Pooch on PA

One of the best additions for the PA! Looks like a good dog

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MrGreen

Great pictures! I envy you being able to take your pooch on the water with you! I have a Jack Russell Terrier, taking him on the water via my PA is out of the question.

The Boykin Spaniel is bred to be a small boat dog primarily for hunting ducks and turkey in South Carolina backwaters. She did great on our first serious trip out.

Thats so cool. Would love to have my pup go fishing with me.

As you said, the Boykin is bred for duck hunting. As an avid duck hunter for over 40 years, I have to ask why you would embarrass that great water dog by having that life jacket on it. Dogs are naturally buoyant and unless the dog is knocked unconscious somehow, that dog can swim for hours in water temps below 40 degrees. I had a german wirehair who made a retrieve of well over 500 yards on a cripple last year. He was in the water for over 45 minutes chasing that duck down the middle of a huge oxbow lake. I have just never been a fan of doggie life vest, especially for dogs that are bred to swim and hunt.

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The enemy of "GOOD" is "BETTER"

I thought the main advantage of a life vest for a boat dog was to give the owner a handle to help haul the dog back on board.

She can swim like a fish. I was in shark and gator water with at least 4mph currents rushing through the mangroves and across, over, and between oyster reef that would cut her to shreds. When the tide would come in it would RIP through the oyster reefs and create whirlpools....You just had to see it. I bought the life jacket just in case but after being out there a little while, I could see it was a necessity. If I was in some lake somewhere, I probably wouldn't make her wear it.

Also, this is my first dog and I might be a little over protective.

The handle came in ...well..."handy"....she fell in once and I could just scoop her up or if she needed to be re-positioned I could just grab her and move her to where she needed to be.

Qualey,

Maybe after more time on the water with dogs I will know more but I am a beginner. Fist dog...first boat...only been fishing for a couple of years. Thanks for letting me know that I am being over protective.

-Russ

Chokoloskee Florida at the 10,000 Islands

http://g.co/maps/4eue4

Russ, I apologize for coming across too strong. Being from north Louisiana and not dealing with oyster reefs or tides, my perspective is quite different. As far as gators, I did lose a dog to a gator one summer while training her in 3 feet of water on a beautiful day. she made about 3 retrieves, then a gator took her down and she was never seen again. Nothing could have saved her except her stupid handler (me) not having her there in the first place. As far as currents are concerned, I have had dogs in pretty bad currents, that ended up way down the river, but a life vest would not have helped them. I get tickled at my wife about cold exposure. She thinks dogs react like we do to cold water. If so, my wirehair would not go frolicking through skim ice, then sit in 4 inches of frozen water with his testicles in the water, when he could just as easily sit 3 feet closer to me and be completely dry. They just don't sense temperature like we do. I love Boykins. I think they are one of the smartest hunting breeds on the planet. You will have a blast with that dog.

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The enemy of "GOOD" is "BETTER"

I am originally from the Hattiesburg, MS area and I currently reside in South LA. I have been living down in Venice but just moved up to the North Shore of Lake Ponchartrain.

You just have to see the way the water spills in through those mangrove islands and oyster reefs to appreciate the danger. I wasn't expecting that but it made the fishing and kayaking incredible.

Sorry to hear about the pup you lost to the gator. That is a fear of mine. If you look at that map like you will see those two rivers that flow straight through the Big Cypress and Everglades into the Chokoloskee Bay. I am sure there are some monster gators around there.

Wonderful that you can take your doggie with you. I hope both mine will enjoy rides on the PA. I get mine in April when I return to Canada. My two Norwegian Elkhounds love to go canoeing with me, testing my skills when they both rush over to one side to drink from the lake or watch a turtle.

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Arctic Mermaid
Life is just one big Exploration. Enjoy!

I never go fishing without my little helper. She's bred for the water, has webbed-feet, is a strong swimmer, and I ALWAYS have her in a vest in Florida waters - fresh or salt.

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