kiteapot

Brilliant idea! I considered that too for additional safety. Beautiful design! Oof! That's the kind of mistake you only make once - bless her. Vigilant watchdog! Adorable! Did they swim too, or just enjoy the view?

Adorable picture! Good in principle, but for a mountain dog, it's just an invitation! ?

Very good point. As mine is a rescue she's rubbish at recall so almost always on the lead anyway. And I'm very much relying on your hindsight for my foresight!

That's exactly the sort of thing that scares the proverbials out of me. Heart stopping indeed. Maybe I'll just strap her to my back instead ?

That was my thought - although personally I do prefer a bit more space at the back of the boat. Wonderful picture!

That's my concern - generally speaking, everything else is more important and more interesting than me when we're out walking... but in the car she's fine, so I'm hoping that we strike a happy medium on a boat. Wonderful! My second choice is semi-trad for this very reason - good to see that there's plenty of space for two happy labs in there!

That's a great idea! Could do with one of those for me... She's been trained to stop on her towel when she's wet/muddy. Then I just scoop her up in the towel and put her in the shower. Works a treat.

Haha! Maybe he can teach her how to be a boat dog!

It's gorgeous. I'm so looking forward to being able to explore places like this again! ?

I couldn't imagine having a dog on a trad stern. Appreciate that some people do, but mine loves to wrap her lead around my legs at the best of times! Not a fan of the trad stern for me anyway - will have a nice cruiser "patio" ? Hadn't thought about mushroom vents... are they strong enough? TT's are able to pull a surprising amount of weight for their size - I wouldn't want her making new holes in the roof in excitement! Barge temptation! ? ? Do you want to try telling my dog that?! She's the kind that loves standing up in the car when we go round corners. Fluffy little thrill seeker! She loved being on boats (engine running but not moving) and once she'd explored everything with her nose, was quite happy to find a spot near the fire to snore at us!

I'll have to go through the boat weather-proofing it as soon as I get it anyway - not just for her getting wet/muddy, because I'm just as guilty for coming home like that! ? She looks so regal!!!

Ditto. I've done quite a lot of boating in various forms, and didn't want her deciding to leap off a kayak in the middle of the fjords because something over there smelled marginally more interesting! Thanks! This sounds ideal - once the initial novelty of "new boat sniffs"has eased, she should be just as happy to curl up on her bed. I hope! How long did it take for yours to get used to it?

Theoretically, yes,. But as a long-haired mountain dog (albeit clipped int he picture above) it makes swimming hard, and as a breed they're generally not swimmers by choice. Thank you so much for the thoughts!

I take it the wine glass is hers then! ?

Weird, the resemblance is remarkable. Usually the tail is a dead giveaway... Is this because it's a trad stern or would you do the same with a (secured) cruiser stern? I think I'd be worrying about her too much to leave her anywhere near the outside of the boat in locks etc anyway! Plus I think she'll be happy enough (meaning, not panicked and destructive) with a comfy seat by the nice big windows that she can smoosh her nose onto! ?

Oh my gosh! My heart was in my mouth just reading that!!! ? In a situation like that, would you be able to hook a harness handle with a boat hook and get her out that way? Mine is a rescue, who came to me with no real training, so we spent a solid year working on the basics for safety. Stop, sit, lay down, leave it, road (means stop immediately) and HALT! for anything else, etc. She learnt very quickly, and knows when I'm telling her to stop seriously (tone of voice etc.). Very clever dog... I'm hoping this helps, not hinders, her getting used to life afloat... because it's most likely that we'll go to get the boat and then be living aboard straight away. No short gentle intros!!!

Absolutely. ? She already has a harness with handle for hiking and hills, and I would get a life-jacket version with handle for safe boating. She's not great with water, which is my main concern. She doesn't panic, but she freezes and looks at me like "mum... help!" so swimming lessons are a great idea, thanks! Also, very very aware of "into neutral and don't move". Many years ago, had a dog (not mine) fall off a sailboat at sea. Thankfully wearing a lifejacket then, but as the lad at the helm went to turn the boat, the Skipper yelled at him - everything off. Boat and dog were happily reunited shortly after. Thanks for the thoughts! ??? Leads, seatbelts, everything like that is attached to her harness not her collar for that very reason. She's very very good when travelling in the car and just sits still or goes to sleep, so I'm hoping that this will transfer neatly to boating. ? Really not convinced about letting a dog run about on the roof... inside safely or outside on the cruiser stern is fine, and she'll learn quickly how to behave. Thank you!

? is Sydney a TT?!

Thanks, what a lovely account! And Jessop certainly looks all the better for being a boat dog!

Hi all, I'm in the process of getting my first boat, and am looking for general advice and tips of how to make it "dog safe" (mostly externally) for a perpetually inquisitive Tibetan Terrier. She's been on boats before, but not while they're moving. My first thought was to get a cruiser stern so she can be up there with me without the risk of either of us falling off (!) and "fence it in", in the same sort of principle as one would fence in a garden. I'll also be getting her a doggy life jacket. However, there are, inevitably, things that I haven't thought about, so I'm hoping that some of the boaters with dogs on here can help? Thanks in advance, Kit

Thank you so much for the responses, everyone! Thank you so much - I've contacted them. Hence the triangle - it was the same in Oxford. You'd get a mooring about the same time you hit retirement and didn't need it! ? Thanks for the tip about Stretham! Already contacted Hartford. That's exactly what I've been doing ? I know space is usually tight anywhere on the waterways for liveaboards. Thanks for the tip about Upware - I'll have a look! Haha. That's why I've been doing - borrowing peoples internet to squint at Google Maps. I'm not new to boating, but there are some tricks you pick up from being a boater that you just can't fast-track. ? I read somewhere that I can't DM before a certain time or number of messages, so I will, but bear with

Hi all, I've started down the very exciting towpath of looking for a liveaboard, and have been advised to find a mooring first. My search triangle is Ely -> Cambridge -> Huntingdon. Ish. Google is our friend, but I can't seem to find many liveaboard marina moorings. The marinas that I've found that are maybes are Riverside and Fish & Duck. Does anyone have any experience with these, clarification of where offers liveaboard moorings, or anything else that might be helpful? Thanks in advance! Kit