Travelling/camping with dogs.

[brittmk0922]

I would say it depends on the dog and how they react. My dog would love the full day thing, however my fiances dog would be a total nervous wreck. She never had any negative experiebce, but has never done well for long periods of time on a boat.

[jdbyogi]

That sounds like a lot of fun. I have no idea how they will do on a boat all day, but I think at least a few breaks would probably be appreciated by your dogs. Mine have been swimming in pools and the ocean and seem to need to pee more often than we we are at home. I don't know if it's the excitement or all the water, but they seem too poop, too (instead of just after breakfast and dinner). Make sure to have lots of clean water for them to drink. I'm willing to bet they are fully exhausted by the end of the day

[secondhandscottie]

Do your dogs have PDFs? I would definitely recommend them, especially if your dogs haven't boated before. Also, is there a way to introduce them to the engine noises before hand? Bentley was around our boat many times before we took him out with us and gradually got more used to the noise.

For bathroom breaks, we usually anchor every two to three hours to swim around and take B to shore to do his business. Then again we also spend a lot of time anchored, reading, swimming and having fun.

Like a previous poster pointed out, be sure to have lots of fresh, clean water for them. Also, for the dog that you are a little worried about, some Rescue Remedy might help if she is anxious.

We love taking Bentley with us and with some good prep and planning, it usually goes smoothly.

[brittmk0922]

May 12, 2012 22:28:29 GMT -5 @stellarsailor said:

Thanks, Britt. I know one of my dogs will probably be the one I have to keep an eye on closer. She's a beagle/dotson (i think) mix and is a bit high strung. I'm glad there's a dock next to our spot so we can take as many breaks as needed. Hopefully it will be fine.

Ya my fiance's dog is generally more high strung about things, so its not surprising she is about this as well. My dog loves everything and everyone so she's usually pretty easy in new situations... Loli

[secondhandscottie]

May 13, 2012 21:48:53 GMT -5 @stellarsailor said:

What is PDF?

Sorry, a Personal Flotation Device - a life jacket I was on my iPad when I posted yesterday and apparently it autocorrected PFD to PDF.

[minniebee]

We bring our dog camping every summer.

Our dog does not like water, but he's fine on a boat, he just doesn't want to swim. Because he doesn't swim regularly, we have a PFD vest for him just in case he ends up in the water accidentally. We don't trust that he would be able to swim well.

We have a canoe, and take our dog out on paddling trips. He just lays in the middle of the canoe. We stop often enough to let him out for potty breaks.

Another thing to consider is how hot your dog might get laying in the sun on a boat, depending on what the weather will be like. On a sunny day he gets really hot without some kind of shade, it's even worse for him because he's black and just absorbs all the heat from the sun. We bring a towel that we clip to the sides of the canoe above where he's laying to act as a shade for him. If you're on a pontoon, maybe bring an umbrella or something to create some shade if your pups get hot in the sun.

[pepomntpat]

We have taken Guinness camping and boating. He loves camping and he tolerates boating. He is not a swimmer and we did get him PFD which he also tolerates. Make sure you have plenty of water and shade available and I'm sure you'll have fun! The first time we took G camping was the first time I heard him howl. The call of the wild-or the Boston Terrier in the campsite across from ours. LOL!