Getting the Pooch On and Off

acgetz · Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 8:15 am Post subject: Getting the Pooch On and Off

Once upon a time I had two wishes... a large pooch and a new boat. Someone said "be careful what you wish for." I ignored them and both came true at the same time. With a month long cruise supposed to start in just a few weeks, there are lots of little problems to be solved. I wake up in the middle of the night wondering about many things, but one of them makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up... how do I get the 70 lbs blood hound on and off the boat?

Anyone have any interesting ideas/solutions?

Is there already a thread on this somewhere on C-Brats?

Sea Wolf · Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 8:55 am Post subject:

acgetz-

Getting up and over the gun whales (gunnels) is part of the problem, as is bridging the space from there to the dock, or from the swim step to the dock or from the swim step to shore.

One of the best solutions has to use the Pet Step, a type of folding, lightweight, storable ramp, or the equivalent. You can also use a cooler inside the boat to provide a step up top the gunnel or engine well.

Here's a link to the PetStep product.

PetStep shown with flotation buoys added.

Joe.

pcator · Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 10:44 am Post subject:

One of the good things we have learned in a short time is that we use the dogs life jacket which has a handle. He weighs 45 lbs. It works very well getting off the boat or on. The dog remains very still as soon as his feet leave the ground. It also makes me feel more comfortable in the event I should drop him.

Patrick

Alasgun · Guest

While this may sound like something you would get from the "fruitcake lady" I would offer the following opinion bout the dog.
Having raised and run game with English (redticks) hounds, I can assure you that if you incorporate something to chase the dog will follow.
Get your self a trained coon and send him aboard first, the dog will follow. When you get to the dock put the coon ashore first, the dog will follow.
The side benefit would be the great amount of entertainment the coon will provide while onboard heck he might even teach that dog to swim! Laughing

Mike on Huda Thunkit, P.S dont take any of this too seriously!

DaveS · Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 3:15 pm Post subject: Re: Getting the pooch on and off

starcrafttom · Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 3:31 pm Post subject:

I would look in the hunting catalogs they make a lot of steps for the duck hunting crowd. most have floating platforms in the water and hooks that go around the gunnels. follow this link to a list sold by cabelas.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/index/index-display.jsp?id=cat600041&navAction=jump&navCount=1&parentId=cat20712&parentType=category&cmCat=MainCatcat20712

oldgrowth · Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 7:29 pm Post subject: Re: Getting the pooch on and off

thataway · Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 7:45 pm Post subject:

Yes, there have been several threads on getting the dogs on and off. We have boated with labs up to 120 lbs. The "Pet Step" is our current favorite. We used it on the transom of the C Dory 22. Either using a float, or putting the boat stern to a bank, and the single outboard all of the way up, the dog (and us) could get on and off the boat without getting our feet wet. We put non skid in the outboard well for better "grip". We had an ice chest or gear box (like the rubber maid action packer across the back and the dogs would hop up on these to get back to the well and "pet step"

The C Dory 22 is a great boat for dogs....even without coons (cute photo!)