Summer Bass Boat Dog

[Onk]

I might be the odd man out here, but I have seen several boats in the summer time out bass fishing with their first mate bird dogs. Kind of plan on treating/training my new pup to my summer obsession, this surely can't hurt anything right?! After all, it has to be better on the lake with me than home with my wife right? ( yep you are right, she does not read this forum)!

[tnbndr]

Good Luck with that and start early. Both of my dogs think the lure is something that they should retrieve and go nuts as I keep throwing it out and reeling it back in. They will jump in and try to retrieve if not held back. It is insane.

[Onk]

Thats what I was kind of wondering because when I had my lab and took him pond hopping (fishing) he would do the same! Always thought we were playing fetch with the lure, needless to say he did not go fishing much!

[Redfishkilla]

My buddy had a GSP with so much "prey drive" that it couldn't stay in the boat when it saw the different coastal birds flying. It jumped out of the boat at full speed when it saw some pelicans. After that he tied it to the console. He said it looked like the scene from "What About Bob?" when they had him tied to the mast of their sail boat with Bill Murray yelling "I'm sailing". It will also chases minnows in a creek to the point of ruining it's feet. A fishing GSP. While I'm here, this dog will cry very loud when waiting for the next bunch of doves, gets annoying real quick. My friend who owns her doesn't even have to look for incoming doves, when his dog shuts up he just gets ready. I think it takes a calm dog to hang out in the boat.

When I take my older brittany fly fishing she swims in circles around me until I hook a fish, if the fish breaks the water she attempts to retrieve it. She can't figure out where they go when I release them either, it's cute. Obviously this dog is left at home on serious fishing trips.

[basspow1]

Be careful.make sure you have a bottle of ambusol in the boat. My young GWP sniffed a crank bait that was tied on a spare rod The treable hook went up his nose. He sounded like I stuck a pig. The ambusol stopped the pain while I took him to the vet ($125).

[bowhunter1221975]

i take my dogs fishing all the time but you have to start young just take them for rides in the boat intro new things to them slow teach the dog what noooo means you should be fine

[crackerd]

You need what's known in southerly waters as "The little dog that doesn't rock the boat." Of course, they will have been introduced to what they should and shouldn't





retrieve long before putting paws on a gunwale - or going over it.

MG

[ezzy333]

Seems we have seen these same pictures many times but still not sure what they have to do with this topic or several of the others. Sure are nice pictures of your Boykin though.

Ezzy

[crackerd]

Let's see now, what would pictures of a dog that's probably more of a boat dog than any other gundog breed have to do with a topic header "Summer Bass Boat Dog?" Hmm. Or a header "What's Style to You?" showing a pint-sized dog on a dead run hauling a goose almost as big as she is? Or about keeping dew claws trimmed (or removed) when it comes to a working dog that hasn't suffered any ill effects from having them intact? Hmm.

Guess if it were a Lab with a 12 o'clock tail, everything would be copacetic -



even if the tail weren't for pointing - at which all tails look alike to me.

Thanks for the kind words on the photos, though.

MG

[ezzy333]

Let's see now, what would pictures of a dog that's probably more of a boat dog than any other gundog breed have to do with a topic header "Summer Bass Boat Dog?" Hmm. Or a header "What's Style to You?" showing a pint-sized dog on a dead run hauling a goose almost as big as she is? Or about keeping dew claws trimmed (or removed) when it comes to a working dog that hasn't suffered any ill effects from having them intact? Hmm.

Guess if it were a Lab with a 12 o'clock tail, everything would be copacetic -



even if the tail weren't for pointing - at which all tails look alike to me.

Thanks for the kind words on the photos, though.

MG

Not a big problem but I think maybe seeing them a couple of times would be enough. But if it makes you feel better it is OK with me. I do like the picture of the lab but probably don't need to see it again. I just don't think pictures get better by looking at them several times but maybe I'm just a committee of one.

Ezzy

[crackerd]

But you're a good committee of one - and (unless you go in and edit your message above) you are also who "republished" a photo, so maybe it does get better looking at it more than once after all. I try to use new material whenever possible - preferably



action shots and all relevant (oprative word) to gundog work.

MG

[Winchey]

It is a pain in the you know what but if it is important to you you will most likely suceed. Just don't bring them on any important fishing trips unless you can stand to loose a few fishing buddies.

[Onk]

All good advice I am sure! Hook in the nose...OUCH! It's going to be a Brittany so boat rocking should not be all that bad!

[V-John]

I like the pics crackerd. Keep on posting them. Anytime you see a dog doing it's job is a good thing. Regardless of breed or how many times you see it.

I've had some close calls with dogs and hooks so be careful.

[wems2371]

I've had some temperature issues when out on the boat. I've taken my older 2 dogs out quite a few times on boats, and midday summertime sun is just killer. Of course the lab takes it worse. I've never let them jump off for dips, and I suppose that would be the obvious solution. I really didn't want to give them that idea, or even let them know they could, with dogs that already love the water so much. But we just bought our first duck boat to fix up, so teaching that is just around the corner anyway.


Roxi 2007--This little girl was cold on a September morn, so I ended up holding her in towels, until it warmed up. Didn't bother me one bit, as the fish weren't biting anyway.

[Kmack]

I used to take mine all the time. Wife too, sometimes. They would swim out back while I fished out front. We all enjoyed the heck out of it.

Here's a tip. Get one of those doggy life jackets with a handle. Makes draggin them out of the water a lot easier. The wife has to find her own way back in...

[Onk]

Kmack your wife doesnt read this forum right? Or she reads it and you are just living on the edge!

[prairiefirepointers]

My fishing vessel is a 16' widebodied modified V Flatbottom duck boat. My lab has his place in the boat, but only on waterfowl hunts, which anymore are non-existant. My "Duckboat" catches far more Catfish than it see's ducks killed anymore.

My first birddog "kacey" who is 15 LOVES boat rides. However, I haven't taken her in a couple years. I need to take her out cruising this spring if she's still with us.

[Kmack]

Kmack your wife doesnt read this forum right? Or she reads it and you are just living on the edge!

I'm not even sure she can read... I'll ask her.

But in reality, she did convince me to put boarding ladders on the back of my bassboats.

She never liked where I grabbed her to drag her over the gunwales.

[surferdave]

It really all depends on how your dog acts on the boat. I'd definitely give it a shot, as it's a great way to have your buddy outdoors with you. When my 1.5 year old Lab was a puppy, I took him out on my little pontoon boat, he did really well, and instantly realized when a fish was on. Now when he cruises with me on my 19 foot Stratos, I like how he is enthusiastic about the fish, but swinging a shaking striper in the boat with an overly energetic lab can be an ordeal. He seems to need to LICK every fish that goes in the boat, absolutely loves them. It's a lot of fun.

[prairiefirepointers]

Kmack your wife doesnt read this forum right? Or she reads it and you are just living on the edge!

I'm not even sure she can read... I'll ask her.

But in reality, she did convince me to put boarding ladders on the back of my bassboats.

She never liked where I grabbed her to drag her over the gunwales.

Avery makes a "boaters parka" for dogs. It has built in handles for dragging dogs over the gunwhales of the boat. However, with its neoprene makeup, it might be a tad "toasty" during warmer weather.

[Onk]

enjoyed the pics wems, looks like a good time!