Jump to content

Best Breed of Dog for Canal Boats


saltyseadog

Featured Posts

So don't ALWAYS blame the owners!

 

Of course not - there's always the exception ........ except you've overcome it, by keeping your dog on a lead.

 

As to recall - I read a book by John Fisher. He said one method that may work if you have a difficult recall is to take the dogs dinner, and wrap it into 10 portions. Let the dog off the next day, and if it returns it gets a portion of dinner. If not, it gets nothing.

 

He said he had yet to find a failure with this method, although it may take 2 or 3 days before the dog comes back at all, that is until it gets hungry. Make sure the dog doesn't get any food at other times of course.

 

He ended up by saying it always worked by the end of the week.

 

If a dog is 'trained' well, that is it learns something, and it is done correctly, even if accidently, some dogs are very hard, even impossible to retrain to perform, or not to perform some action or other.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello everyone, first post so please be gentle.

 

May I put in a good word for a retired greyhound (or two)? So many misconceptions still abound about these beautiful dogs but they are great boat pooches - they don't shed, they don't smell, they sleep all day, they walk well on a lead and love to get out and about in a new 'sniff patch'. They are not afraid of water but choose not to go in voluntarily and the majority, if suitably socialised, interact well with other dogs and people. You also get the benefit of taking on an adult dog, so no puppy traumas, and you can feel really good about yourself - "Adopting just one greyhound won't change the world, but the world will surely change for that one greyhound."

 

You may but after my daughters' one time next door neighbours 2 greyhounds ripped her cat to pieces (literally and her boyfriends' Staffie could'nt even stop them) I'm reluctant to say anything good about them. It was the most horrendous thing that I have ever witnessed! Broken ribs, a ruptured kidney, puntured lungs, a leg almost bitten off...........Yes I know they are bred to chase a small furry thing thats moves fairly swiftly and a cat could be mistaken for a lure................. still I'm sure you can understand where I'm coming from. Please anyone think about adopting any sort of breed if you can but don't just assume it'll fit in with you. You may be lucky and find a dog thats a dream - we were- twice! but you may be unlucky and find yourself coping with things you never thought of even in your wildest nightmares!

 

Please please do the homework first...............

Edited by tillergirl
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have found this thread very interesting. People recommend dogs they own for the traits that their dog has. No suprise there but to recommend a dog that doesn't like water, very strange until you really think about it. So the type is,

 

Short haired, hates water, good with other dogs, does not chew, does not bark or pine, eats little but brings home rabbits and is easily trained to bite BW management.

 

That should sort it. About genetic engineering.....

 

 

Oh bugger! So our new dog 'Biggles' B)

 

Charley25November2007-2ndviewing041.jpg

 

fails on most scores - long haired, loves water, troughs his food and not too fussed about rabbits....but one of his redeeming qualities is that he loves swans (but can't eat a whole one) :rolleyes:

 

Charley25November2007-2ndviewing039.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You may but after my daughters' one time next door neighbours 2 greyhounds ripped her cat to pieces (literally and her boyfriends' Staffie could'nt even stop them) I'm reluctant to say anything good about them. It was the most horrendous thing that I have ever witnessed! Broken ribs, a ruptured kidney, puntured lungs, a leg almost bitten off...........Yes I know they are bred to chase a small furry thing thats moves fairly swiftly and a cat could be mistaken for a lure................. still I'm sure you can understand where I'm coming from. Please anyone think about adopting any sort of breed if you can but don't just assume it'll fit in with you. You may be lucky and find a dog thats a dream - we were- twice! but you may be unlucky and find yourself coping with things you never thought of even in your wildest nightmares!

 

Please please do the homework first...............

 

Tillergirl, I can well understand your upset and it must have been a truly terrible experience. And I thoroughly concur with your advice to do one's homework...go through a reputable rescue centre such as the Retired Greyhound Trust and you can find greys, usually non-chasers, who are cat friendly. I have to say that while I wouldn't trust one of mine in the vicinity of a cat (and as a responsible owner I keep mine on a lead in public at all times) I would trust them with children more than I would many other breeds. Mine are all pretty small-furry friendly so I do smile inwardly when people with small dogs pick them up to pass by and say (as if it's the first time anyone's said it to me) "They may think it's a rabbit". Mine have brought me an inordinate amount of pleasure and I'm only sorry that you've had to see the blackest side of grey ownership. By way of balance, a friend's greyhound was recently savaged - and I mean savaged - by two Jack Russells that couldn't be pulled off by their owner. But let's not demonise specific breeds, but rather look at who's at the end of the leash (or not, as is usually the case)

Edited by Greygal
Link to comment
Share on other sites

what a cracker! :rolleyes:

 

Thank you Nigel. He leaves the Dogs Trust Rescue on Saturday. I have had the house check (OK) I'm so excited! I've just made a bed for him - I folded fibre duvet up in a washable cover & put this in a cardboard box, suitably cut down. I'm not sure how big a bed at this stage.

 

Unfortunately I don't get to go boating more than a couple of weeks a year but do live right by a river with a beach so a good strong swimming dog seemed to be high on the list.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Woiuld'nt dream of demonising a dog!! Bless me my cats even sout my dogs in their place sometimes and yes it was an irresponsible owner who did'nt give a toss. But all that said I would'nt give a greyhound house room nor would I a Rhodesian Ridgeback or several other breeds. At the end of the day its all about personal preference and what YOU think you are capable of handling and thats the key word "handling". I see the guy every day with his greyhounds, they strain at the lease and have to be mu22led in public. I personally think they would be better off housed in the country not in town but thats my opinion and probably not the right one.

 

Anyway heres my cracker of a lad - our youngest addition to the family:

 

PICT0002.jpg

Edited by tillergirl
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lovely looking dog.........

 

You mention the RGT and we all know Kev does sterling work. Another of my friends Ann actually looks after some of the racing Greyhounds at the track at West Row (Mildenhall) and a few years ago started the Mildenhall Rehomers.

 

All are rehoming quite a few dogs, so success stories all round.

 

Other good friends who live locally now have 2 retired Greyhounds, and as the RGT is local, there are naturally quite a few around here.

 

However it should be noted, a dog has an instinct going back 1000s of years to chase and catch small prey for food to survive. Sighthounds, by their very nature are very good at hunting small furry animals.

 

More by accident than design, Barney only chases and does not pick up. This is mainly because all the rabbits we see get away, as they are on paths near hedgerows etc. not open fields. Lamping dogs are sometimes taught to pick up by being put in a small area, or even on a tethered rabbit. (I'm not condoning this......just stating it)

 

I've reported this more than once already, but it still bears repeating. A few years ago, a dog related friend had her own Lurchers as well as other animals, and also fostered some. One day one of the foster Lurchers chased her cat, which her own Lurcher caught and killed.

 

Now nothing quite remarkable in that, except the cat had slept with this Lurcher and she had photos going back nearly 10 years.

 

It was of course distressing for all, however it did remind us that dogs are dogs. They do not reason, they do not think right or wrong, they just do what dog animals do.......and that is something we must accept, like it or not.

Edited by Supermalc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's mine...

 

mac.gif

 

Got him from Manchester Dogs Home when he was about 10 months old. He's apparently 5 in May next year and is an absolutely cracking dog.

 

He does this play trick thing where he rolls a tennis ball into the water, and then uses his paw to bring it back to the bank so he can retreive it but he has never once fallen in. As soon as you start the engine to move off, he picks his ball up off the path and jumps into the front of the boat, and he also does the same when you say "on the boat".

 

It was about 6 months after we'd lost our Cocker Spaniel and just decided that the place didn't feel right without a dog. We just turned up at the dogs home and it was just pure pot luck that we picked him because of the way he's turned out to be. He can follow basic commands, sit, stay, lie down, roll over etc, and does not cause any mess, and when he needs to go he barks at the door to be let out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My 3 oldest bitches are spayed, and Daisy will be hitting the table some time just after Christmas. Alfie is an entire male though, and we have thought about having his bits chopped off, but (unless he sees ducks) he is the most calm, placid, loving affectionate dog ever, and I can't see the point of risking changing him. His recall is not bad (unless there are ducks around). When Daisy had her 1st season, he did drive us mad a bit, but he was pretty obedient.

In my opinion, and I have had bitches for more than 20 years, bitches who are in season shouldnt be excersised off leads in public areas, mine always stayed in the garden,or were excersied on leads at quiet times of the day in quiet areas.

Edited by kookie
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tillergirl, I can well understand your upset and it must have been a truly terrible experience. And I thoroughly concur with your advice to do one's homework...go through a reputable rescue centre such as the Retired Greyhound Trust and you can find greys, usually non-chasers, who are cat friendly. I have to say that while I wouldn't trust one of mine in the vicinity of a cat (and as a responsible owner I keep mine on a lead in public at all times) I would trust them with children more than I would many other breeds. Mine are all pretty small-furry friendly so I do smile inwardly when people with small dogs pick them up to pass by and say (as if it's the first time anyone's said it to me) "They may think it's a rabbit". Mine have brought me an inordinate amount of pleasure and I'm only sorry that you've had to see the blackest side of grey ownership. By way of balance, a friend's greyhound was recently savaged - and I mean savaged - by two Jack Russells that couldn't be pulled off by their owner. But let's not demonise specific breeds, but rather look at who's at the end of the leash (or not, as is usually the case)

i woud have thought a greyhound could outrun a jack russell. unless it was lame.....least greys are a lot less yap yap yap

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i woud have thought a greyhound could outrun a jack russell. unless it was lame.....least greys are a lot less yap yap yap

 

The grey was on a lead being walked when the two JRs shot out of nowhere, with owner out of sight. They set to, my friend was terrified witless and the intensity of the attack defied any attempts to pull her dog away or to kick the JRs off. The owner ran up eventually and only with a huge effort - and no little injury to himself - did he manage to separate them. I won't distress you with details of the damage but the final insurance bill won't have pleased PetPlan. I think others have very sensibly commented that you can never be 100% sure of how dogs will behave in a given scenario, regardless of previous conduct, but the annoying thing here - and it backs up what we have said about (ir)responsible owners - is that the JRs were later discovered to have 'form'. But then, I've met some lovely JRs too...

 

And yes, they are a lot less yap, yap, yap and a lot more snore, snore, snore!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, I have my daughter's Border Terrier for long holidays................. He loves swimming and leaps off the bank like a black labrador. For serious exercise he likes nothing better than running for miles behind and in front of my bike along the towpath.

I think they were bred to run with the hounds. Here is a link to him running on the towpath in Christchurch meadows ,Oxford.

 

Best wishes Patrick.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi all

We have millie

The yorkshire terrier she love,s the boating life and can often been seen running up and down the roof sporting her life jacket barking at all in sight !

She has never fell off the boat in the 2 years we have lived on it and just seems at home on it !.

she seems to think she own,s the ship yard we live in, and has had a go at almost every human and dog in the yard !

no matter how meny time,s she see,s them they are all fair game !! she took a huge dislike to a friends lurcher and will attach herself to it at all cost,s :cheers: ! last time she lost a front tooth and gained a limp for a few days ! its just a good job the lurcher isnt realy nasty and has a real nice temprerment !

As she looks little and cute people just go to stoke her with no thought as to what she is like ! we never know if she will bite or not ! we try to warn them but some learn the hard way .

She love,s to run about but we have to walk her on a lead or muzzle her ! she does look comical with a muzzle on but better to be safe !

She has just got her passport ready for going on hols with us next year !

Greg Jax .

Edited by Greg & Jax
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
:)

 

What breed of dog is best suited for the canal boat - I was thinking of getting a hunting dog but I am concerned that the dog will

follow it's instincts & dive in & chase every bird or small animal it sees.

There must be a breed that is suited to the canal boat & the life style thats associated with it.

 

Any ideas!

 

 

saltyseadog

He he.

Only just looked at this thread and see you've sorted it out.

Im a firm beliver in Doggies growing up depending on their up bringing, they do all have there own breed instincts. I'm sure they do, but if I tell my rotweiler to guard she goes and picks one of her many fluffy toys and brings it as a gift. When I ask her for a gift she finds a twig or a leave.

She's not ideal and I ended up designing my sailaway around her to avoid narrow passagways, which she struggles to turn round in. And including a special dog room where she can go when it's all too much. :smiley_offtopic:

Her only threatening behaviour is she will mug passers by for a cuddle! :lol: Good luck with your puppy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.