Looking to get a new boat so I can take my dog out with me. I have an 80 pound husky. I have been kayaking for about five years Kind of leaning more towards a canoe at this point. I’ll mostly be fishing small to medium sized ponds and slow mountain streams. I’m just looking for any info or suggestions any body might have to point me in the right direction. My price range would be about 500 to 700 dollars.
Wonder
if a Day Tripper would be big enough?
http://jacksonkayak.com/jk-kayaks/recreational-touring-kayaks/day-tripper/
jb
Check the archives
There is a wealth of information there.
I paddle a Prism with my dog
I purchased an aerobics mat, cut the mat in half and glued the two pieces together with contact adhesive for a comfortable mat. I side the tractor seat all the way back and the foot rest all the way forward to make room for the mat and my dog. It works GREAT.
I have a 45lb border collie.
A canoe would definitely be better
You will have to learn some new strokes and steering techniques but a canoe is definitely a better craft for paddling with a large dog.
It is easier for the dog to get in and out, and a canoe allows for much easier adjustment of the seat position to allow the boat to be properly trimmed to accommodate the weight of the dog.
You might want to borrow or rent a canoe and give your dog a tryout first. Most dogs love canoes but a large animal that won’t stay put can make paddling very difficult. If you buy a solo canoe and plan to paddle it with your animal sitting in front of you, you will likely need to move the seat back some to keep the canoe from being bow heavy. You could also buy a smaller tandem canoe, install a kneeling thwart a couple of feet aft of the center thwart, and plan to have the dog just in front of the center thwart.
In this thread, paddlers discuss their experiences canoeing with dogs and you might find some worthwhile info: http://solotripping.com/community/showthread.php?t=1797
Disco 158
I’ll probably catch grief for mentioning this but the Disco 158 holds me, my 70 pd dog and gear for a couple of days just fine. Very stable, I pole this canoe a lot, BUT is a heavy canoe to physically move if you have portages. Tough as nails and is in your price range. You can beat the snot out of this canoe and it will keep on going. Just thought I’d put another option out there.
dougd
Boating with dog
Get a dog PFD with a handle on top of his/her back so you can grab them out of the water if they jump or fall off. Maybe more difficult with a 80lb er, mine is 60lb. We once had my lab on my paddle board and she jumped off without a pfd on - we couldn’t get her back on or on the dock without a handle or grab loop.
Boats - Ocean Kayaks, Emotion, RTM, etc. May be get a double to make up for his/her extra weight. My lab likes to walk around on my board while underway, sometimes disconcerting. 
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day
Depending on your size, a 10 or 12 foot daytripper would be great. A canoe of 14 to 16 feet would be good too.
Dog
Thanks for the info. Probably would be good to try and rent one or find one to borrow before I make any moves.
Day Tripper 12
I just bought this boat for myself and 75 lb. Golden Retriever. PLENTY of room… seat has 6 different positions for optimum weight distribution. Got mine for under $700.