I see pictures of people kayaking with large dogs on the internet. Mine happens to be 110 lb lab, loves water and is very quiet and obedience trained, I am sure would like to go along and not be left home. Buying my first kayak and thinking of buying an on-top just so the dog can go, but if it is adsolutely a bad idea would probably buy a kayak with a cockpit. Very undecided about what to do at this point.
110 lbs in one wiggly spot is a
serious load unless you have a real barge. Have you considered a canoe?
I suppose a tandem kayak would work.
I tried a bunch at Paddlefest
and decided a canoe was the way to go if you have a dog.
Canoe for dog usual solution
This comes up a lot. I don’t have a dawg, but it seems that those who do virtually always come back suggesting that if dog then canoe.
Big dog
– Last Updated: May-07-08 8:28 PM EST –
110 pounds is a big dog. Putting him anywhere in most solo kayaks -- sit-on-top or sit-in -- could cause serious trim problems. A tandem kayak would work but it'd be a pain to paddle without the dog. The advantage of a canoe is that it's much easier to change your position to balace the weight of the dog. I've had one or two 80-pound dogs on board with no problems.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2845594200087581313fKBcNh
On the other hand, some of the Native Watercraft boats look like they might work well for dogs.
Ocean Kayak Sidekick
Ocean Kayak’s SideKick is designed for just this use.
Hobbie Oddysey Tandem
Check out the Hobbie Oddysey Tandem sit on top. you can paddle it from the rear or center seat with the dog in the front seat. At 110 lbs it will trim nicecly, it’ve very stable and the dog will be happy if you rig some kind of padding in the seat well. You can paddle it solo from the center seat.
Also check out www.kayaksandiego.com web page it has a page on kayaking with dogs, mostly using Cobra sit on top kayaks.
My Chihuahua
I’m proud of my chihuahua. This weekend was her 2nd trip in the kayak. The first time was short. This time, we were out for 2+ hours.
To make it a pleasant experience for her, I took some treats and her water and didn’t let her get too much sun. She’s tri-color, mostly black. She rode around in a front loading pouch that I wear.
So far, my chihuahua kayaks, hikes (been at 6,250 ft elevation, more than once), has taken 4 plane trips to NY and who knows what’s next. She would have been a biker dog, but I wouldn’t risk her life to have her on my motorcycle with me when I had one. She’s done more than some people I know and is more well traveled.
-Capri
Klepper
Aerius 2 would work well.
My dog does fine in my Pungo 140,
But he’s a 25 pound cocker, too.
Where to Put the Dog
With a sit on top, which I have, there isn’t much room to put a dog on the floor of the kayak. She’s already in the way of my paddling in that front loading pouch. I may try it though. Taking my dog w/me is still a work in progress, to see how it’s done best and which way my dog will accept better.
-Capri
I use my OT
– Last Updated: May-20-08 12:25 PM EST –
160T when I river paddle with a dog. He is a friends big lab. Put him in the front seat, no problem. Well, he does want to jump out and go for a swim from time to time. Even then, boat is stable enough. After a while he just curles up in the seat and rides along. I now have a smaller dog but, same program if / when I take her along. and No (Dave) I am not taking both dogs in my boat.
Dog = Canoe
You didn’t mention what part of the country you’re from but if it’s the Southeast then I would choose definitely a canoe. A big dog on a SOT yak would make too easy a meal for a large gator. They can still smell the canine but won’t try to eat them unless they can them and that’s (among other reasons) why a canoe would be better suited (at least in gator territory) for totin’ around your puppy on the water than a yak.
On another note, I had two large female german shepherds and because of my training them well and their great discipline I took them paddling with me everywhere. Trained them to be great gator alarms and to have a healthy respect for them.
Whatever your decision may you and your canine companion enjoy many, many years on the water together.
Our 50lbs lab mix
Rode with me in a canoe and in a tandem sit in.
Either would be fine for a bigger dog but like the others have said, I wouldnt suggest a SOT. A sit in is alot more stable and will allow more room.
No Offence, Dude…
but I’ve read your Topic Heading several times and the answer is…
NO! Wet dog stinks real bad!
I’ve never seen a "floor"
in a kayak. Nor a sole. They aren’t there.
I used to put my lab in a Mad River
Synergy 14. It is a good boat loaded. The dogs weight in the rear greatly improves tracking, and stability was not a big issue. You must be able to to lean back and pull the back of his neck to help them get back in the boat. If your dog is not reasonably athletic, I would not take them on open water. All of my current boats are sea kayaks, and I now have to leave the dog at home. I miss him, but it is best for him and me with the type of paddling I do.
Not true
My dog never stinks.
It was a generalization, k.allen…
and not aimed at your specific dog.
It was intended as a humorous remark playing off the phrasing of the original Subject: Want to take my dog kayaking. Could be humorously misinterpreted as a question despite the lack of question mark for punctuation.
If I have offended you, “and your little dog, too!”
then I am truly sorry.
I’m sure your non-stinking dog has other fine qualities that we would love to hear about at length.
How about a new post: My dog don’t stink?
dog
My 55 lb dog goes with my in my recreational kayak all the time. She just sits on my lap, and it works fine (in calm water). 110 lbs may be trickier.
Try a Rob Roy, perhaps. It’s kind of like a canoe-kayak hybrid, and it looks pretty lab=compatible. My local kayak shop let me test drive rec kayaks with my dog, to make sure she fit.