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(no email)
Date: Fri Jun 09 2006 - 09:10:13 EDT
We just got back from nearly three months of cruising with a 50+ pound
standard poodle, on a Marine Trader 44 that has no opening stern and is 5 feet
above the swim platform. It was impossible to lift the dog and hoist him to
chest level, especially if there was any wave action. We needed some
mechanical lifting device.
The solution to that problem was to install a stern davit, and fit him with a
tight dog preserver. If the preserver is a tad loose, it will not work and the
dog will slip out. The fit is all important, as is having a lifting D ring.
Handles do not work well with a snap shackle on the hoist.
In short order, the dog learned that getting in his life preserver meant a
dinghy trip and a ride to shore, and he was always eager to please. Lowering
away was easy. The davit lead was attached to control his decent, and under
ideal and calm conditions, the handle of the life preserver by itself was
sufficient.
Getting back onto the boat from the dinghy was a whole different matter. He
was suited up, attached, and my wife would hoist from the deck while I lifted.
No strained back, no frightened dog, and we developed a smooth, fluid motion.
Many people watching this would comment that we made it look so easy. It
wasn't us, but the davit action made it look that way.
Even though you have a 90 pound dog, a good canvas shop could build you a
sling with a board at its base, and velcro securing straps. You would probably
need to have a 4 part tackle mounted high, so that you could use it to get the
dog up to the fly bridge, as well as down to the swim platform. On the MT44,
since it is a classic and is 3 steps up to the deck above the aft cabin, and
then only 4 steps up to the fly bridge, our dog learned to negotiate these
quickly by himself.
On a related subject that strangers frequently asked us was: what do you do
for a potty for the dog? Do you take him ashore every time he needs to go? My
answer, and the solution to this question always brought an expression of "Ah
ha" to their faces, so I'd like to share it with the rest of you dog lovers.
I'm a firm believer that dogs can be taught, no matter their age, to do
whatever you wish of them, but first, you have to learn some dog psychology
yourself. Suggest the reference: Whit's End Dog Training Method on the net. In
order to train a dog, you must first teach them that you are the pack leader.
I'll stop there and get back to the point of how you train the dog to go potty
on the boat.
Some friends in Stuart had just completed a two year circumnavigation of the
Loop on their sailboat with a small dog. Their dog had been trained to use a
piece of polyturf, about 2' x 2', on the foredeck. They installed a grommet in
one corner, and kept it on the boat with a line, long enough to let them wash
the carpet over the side periodically. I mentioned that I was having mixed
success with training my dog to use the front deck. They graciously passed
this piece of polyturf on to us, as their boat was up for sale and they
planned to move inland.
At first, our dog ignored the polyturf, other than to sniff it periodically
(the po was a female, and he is a male). What to do? We noticed that whenever
we took the dog to a beach, that he immediately headed for the weed line and
promptly peed there. So, we filled a shopping bag with dried seaweed and
brought it back to the boat. The first doses we sprinkled on the carpet were
quite liberal. The dog got the idea and started using the polyturf
immediately. It was conveniently placed near our salt water washdown pump and
it was an easy matter to hose it off every time he used it. A couple times a
week you throw it overboard and let it soak for an hour, and it comes up
looking new.
Sorry if this has been long-winded, but if it helps one owner train his dog,
and saves hundreds of dinghy trips ashore at inconvenient times, it will have
been worth it.
Cruising with one's pet is a rich experience that you shouldn't miss or avoid.
We loved having our dog with us.
Martin Veiner & Margaret Shearon
MT44 "Micha"
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