Tips For Safe Boating with Your Dog This Summer

Hi Everybody!

Wanted to take a little time to quickly talk about dogs at the cottage and boat safety.  I was at the cottage with some pooches this weekend and we saw another boat with two dogs in it that were NOT wearing life jackets.  When they saw us coming and saw our dogs their dogs jumped out of their boat and started swimming towards us.  The owners were busy swimming on the other side of the boat and didn’t see that their dogs had jumped out of the boat.  Luckily, we saw them jump so we were able to stop and lead the dogs back to their own boat, instead of trying to follow us to say hi to our pooches.

They were so shocked that their dogs would actually jump off the boat.  They had never done so before.  In fact, when they thought about it they realised that their dogs had never really seen other dogs on a passing boat before. 

It occurred to me that many people just don’t think of boat safety for dogs since generally animals don’t do anything against their instincts.  For example, a dog wouldn’t typically jump off something too high or unsafe.  A boat, on the other hand, is a little perplexing because it is very low to the water so it seems like a safe jump.  They don’t know that they won’t be able to get back on.  They don’t know that swimming away could be dangerous because of passing boats, wake boarders, tubers, etc.

So what are some things you can do to make your boating experience safe for your dogs?

First things first, get them used to it.  When I bring a dog on the boat for the first time I sit with them in the boat for a little while before I start the engine.  The engine starting itself could be something that may startle a dog so give them a minute to get used to the sound.  Especially if you are in a powerful boat, the roaring engine can be quite intimidating and a dog might be comfortable at a slower pace, as soon as you speed up and the volume spikes they may freak out a little bit.

Another good idea is to put a life jacket on your dog.  This seems a little cheesy right?  Dogs can swim very well... usually.  A life jacket for your dog is a good idea for a couple of different reasons.  First, you can buy a really bright coloured one that will make your dog very visible in case they ever jumped out of the boat.  Not just visible to you, but to oncoming lake traffic as well.  Also, a dog that is in a state of fear may not think logically.  If you fell off a boat you would swim back logically.  Dogs, however, when they are frightened have a tendency to just run run run away.  Your dog could potentially start swimming towards shore in a panic.  If you are unable to catch them immediately, the last thing you want is for your dog to become too tired to keep going.  Dogs HAVE drowned before.  It can happen and it is a horrible tragedy when it does, especially when it is so preventable.

Some other things to remember is to bring fresh water and a dish, make sure there is a shady spot on the boat for your dog to retreat from the sun and make sure they get breaks to go to the bathroom (a dog will not pee in the lake in an emergency like people do).

Finally, the cardinal rule, don’t leave them unattended.  If you want to jump off the boat and go swimming make sure that you can see what your dog is doing.  There’s nothing wrong with them sitting up on the boat but make sure they are in view that’s all.

Be safe and have fun this summer!!!

There are a ton of different kinds of Doggy PFDs (Personal Flotation Devices) out there.  You can get them in all sorts of colours and styles, whether your dogs is sporty, trendy, pretty, whimsical, etc.