Aggie

Aggie on Board!

Our dog, Aggie, joined us in Ft. Lauderdale. She is a 12
year old mixed breed dog that we have had since she was a
puppy. She is a pretty smart dog, but we really didn’t know
how she would take to living on a boat.

The first week was a nightmare. With her sharp claws and
the slippery boat surface, she slipped constantly and was
quite frustrated. And to make things worse, the dock where
we were required her to literally jump into John’s arms to
get on and off the boat. Talk about a leap of faith!

Eventually she fell in and confirmed what we suspected.
Aggie is not a swimmer. She flails around in a panic; very
similar to the way I swim. She was confused and startled,
but to her credit, she swam to the back of the boat where
John was able to help her up on the sugar scoop. We
installed safety netting around the outside the next week.

We later moved to a mooring ball in Ft. Lauderdale, which
meant she would need to ride in the dinghy to shore. To
our surprise, she jumped right in! The dinghy is now her
new best friend. She rides with John while he is fishing and
sometimes just sits in the dinghy if it’s close by.

Since the first week, Aggie has made an amazing
adjustment. She walks to the front of the boat and would
sleep outside, if we would allow her. She has found her own
spot beside the seat when are traveling.

The only thing she has not managed to do is find a
bathroom place on the boat. I have tried all the tricks
everyone has told me, but she just won’t go. It makes it
tough on her when we do an overnighter. Maybe she’ll
figure something out.