5 Tips for a Fishing Adventure With Your Dog

Fishing adventures with your dog are a great way to spend the day - or not! Some dogs are perfectly content to lie in their comfortable corner of the boat, peacefully dreaming of the cats back home. However, if you have a dog like mine, there are challenges to consider if you want to enjoy your day on the fishing boat.

Will My Dog Chase Fishing Tackle?

My dog loves to chase and retrieve; a fishing lure casting out into the water sets off her internal chase mode. If left to her own devices, she'd be on that bait quicker than the blink of an eye. Not such a good idea! When not allowed to chase the fishing tackle, she chose to go with the alternative of barking at it. Great, that'll really draw the fish to the boat!

Tips for Going Fishing with Your Dog

Below are five tips I learned for allowing your best buddy to tag along on your fishing trips:

1. Before ever getting on the boat, condition your dog so they don't try to chase the bait while casting. Since dogs are predators, it's natural for them to see a quick movement, such as bait zipping past, and want to pursue it. Train your dog to "leave it" or "go to their place" while you are casting.

2. Take precautionary measures to keep fishing gear secured so your dog doesn't accidentally step on them or put them in their mouth. Dogs have been known to get hooked so, if that happens, keep your dog calm and don't try to remove the hook yourself. Try to lighten or stabilize the hook's weight and then get to a vet as quickly as possible.

3. Keep a safety line attached to your dog so they cannot jump overboard. If allowing your dog to swim while fishing, use the safety line to keep them away from the fishing lines while you're attempting to catch a fish.

4. Use a doggy life jacket that fits properly. No matter how good of a swimmer your dog may be, a pet flotation device (PFD) can come in extremely handy when a dog accidentally falls overboard; this is extremely handy if you didn't pay close attention to #1 or #3 and your dog tries to retrieve in the lake. Many PFDs have a gripping handle incorporated into the design, which can be very helpful if you need to get your dog out of the water without a boat ladder for dogs.

5. Plan your trip according to potential potty timeframes. A deep sea fishing trip may not be a great idea if you don't have anywhere for your dog to relieve himself. If possible, training your dog ahead of time to use puppy pads is ideal; otherwise, keep trips shorter when Fido is along.

You don't need to leave your dog at home when you head to your favorite fishing spots. Just prepare ahead of time, connect your boat dog ladder, and take your faithful companion with you on your awesome fishing adventures.

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