Dogs on your nautique?

[Clibka]

I've got a 10 mo golden retriever, what is the community's experience with dogs on the boat? Get little boots to save vinyl?

[NautiqueJeff]

I have been in plenty of Nautiques (and other boats) with dogs in them. Murray and Travis Moye almost always have their dogs with them. No damage seems to be done, but those are small dogs. That being said, I don't allow dogs in my boats.

[Zach@n3]

I will sum that up with a one word answer. No.

Get a pontoon for that .

[swc5150]

Hopefully Nautiquehunter chimes in. I met him at the CCF Green Lake reunion, and his dog had these slick nail covers that protected the interior. They were even orange to match his boat.

[swc5150]

They're called Soft Paws...

[swc5150]

Whoops, sorry those are the cat version! Hunter knows what the dog version are, but Soft Paws are essentially the same thing.

[ES]

Our dog is always with us...a small Italian greyhound.
Besides the size (~12 lb) the big plus of this breed is that they do not shed - which is critical, especially with carpeted surfaces.
For the nails, I just keep them trimmed (I clip them and then round them with a Dremel tool). My cue for when it's time to trim is when the kids play with the dog and they start getting scratches :-)

[super01]

ES how do you get your dog to sit still for the Dremel tool? My dog goes ballistic whenever she just sees the nail clippers!

[Zach@n3]

I use pontoon paws . I would probably try harder to get our dog on an actual boat but she is soooooooo wussy around water we just leave her in the shaded fenced back yard at the house when we hit the water. Makes her much happier and less wound up.

[Quinner]

Prefer my dog on my buddy's boats, like the time my lab dropped a deuce in hollywoods 88', lol.

Our Lab loves the water and boat rides, like mentioned, trimmed nails or covers are the key for the vinyl problem, the hair on the other hand is a nightmare as is having to drag the shop vac out to the dock after a doggy boat ride. If you have snap in carpet that could help however fang will be slippin and sliddin on the gel floor.

Does dog hair stick to that sea deck stuff??

[ES]

Hypnosis.
Just kidding. It took some time - the dog still does not like it, but she doesn't mind too much anymore.
I generally sit cross-legged on the floor, get the dog on my lap, facing out, and extend one paw in front. I lean forward, so she is tucked in between my stomach and my elbows. After the treatment, we give her doggie treats that she loves. This makes subsequent trimmings less daunting...

Fortunately, most of my dog's nails are light in color, so I can actually see where the nerve ends. Once you clip and then start rounding with the Dremel, you have to be careful not to get too close to the nerve. I can only imagine how painful it would be if you struck the nerve. I am sure the dog wouldn't come in a 20 ft radius if you did that.
Hope this helps!

[Kmayotte]

Maybe Kitten Mittens would work for a dog...?

[skiswm]

I had never taken my dog(s) on the boat up until the last 2 years. I had larger labs before but now with smaller labradoodles (18 lbs and 30lbs) they have gone out quite a bit. The larger dog loves it, puts his head up in the air and loves the breeze blowing. The smaller dog is happy to be included but could do without the water, not a fan of swimming.



we have found it to be fun, they dogs enjoy it and it is easier than leaving them at home. This is the larger dog Bart enjoying the back of the boat while we were crusing.

[s_kelley2000]

Maybe Kitten Mittens would work for a dog...?

Haha I love that show!

I like having my dog on the boat but the hair clean up and worrying about vinyl getting ripped is not fun. I used to bring mine out on my old boat a little bit but the club we use our boat at now does not allow dogs so she stays home but I'd rather not deal with the clean up anyways.

If you do it make sure you bring some water for them as they can get dehydrated quickly in the sun. If they like to swim you might want to put a harness or a vest with a strap on them so you can lift them back onto the platform easily. Mine jumped off with just her collar and it was a little bit of a struggle to get her back on board.

[TRBenj]

Shedding sucks, but cant imagine leaving Tique on the dock all the time... he loves the boat. No vinyl issues, as he's super mellow. A hyper dog may cause a problem though. The hair is a royal pain, on the other hand... but thats what they make shop vacs for.