Best Sailing dogs

[Terry Forshier]

I love dogs and when our  Schnauzer "Scooter" died several years ago we opted to be dogless. This week, however, we are dog sitting for the grandkids pup. I am again getting the urge for canine companionship and wondered what other might think was a good pick for a couple on a 34 spending a few days here and there cruising the coast of Florida. I think something that does not shed and not too big and one that loves water. Any suggestions?
Terry

[David Arnold]

We have a #### tzu that we consider a perfect boat dog.  At 12 to 15 pounds, they are easy to carry on and off the boat and up and down the stairs.  This breed has hair so no shedding fur and allergies are not a problem for most as they are pretty much hypoallergenic.  Love the water??? That's another story.  Let's just say that due to an experience when she was a puppy, mine has a deep respect for the water and avoids it like the plague; she loves the boat however!  We are on a mooring and Mocha can easily go for 10 to 12 hours at night without going ashore to relieve herself.  GREAT DOG with a wonderful disposition!!!

[waterdog]

Our dog Scupper is a Portuguese Waterdog.   Loves the boat.  Loves to swim - does the breastroke and not the dog paddle.   Webbed feet.  Doesn't shed.   He is working dog and patrols - foredeck, cockpit, cabin wherever there is crew.   Medium size.   Will retrieve - all day long.   Good with kids.  Good with other dogs.  Fantastic boat dogs.  Very high energy - not good to leave them alone for long periods of time.   

[Rick Allen]

KIKO is Half Jack Russell, Half Australian Shepard and she's a great water dog!  She's been sailing with me for 10 years.

[Allan.SVCarina]

To a degree, it's going to depend on the dog's personality.  While mine is not a classic water dog, he loves to veg. out on the boat and goes all night without having to make a run to shore for relief.

Bottom line, get one you like as you will spend more time with it than just on the boat.

[Analgesic]

We can't imagine a better boat dog than our Labradoodle Maggie.  She swims voluntarily in Massachusetts water 12 months a year, doesn't smell when wet, doesn't shed, has the bladder control to make th 7 hour trip to Provincetown without accident and also loves all other dogs and kids.  After a swim we hoist her 50 lbs easily grabbing her West Marine dog life preserver using our Garhauer outboard engine davit-truly a riot to behold!

[Jon Schneider]

I have to second Analgesic's Labradoodle endorsement.  Duncan is the most sure-footed dog I've ever had on a boat.  Ours is a "G3" (fancy stuff here), which means that he's a third generation Labradoodle that includes a few other variants (i.e., not just a Poodle and a Lab getting it on one night).  Because of that, he's moderate sized, and weighs just under 35 lbs.  Regardless of what kind of dog you get, under 40 lbs is the way to go.  Naturally, I feel like this little bugger is perfect, because his size permits him to navigate any obstacle on the boat without assistance, except the companionway stairs (which is the way I want it), yet he's light enough to carry if need be. 

[Jim Price]

Smokey (female) is a short leg Jack Russell that is very sure footed on deck.  She cannot go below or come up due to her short legs and an old hip injury.  But she loves to sail with us, is an "alpha" personallity so she thinks she rules the dock and the lake.  Her bark can be sharp and sometimes anoying  but she is great!  Where else can you find a crew memeber with such good table manners??

[Mike and Joanne Stimmler]

Hi Terry, we have two small Chihuahua's and they are not water dogs either but are great travelers and have adapted to sailing with us very well. We use a soft sided crate that can unzip and fold up flat for traveling and easily sets back up in minutes and it fits either under the table, under the v-birth or in the entryway to the rear cabin. We sometimes move it around depending on who's aboard and what we're doing. We also use this same crate at home as their full time bed so that they're used too it and feel at home in it and we only zip up the door at night when we sleep or are away from the boat.

As far as potty training, we use house training pads made by a company called Blue Ribbon and are available at WalMart. We origionally trained our dogs to use a cat litter box but found the gravel to be too messy and changed them to the pads. They also go under the table and we put them on an old towel that extends a little larger than the pads to catch any mistakes. Again, we also use these same pads at home so that the transition isn't so great for them. When the pet uses the pad we just roll it up and put it in a plastic shopping bag to contain the smell and dispose of it at the dock or you could also shake the solid stuff into the head and flush it.

That's the advantage of small dogs.

A friend of mine has a Portuguese Water Dog that sails with him on his Hunter 26 and he loves sailing but they are a bit larger, similar to a standard poodle.

Also do a google search on "Schipperke" pronounced skip-er-kee.  They are small and are famous for being Belgian Barge dogs and well suited around boats.

Chihuahua's are very loving to their owners and family but are slow to adapt to strangers and children.

Remember, you will probably be with your pet more at home than you will be on the boat so I would advise to find a pet you can just love at home and it will love being with you on the boat.

Hope I have helped
Mike                             

[waterdog]

Ah yes Chihuahuas.   My friend Al is a lab guy and a power boater.   His wife's aunt died and they suddenly found themselves owners of a Chihuahua.   Al kept letting it wander the foredeck during their cruise to Alaska last year.  He was hoping for eagles.  If Sue found out she would have killed him. 

I was anchored next to a boat in Manson's Landing last year.   A Jack Russel terrier came out on the foredeck.   An eagle appeared out of nowhere and began circling the boat.  It was hunting the dog.   Luckily the owner came out waving his arms and the dog was sent down below. 

So think about the size of your dog and the size of the predators in your cruising area and make sure you have match!

Here is scupper, the Portuguese Water Dog...

[Jon Schneider]

So think about the size of your dog and the size of the predators in your cruising area and make sure you have match!

Perhaps what you want is not to have a match ;)

[Ray & Sandy Erps]

We have a Boston Terrier.  Great dog, but a sailing dog...... not so much.  Temperature sensitive and not much of a swimmer.  Regarding the eagles, I heard 2nd hand about a tree that came down on nearby Camano Island recently.  In the tree was an eagle's nest.  When someone took a closer look, there were some pet collars in the nest.

[Ken Juul]

My hose and neighbors on both sides were having out plants eaten by a pesky rabbit,  it was getting pretty big from all the plants it was grazing on.  It was bigger than most of the local cats.  One sunny day it was nibbling in my neighbors front yard when it became lunch for a red tailed hawk.  If a bird with a 3' wing span can lift an 8# rabbit, I'd hate to think what a bird double that size can lift.

I can't believe a thread about dogs has stayed near the top for over 3 days!  We need some new posts!

[Jon Schneider]

I can't believe a thread about dogs has stayed near the top for over 3 days!  We need some new posts!

Them's fightin' words ;)  Never get between sailors and their faithful hounds.

[Susan Ray]

I can't believe this stayed here either....what about the cats? Mine, under the table, looking fine..and asleep on deck. Aloha, Susan