AS SEEN IN THE JULY / AUGUST 2007 ISSUE

In the last ten years, I think my wife and I have gone out on our boat only a handful of times without our dog. That’s a lot of hours on the water with our beloved pooch. During that time, we’ve experienced plenty of picture perfect days, some bumpy seas and some very hot and humid weather. All without incident. We’ve been fortunate, but we also plan rather well.

If conditions are favorable and you’d like to get your furry friend out on the water, here are some tips that you, too, should consider to insure your time on the water is as safe and as enjoyable as possible for every participant, including your family pet.

Personal Flotation Devices.

The slogan “Boat Smart – Boat Safe – Wear It!” used in the Safe Boating Campaign holds true for both people and pets. Contrary to popular belief, not all dogs are great swimmers, and depending on where you happen to be boating, should your best friend accidentally fall or unintentionally jump overboard, the animal may not be able to reach safety before suffering exhaustion or hypothermia. Even in the calm ICW, your pet may panic and try to climb up the nearest seawall - ultimately shredding its soft paws on the jagged barnacles. Make sure your dog wears a Personal Flotation Device whenever he or she is on the boat.

PFDs designed specifically for dogs are sold at major boating accessory stores, catalogs and all over the Internet. There are quite a few companies that manufacturer them in various sizes and specifications. It is important that the PFD properly fit your dog, so don’t hesitate bringing your pet along when purchasing this important safety item or at the very least, exchange it for a more adequate size if mail ordering.

Don’t just buy your dog a PFD and throw it in a locker somewhere. Practice donning the vest on the animal as well as having your dog swim with the PFD. It’s a new experience for the dog and unless he or she gets used to it, you may encounter problems in the event of an emergency.

The Boat/US Foundation actually did a study on pet PFDs a few years back. Here’s the URL with the informative results: www.boatus.com/foundation/findings/findingsdog.htm

Cold Drinking Water.

Dogs perspire through panting, and while doing so, they lose copious amounts of body fluids. It’s imperative to keep the animal hydrated. Carry a plastic bowl and make sure the animal always has cool, fresh drinking water. Even if the dog snubs the water while on the boat, remember that you know better and as a responsible pet owner, you may need to coax your dog into drinking in order to avoid dehydration. It’s amazing what a little encouragement will do.