Sailor

At four weeks of age Sailor had been separated from her maternal mother and placed in a kill shelter in Tennessee. Through routine examinations, the shelter discovered that Sailor and her siblings had Parvovirus and upper respiratory infections and the only outcome the shelter could afford was to have the dogs euthanised.

By some divine twist of fate, another shelter based in New York rescued Sailor and her family.  All the puppies were given treatment to combat their infections and soon enough Sailor was in good recovery and ready for adoption.  Along came Karen, a solo sailor looking for a crew member, but not your typical crew, Karen was after the furry four-legged K9 kind.

Sailor’s destiny had completely turned around.  With the love and devotion of Karen, she was on the road to strong physical and emotional recovery and together they would set sail to beautiful worldly destinations.

Dear Sailor and Karen, we salute you.

Doggy Name: Sailor

Doggy Breed: Texas Heeler rescue 

Doggy Age: 2.5 years old

Years Sailing: 2 years

Places Sailed: Sailor sails with her mum Karen, a solo sailor, aboard a Niagara 35.  In her two short but adventurous years Sailor has already sailed to Newport, Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard, Long Island Sound, Atlantic Ocean, ICW, and the Bahamas.

According to Karen, facebook friends recognize Sailor before they recognise her!  Sailor is so well travelled she has her name and photo on her mum’s boat card. 

How does Sailor handle sailing life? Sailor loves the sailing life. Karen shares with us that Sailor spends her days underway running back and forth from the bow to the stern giving Sailor a great vantage point for her exceptional spotting of dolphins and sea turtles.  She is a polite sea dog and will happily give other boats a courteous sea dog warning if they come a too close for her liking.  Sailor also loves the dinghy.

Biggest challenge:

As with so many of our dogs who sail, the biggest challenge having a dog onboard is often toilet training.  Karen has trained Sailor to go to the toilet on the boat using the infamous astro turf.   

Most dog friendly places Sailor has experienced on her travels in your local area and abroad?

Annapolis, where stores put out water and treats on the sidewalk. 

Vero Beach, there is a huge dog park next to the city marina.

Coconut Grove, Spillover has a free doggie meal at happy hour and homemade dog biscuits.

In the Bahamas, dogs run on the beach all day long.  Sailor made her first trip there this year and was thrilled to find running partners from so many other countries.

Any tips on international travels?

Before her arrival in the Bahamas, Sailor applied for and received a pet permit.  Karen had packed a copy of Sailor’s vet records showing up-to-date shots and booked Sailor in to see the vet for a health certificate 48 hours before arriving.

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

The longest Sailor has been offshore is five days. As she is a high energy dog, this can be challenging. Karen makes sure to play lots of games and teach new tricks to keep Sailor busy.  She has adopted a simple yet effective solution for exercising Sailor while offshore by keeping a hula hoop on board for her to jump through.  Her latest brain training activity for Sailor is teaching her to pick which cup the treat is under. 

When underway, Sailor wears a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) that has an extra flap for support under her chin. Her PFD has a water activated strobe light and a crew finder beacon that will sound if she goes overboard.  When sailing, Karen will clip Sailor into the jackline on the high side. As a single-handed sailor, Karen’s personal rule of thumb is to always tack the dog before she tack’s the boat.

As a responsible sailor, Karen will where possible avoid rough conditions but in the off chance when the weather turns, Sailor stays down below for most of the sail.

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

Sailor is still young and very agile, so she can jump into the dinghy and onto the boat. She even jumps off the dinghy for a swim to shore. If that becomes difficult, when she gets older, there are many ways to add a ramp to the boat, so she can continue the cruising life.

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

Karen has voiced that many people will tell you that it’s cruel to cruise or liveaboard with your dog and I disagree. Your dog wants to be with you, wherever you go. Sailor loves running and swimming on beaches and meets so many dogs while cruising. As Karen says, “I have a few friends that want to be Sailor because they are envious of her life.” 

3 Do’s

1. Do keep plenty of treats and games on board for those rainy and rough weather days. 

2. Do make sure there is always a shady spot for your dog on the boat.

3. Do take your dog on lots of dinghy rides, even if it doesn’t lead to going ashore.

3 Don’ts

1. Don’t forget dogs will generally drink more water on board than on land.

2. Don’t forget that dog food goes mouldy on a boat if not kept in an airtight container.

3. Don’t have too many expectations of your dog. Just enjoy cruising with them.

A special contribution from Sailors owner, Karen.

Sailor wasn’t always a cuddler, so I appreciate it so much more.  Sailor is very happy that I had a lot of patience when I brought her home from the shelter. For the first two months, in her new home, Sailor had fear aggression. Every time I tried to touch her, Sailor would scratch me. If I tried to rub her belly, she would growl and nip.

And so, the trust building began. It just goes to show that love can conquer any issue that a dog has.  I have never had a dog that cuddles as much as Sailor does. Now, Sailor loves belly rubs, cuddling, sailing, dinghy rides, beach runs with the local dogs, and most of all dolphins! 

To see more of Sailor and Karen’s adventures follow #sailorthesailingaussiedog