Getting A German Shepherd On Board

[FORTUNATA]

My boat has a very tall hull. Now, while it's on dry dock I have to get on with a small ladder. When it's in the water, I'll not need a ladder but even then it's a fairly tough boat to clamber onto. There are no doors so entrance is via the open stern area and then through the cabin door to the living quarters.

It may be the case for a couple of days I'll have the German Shepherd full time as his owner has to go away on business. Normally I just walk him and exercise him but in this case he may have to come to work with me on the night shift. Then, after the shift, he'll be joining me to stay on the boat while I sleep. Better than kennels I think.

So, I'm wondering how to get him on safely. The most obvious option would be a very thick plank placed on the canal bank and then over the stern so he can climb it and jump on. It's just I have to make damned sure he doesn't fall into the water as then I'd have to jump in too.

I finish the shift at 5.00 in the morning so it will be quite dark when we arrive at my boat and the hope is he can just hop on, settle down on the bed and snooze. Of course, he'll be like a bull in a china shop as the living area is quite small.

Anyone have dogs on board or maybe worries about the said pooch jumping into the cut.

P.S. He's not noisy or given to barking. He is, however, a bit clumsy.

[Liam]

My dog, which is half the size of a "normal" German Shepherd dog doesn't have any problems with jumping up onto boats, even those which are a couple of feet out of the water.

 

With regards to the clumsiness, just make sure all loose and breakable objects that you don't want flying around in the cabin are out of reach of the tail!

 

It's normally the case that the dog settles more quickly than the owner.

[gazza]

i lost my dog jake to a large tumor just before christmas, he was a central part of my boating and is badly missed.

 

keep a good stock of towels for the dog in case he ends up in the cut (my dog loved swimming and would go in at any opportunity) i wouldnt worry too much about him going in. biggest problem is getting him dry again and keeping the boat from getting too soggy!! having a cruiser stern will help no end.

 

he should be fine jumping on, GSD are fairly good agility dogs, police handlers can do some wonderfull things with their dogs. you would be amazed at the height of fence some can get over when chasing a crim!!

 

keep anything that could be knocked over by his tail out of harms way. leave him some toys and possibly a kong when away from him. give him plenty of walks and fuss and he WILL love it

 

all the best

 

Gaz (missing my mate jake like mad!!)

[wonderdust]

It will not take him long to work out how to get on board, our shepard was a bit wary at first but now just launches himself across any gap, quite impressed sometimes at the distances he does jump, and not once into the water thankfully! Once onboard he soon learnt how to walk backwards or spin on his hind legs to turn around.

[FORTUNATA]

Sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. That's awful when it happens. The only advice I can give is take all the time you need to recover from the loss. Later, you can offer another dog a home when you feel able. I mean, I've been with dogs all my life and many of the dogs I bonded with died in time but the same happens with people unexpectedly.

This one isn't my dog at all but he lost his owner in an accident which was tough on the dog. So, I got talked into walking him for the family and now we're best mates. I've come to see German Shepherds as very much misunderstood by the public and sometimes other boaters who see us together and think he may be aggressive. However, they're a working dog and so long as they have a role they're very friendly and sociable. It's just this one is always up to mischief and would quite happily jump in the cut given half a chance.

 

 

i lost my dog jake to a large tumor just before christmas, he was a central part of my boating and is badly missed.

 

keep a good stock of towels for the dog in case he ends up in the cut (my dog loved swimming and would go in at any opportunity) i wouldnt worry too much about him going in. biggest problem is getting him dry again and keeping the boat from getting too soggy!! having a cruiser stern will help no end.

 

he should be fine jumping on, GSD are fairly good agility dogs, police handlers can do some wonderfull things with their dogs. you would be amazed at the height of fence some can get over when chasing a crim!!

 

keep anything that could be knocked over by his tail out of harms way. leave him some toys and possibly a kong when away from him. give him plenty of walks and fuss and he WILL love it

 

all the best

 

Gaz (missing my mate jake like mad!!)

[gazza]

thanks for the kind words.

 

we had a crap run up to xmas. lost jake on the 16th december, a week later we loose mother in laws english bull terrier. rewind 2 and a bit years to august 2006, we lost our beloved collie pepe two weeks before my wife and i married. never a good time but we always seem to cop the worst of times.

 

waiting to here if an old chap in the next village needs his spaniel looking after. he is due an op and will be looking at 2 - 3 months respite. no one wants to take on his dog, he cant afford kennels so we may be a foster home for him.

 

life is odd with out a dog in the house, even worse when i go to the boat.

 

i think we will be ready for another if/when we have done our foster care bit with the spaniel.

 

cheers

 

gaz

 

edited cos of clumsy fingers

Edited February 4, 2009 by gazza

[Phil Ambrose]

dont worry, I live on a Broads cruiser and it has about 1mtr free board but my shep who is 12 years old has no problem jumping onto the side deck which is about 350mm wide and through a small hatch so a cruiser stern N.B should be easy, and yes look out for waggy tails and yeah my dog has eyes in his backside or so it seems as his reversing is an art form.

[jeb]

thanks for the kind words.

 

we had a crap run up to xmas. lost jake on the 16th december, a week later we loose mother in laws english bull terrier. rewind 2 and a bit years to august 2006, we lost our beloved collie pepe two weeks before my wife and i married. never a good time but we always seem to cop the worst of times.

 

waiting to here if an old chap in the next village needs his spaniel looking after. he is due an op and will be looking at 2 - 3 months respite. no one wants to take on his dog, he cant afford kennels so we may be a foster home for him.

 

life is odd with out a dog in the house, even worse when i go to the boat.

 

i think we will be ready for another if/when we have done our foster care bit with the spaniel.

 

cheers

 

gaz

 

edited cos of clumsy fingers

 

You have to get another dog soon or it will be a waste of a good dog owner.

[Barry]

My boat has a very tall hull. Now, while it's on dry dock I have to get on with a small ladder. When it's in the water, I'll not need a ladder but even then it's a fairly tough boat to clamber onto. There are no doors so entrance is via the open stern area and then through the cabin door to the living quarters.

It may be the case for a couple of days I'll have the German Shepherd full time as his owner has to go away on business. Normally I just walk him and exercise him but in this case he may have to come to work with me on the night shift. Then, after the shift, he'll be joining me to stay on the boat while I sleep. Better than kennels I think.

So, I'm wondering how to get him on safely. The most obvious option would be a very thick plank placed on the canal bank and then over the stern so he can climb it and jump on. It's just I have to make damned sure he doesn't fall into the water as then I'd have to jump in too.

I finish the shift at 5.00 in the morning so it will be quite dark when we arrive at my boat and the hope is he can just hop on, settle down on the bed and snooze. Of course, he'll be like a bull in a china shop as the living area is quite small.

Anyone have dogs on board or maybe worries about the said pooch jumping into the cut.

P.S. He's not noisy or given to barking. He is, however, a bit clumsy.

 

Maybe you should give Smudge and Sam (forum name Faeries Wear Boots) a PM - they have a huge German Shepherd on their narrowboat

[gazza]

You have to get another dog soon or it will be a waste of a good dog owner.

 

once we hear if we are to take on the spaniel we will be able to look for another dog, god knows there are plenty of dogs that need rehoming. would be nice to have two but now i am on days it will be harder to give two the attention and support they need.

 

rest assured we will be having a rehome, all the local rehome centres are bursting at the mo.

 

gonna have to make do with walking my neighbours staffie for the time being.

[FORTUNATA]

I lost my adopted stray labrador cross a few years ago and he was as good a dog as anyone could hope for. What I do is remember him fondly and also I bear in mind I gave him some kind of a life and he was happy. Now I'm helping take care of someone else's dog. I couldn't have him on the boat all the time as he would get bored and chew things but if he needs to stay there and I'm able to keep an eye on him that's fine. I dare say we'll both snooze on the double bed as he can lie where my feet are.

By the way, any of you who feel sure you can offer a reliable and stable home to a pooch, bear in mind the dog homes are full of unwanted pets. Sadly German Shepherds are the ones who get dumped most as they're misunderstood as a breed and need work and training to do well.

 

thanks for the kind words.

 

we had a crap run up to xmas. lost jake on the 16th december, a week later we loose mother in laws english bull terrier. rewind 2 and a bit years to august 2006, we lost our beloved collie pepe two weeks before my wife and i married. never a good time but we always seem to cop the worst of times.

 

waiting to here if an old chap in the next village needs his spaniel looking after. he is due an op and will be looking at 2 - 3 months respite. no one wants to take on his dog, he cant afford kennels so we may be a foster home for him.

 

life is odd with out a dog in the house, even worse when i go to the boat.

 

i think we will be ready for another if/when we have done our foster care bit with the spaniel.

 

cheers

 

gaz

 

edited cos of clumsy fingers

 

 

This one is a character. We lost his frisbee in the snow so I got a brush with the idea of sweeping snow to see if I could uncover the frisbee. What does he do? Decides it would be fun to grab ahold of the broom and play tug of war. I decide it's not a fun game at all and off he goes running the field with a full sized broom in his mouth. Then the end of it comes off!! He's fine when I give him tasks to perform and basic training he loves too but when bored he makes his own entertainment. In the local park he'll jump into the water when the weather is good and I dare say he'd want to do the same in the cut. It's a pity my boat isn't dog friendly and has no easy entrance doors. He's gonna have to go up a very thick plank at 5.00 in the early hours and I guess I'll have to pull the boat tight up to the mooring.

 

dont worry, I live on a Broads cruiser and it has about 1mtr free board but my shep who is 12 years old has no problem jumping onto the side deck which is about 350mm wide and through a small hatch so a cruiser stern N.B should be easy, and yes look out for waggy tails and yeah my dog has eyes in his backside or so it seems as his reversing is an art form.

[Lesd]

Slightly off topic....last summer I was moored near boxmoor and the boat tied up behind me had 5 alsatians aboard, bloody huge dogs each one of them lol The didnt seem to have a problem hopping on and off but god knows where they all settled down once aboard !!

 

 

I lost my adopted stray labrador cross a few years ago and he was as good a dog as anyone could hope for. What I do is remember him fondly and also I bear in mind I gave him some kind of a life and he was happy. Now I'm helping take care of someone else's dog. I couldn't have him on the boat all the time as he would get bored and chew things but if he needs to stay there and I'm able to keep an eye on him that's fine. I dare say we'll both snooze on the double bed as he can lie where my feet are.

By the way, any of you who feel sure you can offer a reliable and stable home to a pooch, bear in mind the dog homes are full of unwanted pets. Sadly German Shepherds are the ones who get dumped most as they're misunderstood as a breed and need work and training to do well.

 

 

 

 

This one is a character. We lost his frisbee in the snow so I got a brush with the idea of sweeping snow to see if I could uncover the frisbee. What does he do? Decides it would be fun to grab ahold of the broom and play tug of war. I decide it's not a fun game at all and off he goes running the field with a full sized broom in his mouth. Then the end of it comes off!! He's fine when I give him tasks to perform and basic training he loves too but when bored he makes his own entertainment. In the local park he'll jump into the water when the weather is good and I dare say he'd want to do the same in the cut. It's a pity my boat isn't dog friendly and has no easy entrance doors. He's gonna have to go up a very thick plank at 5.00 in the early hours and I guess I'll have to pull the boat tight up to the mooring.

[Liam]

Sadly German Shepherds are the ones who get dumped most as they're misunderstood as a breed and need work and training to do well.

 

I wouldn't agree. Have a look around the various animal shelters/dog kennels (around here anyway) and they're full of either Staffordshire Bull Terriers or dogs that have been crossed (mostly accidently I reckon) with this breed.

[alan_fincher]

Slightly off topic....last summer I was moored near boxmoor and the boat tied up behind me had 5 alsatians aboard, bloody huge dogs each one of them lol The didnt seem to have a problem hopping on and off but god knows where they all settled down once aboard !!

Yes, I've seen that boat.

 

When I did, I saw them start to appear off of it.

 

By the time number 5 appeared, I was wondering if the boat has some kind of Tardis like internal construction.

 

IIRC it's not a particularly long boat, either.

 

It's these kind of things that make the canals endearing to me.

 

I'm also amused when a boater is a burly big outdoor type kind of guy, but has some kind of miniature breed in tow.

[sueb]

if the dog falls in and he can get his front feet on the gunnels just hold the back of his neck and he will get himself out.It always surprises me but it works.

sue

[ditchcrawler]

My boat has a very tall hull. Now, while it's on dry dock I have to get on with a small ladder. When it's in the water, I'll not need a ladder but even then it's a fairly tough boat to clamber onto. There are no doors so entrance is via the open stern area and then through the cabin door to the living quarters.

It may be the case for a couple of days I'll have the German Shepherd full time as his owner has to go away on business. Normally I just walk him and exercise him but in this case he may have to come to work with me on the night shift. Then, after the shift, he'll be joining me to stay on the boat while I sleep. Better than kennels I think.

So, I'm wondering how to get him on safely. The most obvious option would be a very thick plank placed on the canal bank and then over the stern so he can climb it and jump on. It's just I have to make damned sure he doesn't fall into the water as then I'd have to jump in too.

I finish the shift at 5.00 in the morning so it will be quite dark when we arrive at my boat and the hope is he can just hop on, settle down on the bed and snooze. Of course, he'll be like a bull in a china shop as the living area is quite small.

Anyone have dogs on board or maybe worries about the said pooch jumping into the cut.

P.S. He's not noisy or given to barking. He is, however, a bit clumsy.

Does he snore and twitch, ours does and that can be a right pain in the middle of the night as he sleeps on the floor beside the bed.

[johnjo]

Make sure you have something covering the steelwork on the deck so that he dosen't go flying when he lands, something like a large rubber mat he can get a grip on, will help getting on and off the boat, less likely to go sprawling and collide with the steelwork.

 

Dogs are great, no matter what a sh*t day you've/they've had, always a waggy greeting when you come home.

 

Edited for cr*p spelling again.

Edited February 5, 2009 by johnjo

[Water-rats]

We lived on the broads with our GSD. Although we had a GRP broads cruiser, rather than a NB. Sometimes we had a few problems getting off when the tide dropped.

As regards Troy the GSD, we found a tug on the lead and a 'hup' did the trick. The stern was that sort of criss-crossed plastic finish that the cruisers of the 80's had. I did cover the step down with rubber matting to help cut down on slippage, both of us and Troy. He loved life on the water, he took to it as quickly as anything.

 

As said before, lots of towels

Happy cruising with the dog.

Edited February 6, 2009 by Water-rats

[gazza]

update on the dog front.

 

still no news on the spaniel.

 

however, things changed this weekend. i had to pick up some parts for a motocross sidecar outfit i have from a friend in swindon. plan was to stay saturday night for a drink and come home with all me bits.

 

long story short, i ended up coming home with a 7 month old rotti who was stuck in a small flat with a 19 year old kid, poor dog was in a bad situation and had the potential to become a 'problem dog'

 

thankfully the girl who he is living with had the sense, along with her family, to persuade her boyfriend to let him go to a new home. quick dash to fetch him and he now has a new home.

 

been to the vets to register him and a quick check up. poor devils ear is infected so i needed to get him some cleaner and antibiotic drops. had his shots done as i couldnt trust the he had had them at 8 odd weeks. microchipped and booked in for neutering on friday. one more shot in two weeks time and i will be happy with his vaccination regime.

 

he is a very clever dog, quick to learn and good with kids and other dogs. needs a few rough edges rounding off, food possesive and does not know where the boundaries of play and acceptable behavoir are yet. but a bit of tlc are time should bring him round. was lucky to get him now before he had been left for too long with no guidance.

 

he is 34 kg's at the moment, and will no doubt upset the trrim of the little mayland, this will have to be corrected with more bear as a counterbalnce!!!

 

if the spaniel needs looking after we will be back up to a two dog household again.

 

funny old life aint it

[johnjo]

A friend of mine has a Roti, had it from a pup, it's one of the gentlest dog I've known and I've had a few over my 60yrs. He used to leave it in the covered back of his Land Rover with the back doors always open [so he cold go for a pee] at work, and it never went out of the yard, never growled at anyone and always had a wag for you.

 

Any dog can be vicious if brought up the wrong way, the same as kids, just a little TLC and letting them know whats acceptable and what's not, unfortunatley because of their size and to some extent their looks when they do go wrong they get a bit of a blanket reputation which for the vast majority of Roti's is undeserved.

 

He'll be your best pal from now on.

 

Regards

John

[FORTUNATA]

The biggest mistake I see all the time is folks who own German Shepherds or Rotis have this idea because they're a big dog you have to sometimes hit them to keep them in line. Not only is that line of thinking incorrect but it can also be dangerous, in my view. In actual fact a large German Shepherd is no different than any other dog, apart from the fact they're smarter than many breeds and have a degree on inbred guarding aggression. However, my view is a calm, patient pack leader will normally produce a mild natured, sociable dog. I personally communicate dominance to a large dog via simple games in the fields using balls and toys to establish pecking order, as well as emphasising food - stuff wolves relate to in the wild. I don't buy into the theory rotis or GSD are aggressive. Only dogs that don't respect or trust the handler can become aggressive. I have been attacked once by a large out of control roti someone was supposed to be walking but I kept very calm and managed to stay intact. Just had a hole or two in my jacket.

 

 

A friend of mine has a Roti, had it from a pup, it's one of the gentlest dog I've known and I've had a few over my 60yrs. He used to leave it in the covered back of his Land Rover with the back doors always open [so he cold go for a pee] at work, and it never went out of the yard, never growled at anyone and always had a wag for you.

 

Any dog can be vicious if brought up the wrong way, the same as kids, just a little TLC and letting them know whats acceptable and what's not, unfortunatley because of their size and to some extent their looks when they do go wrong they get a bit of a blanket reputation which for the vast majority of Roti's is undeserved.

 

He'll be your best pal from now on.

 

Regards

John

[gazza]

over the years we have had a fair bit to do with dogs of different breeds and temperaments

 

our lab / collie cross, superb dog, with very very few faults. rescued him

 

an elderly sheltie, poorly old girl who we rescued before she was destroyed. had 2.5 good years with her

 

we had my brothers delinquent lab/sheppard cross for 6 months, before he was fit for rehoming. poor dog sufferd an unpleasant relationship break up and abuse at the hands of the his ex's fling. took a lot of hard work to get him round but was well worth it.

 

mother in law's english bull terrier, she was an absolute cracker, typical stuborn EBT we had her for a long period while mother in law was visting family in new zealand.

 

brothers new (of 3 years ) partner has a roti called bobbie, she is a star and has been great to introduce us to the breed, nice to know what to expect.

 

keif the roti is settling in well, he has lots to learn, not getting onto the furniture for example very clear that the previous keepers had not played with him or interacted with him in a positive way. he is learning fast and i hope he will turn into a cracking dog.

 

now on topic, gonna be fun watching him get on the boat. he was unsure of getting in the back of our 4 x 4

[sueb]

The biggest mistake I see all the time is folks who own German Shepherds or Rotis have this idea because they're a big dog you have to sometimes hit them to keep them in line. Not only is that line of thinking incorrect but it can also be dangerous, in my view. In actual fact a large German Shepherd is no different than any other dog, apart from the fact they're smarter than many breeds and have a degree on inbred guarding aggression. However, my view is a calm, patient pack leader will normally produce a mild natured, sociable dog. I personally communicate dominance to a large dog via simple games in the fields using balls and toys to establish pecking order, as well as emphasising food - stuff wolves relate to in the wild. I don't buy into the theory rotis or GSD are aggressive. Only dogs that don't respect or trust the handler can become aggressive. I have been attacked once by a large out of control roti someone was supposed to be walking but I kept very calm and managed to stay intact. Just had a hole or two in my jacket.

How many German shepherds have you owned?

Sue

[FORTUNATA]

None. I've had dogs most of my life but have been handling a GSD for about 16 months. I had problems on the way so had to read up here and there as well as use websites. I concluded the German Shepherd is often misunderstood by the public and can make a wonderful companion. Many female handlers seem to do fine with them too.

 

How many German shepherds have you owned?

Sue

 

 

If you watch Dog Borstal you see the trainers have their own approach. The one that suits me best is psychology. I'll use games and play as a means to establish myself as pack leader. Simply throwing balls and frisbees is a great way to bond with a dog and begin to establish a pecking order. Also, it's a good thing always to make sure the dog waits a moment before feeding and that you go through doors before he does. German Shepherds I think do well if they have someone to follow and look up to and they need to know where their position is. That can be sorted out more or less with psychology.

On a boat it could be a bit more tricky for me as most of the stuff we do is outdoors and so indoors will be trickier. I need to make sure any dog onboard is safe and not likely to chew things.

I'm no expert by a long shot but really I love dogs and find them relaxing.

 

How many German shepherds have you owned?

Sue

[sueb]

None. I've had dogs most of my life but have been handling a GSD for about 16 months. I had problems on the way so had to read up here and there as well as use websites. I concluded the German Shepherd is often misunderstood by the public and can make a wonderful companion. Many female handlers seem to do fine with them too.

Thought so. We have had them for 40yrs. Some of them have no sense of guarding at all. The first one we had tried to be boss nearly every day and we had to prove who was boss on a regular basis. They vary.

Sue