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Boat Dog

9K views 32 replies 20 participants last post by  PCP 
#1 ·
I live aboard, and I am pretty much being forced into accepting a dog. Do pugs make good boat dogs? She is free, has all of her shots, comes with toys, bed etc. and only eats about $20 a month.

What breed of dog would you get for a boat dog?
 
#7 ·
We have a little mutt on board (liveaboards). She has her PFD that is on whenever we sail. Someone once told us, and we followed the advice, the dog is not allowed to get on or off the boat on her own. She is trained to wait even if the dock is only 6" away (and we have a low deck, it would be easy). Not sure if that has kept her from going in the drink, but so far so good. FWIW
 
#8 ·
I would go with a water dog breed, since they're far more likely to do well on a boat. A Schipperke is one breed that comes to mind...as is the Portugese Water Dog...
 
#12 ·
However, they're very rare, extremely expensive and have a very bad temper... :)
 
#16 ·
That would be illegal, as I understand they're considered a national treasure and are a protected species as well.
 
#33 ·
I don't know about that, but a Portuguese water dog is not just a dog, but a crew member, or at least it used to be:D . Each boat had two...and they worked hard and were paid, like other crew members...well, not as much but 1/5 of the salary of a man.:)

"Portuguese Water Dogs are originally from the Portuguese region of the Algarve, from where the breed expanded to all around Portugal's coast, where they were taught to herd fish into fishermen's nets, to retrieve lost tackle or broken nets, and to act as couriers from ship to ship, or ship to shore.

Portuguese Water Dogs rode in bobbing fishing trawlers as they worked their way from the warm Atlantic waters of Portugal to the frigid fishing waters off the coast of Iceland where the fleets caught cod to bring home.

Portuguese Water Dogs were often taken with sailors during the Portuguese discoveries."

Portuguese Water Dog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Portuguese Water Dog Information and Pictures, Portuguese Water Dogs
 
#17 ·
I disagree with the waterdog advice. There are a lot of labs around here, and you can't keep them out of the water. That's fine at the dock, but do you want your dog jumping off the boat while sailing? A dog that swims like a rock is very unlikely to jump off the boat, and a life jacket will keep it afloat if it falls off. To me the question is, do you really want to retrieve your retriever every time you sail?
 
#20 ·
A properly trained PWD or Schipperke will not jump off the boat typically.
 
#18 ·
Pugs are great dogs, you can't look at them and not smile or laugh. They also have unique expressive personalities. Our pug Jazz loves the boat and the water and will fall alseep immediately & happily under the sailing motion of the boat. However, they can not swim well at all and their short neck and smushed face does not hold their head/mouth/nose more than a couple of inches above water so even the smallest of waves swamps her. My pug always uses a life jacket and sinks butt first without one.

Also, pugs can NOT tolerate the heat, again because their lack of a long nose that naturally cools the air they breath and many pugs have what's know as double coats. Hot to a pug is anything above 70, so depending where you are you will need constant shade for them and may have to wet them to keep cool. They cannot be in temperatures above 80 for prolonged periods without some relief. This is a serious concern that you should strongly consider. There are many pug rescue organizations throughout the US that will take them and adopt them out if you cannot provide the appropriate environment for them.

Pugs are also very routine oriented (mine will bark at a misplaced shoe or relocated peice of furniture) and can get stubborn if you shift their 24hr routine until at least it becomes the routine. They are touted as a big dog in a small package and I concur. They do require routine maintenance of their face wrinkle, bulging eyes (susceptible to scratches & infections), smushed nose, ears, and their anal glands (if you don't know about this please do some internet searching).

If you can deal with all that you will absolutely fall in love with it and you will learn it's quirks and subtle gestures that will make it & you happy. Pug lovers know you don't own a pug, it owns you and you are just there to serve their simple needs.
 
#19 ·
I forgot one other important thing, some people think pugs snore but I do not agree. They do however breath rather loudly and you will always know where they are because you will hear their breathing. This may bother some, but I find it to be a very comforting sound.
 
#21 ·
In all seriousness, if you go to an outing with larger YC's, you will see ALL kinds and breeds of dogs along on the member outings. Granted most are smaller, 40-50 lbs or less, 15-30 like Winston pictured above is probably the most common in my YC. BUT, we do have a couple with a pit bull, a lab or 2 or three, golden retrievers etc on the larger size too.

I would agree that most properly trained dogs will not jump overboard when moving.

Choose what you think will work, a PFD for the dog should be included, as it is easier to bring them up via boat hook or equal when the PFD has a loop on the top. issue 2 in 2008 DIY Boat owner mag has a good article on hound PFDs and how they fit different dogs etc.

Marty
 
#23 ·
We had a small (20lb) terrier mix mutt who lived and travelled with us for 2 years on a 27 ft boat.He hated the water but was quite happy as long as we were with him.He needed a life jacket not just for safety reasons but also as he was black it kept him cool when it was hot.Whatever type of dog you have it changes how you cruise and where you anchor as our old dog did not like pooping or peeing on board.We did try with a turf mat but even when hubby peed on it to start things off old Obi did not want to know.
My opinion is a smaller dog is much more convenient,easier to get on and off,less food to carry,and less poop to dispose of.Some men have trouble with owning a small dog though,they think it is unmanly??!!
 
#24 ·
It was amazing how many pugs I started noticing after the movie 'Men in Black' came out.
That movie made a believer out of me in the pug personality cult. Then again I have always liked dogs and have come to appreciate how varied feline personalities can be.
YouTube - singing dog (pug from 'men in black')
 
#25 ·
A properly trained dog will not jump in the water; however, our dog, Zorro, was once missing in 2003 and we had to backtrack our course for two miles to find him.


Zorro does pee off the stern on command.....

Schipperke's excel as boat dogs. He also barks at other boats in the fog that we can only see on radar.
..
Zorro see's you, Aythya crew
 
#26 ·
I feel the need to warn you of other consequences of dogs living on boats...
Because our mutt can't climb the companion way stairs, we now have a doggie door (a recycled 8" Lewmar hatch) to allow access from the quarter berth to the cockpit.
Because the jump from the floor to the quarter berth was a little bit high, we now have a custom shelf/step.
Because my tool shelf under the table feels like a dark den, my tools must find another home.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
 
#31 ·
Guys,

I have a 38kg German Shepherd.

The design of the boat will be assessed with her ability to move safely around the boat.

She's been throguh some tough times with me when she the only one there so i reckon shje should also share in the good times as well.

In fact I might even name the boat psychobitch in her honour!

But that may confuse the wife.
 
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