It’s not uncommon at all to see boaters who carry their pet dogs along on today’s waterways. Moat dogs absolutely love the boating experience nearly as much as they do riding in a car with their head hanging out a window and ears flapping madly in the passing wind. It is noteworthy, however, to offer some suggestions on looking after your pet dogs on their boating trips.

Several years ago, a good friend owned a big black Labrador retriever that was almost like a brother to him. Wherever this veterinarian went, the lab was with him. The lab, as well as the friend, loved to use a small outboard-powered boat to explore the sounds back of Cape Lookout and experience the waters.

The lab (call him “Jake”) loved to ride while standing on the small bow and since the water safety rules don’t recommend that humans to “bow ride,” Jake was not called off his precarious perch on these Cape Lookout exploration trips.

On one such trip, the wind was blowing reasonably hard, but in Core Sound it doesn’t take much wind to kick up a good chop in these notoriously shallow waters. The boat hit one wave full force and Jake went flying straight off the bow. Before his master could turn or stop the motor Jake went under the boat and the outboards propeller chewed up Jake very badly.

It was lucky that Jake’s master was a trained veterinarian and was able to administer some first aid to Jake in order to stop the severe bleeding long enough to rush Jake back to the mainland and a veterinary hospital. The hospital staff (with a very worried owner of the dog assisting) got Jake patched up but his skin looked like a patchwork quilt by the time they were through.

Lesson learned! Don’t let your pets do anything on your boat that you or your human passengers aren’t allowed to do.

Like human passengers, your dog needs to make occasional “pit stops” to look after calls of nature. Solid ground is available and not posted against trespassing, this usually takes care of this little problem. If accidents do happen on board, it’s usually pretty easy to clean it up and dispose of the problem in an environmentally friendly way. The U.S. Coast Guard and most waterways patrolmen don’t like any kind of sewage going into our waterways.

I happened upon another friend out fishing one day and pulled alongside his boat to admire his beautiful English setter. Neither of us had any idea that the dog was badly in need of a pit-stop and as soon as my boat was within jumping distance of my friend’s boat the setter boarded my boat, did his business then jumped back aboard his master’s boat. When you “gotta go, you gotta go.“ We’ll never forget that little episode.

If you’re thinking about taking your pet (dog, cat or other) for a stroll on our seashores or parks, remember that your pets must be on a leash at all times, unless you’re hunting and your dog is a part of that hunt. Yes, you can hunt on our shores, such as Cape Lookout or Cape Hatteras, and if your dog is of the hunting type and practicing his skills, it’s okay to be off the leash. These often-unpopular rules are necessary to protect the wildlife on the ”parks,” such as nesting sea turtles and sea birds.

Food and water for your seaworthy pets is another matter for concern. Pets, just like us humans, can easily become dehydrated during these hot summer days, so take plenty of water along for the pets, as well as your human passengers. Feed your dogs somewhat sparingly and save the heavy meals for when you’re back in port. I’ve seen dogs get thoroughly seasick aver eating some smelly, decayed type of sea life that they found on a beach and the result of their nausea when they went back to sea was not a very pleasant thing to clean up.

Most dogs can swim pretty well, but a few types can’t master this skill. You may get laughed at for putting a PFD on your pet, but it pays to be safe. Several years ago, it was reported to the authorities that a sailboat had lost a small dog overboard and couldn’t find it. The dog was wearing a PFD (life vest) and after several hours of successfully paddling along in the PFD, it came ashore at a public beach several miles from where it went overboard.

Even though most waterfowl hunting dogs are notoriously impervious to cold weather, I’ve seen some really rugged dogs go into hypothermia after being wet and cold for an extended period of time. The symptoms are very similar to the hypothermia symptoms that we humans experience if exposed to too much cold. Certain camouflage neoprene jackets not only help to keep your dog warm in brutally cold weather, they can act as a PFD if needed for your pet.