Comments on: Dog Paddling: How to Take Your Pooch Canoeing

By: Darren

Darren — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:13:19 +0000

I should shoot a video of that, Mike. What I do is lean the canoe to the gunwale, let her get her paws over the gunwales and then scoop her in. It’s a skill that needs practice. :-) More often than not, she runs along the sand bars and when she wants to get back in, runs ahead and waits for me to paddle by. Then she jumps in.

For more pictures of Amazing Grace, here’s a link:

http://canoelover.com/?p=507

If you want a dog, I can recommend any lab. They’re sweet and although they require some training, you’ll be rewarded with a friend for a decade or so.

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 01:52:26 +0000

I’m a little curious as to how your dog gets back in the canoe once she jumps out?

By: Steve Harrington

Steve Harrington — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:56:49 +0000

Like Wesley, I don’t even own a dog or a canoe and yet I still found this article supremely enjoyable. It did really make me want to get a dog though.

By: Leon Ally

Leon Ally — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:28:00 +0000

The first time I took my dog out in my canoe, I thought she was comfortable enough so I decided to take my rod out and make a few cast….only to hear a splash and turned around to see her heading back to shore……50 feet out!
I never tried her again that year, but the very next season,I couldn’t get in it without her jumping in with me.
One note: be aware of sudden noises (if your dog is spooked easily). Duck season is a bad time for me to take Lola out in the canoe!
Well written Darren.

By: Darren

Darren — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:02:40 +0000

Thanks, y’all.

Take out dog and replace toddler. That works well. Oh — replace dog treat with Gummi Bears.

By: Wesley

Wesley — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:50:50 +0000

Darren, I really like this article…not so much for the content (I don’t even own a canoe) as for the general tone. Great stuff!

“Whatever you do, do it with a sense of humor and you will be rewarded…” Awesome!

Thanks for the entertaining article! I learned a good bit, and it made my day just a little bit better.

By: Dave Cameron

Dave Cameron — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:50:03 +0000

Great Article. It’s important to remember to take things slowly and incrementally – don’t plan an epic weeklong paddle trip and expect to get the dog used to things the first day! Honestly, the best way to start would be with the boat on the grass out of the water. Remember to be on the dog’s program as far as how fast to go – you want to push him just slightly out of his comfort zone each time and end on a positive. If you go too fast you’re likely to give your dog an aversion to the canoe rather than a love for it. Take small steps and keep things positive and eventually you and your dog will love your time on the water together.

By: Tryclyde

Tryclyde — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:32:50 +0000

I love taking my dog kayaking. She stands at the bow like she’s leading the way.

By: Carter

Carter — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:03:00 +0000

Thanks for the tips. That looks like a lot of fun. I think that is the biggest thing, to take enough time to get them used to it so they aren’t scared of the boat.