sailor55330 wrote: Thu Apr 04, 2019 9:20 am
I'll throw my .02 in here. Here's where I'm coming from---used to train dogs professionally. Hunting, taught obedience, trained for therapy certification...so take what I say with a grain of salt because while I understand dogs, I haven't met yours so these are all general guidelines.
1. She likes water---you're ahead of the game.
2. If you use a life jacket, start putting it on her ahead of time. Don't put it on her for the first time when she's on the boat for the first time. Let her wear it around the house for 5 mins and play a game and make it fun--fetch, walks, whatever, then off, then repeat, increasing the time wearing it each time. You want her to associate the life jacket with fun stuff. Same with the boots----too much stimulus at once. You want this to be positive. As a side note on the boots---the first time you put them on her, video it---it's hilarious. Second, you're probably going to lose them as I've yet to see a dog boot that stays on an active dog well without tape.
3. If possible, get her on the boat while it is on the trailer or docked. Let her get used to the boat feel, sounds, smells, etc. A favorite toy is great for this. Simple on for 5 mins, then off, let her explore and be curious. Do this a few times and let her find her own space.
4. The first few rides should be at idle speeds. The motion of the boat is something new to dogs along with the sounds Don't put them on it and crack the throttle....you can work up to that.
5. Because she's a good sized dog, she's going to want to move around. You don't want her to jump off while under way. We have 2 waterproof 6 ft leads. We attach them to the passenger's seat and it allows the dogs to get close enough to the front to feel the breeze, but not jump over...same for the back, they can get close enough to see, but not fall off or jump. Most of the time my guys curl up in a corner when going above 10mph. At 10mph, they are hams with the ears flapping and nose in the wind...I'll post pics later
6. SHADE and WATER.....they need both of these desperately. Water is crucial. Dogs are like little kids...they can get to playing and forget to drink. Always have it available. I've taught mine to drink from a bottle poured slowly---it's a great help. I also have a rubber collapsable bowl.
7. Be patient. Every dog will adapt in their own way. If she doesn't like it, don't force it that will end it for ever. Try to be patient and not use a corrective tone. This is supposed to be fun, not anxious for her. She doesn't know boats and chances are she's going to do something incorrect....teach her what's right and wrong gently and give her the chance to learn. She's going to want to please you more than anything.....remember, we want this to be a fun experience for her, not traumatic.
8. I would also recommend a good nail trim. As you are moving, it's going to feel strange as the world moves below her feet. She might dig in with her claws for grip. Had to see carpet or sea grass snagged. I've never had an issue with dog nails hurting fiberglass. Not sure about Seadek
9. If you encourage her to to swim from the boat, teach her about the swim platform and how to re-board. It took about 3 tries for my lab to figure it out....Now she immediately goes to the swim platform and sits waiting for the ball to be thrown. She'll retrieve it, climb back up and wait to jump again. I put an old dark towel on the swim platform at first for extra grip while she was learning...now she doesn't need it.
Again, keep it positive!!! Sorry for long winded ramble. If you're not sure, I kinda have a thing for dogs.
PS--Also happy to help with dog training advice.
Good luck and enjoy!
