RE: [Paddlewise] How would you deal with panicky dogs

From: John Fereira <jaf30_at_cornell.edu>
Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 12:40:03 -0400
At 08:20 AM 8/18/00 -0600, Shawn W. Baker wrote:
>While labs are generally excellent swimmers, they sometimes get
>lazy/panicked and try to ride you to shore.  When swimming with my labs,
>I always push them away when they try to "board me".

Last weekend on a 2 1/2 kayak/camping trip one of the guys that went
brought his 8 week old chocolate lab.  He put a couple of pieces of foam
pad on the foredeck then strapped a milk crate on top.  The dog rode out to
the camp sleeping in the milk crate.  

The next morning we went out for a day paddle and the dog was small enough
that he could lay on the spray skirt.  As soon as we hit the water he
promptly went ot sleep.  It was too cute.  Later that evening we went out
on the dead calm lake and paddled to one of the few sandy beach areas on
the lake to go swimming.  After swimmng my friend put his dog in the
cockpit and tried to launch.  The dog kept on climbing onto the seat so he
eventually tried to launch by first sitting on the rear deck, holding the
dog in one hand, then get into the boat.
Notice, I said, "tried".  He was a few feet from shore, lost his balance,
and the pup did his first wet exit.

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Received on Fri Aug 18 2000 - 09:41:38 PDT

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