Greetings,
Isn't this board great???
We've been mostly day sailing out of Urbanna, VA but we plan to start cruising for 3-5 days at a time next summer. We bring our beloved cockapoo (cocker spaniel/poodle mix) Koko with us, she seems to enjoy being on the boat. But we are limited because we have to walk her. Anyone have tips on how best to train a dog so we don't have to walk her on land? What are some other issues with cruising with a dog?
Thanks,
oded kishony
Paceship PY26
Urbanna, VA
Yes get one of those door mats made of hemp. Attach a line to it, let the dog use it. It will be hard at first for the dog to get the idea but once the scent is on it the dog will use it evey time. Need to clean it. Throw the mat over the side and trail it in the water. Oh and I know you will pick the poo up off of it first and dispose of it in the ships head right.
Thanks Jack! I'll give it a try.
ok
Good luck. Peter dog has gone as long as 22 hours before I gave in and made an emergency shore call.
+ Karma for the dog lover. ;D
I've been unable to train the CrewDogs to poo onboard, although a couple of times I have found "presents" :o on the foredeck... They never get scolded for it, though.
I've read about the poo-mat trick, using a piece of astro-turf. I think there is a product which one can spray onto the area where you want the dog to poo, it encourages them somehow to use that spot. Maybe it's just poo-water in a spray bottle. :) Hmm, yuk. ::)
Earlier this year, I tried to wait the CrewDogs out, to wait until they *did* go either onboard or on my own finger pier, so that they would know it was OK to do so. After almost 36 hours, I just gave up and took them up to land. They wouldn't do it, although Buffett shows no reluctance to pooping almost anywhere else on the docks, usually when it is cold and rainy, and in a spot far from the nearest hose. Go figure. :) ( I never leave poo on the dock.)
I think that, when we are away from the dock, they just enjoy the dinghy rides over to the beach too much to give them up. :) We usually do a little "Ball" at that point in time, too, for exercise.
To encourage them to use shoreside time for poo business when we are away from the dock, I feed them about an hour before taking them ashore.
some years back (however this may be a current event) I was living (sneakin aboard) at a marina that had a large population of .... well.... lets just say south east asian peoples.and we were wondering why cats and dogs were dissapearing without explaination.....and then ya jusgotta wonder ......why izzit when ya go out for chinese food and the like....why do they have menus written in those oriental languages.....juswhat izzit they are survinup??????"yes please....I will have the Rover Chop Suey with a side order of the Fluffy eggroll
Quote from: starcrest on January 07, 2006, 10:12:10 PM
some years back (however this may be a current event) I was living (sneakin aboard) at a marina that had a large population of .... well.... lets just say south east asian peoples.and we were wondering why cats and dogs were dissapearing without explaination.....and then ya jusgotta wonder ......why izzit when ya go out for chinese food and the like....why do they have menus written in those oriental languages.....juswhat izzit they are survinup??????"yes please....I will have the Rover Chop Suey with a side order of the Fluffy eggroll
There used to be a web site (until there were complaints) that had a song done to 'Cats In the Cradle' and went something like this:
There's a cat in the kettle at the Peking Moon,
Kittens and puppies are on my spoon...
Sorry can't remember the rest, but it sure was funny at the time!
Also, down in the Outer Banks tthere's a strip mall with a Chinese Restaurant that is RIGHT NEXT DOOR tot he Animal Hospital. NO LIE!! I have pictures to prove it!! Never ate at THAT particular restaurant.
Just FYI - I have THREE cats - none on board.....yet.
Guys, really Come On ...
Is there really any difference (other than in the mind ) between eating, cows, pigs, sheep, lambs, deer, rabbit, and eating, cats & dogs?
It is ALL perspective. They are all dead animals. :-[
Ok, I will not say anything else... I just had to get my veggie 2 cents in there. It was wide open. :)
Talk about a thread hi-jack!
I have been married to 2 orientals and known a whooole bunch... never ate or known anyone to eat cats or dogs. An occasional monkey is good though.
I have heard the mat trick works to get the dogs going and not have to deliver them ashore.
Quote from: Zen on January 11, 2006, 03:49:48 PM
Guys, really Come On ...
Is there really any difference (other than in the mind ) between eating, cows, pigs, sheep, lambs, deer, rabbit, and eating, cats & dogs?
It is ALL perspective. They are all dead animals. :-[
Ok, I will not say anything else... I just had to get my veggie 2 cents in there. It was wide open. :)
No different then eating humans I guess. :o
(I have known some people I would sooner eat then my Master at Arms)
(http://www.sailfar.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10014/normal_PeterSmiles1.JPG)
CUTE DOG!!
I have to admit it.when Annie was living onboard with me in lake okechobee.....a young girl of about 10 years old found a litter of kittens a mere 2-3 days old ...Annie asked if we could get one...I said no...we can get 2.....we raised them up and they were great to have on board.Unfortunately about a year later Annie had an acute flare up of her Schizo-affective disorder.I had to take her to a crisis center ,,,,from there she went to her parents house...the cats were donated to an organization that does pet therapy for end stage cancer patients.and now theres another woman named Laura.....shes been calling me lately....she needs a place to stay...she claims to like camping out.....as long as she remembers who shes living with......(theres lotsa guys here who would love to have her stay here too...) we will probably get a kitten
Zen, thank you for speaking up. I am of that same opinion.
This is our 'salty dog' Koko the cockapoo (poodle coker mix) when she was a puppy.
Oded
:)
another cute one. maybe we need a pet gallery as well ;)
Thats a good idea Zen! How about it Capt K? A pet Gallery? ;)
Someone could start a thread for just pet pics, or just use this one. Either is fine with me :)
My ex is Vietnamese, and I never saw anyone in her family even looking "that way" at my dogs. That said, some of the foods they ate - there was no telling what was in there! ;D
Zen and nemona - do we have a vegetarians thread? I'd be interested in seeing some veggie recipes and/or veggie related livinaboard tips...
Thanks for inquiring about a veg thread. It is a good idea and since many small boats don't have full blown refrig systems veg meals are very useful.
I'm going to think about what ideas I would want to convey and start a thread. At least I hope Zen will read it ;D
Even just cutting down on meat makes cooking and storage alot easier on board. BTW whenever I have done veg dishes for potluck they are well received.
My partner in crime on board is not veg but while onboard definately cuts back meat consumption.
I'm there nemona ! :D
This is Winston, a 7 month old 65lb Great Pyrenees pup on his first cruise. A rescue dog. Not sure if I want to train him to poop aboard or not. It could be a reason to practice speedily abandoning ship!
I would like some suggestions for getting him on and off the boat considering that he will grow to 100lbs plus. I'm not really looking forward to those 3am dinghy rides to the beach.
My boat is a 1975 Clombia 26T.
Thanks, Andy
Cute dog. Looks like a mix though ??? The face is different, perhaps because still a pup. No matter, cool dog, you may need a bigger boat if he start "going" aboard ;D
Having had a 85lb Akita I gave some thought to on & off the boat stuff.
off the top,
Folding motorcycle ramp folds flat easy to store.
A host used to lift outboards into the lazerette.
Man overboard hosting strap rigged to the boom.
Lift him/her everyday, as he gets heavier , you get stronger... ;D
Nice lookin CrewDawg there, Andy! Welcome aboard to both of you. :)
As far as getting him down and up - hoowee! I don't know - Zens hoist idea sounds like a start! 100#'s of dawg - Man! ;D
So far, the best that I can come up with is using the boom as a crane; a fixed length of line attached to the end of the boom and run the topping lift to a winch to lift boom-- and Winston --up, over and down into the dingy. The hard part is the amount of time that it would take me to secure the topping lift, then secure the boom and climb into the dingy before a vey active and curious dog decides to become adventurous and head for the beach on his own!
Well, you do make a point there I'd forgotten - CrewDawgs *will* launch themselves, with little-to-no encouragement. :D Get in close to the beach, and you'll only have to worry about hauling him out.
Molly the Lab is like a cat - she is unafraid to leap from boat to dink or back. But Buffett, my Golden, he acts like a 100# dog trapped in a 50# dog body. He's hesitant to go up or down (not that he doesn't *want* to). A lot of the time with him, I just get him started in the right direction and give him a little boost, he handles most of the rest of the work with his own muscles.
And as far as a 3:00 AM beach potty trip? Ain't happening - we'll wait for morning... ;)
my second trip across was on a replica of an old- time clippership.half way to nowhere we saw a rather emaciated duck flying around.I will have to dig out the pictures I took,but one of the other crew on board was quick to pull out a rather large caliber revolver.now trying to hit a small target like that in a rolling sea reallly requires a shot gun.not a shot was fired but at the time some fresh fowl woulda lookt good on the 'barbie.how da heck did a dog-manned farther marking duck get out there any way....probably stowed away on a ship....or was maintained as such as a possible food source and escaped.but I never saw migratory dux out there,,,,,and as such this was a solitary bird at just a few feet above sea level.
I can't believe that Peter has not posted his picture here yet.
Let's fix that. ;D
(http://sailfar.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10014/normal_PeterSmiles1.JPG)
tEll peetEr wE sayd 'Arph"..
teh cRewDogs
;D
Woof. :D The only kitty cats I have on my boat are the three insignias for the boat. :D
Bjarky looked like this when we got the boat...
(http://home.armourarchive.org/members/sasha/bjarky3.JPG)
Which means he could sit in the cockpit like this:
(http://home.armourarchive.org/members/sasha/bjarkytiller2.JPG)
Nearly three years later....That just isn't the case anymore:
(http://home.armourarchive.org/members/sasha/mb2.jpg) we now have to clamber around a cockpit entirely full of contented black fluff. But he takes orders pretty well and tails a winch like a pro.
By the way, the other character in the pic is my son Miles. About two and four months ago, in his first boat, the Quacking Viking.
Yes, Bjarky tows him around the shallows.
heck, Bjarky can tow the Endeavour around.
...for some reason we have never had a problem with univited people stepping onto the boat.
And in answer to the original topic of the post...The first overnight we did, About four hours in, and after consuming the fillets of a nice flathead that we caught on our lure, bjarky went to the aft deck, manuevered his butt to between the lifelines just in front of the pushpit and went.
We were proud and amazed. He also takes a leak at about the same point.
What we noticed is that he will only do it when we are anchoured/moored or running straight downwind. He likes a level deck or he stays in the cockpit or cabin.
I guess we are fortunate that where we sail holding tanks are not required for boats our size. (though tere are very strict laws about inshore and marina waters.)
Alex.
Hey Fortis-
Is that New Foundland?? If so, how big is he now?
QuoteAnd in answer to the original topic of the post...The first overnight we did, About four hours in, and after consuming the fillets of a nice flathead that we caught on our lure, bjarky went to the aft deck, manuevered his butt to between the lifelines just in front of the pushpit and went.
We were proud and amazed. He also takes a leak at about the same point.
:o :o :o
Mind if I send you a slightly spoiled member of my family for a short time underway? I would gladly pay Bjarky his asking price for teaching Peter such an amazing trick!
Yes, he is a trad newfoundland. He is currently 82kg (around 150-160 pounds) and he is still growing and filling out. His dad is over 100kg without an ounce of wasted fat on him.
As for sending your crew for tuiton, it could work, but Australia's quarantine proceedures for dogs are pretty hideous! We actually bought a square of fake lawn/ tennis court matting and did the hole in the corner with the rope tied on thing and placed it on the foredeck...All a complete waste, but we weren't complaining.
We actually think Bjarky learnt it from a german shepard thatdid much the same thing on another boat at our marina...Then again, another time Bjarky was convinced that he was a black angus cow. He saw a big black shaggy quadraped bigger then he was and just assumed that it was "mum".
Newfies are funny. Way intelligent, but with an odd sort of logic. Margaret describes it as having a permanent four year old.
Alex.
My late wife loved New Foundlands.... always wanted to get one....but I advised her against it...as she only weighed 105 lbs...and most Newfie puppies would be bigger than her.
I know a lot of dog-owning sailors that would love you to teach them how to teach their dogs to imitate yours with respect to the lifelines... of course, that probably works better on a boat with a non-reverse transom and no tumblehome. :D
When Craig sends Peter down for tutoring, the CrewDogs will accompany him. ;D
What a cool trick! Good dog!!! :D
Capt. Peter gets his own command.
Peter wanted to go exploring in the dink, and was not willing to wait for me. He jumped in and took off. His plans were ruined by the combination of the painter, and his lack of opposable thumbs.
(http://sailfar.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10014/normal_1-18-2007-04.jpg)
Peter is having a great time here in the Bahamas, but there have been a couple of issues that have come up.
First, we did not bring him with us down the coast and only got him aboard in St. Augustine FL. I was afraid of not finding great places to put him ashore, as it turned out it would not have been as much of an issue. One thing that is nice about a SailFar boat, we found that when we needed to 'pull over' on the ICW we could generally just look for a public boat ramp. The small finger docks used for boarding the boats that have just been launched usually has enough water to sneak in and at least get the bow close enough to step ashore for a few minutes.
The other thing that is an important consideration is your animals health. Peter had an ear infection in his right ear that we went to the vet in St. Augustine for. His right ear has cleared up, but his left ear has developed troubles. Fortunately we have some excellent antibiotics in our kit, as Rose and I both get ear infections. I have him on Penicillin and we are putting Cipro drops in his ear 2x a day. I was very glad to have the meds. It might have been awful otherwise, there is a vet in Marsh Harbor but that would have been a painful wait for him.
Peter has a great disposition, and has been socialized with people and other animals since he was a pup. There are still issues with people who are afraid of dogs. We keep him on a leash near any civilization, but a couple of times we have encountered folks who found little comfort in our saying 'it's ok, he is friendly'.
At our yacht club in NC, we sometimes had nearly as many dogs as people and Peter always got along with everyone. Here in the Bahamas the 'Potcake' is the local favored mut. They can be great dogs, but we have come across some who cluster in loose 'packs'. Peter has made friends with them individually, but it has been tense on a couple of occasions. Not a big problem, just someting to consider.
Peter is having a ball here, and we are enjoying it all the more for having him along. The Bahamas require an import permit, and a health inspection (although many report not being asked for either, I was and was glad to have them).
QuoteBahamas info
To bring a dog into the Bahamas requires an import permit obtainable from the Department of Agriculture, phone (242) 325-7502.
To obtain a permit, send your name, address, phone number, age of dog, sex of dog, breed of dog and $10 U.S. dollars. For an extra $5 they will fax the import permit to you.
Mail the information and money to The Department of Agriculture, PO Box N3028, Nassau, Bahamas. It can take up to 2 months for the permit, so plan ahead!
Additionally, if you are coming from the US or Canada, you will need a veterinary health certificate issued 48 hours before embarking and a valid certificate of rabies vaccination for either the one year rabies vaccine (given to the animal at least one month before arrival, and not more than 10 months before arrival), or the three year rabies vaccine (given to the animal at least one month before arrival, and not more than 34 months before arrival).
Source: Department of Agriculture, Nassau, Bahama, Phone 242-325-7502.
Craig - For Peter's ear problems, I found something called "Blue Power Ear Wash", and it works great. I don't know if you'll be able to get the ingredients there, though they are pretty common. Recipe:
1 bottle isopropyl alchohol
4 tablespoons boric acid powder
16 drops Gentian Violet extract, 1% solution
Mix it all up in the bottle, shake well before applying, the powder settles out. Use gloves - the violet will impart a purple stain.
Works *awesome*, though. Hope you can find this stuff, and/or that Peter starts feeling better soon!
We bought a small dog and I would like to bring him on the boat with us- But. well, it's about, y'know- When he hasta go, he hasta go- We use the bucket method, but I don't see him adapting to that :)- How do you guys with dogs handle this deal? Thanks for any thoughts- The SERIOUS ones, anyway- :)
One thing a lot of sailors use is a astroturf mat on the foredeck. It can be rinsed off pretty easily. Put a grommet in the corner, so you can attach a line and drop it overboard to rinse it.
Adriftatsea- Thanks for your response- The grommet's a good idea- I'm now told there's a spray for the mat that causes a dog to do his business on it? The subject is new science to me- Thanks again-
since the dog is new to you and maybe still a pup/young, he/she will probably be fairly stressed and a little confused when it comes time to do some business on the boat so you might want to try some practice runs on land with the astroturf.
good luck.
Vinegar- Excellent thought, something I myself am not noted for- Thank you-