Sailing with Dogs - Top 10 Tips
/After sailing the world with dogs, we have compiled the Top 10 most helpful tips that will make sailing with dogs easier, safer, and more comfortable.
By Michelle Segrest — How to Get Your Sea Legs
When our two beagles—Cap’n Jack and Scout—first stepped aboard our 43-foot steel ketch, Seefalke, they walked around the small vessel and sniffed every corner. Then, tails wagging, they looked up at us, and it was as if they shrugged their shoulders and said, “I guess we live here now.” Then they curled up on the settee in the main saloon and settled in.
After sailing to more than 12 countries on four continents and across eight significant bodies of water, including the Atlantic Ocean, we are convinced that dogs just want to be with their humans.
Now that we have experience sailing with dogs in heavy, offshore conditions, we have learned many lessons about how to keep them comfortable, healthy, and safe. We also learned all about the various requirements for entering many worldwide countries with dogs on board. Here are our Top 10 general tips for sailing the world with dogs. While our experience is sailing with dogs, these tips can also apply to other pets.
1. Safety First – Equip Your Ship for Sailing with Dogs
Before welcoming your dogs on board, it is important to be sure you have many safety features in place. Just as humans on board need a PFD (personal flotation device), it is crucial to have a high-quality life vest for your four-legged crew members. We prefer the life vests that secure tightly around the waist and around the neck and those that come with handles on top to make it easier to retrieve your pet in an overboard situation.
However, your safety preparation should not end there. We have learned that having a sea fence around the entire perimeter of the boat adds extra security, safety, and peace of mind. While it’s important to have a well-practiced pet-overboard procedure, it’s even more important to do everything you can to avoid the overboard situation altogether. Our sea fence can handle an impact of up to 750 pounds, so it also protects humans and equipment from sliding overboard.
We also recommend heavy-duty harnesses with tethering lines to keep your dogs’ movement restricted in severe situations. Most important, if conditions are especially rough, secure them in the main cabin in a barricaded spot to ensure their safety and to allow you to focus on safely sailing your ship.
2. Plan and Prepare in Advance to Sail with a Dog
Planning and preparation are crucial if you want to sail with your dogs to many different countries. Each country has its own unique set of requirements for dog entry. Some places require periods of quarantine, and some do not allow dog entry at all. The worst possible scenario would be to enter a country and have your dog placed in quarantine. Our advice is to do the heavy research before you set sail.
There are three main requirements for dog entry by boat when entering just about any country:
Health certificate. This must be approved by a licensed veterinarian, and have an official health department signature and seal.
International microchip
Rabies vaccination AFTER the microchip has been implanted
Some countries also require:
Rabies titer
Flea and tick treatment
Heartworm treatment
De-worming treatment
In Europe, and in some other countries, it is required to obtain a Pet Passport.
3. Potty Train Your Pet for Onboard Living
Without a doubt, the question that we are asked the most often is, “Where do the dogs do their business on board?”
It’s a great question, and after a lot of experience and practice, we can answer it easily. We have a fake-grass mat on the bow of Seefalke, and this has been established as their “place to go.” When we are at sea and conditions are not safe for the beagles to go to the bow to potty, we have a spare fake-grass mat that we put in the cockpit.
It sounds simple, but it can take a while to get the potty training mastered. Before we set sail, we practiced our potty routine every day. When it was time for them to potty, we would leash the dogs and walk them to the bow as if we were taking them for a walk. As they began to get the hang of it, the potty mat began to acquire the potty smell that would attract them. It’s not a bad idea to transport some of their “smell” to the mat deliberately while training.
We also learned quickly that patience, routine, repetition, and reward are important. When there is success with the potty mat, we practically throw a party. We cover them with attention, excitement, love, and treats!
Be sure to check out this article that tells you all the essential items every boat dog needs!
4. Establish Routines to Make Sailing with Dogs More Comfortable
Establishing a routine for your pet when you live on a boat is ideal. This doesn’t only apply to the potty routine. It also applies to how they eat and how they get exercise. It’s all right, even appropriate, for the routine to change slightly depending on the situation. We have different routines when we are in port, on the hard, at anchorage, and at sea.
While at sea, for example, the dogs get less exercise and therefore, they do not need as many calories, so we feed them less than we do when we are in port or at anchorage. Studies show that dogs don’t have a concept of time, but they do have a concept of order, so try to establish an order of routine even if the feeding or the walking doesn’t happen at the same time every day.
5. Be Prepared for When a Country is NOT Dog Friendly
For the most part, we have sailed to dog-friendly countries. Particularly while sailing around Europe, we had no issues whatsoever. Cap’n Jack and Scout joined us everywhere we went. We could take them with us into restaurants and shops and most tourist attractions. Particularly in areas like France, Spain, and Portugal, it was actually uncommon to see anyone walking the streets without a dog.
However, there have been a few places we have visited that were not dog friendly. Morocco was our first stop where we encountered a different atmosphere for dogs. In Cape Verde, Africa and Cabedelo, Brazil, there are many stray dogs roaming the streets, so it was always necessary to keep Cap’n Jack and Scout on leashes and not allow them to run and play freely. The tip here is to research the culture of the country you are visiting so that you can prepare appropriately for what to expect, and then be respectful of the atmosphere.
6. Keep Your Dog Warm
Sometimes the temperatures while sailing can hit extremes—for the humans and for the dogs. If you are cold, chances are your dog is at least chilly, although he is covered in fur, which provides natural insulation. Smaller breeds and puppies have a more difficult time battling the cold temperatures. We have seen Cap’n Jack and Scout shiver some while sailing in colder temperatures, but we haven’t noticed anything dangerous, so far.
Don’t try to bundle them too much. Simply keep warm blankets or sleeping bags in their bedding area, and you will see them nestle themselves when the cold air affects them.
Check out this cool weather protection gear for sailing dogs.
7. Keep Your Dog Cool
If you are hot, chances are your dog is broiling. Dogs don’t sweat much; therefore, extreme heat is even more dangerous for your fur-covered crew member than it is for you. Dogs cannot cool themselves by sweating as prolifically as humans can. Dogs may sweat a little through the pads of their feet, but mostly they will pant heavily when they are battling the heat.
When a dog is exposed to high temperatures, heat stroke or heat exhaustion can result. To avoid this, look for the signs (bright red tongue and pale gums, thick saliva, rapid panting, bloody nose, diarrhea or vomiting, and dizziness). If these signs are present, soak the pet in cold water or place ice packs in his groin area or armpits. If it’s less critical and you think your dog just needs to cool off, try loosely tying a cool bandana around his neck or dousing him with cool sea water. Generally, our dogs find the shade when they are hot. No matter the temperature, always keep cool water available for your pets.
8. Prepare and Provision Food for Your Pet While Living on a Boat
For us, feeding our dogs is simple. Beagles will eat anything. When we say anything, we mean ANYTHING! They eat trash and bird poo and clam shells, even though we try our best to stop them. Of course, not everything is safe for dogs to eat. Fortunately, our beagles are fine with just about any brand of dry dog food, so we have been able to purchase dog food at almost every stop in every country to which we have sailed.
If your dog has digestive issues or allergies or requires some sort of special dog food, obviously it is important to provision accordingly. Don’t count on being able to find a particular brand of dog food at every stop you make on your sailing route. Most of the time we feed our dogs dry dog food, but sometimes, particularly at sea when conditions are rough and it may be inconvenient or difficult to get to their food supply, Cap’n Jack and Scout will eat what we eat. However, be aware of people foods that are dangerous for dogs (like onions, grapes, dark chocolate, and anything with alcohol, among others).
9. Be Prepared for First Aid at Sea for Your Pet
What if you are at sea or at anchorage and your dog experiences a bad cut, has an allergic reaction, or falls and breaks a leg? What will you do?
You can’t take him to the nearest veterinarian. Even if you are in port, you may not be able to find a veterinarian. If you do find one, you may not speak the language to communicate to the doctor about the problem your dog is experiencing.
You wouldn’t set sail without a first-aid kit for the human crew, so don’t depart without a comprehensive medical kit for your four-legged crew. We consulted with our veterinarian and asked her to help us prepare a full dog first-aid kit, complete with antibiotics, seasick medicine, eye and skin ointments, and supplies for cuts, abrasions and breaks.
10. Enjoy the Sailing with Dogs Experience
Dogs require attention. They are expensive. They require additional work and preparation.
But for us, having Cap’n Jack and Scout with us aboard Seefalke is fantastic, and bringing them with us on our voyage is something we will never regret. The rewards of companionship, no complaints, and having a built-in alarm system outweigh the challenges by a long shot. We can tell by the constant wagging tails that Cap’n Jack and Scout love being on the boat with us.
For us, the long list of downsides does not really matter. Cap’n Jack and Scout are part of our family, and we cannot imagine not having our dogs living on the boat and sailing the world with us.
How to Sail with Dogs—100 Tips for a Pet-Friendly Voyage is available on
It is also available on PAPERBACK on Amazon in B/W or Color
In the Book, we share 100 tips about how to plan, prepare, and potty train for fun, safe sailing with your four-legged crew members. Learn much more about traveling with pets by air and by sea, potty training and exercising on board, first aid at sea, establishing routines, and keeping your pet SAFE! Detailed customs requirements for U.S.- and European-based dogs entering into dozens of countries in Europe, Northwest Africa, Atlantic South America, the Caribbean, and North America are also included.
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