Pet kayak

Hi;

I am a novice and need some advice. Want to buy a kayak that has room for me and my best friend, a 12 pound dog. I have my eye on the Sidekick, does any one know of others? Thanks…

options
You have plenty of option when it comes to boating with a dog that size. The first thing I recomend is getting yur dog a good life vest, it is well worth the investment. Then you can try different boats out with or without your dog. I paddle with my dog all the time and have for years. He is currently enjoying my OK Scupper Pro. The Tank Well belongs to him, If I put a dry bag with a small amount of gear in the tank welll he does not sit in the water and can still get in a great brace ( He has not fallen out of the tankwell)… The front hatch is another favorite spote on most kayaks but the dog will tend to slip off. I have heard of people doing some mods(non skid surface etc to fix the problem)…Your dog is small enough to fit easily in many boats, including SINKS. Try some boats out you like then you will be able to integrate the dog. Good luck and have fun…Kim

any rec kayak

– Last Updated: Aug-09-06 10:01 AM EST –

Any recreational kayaks with a large cockpit will work fine, assuming a dog isn't absolutely huge--so at 12 lbs, your dog will fit in almost any kayak. My 65 lb lab/husky mix sits between my knees in my necky gannet (no longer made by necky, but other models are similar). Sitting on your lap, or just in front of your lap, is a good position for most dogs, since they'll stay quieter and calmer there.

Try out a number of recreational kayaks, and pick that one that you like the best for paddling. Your little dog will fit just fine. And having a dog in your lap can make for a better forward stroke, since it forces you to keep your hands well in front of you.

We use rec kayaks for ours
Ours are small also.



My little Papillons sits on my lap or by my side, or wraps himself around my neck like a furpiece (actually HIS favorite position. Not so much for me.)



My husband’s little terrier sits in front of him in the cockpit. He’s about 9 pounds.



If your dog is short and wants to look out, you may want to get a boat cushion or something like that to lift him up a bit so he can see out.



Also remember to bring water and some treats or food if you’ll be out for awhile. And, remember to wet your dog down if it gets too hot.



The dog PFD’s are great for that, since it’s easy to dunk a small dog over the side by holding onto the PFD handle.



The Pungos or the copycat cheapo Victory Navigators are actually pretty good boats for flatwater and their stable enough for a dog-on-board.



These have a really big cockpit. Good for dogs, but probably not so good for anything but calm water.



Ours is good enough for short day trips and family river floats, which is what we mainly do at this point.



Be sure to put floatation bags or other floatation devices in your bow and stern. There was a really good thread about this recently with some good ideas on this subject.


Doggies!
I have just started kayaking and have a 15lb Jack Russell Terrier. I have a Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145 (which has a large cockpit)and she fits great inside with me, or sitting/standing on the front of the boat. I have just purchased a PDF for her, mainly for that ‘just in case’ fear, but she did fall in a number of times as well. Fortunately she is a great swimmer (and loves it too)!



I’ve only had her out with me a couple of times, but so far so good!!!

Folbot Yukon
according to a number of the people at http://www.folbotforum.com - do a search under the Yukon conference - folks’ve posted pictures of their little beasts riding along with them.