Whether you have a retriever puppy you’re hoping will bring you a decade’s worth of greenhead limits, or a ride-or-die mutt that will spend the summers at the lake with you, getting a dog comfortable with boats can be an interesting experience.
You could take some puppies on a speedboat when they are eight weeks old and it would’t phase them. Others might lose their minds the first moment your fishing boat slips away from the dock in dead calm waters.
The problem is, you won’t know which kind of dog you have until you try. And if you have the scared-to-death version, you might foster a complete and utter fear of all watercraft. That’s not ideal if you want a duck dog, an adventure dog, or just that companion dog to spend the evenings on the pontoon with you and the family.
A better, safer bet, is to consider their introduction to boats.
Land-Based Basics
I’m friends with one of the best retriever trainers the world has ever seen, and he has an entire process for introducing duck dogs to boats. He starts with a flat-bottom on dry land, where he leads them into and out of the boat with a leash.
Then he does some retrieving drills from the boat, again on land. After a pup is comfortable with that, he’ll move the boat to the edge of a small pond (but still keep it on land). From there, it’s more retrieving work (he’s already done a water intro at this point). After that, he’ll eventually take the dog out in the boat for a short paddle. Then he’ll work up to bigger boats, the kind with outboard motors or mud motors. It’s a weeks-long process, and it works.
You might not have quite the same dedication, or training locations, or boats with which to work. That’s okay, you can still ensure your pup is a sea-worthy companion.
Positive Associations
Dog training is largely a lesson in establishing positive connections to commands and tasks. When it comes to boats, a positive association won’t happen if there is a heightened sense of fear involved. Think about a puppy like an infant human. You wouldn’t, at least if you have the common sense of a toad, take a newborn baby and hold it four feet away from an outboard and then get on plane to race across a lake at 50 mph.
You also wouldn’t let a six-month-old child crawl around your bass or duck boat in a way where they might just go headfirst into the drink. A puppy that experiences a loud outboard motor the first time you carry it into a boat might become the kind of dog that pisses itself at the sight of any boat. If you do manage to get a puppy on the boat and it falls off, the same rules apply.
A quiet and calm introduction matters. Incorporate some treats if necessary, dole out the praise, and make it fun. Go easy the first couple of times, avoid nasty waves or too much activity with other boaters, and allow the pup to realize that when they get into a boat, it’s fun and safe.
Anticipate Accidents
When your four-legged buddy starts joining you on boating excursions, remember a couple of things. They’ll chew on fishing lures if you’re not paying attention, and that can be a nightmare scenario that is not only expensive and dangerous, but can ruin a dog for watercraft forever.
If you have a retriever, you might think that you’re set after a couple of laps around the lake with your trolling motor. But the moment you toss an anchor out at your favorite crappie spot, or maybe the first time you cast a topwater for smallies, that retrieving instinct might kick in. More than a few duck hunters have learned this lesson the hard way while setting decoys with their dogs in the pre-dawn darkness.
Sometimes, dogs get scared for reasons only they know, and it seems like their reaction is to just jump from the boat without a whole lot of consideration for how fast you’re going. This is a bad deal, so make sure your dog is leashed or under your control somehow, if it’s even a remote possibility they’ll bail on you.
It’s also a good idea to try to wear a young dog out before bringing them on any boat for the first several times. A high-energy pup in a confined space is usually a recipe for something to go wrong. Make sure that if you do run some drills or take your dog for a long walk before getting into the boat, you provide a water dish for them so they don’t decide to take a drink from the lake, which is a prime opportunity to go ass over apple cart into the water.
Slow & Steady
About 90% of the problems most people have with dog training involve consistency and moving too fast through the lessons. When it comes to getting a youngster comfortable with a boat, kayak, or canoe, this is absolutely true.
Take your time with them and try to read your dog as it gets more exposure to the boat life. You don’t want a duck dog that’s terrified of your flat-bottom any more than you want a companion dog that refuses to step paw on your family fishing rig. Go slow, anticipate problems, and establish that positive connection.
Once you do, it’s generally there for life, which is the goal.
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