Beagle in canoe?

[JerseyDog]

OK - I have a beagle in a canoe story. A few years ago when my beagle was about two - well he was a pretty rowdy dog (in fact he still is, but nothing like when he was young).

 

Anyway, a buddy and I get the bright idea to bring the dog along in the canoe for an afternoon of fishing which turns out to be less than a good idea.

 

First off, he cannot settle down. He's a beagle, so really can't ever settle down, but its worse in the canoe. Then he gets the idea it would be fun to climb up onto the bow of the boat. Well its pretty tippy and into the drink he goes. We haul him back up in the boat and now he's soaked and getting everything wet. But the fun is nowhere near over. He then decides he wants to swim over to the land (about 150 meters), so he climbs back up onto the bow of the boat and jumps in and starts swimming toward the land. So we paddle over and haul him out and back into the boat. This happens a few more times before we get wise that he's not going to settle so we tie him to the thwartl. Well that works a little except he's gulped up so much water he starts taking a leak all over the bottom of the boat. Not once, not twice, but a ton of times. Before we know it the bottom of the boat and all our gear is sloshing around in piss and water and we pretty well had to call it a day.

 

Needless to say that was the first time and last time he ever went in a canoe and/or ever came fishing with me.

 

Never once did I worry he could tip the boat but he was one huge PIA and if your beagle is anything like the rest of them, you might wanna wait until he's about 15 before you think about taking him fishing.

[Bly]

I have never taken a dog in a canoe and after these stories, I doubt I ever will........Thanks for the laughs!!! LOL

 

bly

[Bob]

I'm with TJ on this one. My dog enjoys a boat ride but my boat is big, solid and stable. Would I put him in a canoe? Never!!! I'm real careful about the people I put in a canoe with me, especially if I'm carrying expensive gear.

[CLofchik]

There are two kinds of dogs, those that are good in canoes and those that are absolutely terrible. There is no middle ground.

 

A good litmus test is if your dog is good travelling in the car. If he/she just curls up on the back seat and snoozes until you get where your going there's hope. If he/she paces back forth, always tries hop into your lap, or just decides that the space under your brake pedal really just needs a good sniff, OMG FORGET ABOUT THE CANOE!

 

You really can't train them to like canoes, planes, trains or automobiles. They're either born to it, or not.

 

 

My last dog was the most easygoing hound dawg you ever met, a delightful mix of beagle, daschund and god knows what else. Was quiet around the house, didn't chew the furniture or shoes. But damn she hated the car. I took her out in the canoe for a single hour, absolute horror. Pacing side to side, whining and fussing, the odd howl every time a goose went by. As the sun started to go down I pulled into some bullrushes to toss some topwaters on one of those PERFECTLY still summer evenings. Blackbirds whistling, fish rising, lure slowly chugging & spitting. SPLASH, Dixie the 5-yr-old-always-a-puppy-at-heart saw her chance to escape and run free! A big leap later (when she was sure i wasn't watching) she took a header off the bow into the stand of rushes and out of the cursed floating bobbing thing that had her trapped for the last hour. Ofcourse, dogs have no way of knowing that the outer edge of cattails are usually floating matts with several feet of water under them. She sank up to armpits, struggled for about 30secs, then admitted she was stuck and looked back at me over her shoulder with the saddest, most humble look you ever saw from a dog. She couldn't even tuck her tail between her legs, that was one humble puppy. She was a lovely dog, but that was the first, and last, time we ever ventured out together in a canoe.

[ricoboxing]

it all depends on the size of your canoe and how hyper your dog is. my dog don't like water, so shes pretty relaxed and lazy in the canoe. when i go fishing alone, i tie her up at the front of the canoe to use her weight to balance the canoe. ,y canoes extra wide though, and it would take alot to tip it.

Edited April 12, 2007 by ricoboxing

[jediangler]

How about 2 Jack Russells in a kayak.

This is in gator country so the dogs have 2 uses. One, they will bark if any gators come around. Two, if the gators get too close you just chuck one of the dogs over and paddle for shore.

[Sherriff]

I have a German Shepard mut and I have taken him and a few 4-5 day trips. The first one he had never been in a canoe or boat. He had no choice but to settle down. I made a spot in the middle of the canoe with a blanket and kept it dry and he was fine. He would even go down and lay in the canoe while we were taking the tents down. Guess he did not want to be left behind. I am sure your beagle will be fine.

 

I also bought a dog life jacket because we did run a few rapid as well.

 

Here are a few pics....

 

 

 

Sherriff

[snag]

I would definately wait until the water is a bit warmer!

 

Good luck!

 

love Joey

[POLLIWOGG]

Keeping in mind that the canoe is the # 1 in boating deaths and your not experienced in one yourself and at this time of year your chances aren't good if you end up in the water even with a pfd.

 

What is going to happen if you end up in the water, will the dog swim for shore or will it climb up on you. I know a guy that ended up this way and had to hold the dog under to get it to stop climbing on him and pulling him under. To the couple hundred campers that were watching it looked like he was trying to drown the dog....

[setomonkey]

I wouldn't recommend it, our dog isn't great being in a boat (likes to put his paws up on the gunnel and lean way out to look at the water), I can only imagine what he would be like in a canoe, esp. if you are not an experienced paddler.

 

But the only way to know for sure is to try, try it out this summer without any gear (no camera!) and with a PFD on (not in the bottom of the canoe) and see how it goes. You might tip and end up going for a swim but that's not too bad as long as you aren't too far from shore and/or know how to get back into a canoe from the water.

 

I love fishing from canoes, it's quiet and you can get into spots you can't with a boat. My old fishing buddy has a Sportspal canoe (wider than the typical canoe and it has styrofoam pads along the side to make it moer stable) and we fished a lot from it on small lakes.

 

Mike

[setomonkey]

I wouldn't recommend it, our dog isn't great being in a boat (likes to put his paws up on the gunnel and lean way out to look at the water), I can only imagine what he would be like in a canoe, esp. if you are not an experienced paddler.

 

But it really depends on your dog and your comfort level. The only way to know for sure is to try, try it out this summer without any gear (no camera!) and with a PFD on (not in the bottom of the canoe) and see how it goes. You might tip and end up going for a swim but that's not too bad as long as you aren't too far from shore and/or know how to get back into a canoe from the water.

 

I love fishing from canoes, it's quiet and you can get into spots you can't with a boat. My old fishing buddy has a Sportspal canoe (wider than the typical canoe and it has styrofoam pads along the side to make it moer stable) and we fished a lot from it on small lakes.

 

Mike