PET-FRIENDLY
BOATING HOLIDAYS
Canal holidays are great for dogs: lots of walks along the
towpath, people and other dogs to meet, and their owners where
they can be seen and organised. And of course no pet passport is
needed, and they can get here in their own car in the way
they're used to.
Altogether much better than kennels. |
Pet charges
The first two pets are free. Any more cost £30 each per week
or part week. |
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What to bring
Your
dog's usual basket may be too big to fit on the boat
without being in the way, but if you bring its usual
bedding it will be quite happy.
Please bring some covers for our seating if you dog is
used to going on seats, and any beds your dog might
choose to lie on.
Some dogs come with cages. There's usually room for
these in the saloon, though a big cage will make it
impossible to put the table up. Please ask for details
of particular boats.
There are some bags on the boat to clean up mess from
the towpath, but please bring some of your own as well. Locals
really appreciate dog owners who clear up. |
Things to watch out for
Please keep pets off the upholstery.
When working locks, it is
essential to have at least one person concentrating on
the boat, and one person concentrating on the lock. This
means that if you have a crew of two, neither of you can
also concentrate on your dog. You know your dog, so you
can work out the best strategy. If your dog will not be
happy wandering about on its own, or tends to get under
people's feet, then either shut it in the boat, or moor
it up to a convenient point on the lockside.
When dogs are shut in the boat for locks and so on, they
tend to scratch the doors or windows trying to attract
attention or escape, particularly if they are a bit
frightened. Please see Gange's advice opposite: your dog
might be happier on the lockside.
If your dog tends to shed hair, it will stick to our
carpets. Handy tip to clean it up: use an old trainer to
wipe the hair into clumps that you can sweep up. |
The great outdoors
The towpath provides a continuous traffic-free walking
ground for your dog (though bear in mind that road
bridges are fairly frequent, which lead very suddenly
into the real world of cars).
On many parts of our local waterways, you have easy
access to the moors. This open land will generally be
'access land'. Your dog can enjoy such areas off its
lead, except between 31 March and 31 July and at all
times near livestock (generally sheep), when it must be
kept on a lead no longer than 2m. There might be
additional local restrictions - look out for notices by
gates and stiles.
Always keep your dog away from livestock and birds -
chasing ducks may be fun for the dog, but it isn't for
the ducks! |
Other animals
Hamsters:
Please
put hamster cages where they can't chew right through
the curtains. We say this from painful experience!
Rabbits:
There's room in the front cockpit for a cage - we can
provide measurements on request.
Cats:
Cats can walk along the gunwales, and get on and off the
boat much better than dogs (though they don't swim
well). Cats really are apt to wander off and not return,
so though they are fairly common on houseboats, it's
quite risky to bring your cat on holiday unless it
stays in a cage.
Birds:
There's usually room for a fair-sized cage in the
saloon. Please ask for details of your particular boat.
Goldfish:
We've not had one yet, but friends in another fleet had
one once. Its bowl was put in the window so it could
enjoy the view... |
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Gange says:
I love boating: lots of walks on the towpath, people
and other dogs to meet.
When you're getting on a bit, like me, make sure your
crew moor in sensible places where you can get off
without too much scrambling. The back end of the boat is
much easier to get on and off. They'd do well to watch
out in case you fall in, so they can fish you out.
I don't really like going up and down in locks.
Sometimes I let them shut me inside, but generally I
prefer to be on the lockside with people.
I like meeting other dogs, and the towpath is great for
that. But if you didn't like other dogs, you'd need to
be careful where you got off the boat.
I don't like tunnels, so they hold me and then I'm all
right.
If your own bed is too big to bring on the
boat, remember to bring your own bedding, so you still
have something comfortable and familiar. |
Henry and Jack say:
We had some great walks.
Warwick was just the right size for us. |
Booster
and Tilly say:
Our best bit was walking on the moors. We live in
Lincolnshire, so it was terrific to bound about the
hills. |
What the Parakeet says is...
...unprintable! But it did have a good holiday. |
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Henry and Jack |
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Gange |
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Parakeet |
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