Good Puppy Anchorage / Marinas between Seattle and the San Juan Islands

We will be traveling with two 7 week old Labrador puppies for a couple of weeks from Shilshole Marina in Seattle to the San Juan Islands on our Grand Banks 52 in September.

We've never cruised with dogs before,other than quick overnights to local marinas with our older dog. So, we are looking for any advice on good puppy friendly marinas & anchorages between Seattle and Sucia, advice on places to stop along the way (both overnight and puppy potty breaks), or any and all puppy/trawler advice folks might have.

We're all ears, tongues, snouts, and noses...

thanks,
Garrett

Although never did this with dogs that young we’ve never found a marina or state park that is not dog friendly as long as the dogs are on lead. I’m sure some of the communities have off leash parks we never looked for them. We just get our exercise with the dog. State parks do not have off leash areas. Swimming is ok but the dog has to be on lead while on the beach. My best advice is to use this as an opportunity to pad train your dog. When you go further north you limit your options if you have to be in a dog friendly place. We have always been glad we did it.

We have a piece of Astro tuft that our lab uses. We put it on a line and dunk it in the water to rinse it off. We put an absorbent pee pad under it to collect the urine. We also have a phrase that we say when we want him to go. We always say it when he is going and now he will urinate on command if he has to go at all. We have a slightly different phrase for him to poop.

We cut a small faux grass doormat to fit in a Rubbermaid tub lid. Connected at one end by zip ties through holes. Simple to add a bit of water and then drain overboard. Hose off occasionally.

depending on how you load your pups and what your boats like, you may want to bring/get dock steps. We have to 80+lb dogs... lol, my back ends up hurting by the end of the trip... started brining the dock steps, much better!!!
As far as places to go,
All the major places (Roche, Friday, Fishermans, Rosario, etc) are good.
Aleck Bay has a nice beach area, prob your first stopping point once you get up there. Great anchorage for the night, helps break up the long trip north...
Spencer Spit is great
Jones Island
James Island
Prevost
Succia, Echo Bay and then over at the beach area by "cluster islands"

As someone else mentioned, pretty much anywhere up there, on-leash your good. Some of the more secluded areas are better for off-leash and letting them run a bit..

I would get them used to dock steps or a ramp as soon as possible while they are young and SMALL...

I tries really nice artificial grass. Didn't work a dog poop.

But it did look nice, but not very nautical.

Was even better when I cut a hole over top of the emergency tiller deck plate, removed the plate cover and presto...great practice putting gree:n.

Sorry, not helpful I know, but the reality is for anchoring....dingy the dog ashore and need a landing, or have the dogs go on the boat. Not all will if you give in too early....vets have said they can go for days holding it. Most people give in.

Sure you will get lots of suggestions...keep an open mind while the dogs are pups and maybe trained a little different.

Thanks everyone!

Port Ludlow between Seattle and the San Juans is VERY dog friendly. The marina manager is a dog lover, and the office/store even has doggie treats for four-legged visitors. Lots of lawn for dogs, too.

Our last Lab would hold it for 36 hours when you changed his environment. Vet said no problem he will go when he has to. But it felt mean to make him hold it but we out waited him and he then went ok after that. With our current Lab we started from when he was a puppy teaching him to go on command. Worked much better.