Are you taking your dog on a boat soon? We take our French Bulldog with us on every single trip. After all, he’s as much a member of the family as I am, although I like to think I am a bit higher up in the pecking order!

When we first started taking him on our pontoon boating weekends, we were a little unprepared to say the least. We didn’t really consider how the day would pan out, and what different dog boat accessories we might need.

We soon discovered that keeping him safe, out of the shade, and occupied was something we had really underestimated.

Since that day we’ve never had another boat trip with our dog where we weren’t prepared to an almost military level. But the accessories we take aren’t expensive, aren’t difficult to carry, and help make sure that he has a good as day as we do.

What follows are our tried and tested best accessories to take the dog on the boat, so you don’t make the same mistakes we did first time.

13 Dog accessories for your boat

1. Best dog bed for boat

The dog beds that you use indoors tend to be made of fabric. This is great for at home, but it simply won’t cut it when you’re on your boat. Traditional dog beds can slide around on the deck, retain water, get smelly, and sometimes even fly off your boat completely.

As an alternative I recommend you buy a specialist dog bed that you can take with you to the marina or keep full-time onboard. Dogs will get tired from swimming and the sun, so it’s an important accessory to give them their own place to rest.

The one I recommend is the K9 Chew Resistant Bed on Amazon. It’s set on legs which are sturdy and stick like magic to most surfaces. It’s also waterproof and lightweight with no heavy fabric that will get sodden and filthy.

You can wipe it clean, fold it up, and take it on every trip with no concerns over it not being fit for purpose when boating. It also comes with a 120-day guarantee. If your dog manages to chew through it, they will give your money back.

The only thing I would say as a negative would be the price. It’s not the cheapest bed on the market, but then would you really want to put a price on your dog’s comfort?

To read more about these products, take a look at my more in-depth review of dog boat beds.

2. Best dog mat for a boat

A cheaper alternative to a bed would be a mat. There are far more portable, and providing you buy the right type, won’t slide around on your boat either.

I recommend that you buy a size bigger than your dog, as our mutt, just like yours, likes to stretch out and get comfortable.

The one that we had before we bought the bed shown above was the Hero Dog Bed Mat on Amazon. Go take a look at the amazing reviews, plus the lower prices.

It wipes clean, and sticks to most surfaces due to the bottom surface design, so won’t shift about when you hit wakes and waves. It’s an essential dog boat accessory and won’t break the bank.

3. Best dog potty toilet for a boat

You might have the best trained dog in the world, but you just don’t know when nature calls. Unless you have a handy patch of grass or a fire hydrant on board, just where is he meant to go?

It’s going to be nigh on impossible to train him to urinate in the water, so you need something on the deck where he knows he can relieve himself properly without causing a horrible mess for you to clear up.

Plus, your dog might be very nervous the first few times he’s on your boat. It will be unfamiliar and scary, and that could mean more toilet than he’s normally used to doing.

You have a few options here, but by far the most successful product is a fake grass solution that mimics the outdoor environment. It’s a lot easier to train your dog to pee on a potty patch than anything else.

The best one (according to Amazon reviews at least) is the Puppy Potty Trainer grass pad. Don’t be put off by the puppy name, it’s ideal for dogs of all ages who travel on boats.

It’s easy to clean. You simply rinse the anti-microbial pads and the tray where liquid gathers underneath. You can do that when you are on the water in a quiet area where there are no swimmers, but with solid mess, please still bag it and take it home.

4. Best dog boat ramp or ladder

But how do you get your dog onto your boat in the first place? Previously on Pontoonopedia I’ve blogged about dog boat ramps and ladders. You can read more about them on that link.

If you’re strapped for time though, there’s a great ladder called Paws Aboard (view Amazon prices). It’s great for getting them in and out of the water with no fuss and works very well with dogs that are under 40 pounds in weight.

It fits onto any boat with a boarding ladder, is lightweight and plastic, folds in half for simple storage, floats on the water’s surface, and has non-slip stepping.

If your dog is a larger than that, then another option is the Dog on Water ramp on Amazon. To find out more about that one, read my dog ramp guide.

It includes options for getting your dog onto the boat not just when they are in the water and can’t get back on-board, but also for when at the dock or marina.

5. Best dog life jacket

Our dog can’t swim. It’s not for want of trying, it’s his breed. French Bulldogs cannot get of their depth. We want to keep him safe from drowning so bought him his own life jacket and personal flotation device (PFD).

We went through a couple of options before settling on what we know believe to be the best, and I wish we had read reviews before buying the older ones.

But the one we love, and offers the best safety is without doubt the EzyDog Life Jacket on Amazon.

It’s ergonomic, comfortable, has a reflective trim you can see in the murkiest of weather conditions, and comes in extra small, small, medium, large and XXL sizes depending on your pooch.

You will need to measure up your dog before buying, as size and weight is critical when choosing the best dog life jacket.

6. Non-slip waterproof dog shoes

When he comes in and out of the water, he will be sopping wet. Make sure you get out of the way when he shakes all that excess water off!

But no matter how hard you try, you won’t completely eliminate how wet he is. It’s annoying for sure, but more importantly can be dangerous for you and your pet.

A dog boat accessory we recently purchased were some non-slip dog shoes. Using them means our French Bulldog no longer slips and slides along the deck.

Admittedly it took us a few hours to get him used to them, but once he’d worn them a while, he was completely at ease with them. He was walking very funny for a few hours which made our kids laugh constantly, but it was worth the hassle.

The ones our dog wears are the My Busy Dog Non-Slip Shoes (read Amazon reviews). They are rugged, keep paws dry, and come in a wide range of sizes depending on the size of your own doggie.

7. Dog boat accessories to keep them cool

Boat decks can get extremely hot, even if the sun isn’t glaring down on you. And dogs can over-heat very quickly.

It’s essential that you have a plan in place to offer them shade.

Whether that’s placing their bed or mat under the Bimini, using strategically placed umbrellas, sheets, or covers, please, please make sure that you offer your dog shade whilst on the water.

I’ve put together a comprehensive guide on how to keep your dog cool on a boat which I would love you to read before you first trip. It has lots of tips on how to keep their temperature down and comfortable including:

  • Groom his excess hair off before the trip
  • Make him wear a cooling vest
  • Keep him in the shade
  • Give him a gel cooling mat to lie on
  • Provide a constant supply of fresh water in the bowl
  • Use a water spray to cool him down
  • Protect his paws from burning on vinyl
  • Get him off the boat and into the water

Read the full blog post I linked to above to read more detail on each of these points.

Additional dog boat accessories

That’s the larger accessories out of the way, but there are also some smaller things that you might already have from home, but still worth a mention.

8. Dog sunscreen and UV protection

Yes, it does exist.

Our French Bulldog is short haired and doesn’t like the sun too much anyway. What we found was that there was actually special sunscreen designed to stop dogs from getting burned.

Who knew!?

UV rays from the sun present a huge risk of sunburn in dogs. And even if it’s a cloudy day, that sun can still burn them.

Just like you do with your kids, don’t take any chances and get them covered with an effective sun protection product designed for dog skin and hair.

A spray sunscreen is the best solution, as you can spray it onto your dog and then smooth it in with your hands.

The best dog sunscreen on the market today, which is also FDA-compliant and developed in partnership with veterinarians to make it safe from your dog licking it off is the Happy Pet Dog SPF Spray on Amazon.

It is specially formulated for dogs, is fragrance free, and contains no harmful oils.

Just make sure that you re-apply each and every time your mutt comes back out of the water.

9. Spill-proof water bowl

Don’t forget the water bowl, and plenty of fresh and cool water in your cooler box.

Yes, I know it’s obvious, but I’ve been asked a couple of times by other boaters if I have a spare bowl on board, so know that it can be easy to forget. So best just keep it on your boat full-time.

Your dog can get ill if he drinks river, lake, or sea water. Without a plentiful supply on hand, there’s every chance he will start lapping dirty and bacteria-filled water, leading to a poorly pooch – and you don’t need that stress and mess on your boat!

Not just any old water bowl will do though, as the one you have at home won’t work too well when you hit a wave or wake. You need something that is designed to not spill water everywhere due to the motion of the ocean.

There is a spill-proof bowl on Amazon, and it’s called the Buddy Bowl (view prices).

If you use this you won’t get slippery spills in your boat, won’t waste water, and can keep your best friend hydrated at all times.

10. Water spray bottle

And lastly, get a cheap water spray bottle. You know those ones you spray plants with? Those are perfect, as you can give your dog a fine spray of mist if he seems to hot and needs cooling down.

Our dog also love this as a game, as when we spray him he tries to catch the water in his mouth. Fun for all the family, and kids especially. But more importantly, helps keep him cool in the hot weather.

11. Best dog leash for a boat

Having a decent dog leash is essential for boat owners, primarily due to local laws when you hit the beach. We will often beach our pontoon up and have a picnic or go for a stroll.

And there are some beaches near to us where you are required by law to have your dog leashed and under control.

We don’t want to risk any fines or anger from non-dog lovers, so have a nautical rope dog leash. It’s heavy duty, strong, and looks great too. You can buy the exact same one on Amazon – it’s the BaaPet 5 foot leash.

It comes in a range of colors. I like the black personally, but my wife prefers the bright green and yellow version as she believes it’s more visible. So, we have two!

12. Best dog boat toys

And finally, dogs love to play and keep busy.

Let’s be honest, any old ball or his favorite toy will do, but some are certainly more fun than others, especially when the whole family can get involved.

For some inspiration, take a look at my top 21 games to play on a pontoon boat. A few of the best suggestions in there which our dog loves to get involved with are the stomp rocket, water basketball, and cornhole on the water.

13. Dog food recommendations

When we boat, we try to avoid wet food. The mess it can leave can be hard to clean up if it gets baked on in the sun, so tend to take dry food with us.

I don’t know what dog you have, so can’t make any specific dietary recommendations, but can only recommend that you take dry foods just to the ease involved.

Failing that, let him have something off your boat grill as long as you can cope with the mess. I’ve got a list of amazing boat grill reviews, plus some meat recipes you can grill up.

Conclusion

I hope you’ve found these dog boat accessories useful and can make great use of them just like we have over the last couple of years.

If you do like the content you find on Pontoonopedia I would really appreciate you sharing it on social media. It would mean the world to me (and my dog)!

And if you can think of anything I might have missed or find an accessory that you think is better than the ones we currently use, I would love to hear from you.

You might also be interested in…

We take our dog on every pontoon trip, and in that time have learned to much about doggies on boats. You can read a short selection of my family’s dog-related blog posts and advice on the following links: