home and he never got over it. It’s not a big deal to go to shore and let the dog do his thing. Just carry bags to pick up the poop. Most dogs just go to sleep when you leave them. Of course some are terrible and can chew up your boat if left behind. Just have to see how they handle being left at home.
 

98Shabah

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 11, 2010
Messages
408
A well trained dog isn't an issue. We have a 1 1/2 year old chocolate lab mix, and he's a big boy at 91lbs. We got him when he was 8 weeks old. He knows that he's not allowed on the seats of our boat, and when he drops anchor on shore, we pick it up with dog poop bags to toss in the trash. The lakes we generally frequent (we're trailer boaters) have plenty of places to beach the boat so the dog can go potty. If we beach near other boaters we connect him to the boat with an old ski rope because he's our dog, we don't want him pestering others. Generally though, we try to find spots that aren't crowded because it sucks for him to be tied up when all he wants to do is swim.
 

JimS123

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Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
7,952
A well trained dog isn't an issue. We have a 1 1/2 year old chocolate lab mix, and he's a big boy at 91lbs. We got him when he was 8 weeks old. He knows that he's not allowed on the seats of our boat, and when he drops anchor on shore, we pick it up with dog poop bags to toss in the trash. The lakes we generally frequent (we're trailer boaters) have plenty of places to beach the boat so the dog can go potty. If we beach near other boaters we connect him to the boat with an old ski rope because he's our dog, we don't want him pestering others. Generally though, we try to find spots that aren't crowded because it sucks for him to be tied up when all he wants to do is swim.

Kudos to you. In all my years of boating I've never encountered a dog owner boater that was as responsible as you.
 

Old Ironmaker

Captain
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
3,050
A good friend who is an oldtimer that owns the little Marina (I call it Chernobyl Marina, next to the steel plant and coal fired hydro plant) that I had my boat slipped had a Lab for 14 years. Richard and that Lab were in the boat more than they were on land. When Ben passed Richard mourned for a year. His sons and a few friends all went in and bought Richard a new Black Lab. with his wife's OK. That dog hates the water. That will be tough if you get a Dog and it hates the water. Now what? It takes much attention, care and energy to have a Dog. He or she don't care how old, sore and tired you are they need to be walked, run and cared for. I thought hard last year about getting a Puppy when my wife's 2 cats went to Kitty Heaven, at 64 now I know it wouldn't be fair to a new puppy because as of lately I have bad days and really bad days and I know it wouldn't be fair to a Puppy full of **** and vinegar. Maybe borrow a Dog from a friend for a week and see if you can keep up with it. I can tell you the difference between 54 and 64 is more than 10 years.
 

Old Ironmaker

Captain
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
3,050
Just a side note about vets and gouging, I think the cost of running a vtes office would be huge and the amount of education to become a vet is more than a medical doctor (I think). I had to say good by to my long time friend last week and I am truly impressed with the care and compassion my local vet showed..

anyway, Vets have nothing to do with dogs on boats or this post.

As I mentioned earlier, you and the dog like it then why not. Dogs have been a part of my like since I was 9. My current dog does not like the boat or the water, strange as he is a potcake dog (https://www.google.com/search?source...10.Ii0NgsjEK40), lol, look it up

I'm sorry or your loss Roffey. It is as tough as losing a close friend or relative, sometimes more so.

My God Daughter is a Vet. Between education loans and the set up of a clinic they are 100's of thousands in debt before the first critter is treated. Our niece is a Dentist, her start up cost was over 1/2 a million bucks, and she didn't get the 3D X-ray machine. The profession with the highest rate of suicide is Dentists.
 

ahicks

Captain
Joined
Sep 16, 2013
Messages
3,957
As a lakefront resident and pontoon boat owner, I have to confess to a pretty casual approach regarding our small dogs (Schnauzer and Jack Russel) going along for the ride. The Schnauzer didn't really care for the water (could swim, but barely), but loved the rides with all the people. One day he went to step off the dock onto the boat and missed. I was on him in an instant hauling him out of the water as he was totally suberged. If it had not been for that I doubt the little guy would have survived. That scared me.

Another time, we had been out for about half an hour, boat was nearly full, and I looked around for the Jack Russel, who was nowhere in sight. Freaked out, I looked in back of the boat in the direction we had come from, and sure enough, there's this little head paddling like crazy trying to catch up with us. A happy ending, but that was the last time a dog was allowed on a boat with no leash. That memory refuses to go away.

I would not attempt multi day cruises with a dog aboard. Motor homes DO work just awesome when traveling with dogs. The dogs (or cats) adapt amazingly quickly, and after spending several years bouncing around all over the country for months at a crack, we found no downside to having the dogs along for the ride.

Last, I believe dogs (most of them anyway) make REALLY lousy unexpected guests. I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone. Your "darling" can be somebody else's nightmare. JUST DON'T! ALWAYS ask your host first. Don't be THAT guy!
 

roffey

Commander
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
2,186
I agree %100. I love dogs but when people bring them over for the weekend it turns my house and dog upside down. Some people feel love me, love my dog.
 

Old Ironmaker

Captain
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
3,050
That's one of the issues when one gets a Pet, at some point it will cost you serious money, and Vets are right up there with Oil Companies and Car Dealers when it comes to Gouging...

A free stray Cat from the pound here is over 300 hard earned dollars by the time they get shots, spayed etc. A Cat!!! Yea free. My buddy got a mutt from the SPCA, it was free too. Free to the tune of $750.00. t
 

ziggy

Admiral
Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Messages
7,473
my experience w/dogs on boats is not mixed.
i have cats that own me. i'm their servant.

that said, my buddy is the one that brings dogs along that i get the experience of.
1 to 2 golden retrievers. best i can tell, mostly untrained. and mostly not controllable.
this is painful. on the beach, when me and my buddy pull up together for a chat, there's his dogs shaking sand all over my boat, not his. shaking sand on me too. sand is not what i want on my boat or me. if i do, i'll introduce, not someone or some dog doing it.
i remember floating down the missouri river w/ my buddy. side by side chating away. next thing ya know, dog overboard. darn dog went for the shore. full blown concrete blocks. no way to bring a glass boat to shore. after 10 or so min. the dog finally came by my boat, and my buddy came close by and got his dog. that was too exiting. too many deadly options in this scenario. my buddy's always having to do the beach. gotta water the dog.
maybe try a cat.
a litter box that takes up minor room cures any pollution problems. fwiw. cats do swim, naturally
the bad i've found about cats. i think it takes much exposure to a boat. . but after they're acclimated. they're easy.
this cat is only kinda hip. out maybe 50 times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdvxxsq2CCA
he don't like the ride to the lake. though i think he knows he's going boating, not to the vet. i use different cars for vet vs. boating.
anyway. imho. i'd go cat vs. dog. dog's will be high maint. cats, they just wanna find a cool place for a catnap.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui1tTnTcqJE
and that's on a nineteen ft. boat in white caps. imagine howed they'd react to a larger boat. pretty good i'd think.
 
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JimS123

Fleet Admiral
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Jul 27, 2007
Messages
7,952
That's one of the issues when one gets a Pet, at some point it will cost you serious money, and Vets are right up there with Oil Companies and Car Dealers when it comes to Gouging...

You take your old Grannie to the doctor and she probably has medicare to cover the costs. If you work you probably have some sort of insurance. If either of you die, the estate will cover a good part of it and thus the doctor gets paid to some extent.

(I don't want to talk about Obozocare, that's an entirely different subject)

If you don't want gas, don't buy it. Ride a bike. If you car dies and you don't pay up, you won't get it back. Tough for you.

Anywhoot, you take Fido to the vet and he croaks, you just don't show up again. No insurance and you don't care about the carcass. The Vet gets nothing. Vets need as much, or more, training than a doctor. Not just one body, but cats to horses. The payback to vets is one of the lowest returns of any job title, and their expenses are awful.

I am not a vet, nor are any family members. I just respect them a lot because their motives are selfless and their rewards are not monetary.
 

MRS

Commander
Joined
Jul 10, 2005
Messages
2,555
If you worry about the money don't get a friend that will love you till there end. Always had a mut since I was a young mut my self. Either you love them or you don't I think y'all making to much of this if you have to think about it don't do it.
Here is my buddy during a poop break off the boat.
 

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