Paddle in Harmony: Mastering the Art of Kayaking with Your Canine Companion

Ultimate Guide to Training Your Dog For Kayaking Adventures

Kayaking is a fun adventure that many people like to do. However, it could also be risky if you don’t follow safety guidelines.

Kayaking is exciting, and many people love to do it on vacation or have some free time. They also like to take their pets, like dogs, with them during their kayaking adventure.

Many people wonder if you can kayak with your dog safely. It may not be the same as kayaking with another person, but you can do it if you are prepared, precautious, and your dog is well trained.

Here is an ultimate guide on kayaking with your dog on your next kayaking adventure.

Developing Confidence With Movement

You must build your dog’s confidence before taking it to the water on kayaking adventures. Training should ideally occur first on land and then move to the water.

Starting with a floating boat will scare your dog due to the unpredictable rocking and movements. It will make your dog refuse more kayaking adventures or training in the water.

Confidence should be taught with movement. You should reward your dog for watching your rock the kayak, as it will help it associate good things with movement.

Once your dog is confident with rocking, movement, water, and such concepts, it’ll be ready to accompany you on your kayaking adventures.

How To Kayak With Your Dog?

Here are a few things to remember on how to kayak with your dog.

1. Teach Your Dog Where To Stay On The Kayak

Your dog must have a designated place to stay on the kayak during your adventures. It’s crucial that your dog is also well-informed of its place in the kayak and be trained not to shift positions.

Factors, including the type of kayak and the size of the dog, matter when deciding where in the kayak you must place your dog.

A sit-on kayak provides more space for your dog and allows it to lie down. Reward your dog when it sits in the selected place so that it will continue to do the same in the future.

Although you want your dog to stay still in the kayak, the reality is far from that. Add padding and non-slip material for safe footing so that your dog will have an enjoyable experience kayaking with you.

2. Get Your Dog Comfortable With Paddling

Before going kayaking with your dog, you must get used to the motion of your paddling behind it. 

The best way to do this is to paddle first and then reward your dog. After that, you can take your dog on the kayak and start introducing the paddling motion.

Keep things positive for your dog to have an enjoyable experience learning to go on a kayak with you.

3. Teach Your Dog To Love The Life Jacket

Engaging in water activities means you must wear a life jacket for safety, whether for humans or animals. 

Your dog must wear a personal flotation device (PFD) when it’s in the water. Therefore, training should be done wearing one.

A dog life jacket that fits your dog’s body type is ideal as it allows fluid motion from the shoulder. 

You must introduce the life jacket before getting into the water. 

Let your dog wear the PFD and walk around the house to get used to wearing it. That way, your dog will become comfortable wearing it, which is essential because it needs to learn to swim with it too.

Is Your Dog Ready For The Water?

You know how much fun it is to walk with your dog. Similarly, engaging in water activities with your dog is also fun and exciting. However, when treading in the water, you must ensure your dog’s safety.

First, you must ensure your dog is ready for water-related activities. Several factors, including your dog’s innate skills, maturity, health, and training, are essential to keep them safe on such outings.

Ensure you find the answers to the questions below before taking your dog to the water.

• Is your dog comfortable around water?
• Does your dog know how to swim?
• Will your dog tolerate wearing a PFD for a long time?
• Does your dog display a basic level of obedience and respond to simple commands like ‘stay,’ ‘sit,’ and ‘leave it’?

If you say yes to all of these questions, your dog is ready for kayaking.

Training Your Dog For Kayaking Adventures

Follow the below instructions and tips for successfully training your dog for kayaking adventures.

1. Introduce Your Dog To The Surroundings And Being Around Water

You may think that all dogs love to be around water, but it’s not entirely true. Some dogs don’t like the water or fear it altogether. You should find out whether your dog likes the water and respect its feelings.

Some puppies will jump into the water without hesitation, while others prefer watching from shore. 

If your dog is anxious about getting into the water, the last thing you should be doing is to force it to be otherwise.

Introduce them to water bodies like rivers and lakes by taking them to riverbanks and beaches as part of their regular walking routine.

Once your dog is comfortable around water, you can practice swimming together. Using a few water-friendly toys could greatly help.

2. Introduce Your Dog To The Right Type of Kayak

First, get your dog used to the kayak on dry land before moving to the water.

Although your dog may be comfortable around water and know how to swim, that doesn’t mean it is ready to kayak with you.

Kayaking is a whole new experience; you should introduce your dog to the kayak on dry land.

Sit-on-top kayaks are the only type of kayak suitable for dogs. It provides space for you, your dog, and any other gear you wish to bring along. It is also wider, making it more stable on the water.

According to Mark Armstrong over at kayakguru.com, a tandem sit-on-top kayak is ideal for taking dogs out on the water. They tend to have plenty of open deck space and are generally pretty stable.

Opt for a kayak designed to be used on flat, calm water-like lakes. Sit-on-top kayaks are also easier to exit, recover, and re-enter for you and your dog should there be an emergency.

3. Brush Up On Basic Safety Commands

If your dog is not well-trained on basic commands like ‘sit,’ ‘stay,’ and ‘leave it,’ it’s not ready to go kayaking with you. Lack of basic training leads to safety issues for everyone involved in the adventure.

Ensure your dog is trained on the following basic commands before taking kayaking trips.

• Leave it
• Get in your spot
• Lay down
• Get in
• Get out

4. Teach Your Dog To Enter And Exit The Kayak

The next step is to teach your dog how to enter and exit the kayak. It could be done off a dock or from a beach.

Here are some points to consider in this regard:

• You must be the first one to enter the kayak. Your dog will see you get in, encouraging it to get on board too.
• Don’t push off until your dog gets in its spot and you’re both settled in.
• Make your dog lie down because it will make the initial launching jerk more comfortable.
• Keep reassuring and praising your dog while the kayak floats.
• Paddle around in the shallows, return to the launch site soon, and let your dog know it can go now.
• Ensure to use treats and bring some water toys to splash in the water and have fun. It will help your dog associate kayaking with something fun and exciting.

5. Do A Dry Run And Start With Short Trips

Sticking to flat, calm waters for your dog’s first kayaking trip is best. Lakes and ponds are ideal as the introduction to kayaking for your dog should be as gentle as possible.

It’s also wise to stick to shallow waters the first few times as you don’t know how they’ll react to the new environment.

If they get anxious and start moving, you can reach the shore fast when you’re closer to it. Make the first few trips short, lasting around 10 to 20 minutes. It should be enough to start to get your dog acclimatized.

How To Take Your Dog To The Water?

There are people, geese, and boats to be seen in and around the waters where you’ll be kayaking. If your dog seems distracted by these, it’s not ready to go kayaking yet.

Find a shallow entry point and ensure to beach the kayak. You get in first and invite your dog in. Once you and your dog are organized and settled, ask a friend or someone in charge to push you into the water.

A Waterbound Bond: Building Trust and Confidence for Dog-Friendly Kayaking Adventures

Kayaking with your dog is straightforward as long as you train beforehand. You must never take a dog out onto the water before training it on land and ensuring it’s comfortable around water bodies.

Follow safety guidelines and ensure that your dog wears a life jacket. Train it where to sit on the kayak and ensure it’s aware of it each time you go kayaking.

Always let yourself enter the kayak first so your dog feels comfortable getting in. If all goes well, your dog will enjoy the experience of kayaking with you.

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Frequently Asked Questions 

This is a guest post.