K-9 Aboard

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By Trista Reinke

K-9 Aboard

By Trista Reinke

Our two Boston Terriers, "Triton" and "Minn-Kota" enjoy a day out on the water just as much as we do. I am often asked by other anglers how they should prepare to bring their best friend on the boat with them. The first thing to remember is to get your pup familiar with the boat and wearing a life jacket before bringing them on the water.

On the Boat	Life Jackets	Attaching Patches
Supplies	Weather	First Trip
Running the Boat	Links	Photo Gallery

On the Boat

Allow them to investigate the inside of your bass boat. If you see that they want to chew on an area, you may want to use a spray deterrent such as "Bitter Apple to prevent them from that habit.

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Life Jackets

Safety is just as important for your best friend as it is for you. There is an array of lifejackets out there for dogs. Your pup may not be too keen on wearing the lifejacket at first. Allow them to sniff the lifejacket before you put it on them. When you do put it on your pup, offer them praise and a treat. Also, allow them to wear it in the house to get used to it. When "Triton" first had his life jacket on he was like a turtle on it's shell.

I started both of our pups with an Outward Hound Life Jacket. They come in an assortment of bright colors (orange, yellow, lime green), a reflected ribbon tape, Velcro and buckle fasteners, a handle on the top (to help pull your dog out of the water), and a d-ring to attach a leash (I also attach an id tag just in case as well).

With our female Boston Terrier, "Minn-Kota" I waited until she was full grown to invest in a more whimsical printed life jacket. I purchased the Louie Print offered by Paws Aboard. It has similar features as the Outward Hound life jackets but also come in an assortment of other prints including polka dots.

You can purchase a life jacket for your pup online or in a store. I find that actually going to a store such as Petsmart is the easiest as you can make sure you pick up the right size for your pet.

I also like to personalize their life jackets with assorted patches. Both of our pups have the BASS Federation patch adorning their jackets as our hearts are with the BASS Federation. For a small pup life jacket, we found that purchasing the BASS patches from Bass Pro Shops were a perfect scale. They also sell an assortment of other great patches including Shimano, Catch & Release, etc. You could also see if your local tailor could make you a personalized patch with your pup's name on it.

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Attaching Patches to Life Jackets
Lay out the life jacket in front of you or place it on your pup to see where you would like to align the patches.

Have two three inch pieces of masking tap ready to act as guides when you find the right spot for the patch. I place one piece of tape on the left side of the patch and the other piece on the right side. If you find it may help you further, use a piece of masking tape on the top and the bottom to act as a guide as well.

If you put the life jacket on you pup to align the patches, remove it and lay it on a hard flat surface preferably a table.
I use Liquid Stitch to apply the patches to the life jacket. This can be found in the craft/sewing sections at your local Craft Stores and Wal-Mart.
Outline the patch with the glue, being sure not to apply it directly on the edge as when you press it down the glue will spread. I usually leave about 1-2 cm's between the outline and the edge of the patch. Also, lightly fill in the using a zig zag motion. Hold the patch by the edges carefully and place it within the guidelines of your masking tape.

Firmly press the patch down for about a minute or two. If you see excess glue coming out from the edges, use a slightly damp cloth to wipe off the excess.

After the patch seems to be sticking to the life jacket on it's own, I usually put a heavy book on top of it for about an hour or two to make sure it is securely attached.

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Supplies

It is always good to be prepared for taking your pup out on the water. This is just a general list to give you an idea of what to bring with you. We have a Tupperware container that we keep the dogs supplies in.

Life Jacket(s)
Baby Sunscreen: as funny as this sounds, if your pup has a lot of white on their heads they could get sunburned.
Water Bowl: a fairly good sized plastic bowl (that way it will not break when you store it in a rod locker or compartment) and a sufficient amount of cool water for them to drink.
Cookies/Treats: So your pup can have a snack or be rewarded.
Toys/Chews: to keep your pup occupied if they should get bored.
Beach Towel(s): in case your pup decides to go for a swim, or for him/her to lay down on.
Spray Deterrent: such as Bitter Apple (which is found at Petsmart) to keep your pup from chewing on an area of your boat.

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Weather

Take into consideration the weather with your pup's breed characteristics. We do not take our pups out when it is above 85-90 degrees. Usually taking them out early in the morning or later in the afternoon is the best time.

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First Trip on the Water

Be sure to keep the first trips out short. Also provide praises to your pup so he or she knows they are ok and you are enjoying having them out there. It is important to also set boundaries as you will most likely have rods with lures on your front deck. Be cautious!!! Using the treble hook guards might be a good idea and they can be purchased at Bass Pro Shops as well.

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Running the Boat

First and foremost, take it SLOW!!!!

Pups seem to respond to this differently. Make sure you reassure them with praise. Triton and Kota both enjoy sitting on our laps while we are running. I do not recommend tying the leashes to a part of the boat because if for some reason they are ejected overboard they could be dragged and possibly strangled.

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Links

Photo Gallery