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I will soon be searching for a new family dog. Anybody out there with any thoughts on what kind of dog would make a good sailing buddy? We've got a Pearson 303 and sail on the coast of Maine.
i have floor boards made from red cedar and finished with polyuathane[sic] after several yrs i don't notice much if any damage from my dogs toenails but in the cabin she mostly lays on the bunk,no damage to the gelcoat in the cockpit either
Mr Thor (Sir Thor von Ocean Stadt) was my partner on my first boat a 28 Islander. he is in doggie heaven now chasing cats and birds. He was a 110 lb German Shorthaired Pointer and made had quite a "bow" presence at anchor looking for and pointing birds
We sailed with our miniature schnauzer (20 lbs, 10 y.o.) across the Pacific. A custom "boat-made" harness clipped into the jacklines was used for walking the deck when the weather was calm. He relieved himself on an "as seen on TV" doggie mat twice a day placed in the cockpit. Once he did his business, it was easy enough to empty overboard and rinse the mat off with a bucket of sea water. He spent 60% of the passages down below, 10% in the companionway leashed to the handrail, and 30% in the cockpit with his harness on-out of the sun, wind blowing in his face, and enjoying the roll of the ocean. A doggie life jacket was used when swimming at anchorages. Never got sick, never complained, never noticed damage to our teak floors but we did keep his nails trim. He doesn't shed so never worried about hairy soup. He's a trooper!
Our requirements when looking for our mutt were that the dog would be small, non- or low-shedding, and a baby/young enough to learn that on deck was okay to do her business on. We ended up with the best mutt possible! She's a cairn terrier x shih tzu (not as floofy as it sounds), loves the boat and ESPECIALLY dinghy rides, and has never lived anywhere else so she feels comfortable there. She only "sheds" when you brush her snarls out, but we have a cat who sheds plenty for both of them.
She has a harness and a life jacket, but on calm days she doesn't wear them. She can't get up the companionway on her own but she jumps right onto your shoulder to come in, and asks to be let out when she has to go. Also have not found her to be at all "yappy" as little dogs can be, the only thing that really sets her off is skateboards (she HATES them -- we joke that she's worried the riders aren't wearing appropriate safety gear).
This is Moriarty, a Chocolate Lab and First mate of KIVALO. For exercise I'd toss out a tennis ball and sail slowly so he could catch up but it would take him a few minutes of furious swimming just the same. After a few times he'd be worn out and my cockpit would be a mess with water and brown hair. Used a bucket to wash all the hair out though.
Mini Dachshunds, but that Carin Terrier is a very close second
They are not allowed in the cockpit while underway w/o supervision. The foredeck has a pad they will use, but the dinghy ride ashore is appreciated.
Land or sea, I prefer small dogs.
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