How to Play Safely With Your Pooch on the Water
Ryan Lilly is an avid fisherman from Hampden, Maine who makes a living educating people on all the various types of canoes, kayaks and boats available these days. He handles consumer marketing for Old Town Watercraft, a Maine-based company making watercraft since 1898.
Ryan Lilly – brand/product manager
Sure, Ryan loves catching fish and sharing his knowledge as an in-demand guest on podcasts, but one of his biggest joys is whenever he can bring his dog, Ranger on his water outing in his canoe or kayak. Ranger is a playful, four-year-old Vizsla who loves being anywhere with Ryan.
“Even though Ranger is a strong, proficient swimmer, I live in a place with bodies of water with currents,” says Ryan. “I want to make sure that if he falls in or jumps into the water, he is able to stay afloat and not exhaust himself. That’s why my number one tip is to always fit your dog into a life jacket that has a handle. The jacket doubles as insulation and protection from the sun while keeping your dog afloat.”
Ryan offers these water-safety tips for your dog:
- Start training on land.
- Make sure your dog aces his basic sit, stay, leave it and come cues consistently.
- Introduce the canoe or kayak on land first. Let your dog have time to sniff, step in and out of the boat. Move it side to side while your dog is inside so he can work on his balance and develop his “sea legs” on shore.
- Start at the shoreline. Have your dog in a life jacket and attached to a long leash. Bring on the treats to use to reward when he heeds your cues.
- Avoid weighty issues. Make sure that the weight of you and your dog combined does not exceed the maximum weight for your canoe or kayak.
- Consider new types of sit-on-top kayaks with two hulls for greater stability. “These kayaks are more stable than the sit-inside kayaks and are less tipper,” he adds.
- Bring bottled water and a water bowl to keep both of you hydrated on the water outing to reduce the risk of dehydration.
- Check the local weather and wave forecast in your area before deciding if the time is safe to be on the water with your dog.
- Once back to shore, always completely rinse off your dog by using outdoor showers at the beach or bringing a couple gallons of water in your car. Your dog’s skin is her largest organ, and you want to keep it healthy. Once home, bathe her by using a veterinarian-approved shampoo and conditioner, rinsing and thoroughly toweling dry.
More Water Safety Tips
Be selective about where your dog can make a splash safely. Choosing the wrong body of water for play can expose them to strong currents or nasty parasites. For your dog’s sake, avoid these tempting water sources:
- Lakes with blue-green algae blooms. Your dog can become sick quickly if she swallows or licks algae off her coat. These blooms are highly toxic and can make your dog sick very quickly from drinking this lake water or licking her wet coat. The algae can cause liver damage, seizures and even death in dogs.
- Ponds on golf courses or in community developments. These waters look beautiful and beckoning, but they harbor drainage run-off chemicals, such as pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers used to treat lawns and greens. They also may be saturated with a lot of nasty parasites.
- Rivers with strong currents. Your dog may be long-legged and a fast swimmer, but a strong current can quickly sweep her far from shore. He can become fatigued and drown. For your dog’s safety, always tether a long floating line to the D ring on her life vest so you can quickly rein her in if a strong current suddenly occurs.
Final tip: Our dogs love to please. Some may paddle or fetch balls well past the point of exhaustion and risk drowning. Prevent this by going with 10-minute water play sessions. After each session, stop and offer your dog fresh water and a chance to chill in a shaded area.
More About Ryan Lilly
Ryan offers this short video on dogs and water safety. Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nditA68Yjog&t=93s. You can follow the adventures of Ryan and his dog, Ranger on their water adventures on his Instagram page: @ryanslilly.
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