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A giant dog and small boat might not seem like the ideal combination and truthfully it sometimes is just comic relief for those around us. Most of the Great Danes I know aren’t big on swimming. They like the water for running and wading in but as soon as their feet can’t touch the bottom they turn around. Of course when you are dealing with a Dane, they can be in waist deep water on a human and still be standing.
Our first experience
The first time we tried boating with a Great dane was with Selar, our first Great Dane. We were invited to float the Rogue River in Oregon but with temperatures nearing triple digits we couldn’t leave Selar on her own. Solution: get an inflatable 2-man boat from the local drug store and pull her behind our 2-man kayak, what could go wrong? We had booties so she wouldn’t pop the boat with her claws and we bought her a life vest, which may or may not have been substantial enough. Thankfully we never needed to test the life vest.
Can we borrow your water pump?
With our extra trip to find Selar a boat, we arrived late and were trailing the group. They gave us specifics of what to expect and where they would pull out for a break. As we started the float it was quickly apparent that Selar absolutely loved this and was not going to jump out of the boat as I feared. She did whoever try to get a better look at things and would push the front of the boat down allowing water to come in. While the air temperature was high, the water temperature was not. Repeatedly we needed to bail out her boat. We even went so far as to borrow hand pumps from other people.
We caught up with the rest of our group at their rest stop. Of course we were on the wrong side of the river and had to paddle furiously to get across while people on shore waded out to catch us and Selar. This gave Selar a chance to warm up since she had started to shiver in the cold water filling up her boat. The river was a busy place with other people floating or fishing. We quickly became the object of lots of pointing and laughing with our giant Harlequin leisurely cruising while we did all the paddling.
My biggest fear
My biggest fear was that she would pop the boat somewhere along the journey. It was not a life threatening situation since the road ran along the river but it would have turned into a long day. The booties we put on her were just simply a vinyl sock with a velcro strap. She kept pulling them off as she squirmed around in the boat. Luckily the boat remained intact, at least till we reached the pull out ramp. Once her boat hit the ramp she jumped out, pushing off the front edge of the boat and popping it with her un-booted front feet.
We later repaired the boat and she enjoyed a couple more floats in it.
Varel hated swimming
I think Varel was so good at staying on the kayak because she hated swimming. Every time she was forced to she seemed to forget that she knew how. She would thrash around in a panic for a minute before remembering she could swim. Apart from swimming, Varel was always fearless to try things but the best part for her was she was with her favorite human.
K’Ehleyr hated kayaking
K’Ehleyr did the most swimming of our Danes but she would have nothing to do with the kayak. I don’t think she ever had all 4 feet at once on the kayak even when it was onshore. But if there was a stick at stake she would swim out to get it.
Martok is still figuring things out
Martok is still learning the boating thing. He got a few lessons in Cameron Lake at Waterton Lakes National Park to the great amusement of everyone onshore. Martok seems to like being on a SUP (standup paddle board) more than a kayak and he was totally fine in a canoe and a power boat ride around Flathead Lake.
What you need to take your Great Dane boating
- Extra large PDF (puppy floatation device). The one in the photos is not good enough. We have a Kurgo one now.
- A way to keep them comfortable, use a towel or mat.
- A way to keep them cool. Martok got overheated on the power boat, we soaked a towel to cover him with. A cooling vest may be a good investment, both Kurgo and Ruffwear make them.
- A plan to get them back on the boat. That plan may be just going to shore and re-loading from there.
Tips
- Start with the boat onshore or very shallow water to get them used to it.
- Do really short trips.
- Stay close to shore so they can swim to it if needed. Ideally have someone else there waiting for them.
- Bonus: teach them to shake on command so you can get out of the way.
- Don’t ever force them if they are scared.
- Always, always, always play it safe.
I found an article with more detailed information about boats and gear at KayakGuru including a video of a man and Dane in a very small kayak.
