It’s high. It’s scary. But it’s home.
Will she do it?
Will Honey climb the wobbly, high steps with grates for treads and open risers to get on board the boat?
Let’s see.
Yes, Honey. Yes you did.
But will you be able to get back down?
Maybe with a little help.
I don’t want to steal Honey’s thunder. But some of you don’t know why the boat is up in the air and I thought you might be curious.
While traveling down the Chesapeake Bay on Thanksgiving day, we experienced a bump and a sudden deceleration in our engine. We made it to port that night but decided to make our next step Deltaville, Virginia which has lots of boatyards and knowledgeable technicians.
Good thing. It turns out our propeller and shaft was badly damaged. We’re living up on blocks for at least a week while we make repairs.
We’re a little frustrated (but thankful we got to safety under our own power).
Honey is thrilled to be the belle of the boatyard. She has lots of admirers here.
Your Turn: We were really surprised when Honey zipped up the steps beside me the first time. When has your dog surprised you by doing something you never thought he or she would do?
Dogs Talk To Us (If We’d Only Learn To Listen)
Zach surprised us the same way Honey surprised you: negotiating a staircase. We have a long, straight staircase with open risers that I was sure he would be too timid to negotiate, but he followed us right up!
So what you’re telling me, Martine, is that Zach loves his moms as much as Honey loves liverwurst. 🙂
Because I don’t think she would have followed just me up those steps. :p
I work for a good liverwurst too. Good luck with the boat. Hopefully you won’t be on dry land for too much longer.
Oh Oz would never do those steps, not even for liverwurst, I’m afraid. But he is small and easily carried. Sorry that bump caused damage to the prop but at least you caught it quickly! I hope you are back on the water soon!
I think many dogs are afraid to walk over grates and the like (which is what the tread is) even before you get to the open risers. It’s a big issue for guide dog trainers. So Oz has lots of company.
And yes, I hope we’re back on the water and heading south soon. For one thing, I don’t sleep as well with my bed not moving. 🙂
Hooray for Honey. I’m so sorry you guys are having so much frustration. Ugh.
I’m trying to count my blessings. For one thing, I’m pleased it’s still in the 50s. If we were back in NY, we would have already had snow.
And hopefully we’re taking care of all these important things so we don’t have to think about them again.
And Mike is really happy he only has to carry Honey DOWN the stairs. 🙂
Yay, Honey! One time I rented a cabin and brought B along and the cabin had an upstairs (no stairs at our regular house) – the stairs were pretty steep and I only went up a couple of times to check it out. B surprised me by bounding up those stairs like she had been doing it her whole life. She ran up and down like it was no big deal. I had to stop her from continually doing it because I didn’t like how steep they were and I didn’t want her to hurt herself in her exuberance.
Wow, Blueberry is a quick learner. Is it possible she had experience with stairs before she came to live with you?
You are probably correct. Sometimes I wish she could tell me about her life before she came to live with me.
When there is liverwurst involved I think my dogs would have no boundaries.
Sorry for all your frustrations. Couldn’t you do without the mechanicals and just sail?
Yeah, I don’t know why more people don’t use liverwurst for training. I don’t know a dog in the world who can resist it. And it’s cheaper than many dog treats.
As for sailing:
1) some places we’ve been and are going don’t allow sailing–like the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal where sailboats could get in the way of big commercial ships
2) sometimes there’s no wind–we were out on the Bay in heavy fog last week and there was absolutely no wind at all. We could have bobbed all day and gone nowhere.
3) sometimes the wind is coming from the wrong direction–there are techniques for sailing across the wind but they add miles and hours to your trip and the days are getting shorter; and finally,
4) it can be difficult to sail into a slip in a crowded marina; not impossible. but difficult.
Aw, how sweet is that? Sam & I knew Honey would navigate the stairs and with the added incentive of Liverwurst…well who can resist. Gook luck with your repairs and hope Honey makes the best of her time as a land-lubber. 🙂
She has been enjoying lots of rolling in the grass. 🙂
First, is Honey on the small side for a Golden? See looks tiny in Mike’s arms.
For my guys it would of course be riding our jetski. We didn’t even need liverwurst!
Honey, at 50 pounds, doesn’t even meet the breed standard. And for that, we are truly thankful. 🙂
I loved your pics of the boys on the jetski. I’m amazed.
Nicely done, Honey! I’m so glad you made it back to port in order to get the repairs, did that happen over Thanksgiving? Haley surprised me over the holiday by enjoying riding on the luggage cart through the halls of our hotel, lol!
Yep, our problem happened on Thanksgiving. I guess that’s what you get for traveling instead of eating. 🙂
Please tell me you have video of Haley riding on that luggage cart.
Honey was super brave taking on those scary stairs. She deserves lots of liverwurst!
I agree. She’s gotten very brave lately. I don’t think she would have done that a few years ago. Even for liverwurst. 🙂
Yay, Honey, great job! (Sorry to hear your docked for a while ….you can still stay in the boat though?)
I recently got a crate to use for Luke when company comes over. He had one when he was a puppy but when he outgrew it, we stopped using it (mistake).
When we brought it in and set it up both he and Sheba were leery of it. But what surprised me was when Sheba went in there and took out a toy I had left to lure Luke!
As it turns out, we’ll be using it for her when she gets home from her surgery. I easily got her to go in there multiple times with treats, turn around, and sit. She didn’t freak when I closed the door. Considering she had never been crate trained, and tends to be timid of new things, I was amazed!
Luke, however, is going to take far more work. Figures.
That’s great that you have a way to keep Sheba quiet during her recovery. I guess she just saw the benefit to having her own room. 🙂
Good luck working on it with Luke. Honey was crate trained from a puppy. But it didn’t translate to me training her to sit in the bike cart. It can be difficult.
Hopefully Luke will enjoy a new training game.
And yes, we can stay in the boat up on stands. It’s cheaper than staying at a motel and I can still cook in my own galley.
Personally, I hate it. 1) I’m scared of heights. and 2) the boat doesn’t move. 🙂
I had no doubts about Honey’s climbing abilities and your confidence in her (and supply of liverwurst) :->
I feel your frustration about the breakage and delays and expenses. But who else gets to live high in the air in a boat!
I was very surprised at Honey’s climb. She would not have done this a few years ago. She has really gained confidence.
I wonder if you’ll find Zoe and Zach doing things after the growth experiences of their trip.
And yes, being up high in the boat is interesting. If only I weren’t scared of heights. 🙂
We are all a bit scared of any stairs that don’t have backs on the treads. Good job Honey!
And even more dogs are scared to walk over grates. I was surprised she ever did it.
Maybe she surprised herself? 🙂
Great job, Honey! That’s awesome!
Phoenix surprises me every time she lets a stranger pet her.
Are there any similarities in the strangers Phoenix deems worthy?
Honestly, it really depends on how the person approaches her. It’s all about the person. If they approach her in a neutral manner and are quiet and gentle in their movements then she’s fine. If they bend over and are frantic and flailing about at her, she won’t let them near her. She also doesn’t like it when people reach for her. If you’re neutral, she’s neutral. Also, she remembered my friend (who was with me when I adopted her and saw her daily for 6 months before we moved away and lived in California for a 1.5 years) and she let him pet her, too.
She does not like my FIL because he does everything wrong and won’t listen to me on how to approach her. She’s gotten used to him but still won’t let him pet her. She prefers to run around him in a circle and bark. That is actually pretty funny.
Stairs without tread are scary. I looked after a Bichon frise who used to hide between the steps in her home ….. until the day she became completely lodged. Thought I was going to have to call out the fire brigade!
Way to go Honey!
Good girl, Honey!!
Glad you made it into port safely!! That must have been scary!
Actually, we’re too stupid to be scared. 🙂
That’s the kind of staircase that scares almost every dog!!! Way to go, Honey!
My chocolate lab, Shyla, surprises me pretty much daily. She had such a rough start to life that left her emotionally scarred – so I am happily surprised whenever she meets anyone without fear!
And that must be such a thrilling surprise every single time. 🙂
I’m glad you are able to have the propeller fixed before you ran into a big problem! I feel like with you and Mike to help her, there’s nothing Honey can’t do.
I’m just getting caught up – I had no idea. that was not one of the adventures you’ve been anticipating. Happy to hear all is well with the family and the boat.