My dog is wild in the boat

[anchor man]

Closing in on the third season of open water and am looking for any advice on how to settle my lab down in the boat. She does great when we're out for boat rides, but the second the fishing pole comes out, she's eyeing down my lure about ready to pounce on it and she runs from bow to stern anticipating a fish being landed..and sometimes dives overboard to "search" for whateve she thinks is out there. The E collar does help, but I'm looking for any proven techniques to cure this type of behavior as well.

Thanks

[FISHER ED]

I want to hear about this one too. I love taking my Lab with me places but so far, the boat hasn't been one of them. When he does get to come along he is constantly moving from one end to the other, crawling all over everything and doing his patented "otter slide" off the back of the boat only to use the transducers as a foothold to get back in.

I haven't had a chance to land a fish with him along yet but he has tasted a Rapala and didn't like it very much.

[Mr. B]

My lab Maggie is a freak in the boat. I do not know if she is excited about the water or the fact the Musky baits look similar to training dummies, but I have decided that she is not going in the boat with me.

If anyone has tips to improve this it would be great.

[LABS4ME]

O.K. I'll take a stab at this... it's impromptu as most trainers don't have a regimen for "fishing buddies", but boat manners is boat manners.

Most guys take their dogs out in the boat with little to no previous training time to expose them to what we expect of them in the boat. The easiest time to do this would not be when we are in the boat hunting or fishing, because now we are faced with two choices, either live with the undisciplined dog or give up what we set out to do and start training... unfortunatley guys try to do a little of both and accomplish neither.

Begin by taking an old carpet sample or floor mat from a car and teach your dog to sit and stay on that mat. Use it in the house, outside in the vehicle... carry it with you on short walks etc. Place him on the mat and command sit/stay and do not let him off till you say O.K. Use this mat when throwing bumpers and do not let him "break" until you command him to fetch. Make sure he sits on there even for a couple minutes after you throw the dummy. You should get to the point where you'll be able to walk out and retrieve the bumper while he sits on his mat.

Do this for a couple weeks till he has it down pat.

Now let's start the process of getting him to be a good citizen on the boat.

Park your boat in your garage (if it's stored borrow a canoe from a buddy). Place your mat in the boat and command to your dog to sit/stay. Start out with short periods but insist during that time he remains sitting on his mat. Increase the duration until you are at a point that you are spending a fair amount of time with him in the boat. Keep him on his mat. (I wouldn't recommend right next to you, as the could be a hinderence while fishing). Maybe re-spool your fishing reels, or sort your tackle, do needle point it really doesn't matter, the point is do some activities so he begins to understand that other things will be happening in the boat, but he must remain steady and quiet. Over time you should be able to have him stay on his mat for an hour(s)... let him off and reward him for being good... while you're in the boat call him over to you and pet him, give hima treat or whatever so he understands there is a benefit to him to listenening. Then command for him to go back to his mat ( I have a buddy who commands "place" when setting him on the mat) you may wish to come up with a command for this.

O.K. we now have him steady and well mannered in the boat and even while we go about some business in the boat. Now we have to teach him to remain that way while chucking big plugs... Do all the above (you may actually want someone with restraining him with a lead) and tie a puppy bumper or muskie plug without hooks to a rod or even a broomstick and throw it out even 10'. Insist that he does not break when doing this. He will again over time understand that he may only go when you let him. After a couple sessions, if he begins to steady up, on the last throw make it his bumper and let him go when you command him to fetch it up. This is his reward for sitting there. Do this at the boat launch or dock too. He needs to get his for doing what he was supposed to do. For guys who are training dogs that don't hunt or have no interest in retrieving, you cna forego this part of the training.

If you start now and remain consistant and serious about this training, you will have your dog ready by opener, and the beauty is it all falls back on making a better duck dog too!

Good Luck!

Ken

[anchor man]

Thanks Labs, that makes very good sense.

[Ufatz]

You guys aren't going to like this but.....leave the dog at home. A long time ago an old timer told me -dogs and boats don't mix-and I've always agreed. There have been some tragic consequences of dogs going nuts in boats. And if you persist its only a matter of time before your canine pal gets a big old treble hook in his snout and then REALLY goes nuts!! I've had at least one Lab for many many decades and I learned a long time ago that my fishing boat is NOT the place for a big dog. Its just too much trouble.

[gman2002]

yep i have to agree with ufatz, to many times my dog has went over the side chaseing a bobber or whatever, just when you think he's laying down or ok and you turn your back for a sec. there he goes. seems like your always paying to much attention to the dog and what he's doing rather than fishing. mine has enough fun chaseing dummies and birds ,he doesn't need to be chaseing tackle and fish.when i'm in the boat thats my time!

[LABS4ME]

While I've never had my dog(s) fishing, I know several guys who do and they have never had any bad experience. The problem lies solely in the fact that your dog is not trained to, or expected to, behave in the boat and has not been taught to be steady (non slip) for retrieving. Having a dog in the boat that is properly trained is no more of a risk than having a friend in the front of the boat with you fishing. If your dog has been, or is allowed to, pace in the boat, jump out of the boat at lures and bobbers, try to grab tackle, fish and bait out of your hand, he needs a lot more training. Again a lot of this is the stuff you shouldn't expect in your duck boat, so why would it be O.K. in the fishing boat?

Good Luck!

Ken

[Dbl]

I agree with Ken. It is all about the training. He said it perfect, if you are having these problems in the boat, what about at home, in the blind, etc? Is your dog obedient everywhere else, just not the boat. Probably not.

The basics. Come, sit, heel, STAY. I use the same command mentioned earlier with my dog, "place". I use it when the pizza guy comes to the door, another dog comes to visit, when we sit down to eat, you get the idea. Ken has described perfectly how to get your dog trained to perform this basic command.

All of my dogs have been hunting partners as well as fishing partners. I know I am not alone in that based on how many dogs I see in boats. No reason not to enjoy the company of your dog, its just his way of telling you a little more work on obedience training is in order.

[anchor man]

Ufatz and Gman,

The easy way out for me would be to simply leave the dog behind, but there's incentive for me to bring her also. If I get up and 5am to go fishing, I usually sneak around the house trying not to wake up the wife. When I return home, I hear about how the dog was hyper for 2 hrs after I left, which kept her awake. The pooch knows when she sees me hooking up the boat in morning that there's some fun to be had (if she gets to go along), which usually she doesn't. That puts a bit of a bad tone on me leaving early to fish from the wife's perspective. When we're at the inlaws cabin and I leave the dog on shore, she's nuts again knowing she didn't get to go in the boat and my wife's time is spent tending to the dog's hyperness and whining and what not. So, in a nutshell, if I was able to teach the dog some tolerable boat manners, she'd get to spend much more time in the boat with me (which makes her and I happy)...AND, if the dog is with me at 5am, she's not keeping the wife awake or annoying her with her whining and other "left behind" antics.

[cjac]

Get two of them, they police each other! Plus, they hold the bow down when it's a little rough!

I hear ya, anchor man. I also feel guilty leaving them begind, as they have a good time. I'll echo the others that mention training and discipline as the key, they behave well in the boat because they behave everywhere else. They enjoy it to get out and so do I.

[gman2002]

i guess i have to say that he wasn't in the boat with me last year at all, and the year before he was awful young and a little excited to say the least. but now he just turned 2 and is a very well behaved young man. he did pretty darn good for me in the field this year, and obeys his commands very well. maybe this year i'll give it another shot. one funny thing though, the first time in the boat i could tell he had to take a whiz , so i pulled anchor and went to start the boat and he walks up front on the deck and lifts his leg and whiz's perfectly over the side of the boat. i guess after that he should probably be welcomed in the boat anytime.

[Ufatz]

Fellas, I'm not saying you are wrong to take your dogs or that you are doing anything unacceptable. Its just that in my opinion life is a lot easier without a big ol' dog in the boat. I love all my guys too and they are very well trained. If I HAD to have one on the boat I certainly could. BUT I could step back into a dog, fall, smash my head on the gunnel and become fish food. A plug could fly back from a snag right into the dogs face. Would YOU want to be wrestling with him on a boat! I'm not going to change anybodys habits...just making a case for leaving the dog on the beach. A boat to the hunting blind etc. is another case altogether. That's all. Are we still pals? HA!!

[anchor man]

Ufatz,

Hey, I welcome ALL opinions. The underlying motive for my need to take the dog along is simple...the more the dog goes with me, the more I get to go without an earful, if you know what I mean. I do however somewhat agree with what you're getting at. My dog did manage to lean into a rapala when it was hooked through the eyelet of a rod not in use last summer. The hooks were only in for about 5 seconds before she ripped free, no major damage, just a tuft of hair and a yelp.

[cjac]

What I'm hearing come thru LOUD and CLEAR is that we all have the itch to get out on the water!!!

I have to admit to all, Brown Dog (the choc in my pic) did take off after a raccoon on shore and treed it! I was late getting back to the launch, the lake was a sunrise/sunset park, and I had an "after hours" ticket waiting for me! To me, stories and memories like that are priceless, or in this case $33 for a ticket!

See you all on the water!

[ChuckN]

In the early stages of my Lab's life I got him to love fishing. He's actually pretty calm in the boat, but very attentive. If he hears the click of a bail while finessing eyes....his nose is to the water waiting. It's funny stuff.

My other lab and our other little furball...they enjoy sleeping under the consoles.

When my wife and I go on fishing/camping trips and the dogs are on the trip, they are along at all times. Just can't trust them back at a campground if they bark or whatever.

But, I do have to say the only time my dogs are in the boat is when it is their really lucky day and I'm forced to take them. I prefer to leave them at home.

[Ray Esboldt]

Anyone ever try to vacuum lab hair out of boat carpet? My new boat is coming with vinyl flooring.

I actually like having the dog in the boat. It's really just another teachable moment. You can never have enough of those.