Sailing with your Dog

Sailing is a wonderful activity for anybody willing to work the lines, learn the lingo and understand navigation.  Many sailors do have their furry companions accompany them on their voyages, actually 62% of sailors do. I mean how fun can sailing the seven seas be without Rover by your side? How do you get your dog use to sailing and what preparations should you have?

First of all you want your dog to be housebroken or learn to use training pads or a special potty patch for long trips.  Also you need to have at least basic commands down. Having a dog run and jump across deck or get into things they shouldn’t can make any trip (on sea or on land) very difficult.

ALWAYS have proper identification on your dog at all times.

Equipment you should have on board:
Potty pads/potty patch
Pet Stain and Odor cleaner (accidents happen and you don’t want your boat smelling of puppy wee)
Small supply of dog food
Portable Bowls for food and water
Doggy Lifejacket
First Aid kit (you should have one on deck anyway)
Tums (yup…for seasick puppy tummys)
Water safe toys to keep your dog from chewing on boat equipment

Getting your dog use to it’s sea legs

The first thing is to introduce your dog to the dock. Many dogs do not care for the unstable wobble of the boat docking areas and should have their confidence built. Use treats and praise to raise your dogs trust. Don’t put your dog on the boat until they are completely comfortable walking around the marina.

Be very careful loading your dog into and of of the boat. Once the dog is in your boat let them get their bearings of the area. If your dog seems stressed or continually tries jumping out of the boat you’ll want to introduce your pup’s favorite treat and show them that the boat is a good thing and that there is nothing to be scared of. You don’t want to go sailing with an erratic dog on board….this can be very dangerous.

Once you and your pooch are comfortable, hoist the sails!

Reminders -

*Dogs can overheat quickly so always make sure they have plenty of fresh water and a cool place to lay
*Training your dog to use a ramp or stiff ladder will make things much easier if your dog enjoys jumping in the water for a quick swim
*For sailing trips have your dog wear a nylon collar for quick drying (leather can be ruined and shrink as it dries and fabric collars stay soppy wet for hours.
*Keep a copy of your dogs shot records on board in case of emergencies.
*Please be respectful of other sailors and marina rules even when docking at marinas other than yours.
*Dispose of pet waste properly
*Trim your dogs nails to keep a proper length. Long dog nails can scratch surfaces on your boat.