Canines are well known to be great adventure partners. That’s why I bring my Labrador on most of my outdoor expeditions. Whether it’s for hiking or camping, she will always be alongside me. Nonetheless, I’ve never thought that it could be possible (or fun) to take your dog fishing!
After some research, I’ve found that many people were doing it. So why your furry companion couldn’t also be your fishing partner? This might be an excellent way to spend a good time with him. On the other hand, it might be too dangerous for him. Let me share with you some useful information that I’ve found about taking your dog fishing!
Happily, you can take your dog fishing without any problem. He can even be an excellent companion to have more fun on your adventures. However, you will need to take some precautions to bring your dog fishing safely. Besides, some breeds are natural fishing dogs that enjoy the water. Thus, your dog could be (or not) well-suited to fish!
Now, you certainly want to know if your companion is suitable for fishing. To be honest, he probably won’t have any problem with this sport if he’s comfortable in the water. The most important thing is to prepare your dog for fishing to do it properly. Nonetheless, some breeds are simply not ideal to enjoy outdoor adventures. At the end of your reading, you will have all the essential information to take your dog fishing safely!
Can You Take Your Dog Fishing With You?
Yes, most companions will love to go fishing with their owners. It’s probably better to take your dog fishing than to let him get bored at home. This sport could be an excellent way to strengthen your bond and have fun with him. However, that doesn’t mean that there’s no danger for dogs to enjoy this outdoor activity!
With the right gear, training, and preparation, I’m sure that almost your dog can be an awesome fishing partner. Nonetheless, taking him on adventures is always risky. That’s why it’s important to take some precautions to enjoy this sport safely!
Can All Dog Breeds Go Fishing?
Some dog breeds will make better fishing buddies than others. For example, Chihuahuas won’t be as interesting as Labrador Retrievers that were bred for this type of activity. Therefore, it’s important to know if your dog is well-suited or not for fishing!
Best Fishing Dog Breeds!
To make it clear, your dog’s breed doesn’t need to be among the best to take him fishing. It’s simply fun to understand what type of pooch is well-suited for this sport. After that, you could compare the characteristics of your dog with those of the best breeds for fishing!
Top 10 Dog Breeds For Fishing!
- Labrador Retrievers.
- Australian Shepherds.
- Golden Retrievers.
- Vizslas.
- Brittany Spaniels.
- Alaskan Malamutes.
- Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers.
- German Shorthaired Pointers.
- German Shepherds.
- Australian Cattle Dogs.
These are all active dogs, but too much energy isn’t always interesting to go fishing. As you know patience is something very important for this sport. Therefore, high-energy breeds that aren’t well-trained won’t be ideal for this activity. For example, some Labradors could jump in the water for fun and scare the fish away!
Some Dogs To Be Careful With!
Most breeds can be excellent fishing partners, but some types of pooches won’t. Many elements will determine your dog’s suitability for this sport such as his breed, energy level, obedience, etc. Here are some types of companions to be careful with before to take them fishing!
- Dogs Out Of Control.
- Ultra-Small Breeds.
- Fragile Companions.
What Makes Good Fishing Dogs?
With proper training and preparation, nearly all dogs can become good fishing partners. In general, you will need to make sure that your companion can be comfortable outside. Breeds with short coats such as Bulldogs or Chihuahuas will rarely be interesting for outdoor sports. Moreover, you want your dog to be obedient, patient, and relatively active. With these characteristics, you have everything you need to make the perfect fishing companion!
Should You Take Your Dog Fishing?
Even if you can take your dog on adventures, it doesn’t mean that you should. For example, some Australian Shepherds (or other good fishing dogs) with certain health issues shouldn’t go fishing. The best way to make sure that your companion can enjoy this activity safely would be to visit your vet. However, it’s not always necessary if you know he’s suitable for fishing!
5 Reasons You Should Go Fishing With Your Dog!
There are many reasons why you should take your dog fishing. Before making your final decision, I highly recommend you to weigh the pros and cons. The only thing I’m sure about is that canine sports will always have many benefits for both of you. Let me share with you some pros of fishing with your dog!
Good Bonding!
Like many other outdoor activities, fishing is excellent to strengthen your relationship with your dog. Spending one day together in the wild or on your boat will certainly improve your bond. Thus, this sport can be an excellent way to spend more quality time with your dog!
Avoid Boredom!
If you don’t take your dog fishing with you, he will probably get bored at home. You probably already let him alone in the house all week long because of your job. Therefore, it’s your responsibility to take your dog out every time it’s possible!
Feel Less Alone!
Being alone in the wilderness can be very fun, but it’s not always the case. Your dog could be the perfect fishing partner to keep you company. He will be there to make you feel less lonely. I’m quite independent, but the presence of my buddy “Marshmallow” is always appreciated!
Your Dog Will Love Fishing!
This activity is also an excellent way to make your companion happy. Most dogs will love to explore the great outdoors. Therefore, fishing is ideal to make you both benefit from some good time in nature. Your dog could also enjoy playing in the water with you during your trip!
Have More Fun!
All the previous reasons to take your dog fishing are coming down to one point: have more fun! This activity is already awesome to enjoy alone, so imagine doing it with your furry friend. Exploring the wild will make his tail wagging for sure. Therefore, you should probably consider taking him on your next fishing trip to have more fun together!
Why You Shouldn’t Take Your Dog Fishing!
It’s also important to be aware of the risks of this activity for canines. Like any other outdoor sport, fishing isn’t 100% safe for your pooch. Therefore, you might want to know which dangers you expose him to by taking him with you. Moreover, there are some other reasons why it could be better for your dog to stay at home!
Risks of Fishing For Dogs!
- Biting or Walking On Hooks.
- Falling or Jumping In The Water.
- Wild Animals.
- Dangerous Fish Species.
- Get Cold or Overheat.
- Etc.
Other Reasons To Leave Your Dog At Home While Fishing!
There are some good reasons to not bring your dog on adventures. The first one would be that he’s simply not suitable or ready to go fishing with you. If he can tolerate the weather outside or he’s simply not well trained, it’s not an excellent idea to take him!
Moreover, if you enjoy fishing alone without any distraction, your pooch could be disturbing. As you can see, there are some good reasons to let him at home during outdoor trips. However, I highly suggest you always take your dog fishing if it can be fun, safe, and good for both of you!
How To Know If You Should Take Your Dog Fishing Or Not?
The best way to know something is to try it. Nonetheless, taking your dog fishing without preparation could be not fun or even dangerous. If one of you doesn’t enjoy the first adventure, there probably won’t be another one. It would be sad to restrict you both from good times for one bad experience. In my opinion, it’s better to always take your dog fishing if he’s well prepared for it!
How To Prepare Your Dog For Fishing?
Before going on outdoor adventures with your companion, he needs to be ready for it. His breed and temperament are relatively important, but not as much as the preparation. Without any experience, training, or socialization, it will be extremely difficult if not impossible to take your dog fishing. Let see what are the things you should do to prepare him for this activity!
Socialization.
Interacting with other pets, people and new things are crucial for your puppy’s development. The sooner you start (normally at 3-12 weeks of age), the more opportunities he will have to improve his temperament!
Socialization is one of the most important preparations to avoid behavioral issues such as being fearful, aggressive, or simply feel discomfort with new experiences. In other words, well-socialized dogs are generally more good-natured, confident, and happy fishing companions!
Socialization isn’t only important for outdoor activities. Every puppy should interact with other humans and dogs to become a good citizen. For fishing, there are more specific precautions to avoid other problems!
Fishing Training.
To take your dog in the wild safely, you must have some control over him. Basic obedience training will be very useful to communicate with him on your boat or in the great outdoors. All puppies should ideally master the 7 basic commands, but it’s not always essential!
If you consider taking your dog fishing, you need to have some training skills. The most important things to master is a reliable recall, “Lay-Down” and “Stay.” These commands are crucial for both of your safety on fishing trips!
This training should be ideally done between the age of 8 and 12 months old. Nonetheless, you can still teach new commands after this period. Dogs that aren’t well-trained will be difficult to manage especially in new environments. It can be very unpleasant or even dangerous to fish with your pooch if he doesn’t listen to you!
Desensitization.
In new environments, dogs can act very differently. You need to understand that the great outdoors is extremely distracting for them. That’s why you should make sure that your buddy isn’t out of control in the wild!
The best way to do so is to make him feel comfortable in this new environment. By taking him regularly on walks in the forest (or on your boat), he should slowly get familiar with it. Then, you should also desensitize your dog to the fishing gear to avoid bad surprises during your adventures!
5 Tips Before Taking Your Dog Fishing!
There’s still some information that you should know to enjoy this activity with your canine. Preparation is the key, but please don’t overthink it. Sometimes, you just need to try something to know if you like it or not. Before planning your next fishing trip, I’ve some other tips to take your dog with you safely!
Safety First.
Whatever sport you want to start, safety should always be your priority number one. The first important thing to do is to make your dog “Lay Down” and “Stay” every time you cast your flies. This will avoid you to catch your furry friend instead of fish!
You also need to always keep an eye on your companion. He’s more important than some fish that you’re not even sure to catch. Therefore, don’t let your dog go too far away for his safety. Wild animals, insects, bacterias are only some of the dangers that he could be prone to in the great outdoors!
Know The Environment. (Roads, River Crossings, Fish Species, etc.)
Another way to make sure everything is safe for both of you is to not ignore your surroundings. Nature isn’t something that you can fully understand, but you shouldn’t neglect this environment. Before taking your dog fishing somewhere, you should know where the river crossings and nearest roads are. Having a map or being familiar with the place is an excellent idea especially for your first experiences!
The other thing you need to know about the environment is the fish species that you or your furball will try to catch. Yes, some dogs aren’t only awesome fishing companions, they can also catch some fish themselves. Thus, you must be careful to not let them catch or play with fish that can be dangerous for them. According to Rebekka Redd Fly Fishing’s blog [Link Open In a New Tab], Salmon Poisoning Disease could be deadly for dogs!
Other things like public places, the weather, or boat rides could not be ideal with your pooch. That’s why it’s necessary to know your environment well. Furthermore, it’s also important to understand what your dog likes or not. For example, my Labrador is quite fearful when there are too many people around her. Therefore, busy areas aren’t the best place to fish with her!
Dog Fishing Gear.
Make sure that you have everything you need before bringing your dog on your boat or in the wild. Fishing requires some basic equipment such as a fishing rod, reel, line, some hooks with baits or lures, floaters, sinkers, etc. With your canine, there are other gears that you shouldn’t forget!
Gear For Fishing With Dogs!
- Leash.
- Longline.
- Poop Bags.
- Plenty of Water.
- Snacks.
- Treats.
- Toys.
- Lifejacket. (For Boat)
- First Aid Kit For Dogs.
- Etc.
Having the right gear is also an excellent way to be prepared. The treats and toys are very interesting to reward your buddy on your fishing trips. Nonetheless, only use them when it’s necessary, not simply to keep him busy, especially for the treats!
For the longline, it can be very useful to secure your dog on a tree. You might not need to always keep him leashed or secured, but it’s the best way to make sure that he’s staying close to you. Even well-trained canines could be tempted to run after wild animals or simply explore the outdoor world. Therefore, it’s always an excellent idea to keep your buddy within easy reach!
Another important gear to not forget during the hunting season is orange clothes. It’s highly recommended for both of you to wear an orange hunting vest. This fishing equipment is not very expensive, and it could save your lives. As a general rule, don’t hesitate to invest in quality gear for both your comfort and safety!
Start As Soon As You Can.
When is it the best time to take your dog fishing? As soon as you feel ready, I recommend you give it a try. There’s no ideal age to enjoy outdoor sports. Nonetheless, you need to keep in mind that puppies are relatively fragile. In other words, don’t bring your 2 months old puppy on your 5-days fishing trips in the wild!
On the other hand, it can be awesome to start as young as you can. This will allow him to get more used to this type of activity to enjoy it in the future. I highly suggest you try new experiences with your puppy while he’s still in his learning development phase!
Whether it’s to visit lakes, walk on trails or observe rivers, I’m sure your buddy will love to explore the great outdoors with you. This might be an amazing way to prepare your dog for fishing. After that, you should be ready to take him with you in the wild to catch fish together!
Post-Fishing Exercise Routine.
Before fishing for one or two hours non-stop, you should seriously spend your dog’s energy. That’s why I would recommend you to create an exercise routine, especially for this occasion. Depending on your dog’s physical activity requirement, it could be 15-30 minutes of walking or 10-25 minutes jogging!
This post-fishing workout routine is especially useful for boat rides or hyperactive companions. Australian Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, and many other high-energy breeds won’t enjoy staying inactive for more than one hour. Furthermore, some dogs with too much energy could become bored or even destructive. That’s why exercise routines are very interesting to do before your fishing trips!
Have Fun!
My last tip is simply to enjoy every moment you spend with your dog. Whether it’s while fishing or on your daily walks, make sure to have fun. Every activity that you do with him is an opportunity to improve your friendship. Therefore, you might want to enjoy more spending time with your companion than fishing itself!
After some bad experiences, you might want to enjoy this activity alone. That’s alright, but you should also consider training your dog better or being more prepared for the next time. Don’t forget that the goal of fishing is that you both enjoy it together. That’s why it’s important to make sure you have fun doing this activity!
Last Thoughts About Taking Your Dog Fishing!
Finally, there are probably more things to know about fishing with canines than you thought. Nonetheless, you don’t need to remember all that stuff to have fun during your outdoor expeditions. Just keep in mind that preparation is the key to enjoy fishing with your dog safely!
At the start, it will take a lot of organization. You might even be frustrated because your pup doesn’t listen to you or he disturbs you when you try to focus. However, I’m sure that he can be the perfect adventure partner with some practice. I hope this article helps you understand that you can take your dog fishing with you. My Labrador and I would love to see you catching big fish together during our outdoor trips!
Some Other Fun Things To Do With You Dog!
- Camping.
- Canoeing/Kayaking.
- Hiking/Backpacking.
- Etc.
