Sailing with dogs

As a keen boater with an interest in canine psychopathology, my reader(s) will not be surprised to hear that I am frequently* asked about marine-related dog mental health problems.

There are many reasons why dog owners may send their loved one to sea:

• What better way of getting rid of the bloody hound quietly?  
• Yapping, barking, biting and other canine unpleasantries can become a thing of the past once your canine friend is safely embarked to warmer climes (actually, any climes will normally do).

What is more of a mystery is why dogs sometimes take their masters sailing.

The disadvantages of having a dog on board are obvious:

1.    You have a dog on the boat
2.    Dogs often generate methane while sailing
3.    Dogs, in general, are very poor helmsmen.

The advantages of having a dog afloat are more subtle:

     1.   Your dog will no longer be at home
     2.    Dogs may be used to sniff their way through the densest of fog

     3.   A dog’s bark may be used as an alternative to the fog horn if your own horn’s pressurised gas supply  is low.  “Dog horn training” however, may take several years and is not always entirely successful.

     4.    A dog at sea is unlikely to be distracted by canines of the opposite sex, and is therefore easier to train and to counsel whilst in the marine environment.  It is a generally unappreciated** fact that a dog is more likely to finish reading his (or her) first serious novel while sailing than when he is on land.

     5.     Dogs can be good at geography.

A dog life jacket.  (Please note the absence of a dog)

The mental health of dogs.

This is of course, a deeply challenging and controversial subject. 

How such a small-brained mammal can be expected to appreciate the complexity The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea is difficult to comprehend, even for us experts.

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Suffice it to say, dogs may be unhappy at sea and are much better left at home.

*may one day be asked

** and under-reported