Boat dog
Some dogs just never figure out being on a boat. They are afraid of the water. They don’t get their balance. The unfamiliar surroundings paralyze them with fear.
And they never figure out how to potty on a boat.
This last issue can be the deciding factor on whether a dog will ever acclimate to cruising.
Honey loves being with us. She craves it. So it was only natural that we tried to take her with us on the boat. She did quite well on her first few day trips. She found her balance. She accepted the boundaries of the life lines, and she had a just the right amount of respect for the water, without being too scared to enjoy the ride.
But she would not go potty on the boat. Not a big deal on a day cruise, but on a weekend away she would have to figure it out or not return with us on future long cruises.
There are many different ways to get a dog to do their business. Some people tie astro turf to the foredeck. Some put it n the cockpit. I have even heard of one story about a dog that refused to go no matter what the owner did…even bringing actual grass and putting it in the cockpit. Alas the dog would not go, so it never cruised agan.
We didn’t do anything special for Honey. We figured when she needed to go, she would just…go.
The evening came and went. She slept through the night in the aft cabin with Quinn, Mia and I, and when morning dawned, Bill took her on deck with no luck. So, he decided to row her to shore.
“Bye sweetie! I’ll have some coffee ready when you get back Have fun!”
It was quite a way to shore.
He rows the dog to shore, walks her up and down the beach FOREVAH, and she would not go potty.
So…. he rowed back to the boat.
Honey jumped back on the boat, ran to the foredeck and promptly pooped. Then she ran to the back transom and peed off the back of the boat……like a seasoned sailor.
We washed it off the boat via a bucket of sea water, and that was that.
She is now officially a swab.
Good dog!!!! I was wondering how you managed with fido on board. Other questions (in case you want to blog about them in the future) — meal prep and cleanup — would love to see the kitchen on board and know about types of food you eat while sailing — what are your cooking essentials? For a long cruise — laundry & showers? Or does a dip in the ocean suffice for both? Is seasickness an issue for anyone? Keep on writing! I’m really enjoying your blog.
ROFL… Oh my heavens ::wipingtearsaway:::I haven’t laughed this hard in a really long time.
Thanks for that!
That is one of the funniest things I have ever heard. I can just see this!!! What a very good dog she is!
This was too too funny! Glad Honey is now officially part of your crew!
xo
Yay for Honey!
I too am curious about life on board for longer trips.
Sounds like your really easing your way into longer cruises.
Have fun!
You pictures are really so very beautiful. And regarding those Horizon milk boxes you mentioned in a previous post. We, too, save them and use them for “special occasions” because of their price, but they are one of just a handful of items that really ARE cheaper at COSTCO.
LOL! What a cute little dog. I love that he rowed her all the way to shore so she could do her business.
Way to go Honey!!
My father’s dog would go in the shower whenever they were underway. They trained the dog to go right over the drain. Although, I think it would have been much better if they could have trained him to squat on the swim platform!!