Taking Your Dog Boating

Many dogs love the water, and if you own a boat, you’ll probably want to bring your pup on a boating trip at some point. Bringing a dog boating is often a rewarding experience. But there are a few things to keep in mind. Not all dogs are great swimmers, and your dog still has needs that might be hard to meet on a boat.

We here at New Jersey Outboards designed this short guide to help teach our customers about how to keep dogs healthy and happy on boats. If you’re still looking for the right boat, don’t hesitate to stop by our dealership and showroom. We proudly serve the areas of New York and New Jersey.

Make Sure They Can Handle the Water

If your dog can’t swim, it’s probably best to leave them on the shore. Many healthy dogs enjoy the water, especially medium and large sized dogs. But when dogs get older, they can suffer from conditions that make swimming more difficult. Arthritis, obesity, epilepsy, and other health problems could put your dog in serious harm if they get in the water. If you have any questions about whether your dog can handle the water or not, fit them with a doggy life jacket. Doggy life jackets make it possible for your dog to stay above water regardless of whether or not it’s a strong swimmer.

Bring Necessary Supplies

Having the right supplies is important if you want to keep your dog happy and stress-free. If you’re going to be out on the water for an extended amount of time, you might consider bringing your dog’s bed. While most dogs can sustain a few hours of excitement, it’s common for a dog to get tuckered out mid-way through the trip. This is especially true for long fishing trips or cruises. Bringing a few chew toys along is also a good idea and it will help distract them if they’re feeling stressed out. Treats are great for reinforcing positive behavior on the boat. You might want to bring a little bit of food, but go easy until you know that your dog won’t get seasick. Drinking water is always important, though, so bring plenty of it for you and your dog.

Be Careful When Fishing

It may be fine to bring your dog on your boat, but you should think seriously before bringing your dog fishing. Dogs can be loud and easily excited, which can drive away fish. They can also get in the way when you’re trying to bait your hook or land your catch. No one wants to pull out a nice looking bass only to have Fido jump up and eat it.

Unfortunately, it’s all too easy for a dog to find his way into a tackle box smelling the bait and get hooked on a lure. Dogs can get themselves in trouble if you catch a bigger or more violent fish, too. You can easily tell your kids to stay back when you land a small shark, marlin, or barracuda, but your dog will probably be too curious to hold itself back.

Keep Their Needs in Mind

If you want to keep your dog safe, you’ll need to respect their needs. You’ll want to make sure you let your dog relieve itself before you get on the boat. A boating trip might prove exhausting for many older dogs, too. On the other hand, some dogs might love the water a little too much. For example, trying to get a Portuguese water dog back in the boat will be a challenge because the water is where they’ll feel the most comfortable. Don’t let the anticipation of the trip distract you from giving your dog its normal food and medicine, too. If your dog’s another part of the family, you need to treat it that way!

Stop by New Jersey Outboards for all your boating needs. We proudly serve the areas of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We love dogs and boats, so come check our dealership and showroom today.