Living aboard with a dog

Riley, our Lakeland Terrier, is coming on the whole trip. She’s the most entertaining member of the crew and the one with the strongest opinions about how the day should go. This guide covers how we’re preparing her for life aboard, and the paperwork it takes to bring a dog into Canada and the Bahamas and home again. We haven’t moved aboard yet, so we’ll update it with what actually works.

Getting Riley used to the boat

We’re starting slowly: visits at the dock, then time aboard with the engines running, then short trips on calm days. The goal is for the boat to feel like home before it starts moving for days at a time.

A few things we’re planning for:

• A bathroom spot aboard. Many cruising dogs learn to use a patch of artificial turf on deck. It’s the single most useful skill a boat dog can have, especially on days when getting ashore isn’t possible. We’ll start training before we leave…she’s super smart and I am confident she will get it…but she is also a Lakey, which means very stubborn as well :)
• A life jacket with a strong handle. It’s how you lift a wet dog out of the water. Riley will wear one on deck when we’re underway and whenever she’s in the dinghy.
• A way back aboard. We’ll practice getting her back onto the swim platform from the water and from the dinghy and we carry a boat hook on the dinghy as well.
• Rough water. Short, steep chop is hard on everyone, and harder on a dog who doesn’t understand it. We’ll plan passages around her comfort as well as ours, and give her a secure, padded area (likely her round bed that she loves) inside where she can ride it out.
• Heat. Terriers handle cold better than heat. In the South in summer, that means shade, water, cool deck surfaces and walks early and late…hell, I overheat as well and it sucks, so I don’t want her dealing with it.

Getting ashore

A dog sets the rhythm of the day. Two or three trips ashore a day will affect where we anchor and how often as well as where we stay. Marinas with grass are worth seeking out. On the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, other cruisers keep lists of anchorages with real dog-friendly shore access, meaning a landing that isn’t an oyster-shell bank at low tide. We’ll use them.

Every marina has its own pet rules. We’ll ask about pet areas and any other restrictions when we book.

Paperwork for Canada

The Great Loop crosses into Canada for the Trent-Severn Waterway or the Rideau Canal. For a dog coming from the United States, the main requirement is a current rabies vaccination certificate, signed by a licensed veterinarian. It needs to be in English or French and show the dog’s description, the vaccination date, and the vaccine’s trade name and serial number. A microchip isn’t required by Canada, but it’s strongly recommended, and Riley was microchipped when she was very young (she’s 7 now).

We’ll confirm the current rules with the Canada Border Services Agency before we cross. When we report our arrival by boat, Riley gets declared with the rest of the crew.

Paperwork for the Bahamas

The Bahamas requires an import permit for dogs, issued by its Department of Agriculture, applied for well before you go. It also requires a veterinary health certificate issued shortly before entry, along with proof of a current rabies vaccination. Sources disagree on the exact timing for the health certificate, and the window can be tight for a boat waiting on weather. We’ll confirm the current rules directly with the Bahamas Department of Agriculture and plan the vet visit around our crossing window. We love her, so it’s happening regardless.

Coming back home to the United States

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tightened its dog entry rules in 2024, and they apply to dogs returning home as well as to dogs arriving for the first time. The basics: the dog must be at least six months old, microchipped, and have a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, filed online a few days before arrival. Extra paperwork applies if the dog has been in a country the CDC considers high-risk for rabies. We’ll check the CDC’s tool for Riley’s travel history before each return.

Her own kit

• Food
• Vet records and rabies certificates, paper and digital
• Her regular medications and a basic first-aid kit
• Tick and flea prevention for the whole season
• A crate or secure bed for rough days
• Several towels
• Life jacket
• Boat hook on every vessel she will be on

We’ll report back once she’s put the plan to the test.