[deadeye]

Have a lab this year for the first time to train. What do you recommend for entry back into the boat?

I know theres a few in catalogs but all seem like a hook-on ladder and heavy looking.

I am thinking of tryin to set up something myself that easily flips in and out of the water so when you need to run the boat it's not a chore to pull it out and stow.

 

[Reward Band]

I dont have a boat but my buddy hunts from his boat all the time he made his own rig it petty good tis a ramp that set about a foot under the water and looks like regular ramp that he weighted under a foot or so.

 

[aftermath]

I looked into this years ago and found for the most part the store bought ones were the way to go... unless you know how to weld aluminum.

 

[outdrdave]

Buddy has an awesome wood one he made. I will try to find a picture, he has it all packed up right now. If I cant find a picture I will try and remember when the season rolls around out there. (ducks, MD)

Its pretty much a plank. Flate piece of wood with small 3/4 by 1" strips of wood across its width to make like steps. At the end it drops down 2 steps. My dog had no problem figuring it out. She swam up to it was able to put her front legs up, bring her back legs onto the step and walk right up. He had taken 2 boyes made for the sides of boats and put them sideways under the end of the plank by the steps. When we would move he just swung it up into the boat. Had it attached to the boat with hinges. Rope down toward the steps and just a good tug and up it came. If you do this, make the rope long enough you can stand on the oppisite side of the boat so you can get leverage with out rocking the boat all crazy. It was only about 3 feet all together.

Hope that helps.

 

[NJBookingAgent]

I need help with this too. I just got home tonight from my in-laws who live on a lagoon in Tuckerton and my lab, who was there today, jumped in the water after some geese and i had to jump in too to lift him out on to the dock when he was done.

We have a floating dock so i was thinking the same thing, run a 3-6ft long by 15" wide piece of plywood into the water with other wood strips horizontal for steps, attached to the dock with hinges...I need to remove it when we are not there so my brother in law can get his jet skis in and out.

 

[outdrdave]

Just make sure to put 2 steps at the end of the ramp and your good. also need a float of some sort to support the ramp when the dog gets on. The steps are for their hind legs. Read stories of dogs tearing their hind leg muscles with out the aid of a step.

Did you at least have a suit on?

 

[outdrdave]

An old folding treestand works well for this idea. I would suggest making the bottom piviot bolts really tight so the platform is ridgid and does not bounch up when the dog hits it. I strongly suggest you train your dog not to jump in the water near what ever ramp you decide to make.....


http://boatingdog.com/


Sling idea- you can modifiy something to your own needs

http://www.discountramps.com/dog_boat_ramp.htm

 

[coot09]

We made one out of PVC pipe and fittings for a small lab. It actually worked pretty good .... we used the boat for exact dimensions .... but it still takes up a lot of room stored in the boat.

We had one of the cheaper ones from Cabelas or Macks or someplace .... it folded up, but poor construction, we beefed it up alot with scrap metal, nuts and bolts, etc.

I wonder what an expensive one from the factory would be like, especially if you often hunt from the boat (I don't). I know we have hurt dogs dragging them up into the boat.

Good luck.