Dogs

Dingy Dogs

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#dogs

Does your dog like to travel in fast moving boats? Ours does.

Farley, the wheaten terrier, likes to lean over the side. Jasper, the springer spaniel, likes to be up front. They always choose the same place and I have no idea why.

Walking the dog while living on a sailboat means getting in the dingy. When the weather is rough or it’s raining, it might not be too fun. Most of the time it’s great. Training your dog its on the boat makes life easier, but they still like the ride to shore.

Bahamas welcomes pets and the process for clearing in is easy. It’s just too much fun having a dog here.

Dogs In The Office

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

#dogs

Are you a believer in bringing dogs to work? I am. And who doesn’t love a puppy.

During my time working at Panorama Mountain in BC, Canada, one of the perks of the job was brining my dog to work.

Chica was 9 weeks old in this photo, and I think the walk to work tired her out. Other than not having a chair to sit in, it was great having her.

My belief: a dog lowers stress levels in the work environment. Here’s why:

  • It’s hard to stay angry or upset when a dog is wagging it’s tail at you and demanding to be pet.
  • A quick walk with the dog can give a person a chance to think, figure out a problem, or just reassess a situation.  (with the side benefit of fresh air and exercise)
  • It’s not really appropriate to hug a co-worker when they need it, but the co-worker can always hug the dog.
  • And dogs make you laugh. Chica once stole the payroll and ran through the office with the cheques between her jaws. Tell me that didn’t get things moving!

Footprints In The Sand

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

 #dogs #sailing

My 3-year-old Wheaten Terrier, Farley, gets to run on the beach each morning. He likes the 5K he covers without being on a leash.

Stocking Island in the Bahamas is the best beach I’ve found for running. At low tide, the sand is hard and sort of flat. Flat enough to run, anyway.

It’s a great place to exercise your dog if he/she has been on the boat for too many hours.

Cruisers bring all kinds of dogs to the Bahamas. I’ve seen a tiny, little fluffy girl about the size of a slipper (no idea what it was) to a Malamute. Most dogs we meet are used to being off leash and play well with other dogs.

If I could read his mind, I think my dog would tell me he prefers the freedom of the Bahamas to the amount of time he has to spend on a leash a home.

Curious Jasper

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

#dogs #sailing How many ways can you entertain your dog while cruising? Jasper came spear fishing with us and used his skills to search for lobster.

The lookie bucket has a bottom made of plexiglass and gives us a great view of the sea bottom. Some of us don’t like to get in the water unless there is something interesting to look at.

The bucket is an essential tool on all cruising boats and is easy to make. Well, I think it was easy because my husband made it. We use it to check our anchor if neither of us wants to swim on it. A good night’s sleep depends on the set of the anchor!

Jasper thinks he’s being a big help, although we’re not sure what he’s actually contributing here except to make us laugh.

Check out DogLeaderMysteries if you like to see photos of dogs. There are some fun one’s every Friday on DogLeaderMysteries.

Kayaking Dog

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

#dogs Farley loves to kayak, although today I think I might have overdone it with him. Don’t you think he looks tired? Even though it’s me who does all the work, he gets a nap.

If you’re thinking of bringing your dog cruising and bringing a kayak, it’s a good idea to test the kayak first. I had to find one big enough that Farley could get in it too.

Dogs, Snow and Cruising

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment
Farley, Panorama BC

#sailing Does your cruising dog miss home?  I have no idea if mine does. I sometimes wonder if Farley remembers snow. It’s been three years since he’s seen it, but he sure seemed to enjoy it. I’ve gone from removing balls of snow from his fur to removing sand burrs. Neither is much fun.

Farley seems happy on the beach or in the snow.

Farley moved on board when he was 9 months old and had no problem adapting to a boat life. I think the younger a dog is when it makes this transition, the easier it is for the dog. Or . . . Farley is just a really happy dog and doesn’t care where he is.

How did your dog do when it first moved on board?

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Dogs and Sharks

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 10 Comments
Nurse Sharks

#dogs #sailing

Dogs can be curious creatures, but sometimes it’s not in their best interest to engage with sea life.

The nurse sharks are keeping a close eye on the fish cleaning that we are doing near by. Jasper, the springer spaniel, is keeping a close eye on the nurse sharks.

If your dog likes to jump off docks, this might be a good time to have him on a leash. Ours are just curious and stay out of the water.

Nurse sharks are gentle creatures, and some of our group actually swam with them. I guarded the dogs, you know . . . just in case they needed guarding.

LIfe’s Challenges

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#dogs Sometimes life presents a challenge. Cali decided she should attack a dog bone that is clearly too large for her. Our lovely wheaten terrier let her take the bone. He sat patiently beside her waiting for his turn.

This little Jack Russell, with her straight ears and long fur, meets all of life’s challenges with a big attitude.

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Cruising Dogs and Weddings

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 5 Comments

#sailing #dogs Being a cruising dog, our wheaten terrier has all kinds of adventures. Farley loves to go to a wedding. Our friends got married, barefoot on the beach, and they invited our dog to be part of the party.

Farley caught the bouquet, but hasn’t found another dog to marry yet. Maybe this year he’ll meet someone nice and settle down.

Where’s Farley?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments
Star Fish Beach, Bahamas

#sailing #dogs

Sailing with dogs is sandy business if you like to go to the beach. Farley, our wheaten terrier, is the colour of sand, and maybe we should have called him Sandy.

He loves to dig a hole and hide in it. He’ll sit perfectly still and make us play the Where’s Farley game.  I think he might actually be making fun of us, but who knows?

If you’re thinking of cruising with a dog, an outside freshwater hose is a must. Ours is on the back step of our catamaran. Farley gets a rinse before he’s allowed passed the stairs. Then he gets a rub down with a towel. That’s the other item we brought . . . Farley has his own set of towels.  One more little thing to keep us all happy.

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