{"id":1461,"date":"2013-08-14T12:27:17","date_gmt":"2013-08-14T16:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unitedmarine.net\/blog\/?p=1461"},"modified":"2013-08-14T12:46:07","modified_gmt":"2013-08-14T16:46:07","slug":"dogs-ahoy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unitedmarine.net\/blog\/index.php\/2013\/08\/14\/dogs-ahoy\/","title":{"rendered":"Dogs Ahoy"},"content":{"rendered":"

For most of us, our dogs are more than pets. They\u2019re members of the family. So naturally when we go boating, we want to bring them along. The good news is that most dogs adapt well to new experiences, even becoming eager participants. But don\u2019t mistake that enthusiasm for inbred know-how. <\/p>\n

Some dogs are better adjusted to boats than others. A senior pet may not do well, while younger dogs who are brought on board early will think that life afloat is normal. It\u2019s a good bet that if the breed includes the word \u201cwater\u201d, as in Portuguese Water Spaniel, it will take to boating in no time. Here are some tips for keeping your four-footed friends happy and safe on the water:<\/p>\n

1.\tAs with all new experiences, your pet may need some time to get comfortable aboard a boat. First, let him climb on and sniff around the boat when it\u2019s powered down. Let him get accustomed to the way the boat feels on the water.<\/p>\n

2.\tOnce your pet is relaxed, take him for a short run to get him used to the motion. Make sure someone is holding your dog when you start the motor, as this might cause a mad scramble to get away.<\/p>\n

3.\tDog-proof your boat. Take a dog\u2019s eye view of the boat and gear. Make sure there are no hazardous materials within his reach. Nosy pets in the fishing tackle can spell disaster!<\/p>\n

4.\tDesignate a potty area. You can use taped-down newspaper, or you can purchase a special setup from your local pet store. Make sure your dog goes to the bathroom before you set out, and bring plastic bags to clean up after him.<\/p>\n

5.\tBring lots of food and water. It\u2019s better to have too much than too little. This is especially true of water. Have a bowl on hand and enough water to fill it as often as the dog wants to drink.<\/p>\n

6.\tFind or create a shaded area where your pet can take shelter. Hopefully, there will be air movement here to aid in cooling. Wetting his coat with fresh water can also help him feel better. <\/p>\n

7.\tProtect the pads on his paws. Dogs absorb cold and heat through their pads and can be burned by a boat\u2019s hot fiberglass and vinyl surfaces. Brings sheets, blankets or towels for him to walk and lie on.<\/p>\n

8.\tRemember to check regulations in advance if you plan to venture to foreign ports with your pet. Many places have quarantine\/health laws that apply to \u201cforeign\u201d animals.<\/p>\n

9.\tMake sure you have an appropriately sized life jacket for your dog, especially if he plans on entering the water. It\u2019s also a good idea to get a doggy boarding ladder to help him enter and exit the water on his own.<\/p>\n

United Marine Underwriters is more than just boat insurance.<\/u><\/a> Browse our Boats For Sale<\/u><\/a> at BoatBrowser or our Lake Resource Guide<\/u><\/a> at LakeBrowser or share your fishing stories and photos at True Fish Tales<\/u><\/a> \u2013 the ones that did not get away.<\/p>\n

BoatBrowser by United Marine Underwriters<\/a>
\n\"Featured<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For most of us, our dogs are more than pets. They\u2019re members of the family. So naturally when we go boating, we want to bring them along. The good news is that most dogs adapt well to new experiences, even becoming eager participants. But don\u2019t mistake that enthusiasm for inbred know-how. Some dogs are better […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[238,241],"tags":[337,10,336,323],"class_list":["post-1461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-boating-tips","category-life-on-the-water","tag-boat-for-sale","tag-boat-insurance","tag-boating-with-dogs","tag-lake-resources"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unitedmarine.net\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unitedmarine.net\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unitedmarine.net\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unitedmarine.net\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unitedmarine.net\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1461"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.unitedmarine.net\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1471,"href":"https:\/\/www.unitedmarine.net\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1461\/revisions\/1471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unitedmarine.net\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unitedmarine.net\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unitedmarine.net\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}