C-Dorys and Dogs

W

Walldog

New member
We have been traveling in a motorhome for the past 4 years with our Golden Retriever Jake. He travels very well, and loves to ride in boat and of course swim. We are considering buying a 22-25 cruiser and taking a few trips up the waterways from our home in Port Isabel at the "End of Texas". Same as the Tropical Tip of Texas that Jim of Wild Blue fame ports out of.

We wonder how many other Brats have dogs and how do you handle them on extended voyages. Jake really likes to walk for a couple of miles about 7am and after that he is good for most of the day until happy hour when we let him out a bit.

I suggested a bit of Astro Turf on the deck for him, but SWMBO vetoed that idea. grins.

Chime in and let us know some of the ways yall walk your dogs.

Walldog in Port Isabel
 
Hi Herb,

As you know, we travel with a cat. But, we've run into plenty of people who cruise with dogs. Most seem to do the "row 'em ashore several times a day" routine. If you're going marina to marina, it's easier... but I've only visited with one couple who were able to get their dog to do his duty on astroturf (and they dunked it overboard). I don't know how you'll "teach an old dog new tricks", but I'm sure the other Brats will have some good ideas.

I got your PM, look for a reply.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
We make pit stops. Much easier now that we have only one 20 lb dog vs two labs or a Boarder Collie and Chow/ Shepard mix. Although some dogs can be litter box or pad trained, it is difficult, since the cockpit is their living area.

We just do a pit run mid day even if we are running 100 miles in a day. Most days we are only running several hours, so we don't have to make another stop. We stay in marinas about 30% of the time, so it means a dingy trip to take the dog ashore.
 
We use a piece of faux-grass doormat, in the upside-down lid from a large storage tub. It's attached with a couple of zip-ties at one end. After peeing is done, it's easy to dump overboard and rinse. Poop (usually on the deck) is picked up with TP and goes into the head. Only minor cleanup required. Easy!

Our dog loves to walk, and so do we, so we do plenty of walking when it's convenient. She's also totally thrilled with dinghy rides, whether we stop on shore or not, but we get along pretty well without either when we need to. Lots of rocky places in BC and AK getting ashore is a challenge, especially at low tide.
 
Every single time the dinghy comes off the top of the boat, Baxter gets on the swim step, takes a flying leap and jumps in! That time we thought we would just leave him there for a while. He sat there for a long time, in his "happy place."

As to training a dog to use Astroturf, maybe - it probably depends on the breed (maybe we need to get a Yorkie if we ever get another dog). Entry in the breed book on Lhasa Apso:

"Low in intelligence, slow to learn commands, willful." I am not kidding here. OTOH, "loyal, affectionate, have uncanny ability to perceive when anything is out of order and will set up alarm." They were bred as palace guard dogs for Tibetian monks.

Walldog":3hhi6tnh said:
Thanks for the great picture Pat.
Click to expand...
 
We're pretty new to C-dory having just got ours in the Fall. We have always cruised via sail with a dog aboard and have enjoyed hours of great entertainment watching them explore the beach. Our CD 19 is called Madi's Bunk for our daschund/poodle type cross. Our first powerboat and we wondered how Madison would fare. The photo was taken about 10 seconds after being underway on our first trip. She took right to it. Dogs are great aboard just be mindful of thier needs. The shallow draft of the C-dory makes it easy to get ashore for walks. :lol:
 
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