Dogs on the kayak?

I've been getting a lot of questions lately about how to bring a dog along.  Anyone here do it?  How?  What should someone be aware of?  I'm not a dog owner so I have no clue when it comes to this.

-Allen

Allen,

It can be done.  Here is a photo of my wife Amy and our little dog Scooter at Bendo@Mendo last year.



We put Scooter in a doggie life jacket and place him in the rear tank well of my old Ocean Kayak Caper.  Some other kayaks are probably better suited for dogs.  For example the old Ocean Kayak Scramblers or the newer Ocean Kayak Sidekick which don't have a front hatch have plenty of room for a larger dog to sit.



Other than that, I've never taken my dog out on the ocean, just nice flat lakes.

Brian


P.S.  Did you like how I mentioned your sponser several times?

some dogs are waterproof, I have seen a number of labs and even a german shepard swim through 200 yards of way overhead waves to say hi to their surfing masters only to be sent back to shore.

And I have seen my own doberman flip over and sink to the bottom upside down (I pulled her out, she was okay).

pole pole, I would not touch those questions with a 10 foot pole or two 5 foot ones,  ,  myself because of this disparity in canine water resistance....

J

Sure John,  I' stop short of telling someone whether they should or shouldn't take their dog on their yak.  I'm assuming the owner knows the dog and its capabilities and comfort level.

-Allen

Dogs do well in the tankwell of most SOTs.  Something grippy helps em mellow out so there not skidding about on the slipper plastic. Smaller dogs can also ride up front if thecan get comfy up there.  They all need help getting in if they fall/jump out. 

Just make sure you get a PFD.
 I can just see it now Hi Honey fishing was great but your dog don't swim to well.

I have a colleague who did her water search work with her search dog in the front seat of her double yak.  Yep, grippy footing and a pfd are good because dogs aren't always rational.

Sam goes with me in the Pungo all the time...she loves it.  I had her in a tarpon recently and she was not as pleased.  She refused to sit in the well and insisted on her customary seat with me....they're all different.

good luck

I have even seen a family with their cat with them jumping from yak to yak! It seemed to love it and yet their dog looked pretty nervous. ha-ha go figure.

Here is a link for a dog life jacket.



http://www.outdoorplay.com/headlines/dog_lifejackets.html

I took my lab out in my Prowler twice. He's a large lab and he always jumps in the water before I get a 100 feet. I haven't really tried to get him back in, but it would be a pain in the rear, because you would have to turn around in the seat and drag him back on. So, I would say, don't take a large dog any further from the shore than you want him to swim.

Also, having 95 lbs in the back of your yak, does make it rock more, especially when the dog moves around.