Warning To New crews

[john the duck]

I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely couple at the weekend who had just bought a 60ft trad and were bringing it down to their winter moorings at brentford. They had a few problems and wanted a invertor fitted which i did for them. They were also having engine problems so i phoned them later in the day only to be told that there dog had jumped of the boat and drowned. I thought this was really sad as their dog was playing with mine and i know if it happend to us we would be devistated.

[Jason Wilson and Family]

I'd recommend anyone moving on board a boat, with a dog who is not used to life aboard, should invest in a lifejacket for the dog. The good ones will keep them afloat with their head up should they wear out and will have a handle to help you pull them back in. Dogs are good swimmers but can easily tire out, especially smaller dogs

[Ollie]

Such a shame, we would also be devastated if anything happened to our two.

 

We have two Cockers which we have bought life jackets for, they get a few smiles! But they have been in a few times and with the handle on the back of the jacket they are easy to pull out puts a new meaning to the phrase 'handbag dog'!!!

 

Although I'm not sure how effective the jackets wold be against the current of the lock. We have a large cage that we put in the deck at the front and leave the front doors open so they can run in and out of the boat and see us but can't jump off.

[chris w]

I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely couple at the weekend who had just bought a 60ft trad and were bringing it down to their winter moorings at brentford. They had a few problems and wanted a invertor fitted which i did for them. They were also having engine problems so i phoned them later in the day only to be told that there dog had jumped of the boat and drowned. I thought this was really sad as their dog was playing with mine and i know if it happend to us we would be devistated.

Did you bond the inverter to the hull and connect neutral and earth together? ie: are you sure the dog drowned?

[dor]

Events I've seen recently involving dogs:

 

Alsatian allowed to swim in the pound just above one of the Hurleston locks whilst the lock was being filled. With a yelp the dog disappeared down the paddle sluice. The person on the lock dropped the paddle but fortunately the lock-keeper realised what had happened and ran down and opened the paddle and told the boat to back up. Amazingly, the dog surfaced in the lock after a couple of minutes apparently unharmed, if a little subdued.

 

Small indeterminate dog falls off the front deck of narrowboat. Steerer sees dog in water and carries on going under power, leaning out to grab dog as the boat goes past.

 

Jack Russel jumps off back of boat. Steerer stops the boat, then reverses up under power until the dog comes up against the stern where it is hoicked out just before it disappeared under the boat.

 

Pleased to say all three dogs survived but I wonder which species is more devoid of sense.

[bottle]

The human species.

[colin1325]

The human species.

hi my shih tzu done the same thing i was playing with him on board and he was really enjoying himself and for no apparent reason he seemed to just jump off the boat, i was travelling at the time and by the time i got stopped and went back he just couldnt make it and i lost him ...

[Nickhlx]

hi my shih tzu done the same thing i was playing with him on board and he was really enjoying himself and for no apparent reason he seemed to just jump off the boat, i was travelling at the time and by the time i got stopped and went back he just couldnt make it and i lost him ...

 

Crikey - really sorry to hear that and surprised - perhaps the shock got him ?

 

We were really lucky with ours ( German Shepherd) - lived a full life to 13 years and all but the last few weeks was great - so sad when they go

 

Nick

[purplehaze]

We never took our dog, a mad labrador with a love of water. on the canals but we once saw a black lab in the water chasing ducks and ignoring his owners completly!! Not a problem but this was right in front of a flight of locks with other boats just carrying on going past some really close to the dog which confused it even more as the boats were between him and the bank, I was very cross as if everyone had just held back, like we did I am sure that the dog would have got out quicker.

 

Luckily it did get out ok but it was exhausted.

 

To lose a dog like this must be terrible

 

Second time was on someone elses boat when their elderly dog fell in as they were doing a lock, without thinking I just bent over and grabbed the collar and pulled her out, one lucky dog!!

 

If I ever did take a dog on the boat one he would have a life jacket on and two he would be 'locked in' whenever we did locks!!

 

Julie

[Jim]

Events I've seen recently involving dogs:

 

Alsatian allowed to swim in the pound just above one of the Hurleston locks whilst the lock was being filled. With a yelp the dog disappeared down the paddle sluice. The person on the lock dropped the paddle but fortunately the lock-keeper realised what had happened and ran down and opened the paddle and told the boat to back up. Amazingly, the dog surfaced in the lock after a couple of minutes apparently unharmed, if a little subdued.

 

Small indeterminate dog falls off the front deck of narrowboat. Steerer sees dog in water and carries on going under power, leaning out to grab dog as the boat goes past.

 

Jack Russel jumps off back of boat. Steerer stops the boat, then reverses up under power until the dog comes up against the stern where it is hoicked out just before it disappeared under the boat.

 

Pleased to say all three dogs survived but I wonder which species is more devoid of sense.

 

Approaching Avenue Bridge on the Shroppie one day when a big black dog came bounding along the towpath and jumped into the water right in front of the boat under the bridge. It swam across to the offside then turned and started to swim towards the oncoming boat! Nothing I could do but move over as far as I could towards the towpath, put her out of gear and wait seemingly for dog to get crushed against the bridge. Somehow it survived and, when boat had passed, it jumped back onto the towpath and ran off again!

[Hobbler]

Early one morning at Greensforge I heard a pitifull whining noise coming from further along the moorings , investigation found an exhausted and bedraggled alsatian cross desperately trying to get out of the water but failing because she could not get a grip on the piling . I got her out and back to the boat where after a good rub down and bowl of warm milk she recovered . Every effort was made to find the owner but the conclusion was she had been abandoned on the nearby common ( a not unusual occurrence) and had fallen in sometime during the night. We could not adopt her ourselves as we already had one dog and two cats on board but one of the neighbouring moorers gave her a good home on their boat . Thereafter everytime Mollie as she was now called saw me she would make a tremendous fuss of me or would sit by our boat until I came out to speak to her and I like to think she was gratefull for being rescued.

[dccruiser]

I had a near miss with my dog a couple of years ago on the south yorkshire navigation , whilst i was operating one of the swing bridges she jumped off the boat and ran across the nearby railway lines , fortunately i managed to coax her back, just seconds before a train thundered through... the thought of what could have happened left me cold.

Since then, she always travels in a life jacket and i have fitted a u bolt through the bulkhead to attach her to whist we are on the move.

[Lady Muck]

I'm tempted to get one of these for our dog. Safety Turtle

 

One dog drowned at our marina (fell in when no one was around). My neighbour pulled another one out half drowned the other week. Whenever I let the dog out in the evening I know I can't leave it too long before I go out and check. The River is piled on both sides here, a dog has no chance of getting out if it falls in. Further up (near Enfield) they are constantly pulling dead deer out for the same reason.

 

I chain the dog up safely within the confines of our semi trad in locks. I learnt the hard way - the worst thing he did was to try and walk down the gunwhales (on the towpath side) when we were trying to moor at a lock. Could've been nasty.

[tinca steve]

Would it not be best to get one of them suitcase type life jackets ??

[Lady Muck]

Would it not be best to get one of them suitcase type life jackets ??

 

I'd prefer him not to have to wear a lifejacket just to let him out for a pee. Whenever he's fallen in, its been really easy to get him out. It's the not knowing about him falling in that I worry about, even if he had a lifejacket, he'd not be able to get out of the water on his own and might still die of exposure.

 

I just saw the price of those alarms - £145!!!

 

I don't make a point of letting him wander about on his own at the marina for more than a few seconds anyway, that's how the other dog drowned, there was no one around to hear/see it happen.

[Guardian Angel]

I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely couple at the weekend who had just bought a 60ft trad and were bringing it down to their winter moorings at brentford. They had a few problems and wanted a invertor fitted which i did for them. They were also having engine problems so i phoned them later in the day only to be told that there dog had jumped of the boat and drowned. I thought this was really sad as their dog was playing with mine and i know if it happend to us we would be devistated.

You dont have a dog Ed!

[andywatson]

Approaching Avenue Bridge on the Shroppie one day when a big black dog came bounding along the towpath and jumped into the water right in front of the boat under the bridge. It swam across to the offside then turned and started to swim towards the oncoming boat! Nothing I could do but move over as far as I could towards the towpath, put her out of gear and wait seemingly for dog to get crushed against the bridge. Somehow it survived and, when boat had passed, it jumped back onto the towpath and ran off again!

 

Once when I was about ten feet short of going through a bridge hole (T&M #1) the owner of a large dog threw in a stick which the dog went in after.

She then asked my partner, who was on the front of the boat, to be carefull as her dog was in the water.

All I could do was knock the boat out of gear and miraculously the dog was washed clear.

I didn't even waste my breath on her.

 

 

I keep my woofer tied onto the cabin slide with a short lead so he can't fall in.

 

I've seen a cat go in from a moored boat. It swam like a rocket along the boat then jumped out of the water onto the stern button and ran in though the back doors. Amazing.

[Lady Muck]

I nearly had heart failiure when I was washing up one day, looked through the porthole to see three Rottweilers swimmng past! I since found out that their owner throws them in at the lock and makes the swim all the way to Chalk bridge. Weird.

 

Out here in Tottenham we're so tough we have Rottweilers instead of ducks!

[chris w]

I nearly had heart failiure when I was washing up one day, looked through the porthole to see three Rottweilers swimmng past! I since found out that their owner throws them in at the lock and makes the swim all the way to Chalk bridge. Weird.

 

Out here in Tottenham we're so tough we have Rottweilers instead of ducks!

Yes, but it's so tough, the Rottweilers only go round in pairs

[Toddlesocks]

That is so sad.

 

We will soon finally be able to live afloat now we have found our boat, one of the dog life jackets is on order for our little dog.

 

Reading this has made me wonder if we should risking taking our cat or send him to live with my in laws ( who we intend to see regularly and have offered to take him if he does not like boat life).

 

We had been as confident as could be that he would adapt well ( after reading the forum and seeing many cats do ). As he is very much a home lover who only goes out ocassionally to sunbathe had been hoping he would love it especially in summer, thinking of him maybe having an accident makes me frightend to try.

 

Wish i could ask him what he would prefer

Edited December 8, 2008 by Shary

[Denis R]

My neighbour has two cats, one of whom we've nicknamed Splosh for the number of times it falls in. The other is a little more careful, but occasionally goes in too. They don't seem any worse for wear. Try it, the cat might like life aboard and if it doesn't, you've got a back-up plan in place.

[honey ryder]

My dog has fallen in twice. ( hes a chihuahua and not good with water)

one off the front of the boat while we were leaving a lock, he wasnt wearing his life jacket either. he was shocked and didnt know which direction to swim in. the boat was immediately out of gear and i was hanging over the side off the back calling him to swim straight so i could grab him. he started swimming away so my partner who has longer arms lunged for him and caught him just by the collar. one lucky dog.

 

the second time was last winter, i was in the boat in the living room, moored perfectly close to the level bank. somehow, being a stupid and small dog he went down the "gap" between boat and bank. I ran out, immediately pushed the boat away from the bank to avoid him being crushed ( no idea how he could get down there in the first place) he saw light and paddled for it before I could grab is collar ( again no life jacket) I had to jump in my dinghy to fetch him as he was so shocked and wasnt swimming straight.

 

my dog always wears a lifejacket when hes on the roof now, hes so stupid and not a good swimmer. hes been lucky 2 times so far.

 

another silly dog incident was a whippet on a boat that moored alongside. it was friendly and wanted to jump across from one bow to another, two metal boats, no surface grip equals a big splash and very shocked dog, not knowing where to swim, first it swam towards the side but saw the side was so tall and straight, my partner had run to the side and climbed down the ladder to try to grab the dog.

I was between the boats when the dog turned around and headed for the darkness of two narrowboat hulls together, so i was trying to push the boats apart with a foot on each and reach down to grab the dogs collar. I got him, we were half way down the boats by this time, I was in a compromising position with a foot on each boat to keep them apart a hand for myself on one boat and a hand on the dog...

I couldnt get the dog all the way out of the water on my own, its only a whippet but suddenly they weigh a lot when they are wet.

 

life jackets for dogs are a great idea. handles on the back and float the dog when its tired.

I tested my dogs lifejacket on a hot day in summer and let the dog go for a practice swim under close guard and a rope attached to him.

 

I know his life jacket works because hes such a lazy bugger he just floated around and didnt bother swimming. seemed to like it too. occasionally kicking a bit to correct him course but generally bobbed with his fluffy head staying dry.