Happy Ending Story About Boats and Dogs

[Mark P]

Well, here is a nice story about boaters and dogs that ends well. This lucky dogs serves as a reminder to all of us to be careful with our four legged friends while boating. The question I have (not judging) is why didn't the dog have the life preserver on while out on the open ocean?


Boaters Find A Dog Stranded Alone In The Middle Of The Ocean

 

[psneeld]

Happens more than one would think.

In some cases, not sure it's accidental.

One case I remember clearly, probably because the lady offered a $10,000 reward and every available pilot wanted an afternoon training mission.....

 

[C lectric]

Not the first time a dog has gone overboard. Some are rescued in time. Happened to a couple we knew with similar results, another boater found the dog before it drowned.

Our own dog tried to get off the boat when we were travelling in rough stuff. Guess he thought it would be calmer off the boat. Luckily my wife saw him and grabbed him in time. After that he was confined when we travelled.

This was long before dog type life jackets were available. THe best we could do was confine him or maybe adapt a small child jacket. We never got the opportunity to try that as he left the world a short time later. Nothing to do with the boat, just old.


I am glad this one found a rescuer. THe dog was lucky.


If you have a dog get and use a jacket. THey will get used to it.

 

[psneeld]

Plus many dog jackets have a handle...which is about the only way to pull the dog out of the water if they are panic swimming.

 

[CaptainDC68]

I would never take my dog out without his K9 life jacket... he's crazy, and has tried jumping in before

 

[kthoennes]

I second the posts about dog pfd's with handles. Our dog is just 35 lbs, a little black lab mix so she can swim fine, but the first time she fell in without the pfd there was no way I could easily pluck a wet squirming dog out of the water and lift her back up to the swimstep, unless I jumped in with her. Even though she wasn't really in a panic, I finally had to awkwardly grab her by her fur around her neck and shoulders and hoist her up. That move may be fine for a small puppy that hardly weighs anything with lots of extra skin, but not an adult dog. I thought about letting her swim around until it occurred to her to swim to shore and just walk out (we were in the marina but 100 yards from shore), but she wanted back into the boat.

Need handles.