Many boaters would like their dogs to enjoy being on and around the water as much as they do. After all, who wants to leave Fido behind when the rest of the family is headed to the lake for a day of waterskiing and swimming?
Dog's Aboard
Regardless of whether your dog was bred for the water or simply loves boating, you should take steps to prepare your boat and canine pal for a day on the water. Life jackets are a must for dogs who are not strong swimmers or are venturing with you offshore or at night. A variety of sizes are available from several manufacturers. Harnesses that do not restrict swimming movement are ideal for keeping dogs aboard and boarding ramps and ladders can help them back aboard after a refreshing swim. There are even doggy "heads," patches of artificial grass that you can keep aboard.
While many familiar breeds associated with the water such as labs or retrievers make excellent boat dogs, some boaters may not have the space either at home or on their boats for a "full-sized" or large dog. And while just about any adventurous dog, whether full-bred or mixed, can become a great boat dog, there are less common breeds that are specifically raised to love the water and work on, from and around boats.
Portuguese Water Dog
Though the word "water" is in their name, boating is in the blood of these dogs. Bred for centuries to assist commercial fishermen, these dogs served as messengers, watchdogs, and even as foghorns. Portuguese Water Dogs helped haul in nets, jumped in the water to herd fish, swam messages between boats in the fleet in the days before radios, retrieved items lost overboard, and if the fog rolled in, sat in the bow listening and barking at other dogs as a sort of primitive radar system. In fact the breed nearly became extinct in the 20th Century as modern electronics diminished the fishermen's need for the dogs.
Schipperke
Originally developed in Flanders to work on the canal boats of the Dutch low country and Belgium, Schipperke means "Little Captain" in Flemish. These all-black dogs pack a mischievous attitude and funloving nature into a 15- to 20-pound frame.
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
While still rare in the U.S., Canadians have enjoyed the company of these energetic and hardworking retrievers for decades. With a reddish coat and a head and muzzle similar to a golden, some mistake "tollers," as they are called, for small or stunted retrievers. Tollers are water-loving, working dogs bred to aid hunters and retrieve waterfowl.