Best Small Boat Dog?

[Blue Crab]

Heh. Thanks to jeanathon for the great laugh. Just when I think I'm funny, the
next post is even better!

SailFastTri: I'm sending a check to PETA for past sins.

The B T is a fine-looking dog. I'll check them out.

There's plenty of opportunity for exercise on a small boat for a small enough dog as the Jack Russell post noted. Besides, the perimeter of my tiny cockleshell is a whopping 63 feet! I will take the dog ashore whenever I go. The willingness to use the deck or whatever is a key factor here. I'm using a composter myself. I expect no less from Fido.

Thanks for the great suggestions. Several new dogs to consider.

[jda55]

Mini dachshund. Great personality. Very loyal. Lots of fun!

[Synesthesia]

I know you said non-black, but I want to mentionthe awesome schipperke, which is known to be good on boats. They like chasing small things so were apparently used as rat catchers in boats in the old days I used to have some relatives that raised this breed and grew up with a couple of these dogs. They are incredibly sweet little creatures but not annoying or high-maintenance like some small breeds can be.



Schipperke - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[OldFrog75]

Originally Posted by Synesthesia

I know you said non-black, but I want to mentionthe awesome schipperke, which is known to be good on boats. They like chasing small things so were apparently used as rat catchers in boats in the old days I used to have some relatives that raised this breed and grew up with a couple of these dogs. They are incredibly sweet little creatures but not annoying or high-maintenance like some small breeds can be.

I actually posted the same suggestion but deleted it when I re-read the post and saw not black and low maintenance.

I had one of these and although he was cute, very vocal, and had a great personality, he shed alot and was a little escape artist who tended to go on unsupervised walk-abouts around the neighborhood when not closely monitored.

Great little dog for the right owner; could be a nightmare for the wrong one.

[Blue Crab]

Thanks guys. I saw the original post about the Skipperke, OldFrog , as it came first. That and the Portuguese was my first thought but I think a black dog would be needlessly hot, and unconsciously avoid being on deck, and not get enough exercise.

What a great pic!

I've seen a lot of these on boats, and lots of CFers have them. The shedding is a no go tho, and as a single old fart, it's not that I'm a ... er ... clean freak. But I've been around many a shedding dog. A hassle I don't need. Things are tough enough to keep cleanish as a liveaboard.

I'm still on a dock with boat torn up so rather than add a pup to the confusion, I'm going to wait and see what the universe offers up, if anything.

[Freddy_Vagner]

Sounds like a Pinscher would be a good choice for you. Must admit I prefer large dogs and was irritated by my friends lapdogs that would yap, yap and yap when you visited them and try to bite the back of your ankles, etc. But then I got to know a friend's pinscher and they are everything you wrote above and only bark when there is a non-family-member in the vicinity.
Also think about a crossbred as they usually have a stronger constitution.
I wouldn't dismiss a street dog if you see one that you like. Try visiting the local pounds, but if you do not see exactly what you are looking for, resist the temptation to take an unsuitable dog home because your heart is torn apart by the sight of so many dogs needing TLC.