Canoedling dogs

Ever thought about taking your dog with on that canoe ride.  Well there may be as many ways to approach his readiness as there are styles of paddlers.  Every dog will adapt to new tasks differently so gather some patience and examine his temperament.

Firstly he needs to be completely comfortable wearing his canine floatation jacket.  You may have seen the kind we use in our daycare photos.  This is a compulsory item no matter how strong a swimmer your dog is.

If your canoe or boat is the type with a ‘V’ shape in the bottom make sure your dog is not sitting or lying in water.  Even though he’s likely to swim and enjoy getting thoroughly soaked at least once during the day, dogs to not choose to lay around in water for long.  Also please remember that metals such as aluminum heat up very quickly in the sun.

Once you know there’s an area where he can sit happily you need to arrange a floor surface so his feet wont slide around.  He needs to be able to grip well with his claws.  Some folks like to use a rubber mat or some old carpet.

Dogs like to be able to watch the journey unfold so if you have a small dog you may

Leah & Angela OMeara

Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)