Carolyn Pike Roman wrote 06/16/2019 04:10 PM Dogs, boats and pfds #407609 - 06/16/2019 04:10 PM
Carolyn Pike Roman Webboard User Reg: 03-20-2007 Posts: 559 Loc: San Antonio, TX Offline	Does anyone take their dog boating? If so, any recommendations on desensitizing to being on the boat? Normally we would do some marker training but there’s not a ton of room even if it’s a decent sized pontoon. I can still give her plenty of treats. Also, assuming we get to the “on the boat” part, she needs to wear a life jacket like the rest of us. Any favorite brands? Ruffwear float coat gets great reviews but is the most expensive option. We wouldn’t be doing this very often- like 1-2x per year. Then again if you actually need the pfd you want it to work... also wondering if she will get really hot in it? Thanks all and have a great week!
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Bob Scott wrote 06/16/2019 10:14 PM Re: Dogs, boats and pfds [Re: Carolyn Pike Roman ] #407610 - 06/16/2019 10:14 PM
Bob Scott Moderator Reg: 06-14-2002 Posts: 7417 Loc: St. Louis Mo Offline	My now passed GSD was trained in SAR. Part of that training was boat work and he took to it like he was born in a boat. I think the temperament of the individual dog will determine how much actual training is required. The goofiest, water loving dog I had was my JRT on my buddies 2 acre pond in a paddle boat. If we were in the paddle boat and he saw a squirrel in the woods he simply dove in. swam to the shore and, obviously never got to the squirrel. From there he simply swam back to the paddle boat......and waited for the next squirrel. The vast majority of dogs are natural swimmers so just getting them adjusted to the water and the boat should cover all your bases. Don't make to big of a deal out of it because a dog can read your stress. If the dog has a very good retrieve then you can start by tossing his toy, ball, Kong, stick, etc in shallow water. The drive to get his toy, etc can easily help override any inhibitions it may have about the water. Just have fun with it. I know nothing about dog life jackets. old dogs LOVE to learn new tricks
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Carolyn Pike Roman wrote 06/17/2019 10:35 AM Re: Dogs, boats and pfds [Re: Carolyn Pike Roman ] #407611 - 06/17/2019 10:35 AM
Carolyn Pike Roman Webboard User Reg: 03-20-2007 Posts: 559 Loc: San Antonio, TX Offline	Thanks for the quick response, Bob! I'm also hoping she is a natural swimmer... I already know she likes to play in the water, but so far she hasn't had a chance to be in anything deep enough to swim. I'll make sure to take some toys that float! I probably won't bother with the life jacket along the shore (except to get her used to it), but in the boat it could be a long swim to land if she were to jump in unexpectedly. The lake we're going to is huge- between .25 and 1 mile wide and more than 30 miles long. She's also such a dark color that other boaters may not see her until it was too late.
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Betty Landercasp wrote 06/23/2019 07:37 AM Re: Dogs, boats and pfds [Re: Carolyn Pike Roman ] #407647 - 06/23/2019 07:37 AM
Betty Landercasp Webboard User Reg: 11-30-2009 Posts: 3724 Loc: minnesota Offline	it is important for a dog to be "still" on a boat. Family members don't like wet fur, and tail slaps. The slippery-ness of the boat deck and rails have been more of a problem for my dog than the proximity of the water. http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad67/Grasvaly/
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