#Dogs
Joe, the 120 lb retriever, teaches Farley, the 15 lb wheaten terrier, some manners.
Farley arrived home at 8 weeks old, and Joe spent a few months teaching him how to behave like a dog.
Joe is a very tolerant and gentle dog, and even though he is huge, he made a great leader for Farley.
The best friends played, slept and ate together.
#dogs
Farley, my wheaten terrier, loves to run. If he can run off leash, he is ecstatic. I only let him do this if he is in a safe place. In the photo, he’s running in a wheat field in Manitoba.
When I take him running with me on the road or on paths he is on a leash.
For my safety, I have a leash with a belt. I wear it around my waist and that way, if he jerks sideways at, oh say a rabbit, he won’t jar me. This protects my knees and shoulders.
But really I’m writing about dog safety.
First, learn the dog’s limits. Farley can do 10K. More than that and he seems sore. I’m not sure running in a straight line at a consistent pace is what dogs are build for. He can run forever off leash and not show any signs of soreness.
I have a command for him to run on my right side. He’s been trained to heel on my left, but this doesn’t work while running. On the right, he is tucked between me and the side of the road.
This allows cyclists to pass without the worry that Farley will dart in front of them, and it allows me to be sure he won’t dart unexpectedly in front of a passing car. If there are other dog walkers coming the other way, I have better control of Farley so he can’t stop of a visit.
If you have any tips about running with your dog, I’d love to hear them.
#dogs #sailing
Does your dog have a favourite place to sit when you’re sailing?
Farley likes to sit on our trampoline if and only if:
– we are on a beam reach
– the seas are calm
– the engines are off
– the sails are up.
If all of these criteria are not met, he’ll hide down below or in the cockpit. If the seas are rough, he has a spot in the cockpit where he can brace himself on all four sides. If it’s rough enough for us (the humans) to be tethered to the boat, then Farley wears a tether too. He has his own harness, tether and life jacket.
#sailing
If you bring your dog sailing with you in the Bahamas, I hope you don’t mind sand and salt water on your boat.
Farley plays in the waves off Stocking Island beach in the Bahamas. He loves it, but I always keep an eye our for sharks or sting rays. I don’t want Farley to meet up with either of them.
We discovered the hard way that if a dog is stung by a sting ray, the only treatment is to wash the wound with very hot water, as hot as the dog can stand it, and that should take the pain away. Farley hasn’t had this misadventure yet, but our friends’ springer spaniel has been stung twice.
While we were out kayaking we spotted this pair of West Indian Whistling Ducks. The ducks are nocturnal and secretive, so felt lucky to see them
I had my dog, a wheaten terrier, in the kayak. The ducks didn’t seem bothered by him. They waddled around, curious of us, but not frightened.
I know I’ve mentioned this before, but cruising on our lagoon 380 sure gives us ample opportunity to see wildlife in their natural setting. One more glorious day in the Bahamas.
In case you’re wondering, the ducks actually whistle.
#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 #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.
#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.
#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?
#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.
