JD

Not all dogs love sailing, and gorgeous JD is quite prepared to stay on Terra Firma unless of course, he is going for a dinghy ride. 

We salute you JD for giving it a go.

Doggy Name:  JD

Doggy Age:  11yo

Doggy Breed:  Border Collie

Years Sailing:  Less than one year

Places Sailed:  Maryborough Qld to Great Keppel Island return

How does JD handle sailing life?

He’s not a keen sailor as he gets anxious quickly, but he loves being on anchor and going for outings in the dinghy.

JD also suffers from arthritis which can be challenging getting around a sailboat.

Biggest challenge:

Trying to deal with him being anxious when underway.

How did you overcome/manage these challenges?

JD’s parents made comfortable spots on board for him and tried some calming homoeopathic oral drops.   His mum said, ‘I used them myself as well and they worked on me!’ 🙂

Yay!  says JD.  We are off the big boat and in the dinghy! Land Ahoy!

Most dog friendly places you’ve experienced on your travels in your local area and abroad?

Seventeen Seventy and Great Keppel Island, Queensland, Australia

Any tips on international travels?

JD has only sailed in Queensland.

What’s the longest leg JD has travelled and how do you manage his energy, toileting and behaviour on these legs and keeping him safe on larger swells?

It was about 12 hours. We kept him in the cockpit with us with his life jacket on and some comfortable pillows and blankets.

Have you made any modifications on your boat to accommodate JD?

Only some rubber on top of the step-over to get into the cockpit area.  Next trip we will have netting installed so he can’t jump overboard as he’s done that twice in the past.

What advice would you like to share with others who have dogs who sail or who are considering having a dog on a boat?

Make sure YOU are comfortable before bringing your dog on board as JD picked up on my anxiousness.

3 Do’s:

  1. Get a good life jacket.
  2. Make boating fun for the dog (outings, hide and seek games etc).
  3. Introduce them slowly to sailing.

2 Don’ts:

  1. Don’t forget safety; open deck hatches and slippery surfaces make for accidents waiting to happen.
  2. Don’t leave him alone on board

Last thoughts (from your JD’s perspective):

Don’t take me sailing again! Lol.

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