Dogs on boats

[Dyad]

Sorry if this has been asked before, couldn't find anything on "search".

 

My dogs are not happy when the boat bumps, in locks and tunnels etc. They even fret when the engine revs change. If a boat goes passed when we are moored and we bump the bank, they try to get behind us on the sofa.

 

Do they ever get over this? Is it unfair to even consider living aboard if they are like this?

 

Any views and/or experiences most welcome.

 

Thanks

 

Kev

[gazza]

we had a rescue collie, she hated travelling in the car - wined alot, was sick now and then, used to shake etc. with care, time and patience she came to enjoy going in the car, i am convinced her previous owners used to only take her to the vets in a car rather than on enjoyable outings. the more time she spent in the car the less of a problem it became - good excuse to be on your boat as much as possible......

 

is there plenty onboard to keep your dogs entertained? would they get on better on deck whilst under way? at least they could see what is going on then. my dog is fascinated by life on the river and absolutely loves being afloat - hopefully your dogs will come round to this way of thinking in time

[bottle]

Kev

 

You do not say if they have been on board long.

 

If they are new to boating then with lots of attention and TLC (tender loving care), just assure them and I am sure they will adjust.

 

As Gazza says let them have some time on deck/roof.

 

Have they got a favourite toy/ bed etc. make sure they have them or know where they are.

 

We to had a dog that was ill as soon as it got into the car, with plenty of care we managed to first get it in the car, not moving the car, then in the car with the engine running, then travelling about 50yards, then 100yards, it was a slow process but within about 3 months we could not keep him out of the car.

 

Our latest dog took to boating like a duck to water, literally, he fell in first trip. Still loves it.

[magnetman]

My rescue collie cross gets in any car with the door open and if the door is closed she'll look for the handle, don't know why. I would suggest maybe letting the dog run along the towpath by the boat a bit and practice getting on and off while the boat is being used like at bridgeholes. Might help with confidence levels.

[dave_2A_]

My two Labs just love boats (although it has to be said thy've not been on a moving one yet!). My mother lives at Whilton, and they've mastered the art of walking on the nasty grating that makes up the pontoons there, and hopping from boat to boat. Hopefully they'll be as happy when I eventually get one.

[haggis]

We have always had dogs on board with us and most of them loved it and very quickly got the hang of things. However, over the years we have had a couple of dogs who were less happy about boating and we found that to be synpathetic when they started to show signs of worry and nervousness just made them worse! We found that the best approach was to ignore this behavour and NOT to be at all sympathetic. We would distract the dog in some way "where's your toy" in an excited voice worked quite well and then played with the dog and toy (tuggies are good for this) for a bit and it would forget to be worried. If when you take the dog on board for the fisrt time you keep reassuring it, it will think there is something to be worried about so it gets worried! It is amazing what a toy orienatted dog will do when distarcted with a toy and then it just accepts that being on a boat is the thing to do.

Similarly, getting dogs used to cars, a lot of good common sense by other posters but again, no sympathy.

I have heard that putting a T shirt on the dog (don't laugh) helps keep them calm in some situations - like fireworks, but I have never actually tried it.

Haggis

[cheshire~rose]

My rescue collie cross gets in any car with the door open and if the door is closed she'll look for the handle, don't know why. I would suggest maybe letting the dog run along the towpath by the boat a bit and practice getting on and off while the boat is being used like at bridgeholes. Might help with confidence levels.

 

While I can imagine a collie thinking that was a fantastic game many dogs, especially those without much confidence would be terrified seeing their owners sailing off in a horrible noisy machine without them. The whole idea of climbing onto a boat when it is stationary can be a huge hurdle for a lot of dogs to overcome let alone when it is moving even quite slowly.

 

Dogs tend to be wary of the sometimes cold and slippery surfaces as well. if the deck area is not already covered in something warm and non slip a length of rubber matting or old conveyor belting does wonders for confidence. Make sure it is placed so that people do not trip on the edges though.

 

As others have stated. Lots of patience, love and understanding will, with time, overcome any confidence issues. When to dog starts to understand how much their owners are enjoying this cruising lark they will also start to join in and relax and enjoy.

[MaryP]

All my dogs prefer to be on the back with me whilst we are moving if they're awake. When we're going through lots of locks they are inside, but sit right next to the door at the top of the steps (3 of them trying to sit on the same spot!! ). Peggy shakes while she's in too, but is fine as soon as she's back out. (She is a particularily nervous little rescue, and prefers to be attached to my ankle most of the time - or within easy reach...)

Other than this they love the boat, and are always trying to get onto other boats when we're walking...

As others have said, slow and gentle will hopefully win the day. Peggy had been kept in a shed for 4 years, and violently shook under the sky when we first got her, but she's now a 'normal' dog and loves the outdoors.

Good luck!!

[blackrose]

If a boat goes passed when we are moored and we bump the bank, they try to get behind us on the sofa.

 

Never mind the dogs, I often feel like crawling behind the sofa myself when boats go past too fast!

 

If you carry a couple of old car tyres on your roof you can either hang these off the boat to cushion it when you moor, or you can hang them from mooring pins between your boat and the bank.

Edited March 16, 2008 by blackrose

[bridgit]

Sorry you are having problems. I had the same with my collie. I got over a lot of her phobias by doing things again and again and not reacting at all to the situation. Boating was lots and lots of problems that had to be broken into small managable sizes. Mooring against extra fenders helped a lot. When moored up we kept engine running for a while and she was o.k with that. It was the different engine noises that she reacted to, just as we do. If Im inside and hear an engine change I look out and see whats happening, is it just going by other moored boats or a lock coming up or are we mooring up, while I was reacting to these thinks so was the dog.Hope things settle down soon. Regards Bridgit.

[Amduck]

A friend had a dog that hated car travel, barking continuously. The vet gave her some diazepam, as a one off, and suggested they put her in the (hatchback) boot with the shelf on, as she might be calmer in a dark enclosed space.

 

It worked so well, that subsequently the dog nearly came to work with my friend, as she sneaked in the car and was sat quietly on the back seat. It was only the panting audible when she stopped at some traffic lights that tipped her off!!

 

Seriously though, if you could create them a dark, secure space to crawl into, it might help.

[Chickadee]

I have heard that putting a T shirt on the dog (don't laugh) helps keep them calm in some situations - like fireworks, but I have never actually tried it.

Haggis

 

I think your right about this. My friend has a very manic Patterdale Terrier the only thing that calms him down was to put a dog top on him. He would act like a totally different dog. Very chilled!

[bridgit]

I think your right about this. My friend has a very manic Patterdale Terrier the only thing that calms him down was to put a dog top on him. He would act like a totally different dog. Very chilled!

I remember reading a few years ago about a woman that wrapped dogs in wide bandages, she had a particular way of doing it and was featured in many dog magazines I was reading at the time. It was a method used for nervous dogs and seemed to help. I cant recall the womans name but maybe someone else can.

[Dyad]

Kev

 

You do not say if they have been on board long.

 

If they are new to boating then with lots of attention and TLC (tender loving care), just assure them and I am sure they will adjust.

 

 

Can I just say a big thankyou to everyone who has left comments.

 

Just to explain the original post a bit better. We are into the second week of hiring with our two dogs, 1 collie and 1 collie cross. We are hiring different boats to try things out before deciding what we want as a liveaboard.

Last year we had a cruiser stern and the dogs were able to come up on deck and they seemed quite happy. We also did not have as many tunnels and viaducts last time.

This time we are on a trad stern with a small counter so we hadn't let them up... until reading the advise here. Now that we have they have calmed down a bit and we have settled down a bit too which has probably had a knock on effect.

 

Once again, thanks to all the help.

 

Kev

Edited March 17, 2008 by Dyad

[Shamu1]

Can I just say a big thankyou to everyone who has left comments.

 

Just to explain the original post a bit better. We are into the second week of hiring with our two dogs, 1 collie and 1 collie cross. We are hiring different boats to try things out before deciding what we want as a liveaboard.

Last year we had a cruiser stern and the dogs were able to come up on deck and they seemed quite happy. We also did not have as many tunnels and viaducts last time.

This time we are on a trad stern with a small counter so we hadn't let them up... until reading the advise here. Now that we have they have calmed down a bit and we have settled down a bit too which has probably had a knock on effect.

 

Once again, thanks to all the help.

 

Kev

I have a now 8 year old golden retriever the first time she went onboard and we started the engine she jumped off, now she just chills on the back of the boat she got too old to chase the ducks while swimming, we are thinking of introducing our cat to the life next week so fingers crossed two dogs and a cat should be interesting