Hello. I'm new to canoeing and would like to train my dog to come
along. Right now I'm going tandem, and mostly in the front of the boat
although I'm beginnning to spend more time in the back. My dog is 8
years old, about 50 pounds, healthy, a good swimmer, and fairly well
trained in general. She'll be wearing a life jacket. Can anyone
provide, or point me to, advice on how to train her to get in and out
of the canoe and to stay low and centered while there? Is there a way
for her to get out in the middle of the water for a swim and back in
without tipping us? And is there anything else I should be thinking
about? We haven't tried yet, and my more experienced partner has a
bias against swimming ;-}. Thanks - Carol

The key is to give them something to provide traction in the bottom of the
boat. Dogs tend to be skittish if they are slipping around on the bottom of a
royalex canoe. I use a rubber mat with a carpet top. This allows her to hop
in and out with no problem. The canine PFD I use has a grab handle on the back
which allows me to lift her out of water like a suitcase when we are in open
water. As for keeping your dog
from jumping around just keep correcting them and they will learn. Just don't
get frustrated, it takes time. You want to be sure they have fun and they will
be great to have along. One last thing. I always keep a short leash handy to
control my dog when we land. But DO NOT keep the dog leashed in the canoe. In
case of a capsize
entanglement is a real risk. Hope this helps.

"AConst" wrote in message
...
The key is to give them something to provide traction in the bottom of the
boat. Dogs tend to be skittish if they are slipping around on the bottom
of a
royalex canoe. I use a rubber mat with a carpet top. This allows her to
hop
in and out with no problem. The canine PFD I use has a grab handle on the
back
which allows me to lift her out of water like a suitcase when we are in
open
water. As for keeping your dog
from jumping around just keep correcting them and they will learn. Just
don't
get frustrated, it takes time. You want to be sure they have fun and they
will
be great to have along. One last thing. I always keep a short leash
handy to
control my dog when we land. But DO NOT keep the dog leashed in the
canoe. In
case of a capsize
entanglement is a real risk. Hope this helps.

What a cool thread! Never trained a dog to be a canoeing partner, but I
think I'd also suggest getting her used to her PFD beforehand. Maybe put it
on her, then go play frisbee or something so she gets used to PFD = fun.
Smack her if she chews on it. I don't know if they make commercial doggie
PFDs, but I'd look into designs....I imagine you'd want more flotation down
around her chest area to keep her head up, but not so wide that it
interferes with her dogpaddling.

I think I'd also spend some time with her in the canoe in the yard, so she
can get used to her 'spot' in it. Another consideration is to train her to
stay with you and the canoe in case it capsizes. Nothing worse than going
over in a lake, and the dog heads for shore (a mile away!). You'll have your
hands full already getting righted. I'd suggest playing in water shallow
enough for you to stand in, and training her to climb on the inverted hull,
or to just grab the painter and hang out.

Just thoughts from something I have no experience with!

--riverman

.... and don't forget the Frontline --- to keep the ticks off.


"CG" wrote in message
om...
Hello. I'm new to canoeing and would like to train my dog to come
along. Right now I'm going tandem, and mostly in the front of the boat
although I'm beginnning to spend more time in the back. My dog is 8
years old, about 50 pounds, healthy, a good swimmer, and fairly well
trained in general. She'll be wearing a life jacket. Can anyone
provide, or point me to, advice on how to train her to get in and out
of the canoe and to stay low and centered while there? Is there a way
for her to get out in the middle of the water for a swim and back in
without tipping us? And is there anything else I should be thinking
about? We haven't tried yet, and my more experienced partner has a
bias against swimming ;-}. Thanks - Carol

"riverman" wrote...

What a cool thread! Never trained a dog to be a canoeing partner, but I
think I'd also suggest getting her used to her PFD beforehand. Maybe put
it
on her, then go play frisbee or something so she gets used to PFD = fun.
Smack her if she chews on it. I don't know if they make commercial doggie
PFDs, but I'd look into designs....I imagine you'd want more flotation
down
around her chest area to keep her head up, but not so wide that it
interferes with her dogpaddling.

We've seen several dogs in kayaks and canoes on the Puget Sound and Lake
Washington.

Depends on the dog, of course, but our Brittany never objected to the PFD.
We take her out in our 21' SeaPearl, and are working up to taking her in the
Adirondack Guideboat (she's a bit active right now...). The first time we
took her sailing, we just put the PFD on her, and she jumped into the boat!

There are a few commercial canine PFDs available. The cheap one we have has
lasted 5+ years, and we just bought another, "better" one (don't have the
name handy). All the floatation is on top/sides, and only the straps go
around the chest/belly; otherwise it ight tend to invert...


I think I'd also spend some time with her in the canoe in the yard, so she
can get used to her 'spot' in it. .

I'd suggest a shallow spot near the beach rather than the back yard. Start
right off with the entry/exit, and practice retrieving her when (not "if"!)
she jumps overboard.

What a cool thread! Never trained a dog to be a canoeing partner, but I
think I'd also suggest getting her used to her PFD beforehand. Maybe put it
on her, then go play frisbee or something so she gets used to PFD = fun.
Smack her if she chews on it. I don't know if they make commercial doggie
PFDs, but I'd look into designs....I imagine you'd want more flotation down
around her chest area to keep her head up, but not so wide that it
interferes with her dogpaddling.

An example of a good doggie PFD

http://www.pooch.ca/item1140.htm

a lot of cheaper vest just have straps going around the stomach instead of
the wrap around float panel, making them uncomfortable to wear and don't
offer proper flotation.

CG wrote:
Hello. I'm new to canoeing and would like to train my dog to come
along. Right now I'm going tandem, and mostly in the front of the boat
although I'm beginnning to spend more time in the back. My dog is 8
years old, about 50 pounds, healthy, a good swimmer, and fairly well
trained in general. She'll be wearing a life jacket. Can anyone
provide, or point me to, advice on how to train her to get in and out
of the canoe and to stay low and centered while there? Is there a way
for her to get out in the middle of the water for a swim and back in
without tipping us? And is there anything else I should be thinking
about? We haven't tried yet, and my more experienced partner has a
bias against swimming ;-}. Thanks - Carol

You don't say what breed, but in general...
- to get a dog *back* in the boat depends on the dog. My lab will come
near me, and try to climb in. Use your away hand to do some sort of
flat brace with the paddle, and either put your hand behind her head and
let her do it, or grab the PFD/loose fur and haul. Mine comes right in
that way.
- STAY and SIT are pretty important commands.
- a mat to get your dog out of the water in the bottom of the boat is
essential! Having some way for your pooch to lie down dry makes you a
much better travelling companion for them.

The legendary racer Buzzy Peterson had a dog who would actually shift
hip to hip in the bow when Buzzy called Hut!. A goal to pursue...

Happy paddling

Marsh Jones
Minnesota

"CG" wrote in message
om...
Hello. I'm new to canoeing and would like to train my dog to come
along. ...

Keno was a malamute who came along on all my trips for years. Main problem
was that he HATED to get wet. I had to lure him into the boat with dog
biscuits, and the timing had to be perfect. If I gave the biscuit to him
before we were well clear of shore, he would grab the biscuit and leap out
without getting his paws wet. The second problem was his 90 or 100 pound
mass. I couldn't force him to do anything he didn't want to do. We did a
couple of trips that had whitewater in them, and it took some doing to keep
him quiet. Most of the time the water was set-up-early-and-then-spectate,
so I could hold him down with one hand through the whoop-de-doos, uttering
usually soothing but sometimes threatening words.

In the presence of wildlife, many malamutes and huskies are untrainable, and
Keno was worse than the worst. If I saw the moose first, I could get a
fistfull of withers skin, squeeze hard enough to get his attention and
convince him that I was serious and hold him down. If he spotted it first
(the usual condition), it was a real circus. And the funny thing was - the
response was unmeasured. A moose or a squirrel got the same explosive
reaction.

It was barely possible to get him back on board after a swim, but a 90 pound
double-coated dog brings in so much water with him that I would have to
beach to bail anyway.

On the upriver sections, Keno preferred to make his own way along the shore,
agreeing to get ferried across when we got to a barrier or cutbank. Some
people have dogs that'll line a boat in harness. *sigh*

It's hardly worth boating without a dog.

Hth,
Fred Klingener

Thanks, everybody!

Went out sea kayaking with a group on one of the local rivers and was
surprised to see our leader with a very large dog sitting in the rear hatch
area. I had seen dogs in canoes over the years but to have a dog on board
mostly out of reach requires a very calm dog. here is a link to the club
page with a picture of him and his dog.

--
KENNETH MCCLELLAND
"Fred Klingener" wrote in message
...
"CG" wrote in message
om...
Hello. I'm new to canoeing and would like to train my dog to come
along. ...

Keno was a malamute who came along on all my trips for years. Main
problem
was that he HATED to get wet. I had to lure him into the boat with dog
biscuits, and the timing had to be perfect. If I gave the biscuit to him
before we were well clear of shore, he would grab the biscuit and leap out
without getting his paws wet. The second problem was his 90 or 100 pound
mass. I couldn't force him to do anything he didn't want to do. We did a
couple of trips that had whitewater in them, and it took some doing to
keep
him quiet. Most of the time the water was set-up-early-and-then-spectate,
so I could hold him down with one hand through the whoop-de-doos, uttering
usually soothing but sometimes threatening words.

In the presence of wildlife, many malamutes and huskies are untrainable,
and
Keno was worse than the worst. If I saw the moose first, I could get a
fistfull of withers skin, squeeze hard enough to get his attention and
convince him that I was serious and hold him down. If he spotted it first
(the usual condition), it was a real circus. And the funny thing was -
the
response was unmeasured. A moose or a squirrel got the same explosive
reaction.

It was barely possible to get him back on board after a swim, but a 90
pound
double-coated dog brings in so much water with him that I would have to
beach to bail anyway.

On the upriver sections, Keno preferred to make his own way along the
shore,
agreeing to get ferried across when we got to a barrier or cutbank. Some
people have dogs that'll line a boat in harness. *sigh*

It's hardly worth boating without a dog.

Hth,
Fred Klingener