Ideas on Making Cratch and Stern "Dog Proof"

[Blazeaway]

We take ownership of our boat tomorrow and one of the priorities we have is to make the cratch and stern areas safe such that our dog can't get out. (small west highland white terrier)

 

Anyone got any examples or ideas please.

 

Here are pictures of the boat.

 

 

 

 

Edited to add links to images.

Edited January 29, 2015 by frankpwilson

[cuthound]

To put pictures onto this site you will need to open an account with photobuckrt or similar. Then transfer your photo's and copy the bottom link relating to that photo into the text of your message marked IMG.

[mrsmelly]

We take ownership of our boat tomorrow and one of the priorities we have is to make the cratch and stern areas safe such that our dog can't get out. (small west highland white terrier)

 

Anyone got any examples or ideas please.

 

Here are pictures of the boat.

 

C:\Users\user\Desktop\canal boats\potentials\pooh sticks\17241.jpg

 

C:\Users\user\Desktop\canal boats\potentials\pooh sticks\17244.jpg

 

C:\Users\user\Desktop\canal boats\potentials\pooh sticks\17259.jpg

 

 

FIRSTLY I NEED HELP IN HOW TO PUT THESE IMAGES IN THE POST SO YOU CAN SEE THEM

 

Hi

 

Is it your first boat? Is it the one that great haywood had for sale?

We have found over several years liveaboard and cruising that our various dogs very quickly adapt to living on the water and tend not to fall in. Our present dog isnt the sharpest knife in the drawer so if we pull up on the opposite side to last time she sometimes nearly jumps the wrong way but hasnt quite done it yet.

You can get good doggie lifejackets if needed.

Hope you and Dog like boat.

 

Tim

[Blazeaway]

To put pictures onto this site you will need to open an account with photobuckrt or similar. Then transfer your photo's and copy the bottom link relating to that photo into the text of your message marked IMG.

 

Brilliant thanks, easy when you know how isn't it.

Cheers

 

Hi

 

Is it your first boat? Is it the one that great haywood had for sale?

We have found over several years liveaboard and cruising that our various dogs very quickly adapt to living on the water and tend not to fall in. Our present dog isnt the sharpest knife in the drawer so if we pull up on the opposite side to last time she sometimes nearly jumps the wrong way but hasnt quite done it yet.

You can get good doggie lifejackets if needed.

Hope you and Dog like boat.

 

Tim

 

Hi Tim

 

Yep first boat and yes it is a Great Haywood boat.

 

Our dog is Very spritely and will jump a gap and be off, don't want to risk it really so appreciate your comments but we've got to make at least some attempt to dog proof it.

[john6767]

When doing locks we have our dog fastened on with a long lead that is secured in the middle of the boat, she can get to both the front an back of the boat, but I don't think it is necessarily the best approach, there is the potential trip hazard. We have a life jacket for her for when on rivers.

 

BTW, we have passed the boat many times on it's mooring there at Napton, you staying there?

[Nightwatch]

When we had our previous dog,a naughty Staffie, we resorted to tethering him on a line just long enough to stop him leaping. He did eventually got the idea and we let him off the line.

 

He went in a couple of times to his surprise. And what a lousy swimmer he was.

 

Constant control is the only way. Mind you,you have thought of zipping up and closing the flaps!

 

Martyn

[mrsmelly]

 

Brilliant thanks, easy when you know how isn't it.

Cheers

 

Hi Tim

 

Yep first boat and yes it is a Great Haywood boat.

 

Our dog is Very spritely and will jump a gap and be off, don't want to risk it really so appreciate your comments but we've got to make at least some attempt to dog proof it.

 

Cool. I suggest you bin the horrible greenhouse affair on the back of the boat and keep the bottom bit that goes round the back to stop the dog. Also on my last boat I had two steel gates fabricated between the taff rail and cabin sides which worked for us. If we kept the cratch tied down at the front on one of our boats our Airedale just used to push his head under it and lift up and wipe out the bungee catches and off he went

 

 

Tim

[Machpoint005]

I consider it the owner's responsibility to stop their dog getting onto my boat.

(dog proof?)

[Nightwatch]

"Greenhouse"?

 

Well it is green. We have a black house in that respect.

 

Back on topic. Dogs soon get to know what's what.does he understand 'stay', 'wait' etc.?

[b0atman]

dog on lead

[Paul C]

Moor on the Shroppie, with the infamous "shroppie shelf" you'll not get near enough to the bank for the dog to be able to get on/off!

[cuthound]

Depends on the dog, but can it be trained? How old is he?

 

Our old dog will wait to be told to get off the boat, when to board ("all dogs on deck") and will stay on command whilst locks are worked.

 

The hardest part was training him to use the plank when we were on the K&A. We put food treats along the plank to encourage him. At first he stretched as far as he could whilst keeping one paw on the bank. Eventually he couldn't stretch any more and temptation took over and he got on the boat. By the third time he'd got it and didn't need the trail of food anymore.

 

Only once has he abonded ship, on the narrows approaching Llangollen, where he just stepped off to take himself for acwalk. When we noticed him (after saying to the wife how much the dog on the towpath looked like buster) he came back when called.

 

Its well worth the effort of training you dog when to get on and off the boat. It will save both you and the dog a lot of stress.

 

Edited to change cold to old.

Edited January 29, 2015 by cuthound

[angeldust]

Be careful of the covers on the cratch - it didnt take our Jack Russell long to work out how to unzip it and he likes to jump off at bridges and take himself for walks on the towpath if he can get away with it. He also tries running up and down the gunnels - turning round halfway didnt work out too well for him though! He is quite a good swimmer!

[Paul C]

In seriousness.....we have a semi trad stern with doors at the end of the cockpit area, which can be bolted shut. At the front, the dog isn't allowed on the front deck unless we're on a mooring where she can't jump (due to distance) to the bank. We have a simple wire mesh dog guard which is easily clipped and unclipped on the door frame.

[zenataomm]

Best of luck, I've never managed it.

I've always found it best to boat proof the dog.

[Barry]

Tillergirl of this parish has a great idea to keep the dogs in the cratch and still have the flaps rolled up.

 

She has a length of garden trellis. Trapped vertically, with the long side horizontal, it extends to create an expanding fence that keeps her two medium sized dogs in but still allow them to look out

[Sea Dog]

Best of luck, I've never managed it.

I've always found it best to boat proof the dog.

 

There's a lot of truth in this, however well trained the dog and however apparently dog-proofed the boat.

 

Our lab is pretty well trained and I'd say a good boat dog, but she's still fallen in a couple of times. Being in the water is no big issue for a lab. Getting a wet dog out of a marina onto a raised pontoon, or lock or canal where the banks are perhaps vertical brick, or onto the boat directly if you're cruising a river, can be much more of an issue. A dog buoyancy aid gives you more time to deal with the issue and, more importantly, a well placed handle on the dog's back for a boat hook or to lift it out with.

 

Congratulations. I hope you and your Westie love your new/second home - it looks pretty dog friendly already to me!

[tillergirl]

Tillergirl of this parish has a great idea to keep the dogs in the cratch and still have the flaps rolled up.

 

She has a length of garden trellis. Trapped vertically, with the long side horizontal, it extends to create an expanding fence that keeps her two medium sized dogs in but still allow them to look out

Yes we do and I think it may work for the back of the boat too.....fix one side so it can de-extended to get off and re extend it and hook it around a hook or some such fastening.....cheap and cheerful and works.....we have Border Collies by the way.

 

I should add this is only when moored....one of our boys has eyesight issues and the other just gets under your feet so they are inside the boat when we are moving. We have a " bottom half door" OH made attached to the bedroom door so they can see and hear us out the back. Its less stressful for dogs and humans that way

Edited January 29, 2015 by tillergirl