thx for all input
Really appreciate all suggestions and discussion about different boats.
Have a Jeep Liberty with Thule J racks on top, want to be able to load the boat up there as usual. But it may be impossible, don’t know yet. Don’t really have room for a trailer and BIG boat.
If I got Orka a playmate Newfie and then had 2 your Dory looks good, David.
Lots of considerations, weight, balance, space, room, stability, etc.
Canoe and pump
Grew up with the same dog. a canoe will offer the best methods. You will take on a ton of water when he gets in from the lake. A battery operated pump will take care of this. Or you could use a kayak with two outriggers and rig a platform for each outrigger that he can crawl up, but you will need a 2nd dog for the other side to balance out the kayak.
Good luck.
custom hybrid necessary
"You will take on a ton of water when he gets in from the lake."
THAT I already am familiar with.
If only there was a hybrid made, kayak in front, huge holed smooth slip-proofed tankwell in back, naturally balanced for the solo paddler accompanied by huge dog: would rack up big sales!
Any recommendations on plug n play outriggers / platforms?
Mentioned did try kayrak possibility but maker said not big enough for Newfie.
side by side
Forget towing. We do that as a last resort in emergencies. It’s better to rig the boats side-by-side and teach the dog to obey commands. He also needs a PFD so you can grab him. The PFD will also assist in getting back on board. As he gets older and more capable, he can go without the PFD,swim alongside, and climb aboard his boat when needed.
The problem with towing is that the item being towed is very difficult to control. Ex: you backpaddle and need to ferry to avoid an obstuction and the towed item continues with the current, which might be going under a strainer. Or it goes around the OTHER side of a rock. Side-by-side is work, pretty much like paddling a clumsy raft, but can be controlled.
Best idea in my opinion: get a canoe that performs well with a 500lb load and put an outrigger on it. Maybe try a boarding platform that you can hang over the side when Newf needs to get back in. And make sure the dog very obedient and in control for his safety and the safety and enjoyment of others.
SOT
I have a sit on top and there isn’t much room really. The dog will be in the way when you paddle.
I have a 3-1/2 pound Chihuahua. I put her in a carrier that sits in between my knees. I only go in protected waters with her on board and have her carrier lined with flotation pieces.
-Capri
Canoe with outrigger
They’re not sure at the store if they can come up with this system tomorrow but we’ll try. I don’t know if I could paddle a canoe, sure could not the only time I tried, but really really really need to take my Newfie out paddling with me so may be able to learn, think it will be excruciating, and already am loaded up with great kayaking gear.
Some manufacturer needs to produce a dog kayak / hybrid !
A Tail of Two Dogs
I had one Good Dog and one Bad Dog.
Good Dog LOVED kayaking and didn’t move a muscle in the kayak. Wonderful experience for both of us. Bad Dog also loved kayaking, but it excited him so much that he wouldn’t sit down for the first hour. He would leap from the boat at the sound of a chipmunk stepping on a twig on shore.
The topic of towing has been discussed here before and there were safety reasons raised for not doing it. One is that you have no control over the towed kayak, which is at the mercy of wind and waves. Very easy to imagine the dog being dumped by a wave, perhaps repeatedly? You would need to be pretty careful about the conditions. I imagine a dog in rough water would tire quite quickly, even with a PFD. Towing might be ok close to shore on a calm day.
I’ve towed a kayak with a person in it and found it very tiring. And paddling with my 85-lb dog in the kayak was no picnic either.
All dogs condition our lifestyle. Big dogs more than small dogs.
If u can teach the dog
To paddle. That would be the ticket! I have a 145 that I take my lab with all the time. He does great and it is easy to maneuver by myself. The only problem is that he will sit off center which takes some over correcting on my part to keep straight. The boat is stable enough that he feels sure footed.
so
why dont you get the dog a quality pfd so he can float when he gets tired? drag a 1 foot rope behind for him to bite onto. this will let you know he wants to get back aboard.or perhaps you could tow a boogie board for him to rest on? i had a huge st. bernard. never took him in the water but he was intelligent enough to have been able to figure things out.
CHOOSING A KAYAK FOR WATERWORK TRAINING:
– Last Updated: Aug-11-10 5:48 PM EST –
CHOOSING A KAYAK FOR WATERWORK TRAINING: HUGE DOG
It is not easy figuring out which kayak on the market is suitable or even possible for practical use with a Newfoundland. Newfies can get huge: 150 lbs for a male is common. They are water rescue and water working dogs; owners and clubs train Newfies to haul in ppl, boats, lifelines, nets; carting; and participate in other sports.
Many Newfie ppl use rowboats with a raised carpeted platform so the Newf can practice diving off the 'dock' for rescues. They transport the rowboat via car trailer. This entails having ample storage space at home, and involves a lot of equipment.
Lynn & I do not have room for a rowboat and trailer.
We already have quite a bit of expensive top-notch kayaking gear and a Jeep outfitted for 4 kayaks. Wanted to use what we have as much as possible, including the kayaking skills already gained via classes.
After looking at many boats and trying the top contenders, we bought a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 130T in mango for visibility. This is a tandem sit-on-top kayak, 13', 34"W, weight capacity 550 lbs, weight 71 lbs. We will modify our middle cartop kayak outfitting with a Thule Slipstream rack system for easy cartop loading, and a Scupper Pup cart for easy transport to and from put-ins.
The Tarpon 130T is extremely stable. Orka can leap on and off without the kayak tipping. It has scupper holes for self-draining, very handy with a big Newf dripping gallons of water and sand. 3 seating mold-ins allow efficient tandem paddling, back or middle solo paddling, depending on where Orka sits / lays. Using a bath mat and bungied wet fatigue mat to smooth the bumps and provide traction gives Orka lots of room to sit, stretch, turn around, walk, dive, and scramble up.
The Tarpon 130T comes with lots of built-in rigging, lashing hooks, pad eyes, storage, and there are after-market accessories available for purchase.
The Tarpon 130T is versatile and fulfills our need to have a kayak for training Orka in waterworking. It will also be fun for Lynn and me to paddle together while Orka runs or swims along. It will also be the perfect way to introduce friends to kayaking.
The other kayaks that were top contenders:
Eddyline Shasta
Liquid Logic Versa Board
Native Watercraft Ultimate 16'
Wilderness Systems Pamlico 135T
Wilderness Systems Commander 140
Perception Tribe 13.5
Towing a Dagger Torrent via rescue PFD
The Eddyline Shasta would be my top choice for faster paddling and sheer kayaking pleasure with Orka in the kayak. The Shasta is a new 16' sit-in tandem with the ability to take out one seat completely and then move the other seat wherever one wants in the enormous cockpit to trim the boat well per the weight and position of the dog. However, this is a $2500 refined Carbonlite kayak that a dog cannot easily get into and out of, and one wouldn't want to dash it against the rocks.
The Liquid Logic Versa Board is a new hybrid stand-up paddle board and sit-on-top. 12'3"L, 33"W, Weight 53 lbs. It is wide and flat and could fit a Newfoundland. It has a wheel for easy transporting to put-ins, and one can buy a great seat. A person with good stand-up paddling skills could figure out how to paddle with a huge dog on board. Hopping on and off is a breeze. After Orka is proficient with the Tarpon I plan to try him with this Versa Board. He has already been on a stand-up paddle board on the Willamette at 15 weeks old and loved it! The question is whether I have the requisite balance to paddle a stand-up. Looks like too much fun!
The Native Watercraft Ultimate 16' is a canoe / kayak hybrid tandem. Many paddlers insist only a canoe will work with a huge dog and this comes closest. This boat has only 1 thwart near middle and it will not impede a huge dog. Very large front cockpit will fit a Newfie fine. Extremely stable boat. Great for tandem paddling. Only problem for me was the back seat cannot be moved for solo paddling or trimming for dog's weight.
Wilderness Systems Pamlico 135T is a tandem sit-in kayak with a huge cockpit. I liked the feel of paddling it and there's room for Orka. However, the back seat cannot be moved.
Wilderness Systems Commander 140 is a new kayak / canoe hybrid. It has a large back tankwell. It will fit a medium sized dog but not a Newfoundland. Awesome boat for a fisherman.
The Perception Tribe 13.5 is a tandem sit-on-top that was recommended by CWS as the most open boat with the most room for a dog. I could not find one in the greater Portland area so can't say how it fits or feels, but included it here.
The Dagger Torrent is a 10' sit-on-top whitewater kayak. It is quite open and flatish and could easily be modified with closed cell foam and wet fatigue mat to very comfortably sit a huge dog. I thought of towing this behind a good solo kayak with a rescue PFD tow system. Several paddlers said that it would be too dangerous and exhausting. But for the intrepid strong, this is the best boat for towing-huge-dog purposes.
If somebody ever makes a kayak specifically for paddling with a very large dog (or 2 mediums), he will have a lot of sales! The paddling forums are full of desires for including the big dog on paddling trips.
~ ~ Leska Emerald Adams
I’d like to take the coffee table also
Cobra Fish n Dive
one drawback is it is very slow.
sorry, but that was funny!
Don’t even try to tow
I have tried towing other boats from both a kayak and a canoe. I’ve tried to tow a canoe with a kayak, and I’ve tried to tow a kayak with a canoe. I’ve tried to tow a raft with a kayak. It sucks any way you slice it; it turns the pleasure of paddling into an absolute chore, and you spend a lot of effort going nearly nowhere.
I take my standard dachshund out in the canoe, but he only weighs 30 pounds, and sits very still in the bottom of the canoe near the bow, since dachshunds are generally both calm little dogs and afraid of the water. Take a big dog that loves the water, like a newfie, and even though newfies are generally calm, you’ve got a recipe for an overturned boat. I don’t mean to discourage you from taking your dog along, because the idea of having your dog with you while paddling is so nice, but no way is towing him going to be fun, the only way to take him with you is buy a canoe, and even that is fraught with difficulty.
My dachshund works
He sits stock-still on the floor of my canoe. It works because:
- he’s only 30 lbs, with really short legs
- like most dachshunds, he’s not hyper
- like most dachshunds, he hates water more than a cat does, so has no interest in doing anything that might cause him to go in the water. You get any dog that might actually ENJOY being in a canoe, and you probably have a problem.
No, Towing does SUCK!
Towing is a rescue technique. It’s the same reason why people don’t drive around with their parking-brake on. The parking-brake was designed for one purpose and it doesn’t work well in other situations. No one tows for extended periods because it drains enormous amounts of energy, it is frustrating even in calm conditions, and come with many safety hazards that keeps you thinking 100 percent of the time. There is no mindless towing.
As a guide and instructor, I’ve done plenty of towing. It sucks. The reason no one does it, is because it sucks. No one suggested towing sucks earlier in this thread is because; A. they haven’t towed before or, B. they were humoring you, trying to offer feedback on your request instead of telling you the truth. TOWING SUCKS!
If you want to take your dog with you, get a canoe or a tandem kayak. Thwarts and seats can be removed in a canoe. I’d find a good symmetrical tandem, remove the stern seat and rear thwart for the dog and sit in the front seat facing backwards to paddle. If the tippyness of the canoe bothers you, lower the seat.
A good Tandem kayak would be the Native Watercraft Magic 14.5. It’s deck is an almost completely flat SOT. You can move the seat to adjust for trim and isn’t awful to paddle solo.
I tried towing - FAIL
Ok, so I’m not the only crazy one who tried to tow a dog behind a kayak. I have a 65 lbs. standard poodle. I bought him a tube, the kind you tow behind a motorboat, thinking I’ll train him to be towed. Not a chance! He absolutely hated it and jumped out at every chance. The tube went every which way, which made it a nightmare to tow. We now simply leave the dog home. Next time I’ll get a small dog ;).
dog boat
my husband and I float with our dogs all the time. We have a 60 lb red heeler/border collie and a 35 lb red heeler/basenji and they love it. We couldn’t find anything that worked either so we made a dog boat. It hooks onto the back of the kayak and is very stable and you can still maneuver around. www.geardogboat.com if you’d like to see it.