 Check out the bookstore at IRBS.com |
|
|
|
|||||
|
||||||
From: Ron Rogers (no email)
Date: Mon Nov 13 2006 - 18:37:33 EST
Well Sam, I have two Golden Retrievers onboard my Willard 40. Nobody moves,
except by common consent. Yes hair - an almost insurmountable task. Yes,
they eat their food and require water. If I forget, they remind me with
gentle nuzzles. Ticks are rarely a problem in the marina we're in, however,
they recently picked up some fleas and I treated them with Advantage - no
more fleas. The fleas did not infest the boat.
The Boyze don't smell much. I do wash and lube them periodically. They have
never chewed anything other than food or toys. George destroys toys. They go
ashore with me two to three times a day to go bathroom. We all need the
exercise. A neighbor has a Standard Poodle who has learned to go in their
unused forward shower in rough weather or on Astro Turf on deck in nice
weather. The Boyze prefer to go ashore, although Bailey likes the starboard
mooring cleat in extremis. George has a will of iron and holds it. Vets say
they can hold it for 72 hours without adverse effects. They've gone 24 hours
when high or low water has prevented their going ashore.
They do, however, rearrange things with their tails and sometimes their paws
when in a hurry. Like dogs ashore they sleep allot, but they are always up
for going driving in the car! I use the A/C and stabilizers more than I
would if I were on my own. A small price to pay.
What do I get in return? Well you mentioned it, but companionship, loyalty,
and love are not quickly articulated. They know when I don't feel well and
make allowances. When I awoke to my wife's abandonment, the Boyze were
pressed against my back and feet. They helped me pass a kidney stone (small)
by placing their warm heads in relays on my right kidney. How do they know.
They introduce me to many visitors with their natural affection - actually,
Bailey is known as the "Love Slut." This is because he will break off to see
if someone passing is offering something better - but, he comes back.
When the PetStep (ramp) broke and I plunged to the bottom of our creek, they
raised the alarm by barking furiously to people nearby. Often one will
sleep with me while the other lays at the threshold to the stateroom.
Sometimes George will remind me that it's time to stop watching TV and get
in bed.
In sum, shedding is the biggest problem. A lab sheds short hairs Portuguese
Water Dogs do not shed and were bred to go to sea - hard to find and
expensive. They are very friendly. Another of my neighbors has a Bichon
Frise named, suitably, Cotton. He never barks and is cute as the devil. My
Boyze like him.
Lastly, thank God they lack the gift of speech! Thus, I can remain deluded
by my impressions.
Ron, Bailey, & George Rogers
Willard 40
New Bern, NC
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sam Densler" <>
|
| Downsides, pet hair, food, bathroom issues, smell, fleas and ticks,
| damage due to chewing or claws, and the general concern that someone has
| to watch the animal limiting your freedom of movement unless you always
| take the pet with you everywhere you go longer than a day or two.
|
| Upsides, companionship from an animal that doesn't judge you or yell at
| you or spend all of your money on shoes and handbags?
|
| Please enlighten me, I have never understood this.
___________________________________________________________________________
|| The Live-Aboard List : send a "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" request ||
|| in body of message to: ||
|