Best Sailing dogs

[Terry in Naples]

Our dog of 14 years died a few years ago and we decided to go dogless. He was a great dog but not a good sailor as he fell through the ice in a pond as a pup and never got friendly with the water again. I am puppysitting this past 2 weeks for the grandkids dog and sure like it. Now I am thinking of anohther canine companion and wondered what dog you all might recommend. We are cruisers and bum around the SW Florida coast a few days a month on our 34. I would think a dog that does not shed, likes to swim and about 25# or less. (not too big of messes to transport). Any ideas or past experiences? Terry

 

[NautiDuck]

Poodle

We have had several dogs and loved them all. The last was a standard poodle. Smart as a whip, no shedding and no dog smell. Standard would be too big for you but a miniature would fit the bill. Don't fall for the stereotype of poodles. They are great dogs.

 

[WallyQ2]

Yorkie

We're now partial to Yorkie's. We've had several breeds in the past 40 years, and they were all great dogs. We went without for a couple of years but kept visiting pet shops to get our fix. Finally we broke down and had the honour of receiving a Yorkie, and she's been great. One of the smartest breeds we've had. Just don't buy from a pet store, find a good breeder. We're retired and travel alot and she goes everywhere with us. She's been on planes (in the cabin with us), boats, bikes,cars, motorcycles, you name it. She's 5 lbs. doesn't shed and fearless. We have her litter box trained (without litter just newspapers in a plastic box) and it's great on a boat or if travelling in hotels etc., we don't have to take her out and not much to pick up. We trained her as a pup as we live in the country with bears and bobcats, owls, coyotes etc. so we were afraid to let her out on her own. However, when we are out she is always on a leash. I wouldn't recommend her if you have small kids or walking her within crowds because they are small.

 

[Asylum]

GREATEST BOAT DOG EVER

I have owned, showed, bred, and competed in the sport of dogs for over 35 years. I hesitate sharing this info because popularlity often spells a deterioriation in the breed, but one of the best boat dogs is a Portugese Water Dog. Non shedding, avg 40 lbs, great family companion, good watch dog, excellent swimmer, smart as a whip, and BRED to be a boat dog.I don't have one at the present time, but can't wait for my lifestyle to change so I can include one asap.

 

[John]

Labradoodle

I think I've mentioned it before: We have two dogs, one is a Lab/Pit mix. Of course, he's bigger than what you specify, but for others, any Lab mix is ideal. No matter how rough the seas get, he just lies there in the cockpit and goes to sleep, just happy to be around us. (Our other dog tolerates sailing, but it's not her favorite thing to do.) The Labradoodle (part poodle) hardly sheds, if at all. I'm sure they're bigger than 25 pounds, but a small female is probably not too very much so. I've known a few of them and they have the friendliness and playfullness of both breeds and I assume they like to swim as much as our Lab mix does. Seems to me ideal for a boat dog.

 

[T J Furstenau]

Maybe not the best -

Okay, some one brought up boat dogs, so I'll digress for a moment.We had a Chow mix that tolerated sailing with us, because it meant not getting left home and spending time with the family. She passed away two summers ago, and we said we'd hold off on getting another dog. Well, by the time Christmas rolled around that year, the kids were ready for another. I was thinking "boat dog" and actually looked for a Portuguese water dog. But we're 'pound puppy kind of people, and they were only to be found through breeders. Somewhere along the line, we got the nutty idea that TWO dogs would be better than one. They'd have each other to play with, yada yada yada. Well, we found two mutts through a rescue service. They were a mix, probably lab and boxer. I was thinking, "Boxers are smaller than labs, they'll be fine." Now, they are almost two. They still think they are puppies, and they are probably at least 150 pounds combined. But they LOVE the boat. They both do very well. Would I do it again? Probably not. Would I trade them away? Not for the world. And their names? Boomer and Tilly (Boomvang and Tiller). BTW, our dear old chow was named Harbor, and there's a cat at home named Marina.T J Furstenau

 

[Recess]

Miniture Schnauzer

We had a Giant Schnauzer and he was a beast but an awesome dog. When he passed I did not want to replace him but we needed a small dog that can handle the South Georgia and Florida heat as we like to spend a lot of time away from home. The Miniture Schnauzer is awesome on a boat. They are smart enough to learn very fast what is in their own best interest on a boat and you do not have to haul a bunch of food or clean up a lot of what dogs process food into. No shedding and very friendly towards everyone if you socialize them. It is also nice that if they do not know who is on the other side of a door they are very loud for a small dog. Ours is about 20 lbs. Loves swimming but not willing to jump off a boat to get into the water.

 

[David]

Best dog

Best dog,hum,one that can handle a sheet and not get sick in bad weather.

 

[Ken]

Hot dog

... solve my hunger problem.

 

[Ctskip]

I've got two Maltese also

Trained on potty pads. It's the best thing i ever did. You might want to train in a litter box with dirt though. It'll give them that sense of nature when outside exercising and walking. Ours cant wait to get home after a walk, so they can use their pads. Frustrating for us and probably them too.  Ours loves being in the wind and everything to do with sailing. I just don't think they like swimming all that much. They have their own pool and just lie down in it. They don't run and jump in ours, so that tells me our Maltese don't like to swim. Just dunk the lower half to cool off. One is a long hair and the other we keep short. Very little to no shedding from the long hair. The Maltese like to be cool and in the lap of not only their owners, but the lap of luxury. Not very good for sailing, I don't think. Wonderful pets, and I just love'em to pieces. Ever consider rescuing a pet from the shelter? They need your help and cant speak out for themselves. Good luck. Keep it up, Ctskip

 

[greg17887]

Wire Hair Fox Terrier

Hi all We have had two Wire Hair Fox Terrier great dogs they spent most of there time keeping the birds of the boat thay love water and can be hard to keep on the boat. Thay avg 20# and dont shed and love people.greg

 

[John B]

Fox Terrier

Sometimes we meet people, they like us, but we do NOT like them. For these folks I'd highly recommend a Fox Terrier. We had one for 14 years. ( Actually a very good boat dog...loved sailing, riding in the inflatable, did not get sea sick (ever), and at 15 lbs a great boat/size.)He would guard the boat to the extreme. When tied to a marina, people just walking by would fear for their life due to his grawling and bark. To say that Rocky was 'high maintenance' would be an understatment. This a very stubborn breed.Now I do realize that most of us do not speak poorly of our 'children' but sometimes we have to.On the plus side Rocky was very faithfull, did not eat much, and we did love him.

 

[Rascal18590]

Sailing Dogs

Hey, here's an idea for you !!! A Skipperkee ....... they are a little black dog, bred in Greece that the old time Greek fisherman use to have on their boats (so being on boats and around water is in their nature) And, their life span can be up to 25 yrs., if cared for properly. I, myself, have Shelties (5 as a matter of fact) and they enjoy sailing alot, but they do shed ...... especially when they get hot. So, there is my 2 cents !! Take care, Bob Burns=Rascal

 

[Ross]

I have heard very good reports

for this breed. I don't have personal experience. I prefer a mutt.http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/portuguesewaterdog.htm

 

[larry w]

I'll tell you what NOT to get,

a Boston terrier! Some friends have one, and that dog absolutely RULES their lives! Everything revolves around the dog - can't go to dinner, the dog needs... can't go to the club for a cocktail, the dog will... can't take a dink ride cause the dog... can't take a walk cause the dog barks his fool head off at every other dog (got his little ass kicked for it, too) Every time we try to cruise with these people, good friends, the dog adds a complication. When cruising, I see people leaving dog doo on public beaches, parks, sidewalks, docks, piers, everywhere. Barking, whining, pissing, crapping, shedding... the annoyance list goes on. Can you tell, I'm anti-dog?

 

[TimCup]

My experience- good and bad

Chihuahua- good and bad. One of ours loves the water- will jump off the swim platform any time you ask. Swims like a champ, no muss no fuss.The other? Lays in the cockpit as low as possible. At the sight of water shakes like an electric toothbrush, sinks almost as fast as the anchor.Not sure it's a breed thing- I really think it's the personality of the pup!CUP

 

[John]

To Larry W

Tell your friends with the Boston Terrier to rent some episodes of "The Dog Whisperer." The guy who does the show, Cesar Milan, says he "trains people and rehabilitates dogs" and what he really does is show how problem dogs are no more the problem than problem children - it's the parents. He's also very entertaining.As for dog owners who don't pick up after their dogs - I get as impatient as you do, and I love dogs. When I was a kid and went to camp up in Maine (in Tenants Harbor, a town which has received a mention on this list and is a beautiful spot) and when we did overnight camping, we were taught to leave the camp site cleaner than how we found it. Every kid had to come back with at least five pieces of trash before we left. I think dog owners should follow the same principle. AT least, I do.As for the best breed of dogs for a boat - it seems that that the answer to that question is as simple as the flip side - "What's the best boat?" Does anybody have any opinions on that one?(Trying to stir up some s__t here.)

 

[oldiesrocker2001]

Only a few breeds don't shed

While only a few breeds don't shed-poodle for instance, Every dog of any breed has it's own personality. If you are a liveaboard, you want a smaller dog, I would think. My own dog is a shepherd/pitbull mix that is really a sweetheart but is a terror when left alone. In the summers I often have more time for the boat and take him with me for a day of sailing-me streched out on the foredeck with a cold one, him perched with his paws on the bow rails are a frequent sight at our home lake. Despite the aimiability of the dog, he's got what is called separation anxiety and is likely to leave a mess in the house if left alone-ten years of houstraining using every method including cesar's way still leaves us with an unpredictable homecoming every day. I can just imagine if we left him in the boat for an hour or two to go for a drink! This guy doesnt really like the water but just doesn't want to be left home!

 

[John]

huge

Damn, that dog is HUGE! He absolutely dwarfs the windmill and house right behind him. How do you fit him on your sailboat? What are you sailing - the Queen Mary?

 

[Steve Dion]

All dogs shed and so do people.

There are many dogs that do not shed (any more than a person). I think the point is that we don't want a dog aboard that leave hair all over the place and it eventually makes it hard to sit down on anything without having hair on your upholstery & clothes. Everyone know these dogs (labs, golden retrievers, shepards etc). http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/lightshedders.htmWe usually vacuum our boat about once every two to three weeks. There is more sand and foliage than there is hair from the dog, the Admiral & the semi bald capt.Another thing to consider when selecting a boat companion is their susceptibility to allergies.http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/allergy.htmRegardless of what type of beast you choose, they all have their own personalities that can be a little trying when you are trying to tend to business. Get them on the boat as a young pup and it will be easier for them to deal with the things that happen when thing start going wrong.