There are many “breeds” of sailors we come across during our travels, but in dog-owner terms, there are only two. Those who do, and those who don’t, cruise with their dogs. We fit into the former group, the group I call the “Doggy-Do’s”. (Actually, I just this second made that up, but I think it’s pretty catchy.)

When HK and I first discussed getting a sailboat, we were all, “Cool! We’ll take the dogs and be a family on the water and travel all over the world and …”

And then we got The Boat.

Now remember, we previously traveled for months on end with the dogs-three of them at the time-in our pop-up camper, and had relatively few hurdles to clear. But sailing- with dogs–plural-now that is a whole different can of worms.

Would they need extra vaccinations? What about getting seasick? Exercise? Could they even adapt?

In sharing our concerns with friends, the suggestion was offered to “leave them home with a dogsitter.” NOT an option, especially for long periods of time. “Board them.” Nope. “Let your Dad take care of them.” HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! No comment.

Chance, our Bichon Frise, has sailed with us several times in the past. He was even with us in the San Juan Islands in Washington State when we got certified as captains. (HERE is Chance’s version of that trip) He has always been a trooper wherever we go, as long as he is by our side (or on Diddy’s lap). Kismet and Roxie went to Doggy Camp in Bellingham, Wa. for a week during that trip.

Roxy, however, had never stepped foot on a sailboat. When we have taken her for short rides on our runabout boat back home, she shakes and paces and pants until we are forced to take her back to the house. So I was concerned-very concerned– about her reaction when we took her on a big, loud, rollicking sailboat. I would need to be proactive in making her experience as calm as possible.

Being afraid of many things, including loud noises, bugs, and just about anything that moves, Roxy has a Thundershirt–a fabric and velcro jacket that “swaddles” dogs and calms them. Big surprise-it works! It is not a cure-all, but it noticeably soothes her anxiety in certain situations.

I also read about a holistic tincture called “Serene” by Elizabeth Essentials” and decided to dish out the $33 to try it. So far, I am very pleased with the results. It is a blend of floral and herbal essences used for both humans and animals to treat anxiety and depression.

Finally, Drew, a friend and neighbor, suggested the “baby-step” approach with Roxie, and this is what we’ve done:

In conjunction with the above preventive methods, we then took the pups, together, on the boat while it was docked in the marina for a short overnight. We fed them their favorite food for dinner on the boat, took them for a nice walk around the marina, and sat in the cockpit with them until it was time to go to bed. And yes, just like at home, they were allowed to sleep on the bed with us.

 

 

In the morning, they again got a special meal, and another walk (and play time) before we left to go back to our rented Annapolis cottage.  So their initial experience was all while the boat was nice and secure in its slip. The only difficulty was getting them off and on the boat. In the evening, the tide was low, so there was about an 18” vertical space between the boat and the dock. Chance laid down and flat-out refused to cross the threshold, so we had to carry him over. Roxy tried to jump across, and came up short on the landing. Thank goodness her life jacket was on, and HK was able to grab the handle and pull her across before she fell in the water. Thankfully, by the end of the second day, they both have this maneuver down.

 

There is a lot more to our trials and tribulations of sailing with dogs, so in my next post I’ll discuss dinghy maneuvers and doo-doo detail.  Until then, smooth sailing., and no RUFF water!