While sitting aboard the plane on our maiden voyage to lands unknown to us, both my partner Matthew and I sat dreaming of two very different things. Visions of classic sailboats, visually dynamic spinnakers and dreams of taking the tiller on an effortless tack across the Caribbean danced through his head while thoughts of “I wonder if the dogs will cope with the heat,” and “I hope there are dog-friendly beaches in Puerto Rico” wandered through my own. Within a very short time of arriving at the tropical island that was to be our home for an undetermined length of time, it became as crystal clear as the blue waters that surrounded us that we were going to have to do some serious strategizing to combine our two loves: his of the sea and mine of the dogs.
We began our planning with my priority being the health, safety and comfort of the dogs while Matthew got right down to the technical brass tacks of having a four-legged crew and what that meant for a captain who would be in charge of getting his crew to dry land for “potty breaks.”
Health and safety go hand-in-hand (or should I say paw-in-paw). Just as you need to carry a first-aid kit for yourself, you need to have a well-stocked first-aid kit for your canine friends while sailing. This will give you peace of mind knowing that you are well prepared for anything that may come your way in terms of your dogs’ well-being while at sea.
