Cruising is exhausting. I have to keep track of birds, dolphins, other boats, dogs on shore and bridges. Kristina and Matt let this all pass by without keeping watch.
Sometimes it’s all just too much for me, and I need a place to crash. If the boat is bouncing around too much, my favourite place is in the cockpit. There’s a spot I fit perfectly. If I’m in here, Kristina doesn’t insist on tethering me (unless it’s really rough, but then I don’t mind.)
When it’s smooth out, Matt lets me drive. My owners put a new back on the helm station seat this year, and I can lean into it without falling through. Much better than the old seat. I’m pretty sure they upgraded this feature just for me.
“Steer to shore,” I said. “Can’t you smell the squirrels?”
Before we left the dock, I helped Matt get the sails rigged. We started early, just as the sun was coming up. Matt and Kristina wanted the sails up before the wind picked up. I guess it’s not great to have full sail up when the boat is tied to the dock.
I tried to tell Matt what the fastest way to get this done was, but he never listens to me. I know how the sails to go on, he just doesn’t understand dog speak. Plus if he was faster, I would have the trampoline back.
Hard at work at dawn.
Our first day on the water was cold and Kristina was overprotective. She made me wear my harness and tethered me to the cockpit just because I kept trying to go lie on my trampoline. How embarrassing. The other dogs don’t have to wear a harness when they’re on the Intra-coastal waterway.
I think I’m a little bored.
But best of all, I saw my first dolphins and barked at them. I had to let them know I’m the boss.
I’m in Florida. Bad weather is coming, but we’re in a safe place. It’s hot here, much hotter than Winnipeg, Manitoba.
We left Winnipeg on Sunday and arrived in St. Augustine, Florida on Tuesday night. That means I spent 3 days in a car. Booooooring.
Kristina seemed excited that we crossed 9 States. All I saw was the inside of the van, a few trees, and hotel rooms.
So what can I say about Florida. That grass is weird and makes my feet itch.
I’ve got a nice yard for the week while my owners stay in a house. I get to chase squirrels, and they are inside and very tired. Too much work on the boat for them.
So what’s a dog life like in a boat yard, you ask. The rocks hurt my feet. The ground smells of odd things. I mentioned it is hot, so I either spend my time under a boat, and anyone’s boat will do, or I hide in my boat. I let my owners have the starboard side, but the port side is all mine.
Notice the Canadian Flag towel? Kristina puts it down for me, but I never use it.
The boat yard people are very nice and they like dogs. Me especially. Because I’m so cute, you know.
The draw back – I’m down from 3 walks a day to 2. What’s up with that? I can’t wait until Matt and Kristina are finished ‘working’ on their boat, launch it, and I get 3 walks again.
I get lifted and carried a lot. The boat is up on the hard and I need help getting on. Matt’s very good about it.
Matt giving me a lift.
There’s a mean dog on the boat beside us, and I had to snap at him to tell him to leave me alone. Now he just stares at me. It’s a bit awkward.
My owner’s bring ice to the boat to keep my water cold. The house has a fridge that makes ice cubes. Heaven for me. I love ice cubes. I never get any while sailing, so I’m having as many as I can right now. Once we’re under way my owners are always talking about power consumption and say we can’t have an ice cube maker.
Soon, the boat will be in the water, Kristina will put me back to the top of her priority list, and I can keep watch for dolphins.
Our dog Farley, spends his winters in the Bahamas on our Lagoon 380 S2.
We’ve entered the part of the year where we need prepare for the season. This includes provisioning for Farley. In Going Sailing With Your Dog? I gave a high level list of what to bring on a cruising boat.
Today I’ll focus on his medical kit.
The soft cone stops Farley from fussing with an injury on his front leg.
Before entering the Bahamas, Farley needs to get a health certificate. This has to be done right before we cross, so I don’t leave anything critical until then. Sometime during the summer, I have a discussion with Farley’s vet about what he needs for the upcoming season. If your dog required any medication, it’s best to order early. Sometime the vet won’t carry a six month supply.
For Farley we bring
Doxycycline – for lyme’s disease. This horrible disease can be cured, but only if you have the right medication.
Advantix – some years are worse than others in the Bahamas for ticks.
Heartworm pills
The cone of shame, both a soft one, as shown in the photo and a hard plastic one. They can be stored flat underneath a bunk.
Ear cleaning fluid. Farley tends to get ear infractions when he swims in salt water. The fluid seems to held reduce this.
Antibiotic ear drops – for a serious infection
Antibiotic eye drops – for a serious infection
Muzzle – in case of severer injury, it might avoid a dog bite.
Shampoo – think lots of sand! I put this under medical and not grooming as I believe it keeps Farley from having skin issues.
There are items from our medical kit that we could use for Farley. This includes large bandages, scissors, gloves, and antibiotic cream. I never give Farley medication from our kit unless a vet tells me it’s okay.
Before I leave for the season, I talk to my vet and make sure I can contact them while I’m away. There are vets in the Bahamas, and my experience there has been very good, but when sailing away from civilization, sometimes the only way to get a consult is through email
Please remember, this is what I bring based on what Farley needs. It’s best to consult your vet to get the right things for your dog.
If you have other items you bring, please let me know.
. . . then here is a list of things to bring if you plan to cruise with your pup.
Farley on the deck of Mattina.
Farley, my wheaten terrier, has spent three winters on our Lagoon 380 S2 catamaran and is about to start his fourth.
This week Farley’s permit to enter the Bahamas arrived in the mail, and it was a good reminder for me to prepare for the season.
Farley can’t to this on his own, so I get to do it for him.
After a few weeks in Florida, we’ll sail across the Gulf Stream and spend the winter in the Bahamas. I created list below from my experience in the Bahamas. I’m sure there are other things you need to consider for sailing to other countries.
Before each season, I review what I use for Farley at home and assume I won’t be able to get the items while I’m sailing.
Farley’s Provisioning List:
Dog food and treats
Medical Kit
Grooming Kit
Extra leashes and harness
Safety gear
Toys
Permit to enter Bahamas
Health certificate – including proof of immunization for rabies, distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, leptospirosis, adenovirus and coronavirus.
I’ll expand on some of the items above in future blogs.
Dog parks are a great place for dogs to play and socialize with other dogs. Farley, our wheaten terrier, travels often. He’s covered the east coast of the US 5 times, driven from Panorama BC to Ottawa, ON, and driven from Ottawa to Winnipeg 6 times.
You get the idea . . . he travels a lot. This means he is often at a dog park where he’s the unknown dog.
We’ve had some great experiences and some not so great.
One of our favourite dog parks in Delaware, USA.
The one issue we look out for is a dog park that doesn’t have a lot of transient dogs. We’ve found that a park full of dogs that aren’t used to a new comer can be a problem. Farley has been the recipient of aggressive, territorial behaviour.
I’ve learnt when entering a new park for the first time, to talk to the other dog owners and see what works best for introducing our pup to others. We’re the newcomers so we need to adapt to the others. After that, it’s all fun and games.
This week Farley is representing a dog park the he’s never been to, but has friends in the neighbourhood. The Doylestown Dog Park has posted Farley’s photo as their cover photo. Check it out if you get the chance.
I couldn’t resist posting this photo. Kids, dogs and toys are a great mix. Bringing home two new puppies on the same day almost four years ago was a happy moment day. What more could anyone want?
Three adults, three kids and three dogs in one mini-van make it through 2000 km of driving.
Murphy (Rottweiler), Piper (Boarder Terrier) and Farley (Wheaten Terrier) get crammed into the van.
Murphy is clearly the alpha as he is in most situations. Farley and Piper are fairly even in the pack, but I think Farley is a little higher in the pack order.
Murphy and Piper met Farley in Winnipeg. The dogs went for a long off-leash romp before we put them in the car together. Any pack issues had to be worked out before they were in the van with the kids.
Each has its own type of food. When I was a kid, the dogs ate whatever we had. It wouldn’t have occurred to us to bring three kinds of food for three dogs. Add in leashes, bowls, grooming kit, towels and poop bags and they need room for their gear.
In the hot summer weather, we made sure we had enough water in the car for all three. Keeping everyone (including the kids) happy meant water and food on a regular basis. The dogs didn’t want to eat until we were settled in the campground and ate less than they normally do.
Murphy saved throwing up until he was in the tent and the suitcase was open. Gotta love the glamour that comes with dog ownership.
Dealing with an alpha male brings its own challenges.
Murphy drank first, then the other two had access to the water.
Murphy got in the car first, then the other two.
You get the idea.
It was a great trip. Would I do it again? You bet. Travelling with a pack is a riot.
Our wheaten terrier, Farley, arrived at our house when he was 8 weeks olds. The first command we taught him was SIT. We did this in a gentle manner.
Watch the puppy.
Right as he starts to sit, say, “Sit.”
Praise the puppy with a calm pat to the head.
He’ll figure out the meaning of the word in no time.
But how does this stop him from jumping up on people? Make the dog sit before petting him – EVER. This will teach the dog not to jump on people. You need the help of your friends and family. A new puppy is cute, and who doesn’t want to pick him up. But, he has to learn he can’t jump on people, so before your friends, family or strangers pet or pick up your pet, make sure the animal sits first.
Wheaten Terriers are well known for jumping on people, but even a Wheaten can be trained not to jump. I believe this is as important for small dogs, as it is for large dogs.
I also used the SIT command to stop my pup from begging. When he first arrived in our home, and we sat at the table to eat, he was told to sit. We never feed him from the table, and he doesn’t beg. This makes it easy to bring him places, like happy hour on the beach, and he won’t bother other people.
The trick is consistency. It’s hard to resist the cuteness, but if you can, you puppy will become an easier to live with adult dog.
Kristina Stanley 