We get a lot of questions when people discover we are sailing with our two pooches. How are they adjusting to life on the boat? How do they exercise? Where do they do their business? Where are they while we are underway? Boat dogs are intriguing. When we meet new people, half of our conversation ends up being about our two furry anchors.
So what does a day in the life of a boat dog look like? Let’s take a look.
This is Baxter. He is our OD (Original Dog). He’s five years old and we adopted him at 8 weeks. The animal shelter told us that he was a shepherd mix, but then he grew into a 45lb terrier. His boat duties include barking at anything with a motor that gets too close to the boat (especially jet skis), prewashing dishes by licking them clean, keeping seagulls off the dinghy, and cleaning up any crumbs that drop on the floor. When he’s not hard at work, he enjoys playing fetch on the beach, sleeping, and swimming.
7:00am Wakes up in his favorite spot on the boat, the port side salon settee.
7:30am Gives Mom the stink eye until she puts him outside. The companion way stairs are too steep for this little guy.
8:00am Morning walk/swim and fetch on the beach.
8:45am His favorite time of the day—Breakfast.
9:30am Try to sit on Mom’s lap while we’re underway, sailing to our next anchorage.
12:00am Pick up crumbs from Mom and Dad’s lunch.
12:30pm Off to work, guarding the boat while Mom and Dad explore.
3:30pm Afternoon nap in the sun.
5:00pm Afternoon walk/swim and fetch on the beach.
5:45pm Gets his ears cleaned to prevent ear infections.
6:00pm His second favorite time of the day—Dinner.
6:30pm Pick up crumbs from Mom and Dad’s dinner.
7:00pm Off to sleep in doggie bed down below.
11:00pm Move onto salon settee after Mom and Dad go to sleep.
He’s certainly not fond of being underway. I can’t really blame him. It’s weird that our home moves. But other than the sailing part, Baxter loves life on the boat. He gets to spend lots of time with his owners and gets at least two trips to the beach every day. What’s not to love?
Check back tomorrow to see what Jaela’s day looks like.
Love your pictures!! Wonderful to hear from people that actually sail with fairly big dogs. We are getting ready to live aboard next month with our lab and two kitties! Eeeeek.
You’re lab will love it! Dogs are very adaptable and he/she will adore the extra attention. Good luck with your move.
It’s cruel and unfair to treat those poor puppies so badly. NOW,,,,, how about replacing those pooches with an adult citizen with a dodgy back 🙂 PS I’ll even let you scratch my tummy as well. Sounds like a sweet life to me. May the wind always be on your back.
Haha…sorry Glen, we already have enough stowaways :).