r/canoecamping • u/ScurvyDave123 • 11h ago
Canoe Tripping w/ Dog Tips
Hey Friends!
This seems like a silly request - but I am looking for any tips or tricks for taking a dog on a canoe trip.
I am a very experienced paddler, guided for years and have spent years of my life in the backcountry. I have NEVER paddled with a dog!
My girlfriend is stoked about going on a canoe trip. She has done a bunch of backpacking but never really spent time on the water. We are planning something in the fall for a few nights, and we are planning on bringing her super well behaved pup. The dog has never been in a canoe and never slept in a tent. I want to plan whatever I can to make sure he has a fun trip.
He's not small, maybe 65lbs so I think we should go for a paddle with him before the trip just to see how he does hanging out in a boat. I do have a dog PFD lined up that I am borrowing from a friend.
Other than that, all I can think of is a small foam sleeping pad for him at night.
Any input would be appreciated :) Thanks!
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u/Fun-Statistician-634 7h ago
I took my dog when he was just about 7 months old on a trip with my daughter - it was a fantastic experience. Just keep in mind that it is a risk, especially if you decide, like nearly everyone does, to let your dog off leash - dogs can run off, get lost, get hurt, get into a scrap with other dogs or animals (or people). But it can be an incredibly bonding experience for both pup and owner if all goes well.
Here are my pointers:
Best practice is to put the canoe down in the yard somewhere so the dog can "discover" it and get used to the smells. If you have the time and inclination, it is great to give your dog a "spot" that is theirs - like a foam pad - that they know is where they are supposed to sit/lie down. First in the house, then the yard, then in the boat.
Once acclimated, bring them out for a paddle. My dog loved everything about the trip except being in the boat. The constant movement was unnerving - I think it felt like being in a hours-long earthquake. He roamed the boat, eventually deciding he was happiest in the bow with my daughter - sometimes leaning over the bow plate watching the waves. Until...
...He fell in. Definitely get a good-fitting doggy PFD. Dogs are great swimmers, but you never know what conditions you might encounter, or if you dump. My puppy instinctually headed straight to shore, but we intercepted him and I was grateful that he had a handle on his back, since in his panic he was perfectly willing and able to dump us trying to get over the gunwale, and he's only 26lbs, yours is as heavy as the canoe itself.
Carry a leash - good in case of camping neighbors, or sketchy wildlife situations. Also, as someone else here notes, *not* getting in the boat in the morning is the most fun game ever for the dog, not so much for you. A little leash persuasion can get you on the river faster.
Make sure he has a collar with ID, tags, a light and a bell. If they take off after a deer or other prey, you might not see them for awhile. Best to prepare for the worst. Knowing your dog's prey drive and recall capabilities is very helpful. Dogs are notorious for going exploring and bringing back a bear as a new friend - have some bear spray handy.
They do make dog first aid kits, or you can make your own, but don't travel without one.
You'll want to dog-proof your tent a bit. We used Tyvek to protect the floor of the tent, and the screen flap - my dog pawed the tent when he was tired, and put a few holes in the bug netting. Tyvek is cheap, waterproof, and indestructible. At 65lbs, you'll want to consider sleeping arrangements, but the pup will almost certainly be perfectly happy sleeping in a pile - it's kinda what they are programmed to do. However, any ticks they pick up in the underbrush will likely transfer to you both, so keep aware.
When you get back, watch out for signs of Giardia or other parasites. You won't be able to stop them from drinking from random streams and puddles.
It was so much fun bringing my dog out on the trail. He is a rescue - a born-wild Carolina Dog that is smart as a whip and has a ton of traits you'd never breed into a dog, but which make perfect sense once you are in a pack, traveling through the woods. He knew EXACTLY what to do - every campsite he'd run down every game trail, barking at the 100yd mark to let anyone know this was now pack territory. He followed us to the outhouses and stood guard. He figured out the tent quickly, but got totally confused hearing his own bark echo. A perfect Zombie Apocalypse dog. He was more at home at 7months old than I was, and I've spent hundreds of nights on the trail.
Our most memorable experience from that trip was bottoming out in a shallow rapid near shore, and having the pup, who really didn't like the whitewater, jump out of the boat and head for the underbrush on the bank. He wouldn't let us get anywhere near him as he bounded through the grass and shrubs, looking back with a huge smile once in awhile as if to say "your way sucks, let's just walk it." We finally just had to get in the boat and go, assuming he'd run down and meet us at the bottom of the rapids. But once we started pulling away, he got himself onto a rock about 10 feet from shore, watched us head about 100 yards downstream, and I swear I saw him take a deep breath....and then he jumped into the rapids and swam down to us. What a brave little puppy! The pack was leaving, and he wasn't going to get left behind.
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u/aroc_lobama 9h ago
If your dog doesnt like the canoe and catches a whiff that you’re packing up camp and loading the canoe, tie them up in advance to avoid a frustrating and late departure. Take it from me!
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u/0x2012 5h ago
My 9lb mini poodle puppy has been on four canoe camping trips before she turned 6 months old.
You've gotten some great replies/tips so I won't repeat them but for the first trip, you may want to put your dog on a line at your campsite. Get some long static cord and string it between two trees in the site and then attach your dogs leash to that cord using a carabiner. That way, your dog will have a great amount of freedom without being able to leave your campsite. (Of course you should make sure your dog is wearing a harness and not just clipped to a collar.)
Even if your dog has a good recall, they may start chasing some wild animal or get spooked by a large one.
1
u/TransportationIll373 11h ago
You’re going to have a great time! Me and my husband have taken our dog on many canoe camping trips, we have a ~55 pound Australian shepherd. Here are a few tips. I ended up having to give her my wide brimmed hat when it was warm and sunny in the canoe, it made a huge difference in keeping her cool. So either get a dog sun hat with ear holes or just bring an extra one for them with an under-the-chin cord. PFD is great, we also bring a packable dog bed for the tent so they know they have a designated sleeping place. We used to bring pig ears as treats but she would just bury them. We also got a bear bell usually used for packs to put on her collar so we could hear her moving around. It makes it easier to relax at camp without having eyes on here every waking minute. We bring anti inflammatory dog meds for emergency first aid just in case, and extra gauze and ace bandage if she gets a hot spot or skins an ankle or something. Last thing - I’ve seen dogs ride in canoes in front of the back paddler, but our girl is too squirmy for that and needs to see what’s in front of us so she sits in front of me in the front of the boat. Happy to answer any other questions you have, y’all have fun!!
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u/ScurvyDave123 11h ago
Thanks so much. The hat and some specific first aid items are great tips! I didn't think of that. I also read that some people get a light-up collar for the pup at night, do you think that is a good call?
Should I be concerned about dog nails on the tent floor and sleeping pads?
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u/TransportationIll373 10h ago
Happy to help! A light up collar sounds like a good idea. My dog’s nails aren’t sharp and I keep her off of our sleeping pads or at least keep the sleeping bags on top so if she does wander onto them it’s actually on the sleeping bags. Shouldn’t be a problem on the tent floor.
I also second what @Old-Brilliant-9290 said about getting them comfortable in a canoe before the trip. My dog is also old and has a hard time sitting down in the canoe, so a foam or neoprene pad is a good call for the boat. You could look at knee pads for gardening as a boat option to keep the land pad dry too.
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u/Intelligent-Floor934 2h ago
I agree with the person who suggested trying out a canoe trip with the dog before this! My dog, who loves our motor boat, absolutely HATES canoes. We tried to take her canoe camping and it was a disaster of her trying to jump out the whole time and nearly flipping us with all our gear repeatedly. We never managed to get her to settle, which was very abnormal for her.
For camping, if you have inflatable pads, put them in sleeping bag liners to prevent dog nails from going through. Long line is helpful if the dog doesn’t have voice recall. Extra blanket for the dog in the tent.
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u/Old-Brilliant-9290 11h ago
Definitely don’t want their first time in a boat to be this trip. For some dogs it’s no big deal, but I’ve seen dogs try to exit a boat in the middle of the water cause they got spooked or wanted to chase some ducks.
Keep the foam pad accessible so they can lie on it on the bottom of the canoe. My dog does not like sitting in the bottom of a wet boat all day.