Fishing with Dogs

[fishineer]

Last fall my family and I got a Yellow Lab puppy, who is now 6 months old. We got her just for a family pet, but I was thinking of taking her fishing with me. Most probably would be for those times I fish alone from my boat, like for Springers or sturgeon.

Any ifishers out there who fish with their dog and have any advice or experiences to pass on(like don't :smile: )? Thanks!

[Phil Layer]

I have a year old yellow lab that always fishes with me. She is the ideal fish dog. Within moments of launching, she curls up and sleeps until I pull out, even if that takes all day.

My only advice is to make sure she does her duty before getting on the boat. I rushed her once and paid the price.

Also, watch for loose hooks. I've not had a problem but would hate to try and pull a hook out of her mouth.

[Snapshot]

I for one love the sight of a dog standing on the bow while you run upriver.. Looks so cool.
IF you have been training the dog to retrieve you could have a familiar problem. They like to fetch every cast. In some rivers that could be a real problem. Not to mention the quality of catching it would effect. Enjoy
*Fish only bite wet hooks*

[STGRule]

Our yellow loved to go fishing. The problems were:
Trying to retrieve the casts.
Sticks floating by caused her to lean WAY over the gunwale (she only jumped in once when she was a puppy).
Baits can be tasty!
Fish on! means jump up and down and try to help Dad get it in the boat. Barking helps alot.
Sleep a little and then check everything and everbody to see what changed in the last 20 minutes (100 lbs of dog in the drift boat was challenging).
I envied the other lab owners who had calm boat dogs.
The beagle we have now is a great boat dog. We're hoping she will lead by example when we get a lab puppy this spring.

[Tilla]

My younger Lab has a liking for smelt and doesn't descern between ones with or without hooks. I am not sure to take on the responsibility of continual eye watching. She does follow the casts and splashes, she is reminded to stay put. She also is ready to greet the fish. I might keep her away from most baitfishing expeditions. The older Lab is mellower and just likes being there. (Don't they all!)

[fish_on]

My healer like to check out everyone on the river, and talk to the other dogs a little. Had her in a boat since she was 4 months old. Be carefull of your rods, if your dog is on a seat or storage box and slips off and onto your rod...new rod.

[Firedog]

I have never had my Lab(she's 10) in my boat, since I drift from Oxbow to Dabney all the time and there are no dogs allowed in either park. She used to fish with me quite a bit, but the wanting to retrieve the cast's and swimming all the time in general was a bit of a pain. I love having her along but she feels she needs to be close to where I am at all time even if I am standing waist deep in the river. The day I was fighting a fish in a riffle and she decided to swim out and see what is going on and ended up swimming right alongside my fish was pretty much the end of her fishing days. She does enjoy sturgeon fishing with me off my buddies houseboat though, She like to great them as the come onto the dock. She would carry them off given the chance. :smile: And you do need to keep an eye on the bait :smile:

[ 02-04-2002, 07:53 PM: Message edited by: firedog ]

[ScottD]

Moby, I envy you with your mellow dog. I wish my black lab (Skeeter) would settle down in my boat; he is a real embarassment. He is really hyper and he is going to be 8 years old this spring. I had him out with me a lot when he was a puppy and I thought I would get him used to going. I don't take him anymore (I just kennel him when my wife and I go on a trip).

Unless your dog is as mellow as Moby's then I will suggest that you get a shock collar and get your dog trained to listen to what you say and use the collar to make sure the dog knows you mean business. (I wish I would have trained my dog with a collar early on) My dog has been trained with an E-collar recently and I may let him go on the boat again this year.

Skeeter would get really excited whenever somebody would cast - he kept wanting to jump in the water and retrieve. When we would cast he would wine and wimper and carry on. I admit that my wife and I babied him too much (we don't have kids so he is our kid). We maybe let him get away with stuff too much. Sometimes he would jump in out of the boat and swim around looking for the lure that we cast in.

We started taking his kennel with us on the boat to keep him from jumping in. He would wine any time I would make a cast and never put his head down or try to sleep. On one trip on the Columbia (about 4 years ago) we decided to start trolling at the mouth of the Deschutes and since we were trolling we decided to let Skeeter out of his cage. Well, I hooked a nice steelhead and when I got the fish close to the boat, Skeeter was in great anticipation over the fight and then he saw the silvery flash of the fish and jumped in the water. Well, when I had hooked the fish, my wife had reeled her line up but kept the crankbait hanging over the bow of the boat. Skeeter saw the lure dangling and decided to bite it. I was fighting a steelhead, my wife was screaming, the dog had a mouthful of treble hooks. I dropped the rod but hit the freespool button, grabbed Skeeter and drug the 75pound dog into the boat. I grabbed a pair of dikes and tried cutting the hooks off and broke the dikes. While trying to get another pair of dikes, Skeeter tried getting the hooks out of his mouth by using his paw. He let out a really loud howl and just screemed. My wife was crying histerically. Well, I got my other pair of dikes and finally got one set of trebles cut out of his tongue and cheek and then out of his paw. We got him put back in his crate and then reeled up my line and the steelhead was still on and we got it in the boat.

We took off to Maryhill where we had launched and then went to Goldendale to the see the vet. The vet came all the way in to the office (on Saturday) and took one hook point out of Skeeters cheek.

I guess the moral of the story is just watch out - not all dogs are as good as the one Moby has. Not all dogs are as goofy as Skeeter either. Skeeter does listen a lot better when that E-collar is around his neck; so he may get to go fishing this year.

One other thing I've noticed: Don't let your dog go swimming before going in the boat. The water seems to soak into him - after he goes swimming he will have to go to shore to pee within an hour. :shocked: :grin: :grin: :grin:

[hustlerrjim]

make sure your dog has been salmon poisond it only takes a drop of blood to lose a dog from salmon or steelhead poisoning,esp if you dont know what to look for

[Thick-N-Thin]

I have a 4 year old chocolate lab that I take with me in my boat on occasions. I don't have a problem with her when I cast, however when waves hit the shore or the boat she wants to jump in after them. I think she believes it's something flapping in the water. I didn't know this problem until the first time I took her out fall Chinook fishing and she jumped into the river to chase waves hitting the shore from a passing boat. I keep her on a leash most of the time when in the boat now. She is is gone in a split second if I don't. They just love the water and moving things.

So if it was me I would try your dog in the boat with a leash to start out and see how he/she reacts to all of the fishing/boating.

Salmon poisoning? I've never heard of that. Could you explain?

[Jennie@ifish]

Salmon poisoning: Do a search in the ifish community. It's been discussed quite a bit.
It is a fluke that is in salmon blood that can be quite deadly if not taken care of immediately.
Almost every fishing dog will have to go through it.
If you catch it in time, and give appropriate meds, everything should be fine.
Some dog owners around here, where the fish are everywhere, actually feed dogs salmon so they can get past this, and take care of it, when they have time to take care of the consequences.
Jen

Thanks Jen
I did an internet serch and found out that, "This microorganism is found in salmon, steelhead, trout, Pacific giant salamanders and fresh water fish found in and around the Pacific Ocean from Northern California to Seattle. The geographical limitations are likely caused by the limited habitats of infected snails". Found it at http://www.metpet.com/nmerc/Dogs/sal...ng_in_dogs.htm
I guess I don't have anything to worry about with this, fishing on Lake Ontario.

[Capin' Dan]

I usually take one of my dogs when fishing the river never in the ocean (Just to rough sometimes)

Things to remember an unruley dog will ruin the trip for all involved. I recommend taking them out a time or two with out your fishing buddies to get them accustomed to the boat. There are many hazards out there that can also injure you four legged friend so watch for those.

Like Tilla said his dog loves smelt. Most dogs love this fish. I highly recommend feeding smelt to dogs it has soem great vitimams and fatty acids. It also really helps those coats for you lab owners. I usually feed two of them with there meals or as a special snak. As posted above at all cost keep Salmon away from your dogs it will kill them.

A well disiplined dog can really make for an enjoyable trip and it really does the dog good also. It also helps reinforce certain types of training techniques and enviroments.

Bottom line its good for both of you.

Dan! :smile:

[TundraIII]

I started taking my black lab fishing with me in the boat when he was 5 mos old. He loves the boat and isnt afraid of smacking wakes, engine roar etc. He is 4yrs old now
and a perfect fishing companion. Definately make sure you give her time to do her "duty" before you leave the launch. I also have a chocalate lab that is a total spaz on the boat, he gets bored, whines all day, used to jump out (but almost drowned when he
jumped out in a really bad stretch of water) so he doesnt jump out anymore. He makes
a real fuss when I leave him home and take my black fishing, but I soon get over the
guilt when I realize I'm going to have a nice day on the river. Best advice I would say
is to get her on the boat now dont wait till she is older. Sometimes it just depends on the dog. I take my black fishing with me on just about every trip, he is a joy to have
on the boat and my passengers enjoy having him there too. After you get your pup hooked on fishing with you she will KNOW when you are going and you just may have a hard time getting out the door without her :grin:

[ 02-05-2002, 07:44 AM: Message edited by: TundraIII ]

[Phish_on]

My yellow Lab is pretty OK in the boat. She tends to get in the way. Don't forget to bring something to chew on, that keeps them amused.

I think she got a little seasick out at Buoy 10, just kind of laid there ... didn't want to devour a new rawhide bone (now there's a symptom) - yeah what they said about fish blood/poisoning.

And sooner or later she has to swim, of course.

I usually don't take her bank fishing, have to tie her to a tree to keep her out of the river - so that's not that fun.

[BuKuBass]

My Vizsla, Jake, has fished with me since he was a pup. It only took him one bite to learn that retrieving the lure dangling in the air before a cast was not a good idea. Back then we fished from a "Gheenoe" with low gunwales and one day he fell out nine times trying to help me land the bass. He still tries to bring them aboard. He impersonates a Mac truck hood ornament very well under the guise of scouting for chukar.

[TundraIII]

Hey got another piece of advice for you! If you ever put in at the Warrenton launch(or any launch for that matter)
keep an eye on your dog near the launch. Seems to be a popular place for people to dump their fish offel (fish guts etc.) My dog loves a good roll in stinky fish!! Makes for one hell of a long day when your fishin buddy stinks to high heaven :shocked: :shocked:

[ 02-05-2002, 01:04 PM: Message edited by: TundraIII ]

[Gizmo Man]

Yep: its fun with the dog in the boat and now trying to float fish when the dog is in the water before the float hits...

I got a lab mix about a yr ago and he is hyper. I like but others dont. He is like a kid and wants to be involved.

I have a short leash that I tie him to in one corner of the boat. He just likes to lean over the boat and watch everything go by.

I try to take him to the shore and run him by throwing his frizbee or ball. This wears him down a bit but hey, that's why I got him...If I want an old stiff in the boat I'd take Roy (BOE) with me... :grin:

giz...

[T-Jet]

Definitely take your dog! I fished for 12 years out of a driftboat with my Siberian Husky. She was the best fishing partner I ever had. I now go with two. A Springer and a Choc. Lab. I wouldnt think of leaving them at home while I go out. I would recomend having a bottle of shampoo and a good pair of pliers that are capable of cutting the strongest hooks. Its not a matter of "if", but when your dog will either roll in something that is only enjoyable to them or take your magnum wiggle wart harder than a 50# chinook!! I cant hook the boat up without the two of them losing thier marbles if they see me! Just be prepared for the worst. Carry first aid for your fuzzy friend.

[fishchaser]

When he was talking about stinkiing fishing buddies, he was talking about you Giz, not the dog. :grin: :grin:
My English Setter loves to go fishing with me, but he also loves to watch me reel in the fish, and he is always at my feet, and in the way. I tell him to go up into the bow and he does just what I tell him.

The problem is he loves the water, He jumps in and starts paddling down river. I have to go chase him and get him back into the boat.

[ 02-05-2002, 12:23 PM: Message edited by: fishchaser ]

[AngleThis]

I got an australian shepard puppy about the same time I finished restoring my boat. In fact, many of my 'learn to drive the boat' ventures were puppy accompanied. Back then, my boy "Titan" was doing the first mate thing before I learned just how much wave I could cross without getting airborn, and the pounding terrified him. He would pry his way between the foor and my legs, and then between my legs, and the next thing I knew I had a bear hugging dog attached to my waist. There was no way to concentrate on driving without leashing him to the other side of the boat, at first anyway. Just remember to always pet and console the pup when the boat stops.

There is no way to make a dog seaworthy without a 'difficult puppy period'. The key is practice. The boat (the guarding of which is his primary "job"), does not leave the back yard without him, lest he go bonkers. Since Titan got his sea legs. I have had him in super rough 10 foot seas (18' boat), and everything less. He now lays down on the floorboard at my side and can handle anything I and the boat can handle. At worst, he'll pry my left arm up to put around him for assurance. He even anticipates my movements in the boat toward the anchor or a bending rod, and knows just where to go to stay out of the way. And if I say "move" and point to where I want him to go, he goes. If the water is freindly, and I want space, I just say "outside" and open up the windshield, and he gladly goes out on the bow and sniffs the wind. All he needs now is a potted plant up there to pee on and we wouldn't need land at all :smile: .

We've done extensive river camping with the boat (which is a young running type dog's wet dream) and lots of fishing on the river and ocean. Whenever I ask him "wanna take the boat out?", he gets terribly excited and goes into 'best behavior' mode. Remember that the excitement of the experience, whether it be one of terror or jubilation, will cause your dog to pant excessively and tend to dehydrate, so you should put a small watering bowl in a specific place on the boat. That way, when your dog gets thirsty, he will scratch or whine in that direction to let you know.

My dog is a very muscular and bone heavy hearding dog, and a poor swimmer. Your dog should be much better in the water. In any case, $20 or so will buy him a canine life presever and you some peace of mind for your beloved pet.

If you plan to do any camping on the river this summer, email me (dconstance@earthlink.net). Titan is friendly with all dogs and would welcome the company as would myself and fellow 'with dog' campers.

DC

[ 02-06-2002, 12:38 AM: Message edited by: ********* ]

[hustlerrjim]

salmon poisoning is a killer
if you take you dog fishing and aboot [canadian]9-14 days later your dog quits eating get him to the vet immediatly ,IMMEDIATLY,
better yet, when you clean a fish give the dog the heart and mark it down on the calendar and when symtoms appear you know what it is,listless and wont eat
stick a thermometer up the dogs ass and you will find a real high fever 105 is not uncommon when symtoms appear
no matter what you do, a lab will scrounge around and find a peice of hot salmon,they are hunters-
the cure rate this way is practically 100%
left to be detecded by itself it falls to 50% if untreated practically 0
I hope I saved somebodys loved one.

[birdsnest]

My Shih Tzu is a great fishing dog :smile: