Archive for the ‘Your Story’ CategoryThose of us with a family dog know the difficulty we face while aboard a boat with our pets. No matter how you try there will come a time when the dog will need or want to do more than ‘lay quietly at our feet’. I know this to be true as I’ve more than once had to swim our Chihuahua, Buddy to shore. I do mean swim him to shore. More photos have been taken by friends of the dog standing on my head trying to stay out of the cold water than of me air born on the hydrofoil!  Needless to say I was over joyed to receive a gift copy of “Doggy on Deck” by Jessica H. Stone, Ph.D and Kip McSnip, The Famous Sailing Dog for my reading pleasure and review.  It arrived today and I’ve had a bit of time this evening to begin the book. So far my grandfather’s rhyme hold true… I laughed so hard I almost cried… I thought my pants would never dry…. I loved her first encounter with a real yacht and understand completely the feelings she expressed when she first took the helm in hand. I talked about that very thing the first time I’d been out on a yacht. Trying to teach Kip McSnip about potty training on a boat had me laughing and holding my sides. I’ve tried a mesh bag of rocks on the dock for Buddy to pee on (which he did really well at) but once aboard…his face said it all…forget that! Then there’s the trip back from Beacon Rock with the fir bough tied to the lifeline. That didn’t work either. So it was wonderful to read about all the techniques she tried with Kip McS and to see what was finally the solution to their dilemma.  Doggy on Deck is a well thought out book with light laughter and great guffaws. I laughed so hard I was nearly in tears when I read her account of provisioning in a tropical location. Seems she left McSnip aboard while she shopped. Hot and tired after carrying bags of provisions back, she stopped at the open-air bar near the dingy dock. For just a moment she thought she’d seen a yellow bit of fir streak around the outside corner of the bar.  So she asked the bartender if he’d seen a yellow dog. “…Oh yeah,” the bartender grinned. “He’s been here all afternoon. Ate most of my bratwursts, too….”  One just can’t help but laugh at the incredible antics of Kip McSnip. This wealth of humor is mixed with generous servings of fabulous advice. The book is small enough to fit easily aboard any cruising boat and large enough to cover more questions than you can possibly think of on your own. This definitely fits Grandpa’s, “Experience is the best teacher because there’s no drop outs.”
Then you need Doggy on Deck. The heart-warming love story of Stone and McSnip is sprinkled through out the encyclopedic knowledge of this must have book. If you’re thinking about cruising or are already ‘out there’ looking towards that next horizon, Doggy on Deck is almost as important as the ditch bag. When you purchase Doggy on Deck (see their ad on your right) you’ll be doing more than just buying an important reference book. You’ll be helping keep healthy, adoptable dogs and cats in Northwest Washington from being euthanasia (put to sleep).  A generous portion of the proceeds from the book is donated to the Northwest Organization for Animal Help (N.O.A.H.).  Doggy on Deck the “Chapman Piloting” of responsible pet owners…don’t cast off without it. |
