My wife and I are planning a mid September BWCA trip for ~7 days. We will bring our 45 pound dog along on the trip. Having never brought a pup on a canoe trip, im trying to work out some of the "area of opportunity". One of the things if thought about is having something in the bottom of the canoe to keep her out of any water and make the trip more comfy. I'm thinking something like an egg crate sleeping pad cut two size...maybe doubled up?

I know there's a lot of folks here that have paddled with pooches, what do y'all have in the bottom of the canoe for the dog to sit/lay?

Years ago when I would take my dog with me I would put a piece of closed cell foam (ensolite) down on the canoe bottom for her. It would keep her out of the water and insulate her from the cold bottom (Sept/Oct trips) . You definitely want a pad that won't absorb water. I would use that pad in camp to sit on. At night I would put it in the tent vestibule and put my jacket on top of it and that was her nest. She seemed to like it.

FYI, there is a 'doggie paddle' forum in the "Other Special Interests and Private Groups"

My dog never felt secure without a pad. The bare canoe bottom was cold, wet and her feet slid. So yes on a pad.

I beg you to take your pooch out aforehand. You may well capsize if your pooch is uneasy. Never assume your dog will just lie down in the canoe. Mine was a gunwale seeker. Lay head down on one gunwale for a minute. Stand, lay down head on other gunwale for a minute. Repeat. I used to have a dog that would abandon ship at any opportunity. A canine floatation device is handy for that sort of dog.

This is unsettling for the bow paddler who does not have eyes in the back of the head..

Oh and towels... Unless you like cold wet dog in your tent. Microfiber towels weigh nothing.

Dog means dog food. Our dog had a pack to carry some stuff but she did not like it. I remember a Quetico portage where our dog had a mission...lose the pack. She rolled on it. She ran through raspberry bushes..

Gotta have a pad. Too slick without it. Cheap roll up foam pad cut to proper size or those snap together foam pieces for work/kid play areas.

I'd highly recommend trying out the dog in the canoe before committing to the trip. Would be a terrible time to find out that the dog hated being in the canoe or that you hated having him in the canoe.

Alan

Thanks all for the replies.

Our dog has kayaked with us here in Florida on a number of occasions. She does fine even on a sit on top kayak for extended periods. I do also realize the dog is going to need to eat and have accounted for that as well.

Definitely have to take your pup on a test float.
(Disregard all my info if your pooch has already been in a canoe)

Two reasons,
One, to see how it will behave in the canoe.
Two, to see if it will even get in the canoe.

My dog jumps in the canoe like it was getting in the car.
A little while ago I dog sat for my buddy and thought I'd take her/Daisy out for a paddle.
I pulled the canoe up sideways for an easy launch. Daisy had never been in a canoe before and had no idea what to do. She was not getting in on her own, and I was not about to put an 85 pound dog in a canoe on my own.

Take a pad, but before you leave, train the dog at home to lie on his/her 'mat'. Put their toys on it, their towel or blanket etc. but teach them that it is their 'mat'. Put it in the canoe and tell them to sit/lie down on their 'mat'. It works. I try to pick up a rubber backed astroturf or nylon loop pile mat for my Sherman, an 88 pound lab. He lies on that thing and sleeps soundly while we paddle. While paddling, try not to say any of the words that has your dog react i.e. sitting bolt upright and looking around. If I say 'okay' or 'ready' he thinks it's time to get out. I have to remind him to 'stay', 'wait' and 'sit' till it's time to hit dry land feet first. It's funny, but for such a water dog/fetcher/swimmer, he hates to step in the water on the way into or out of the canoe. It usually involved a small leap.

Attached, see his 'mat' on the left side of this photo. It's colorful nylon loop pile with a black rubber backing. It weighs a little bit but I can't deny my best companion this little luxury.

P.S. I never make my guy carry his own food. He doesn't do it at home, why make him do it while he's on vacation?

Unlike others, I have never felt the need for a pad on the bottom of the canoe for my dog, and have never used one. Our dog loves the water, and is in it whenever he can be, so a little water on the bottom of the canoe doesn't seem to matter to him. In fact, he is the one bringing most of the water into the canoe, so he would just get it on the pad anyway.

I've used a pad in October when it was cold and rainy to try to keep him out of the bilge water on long paddle lakes. When it is warm or moderate and dry, he is happy enough without one. I think he likes the cool feel, just like when he ignores his bed at home and seeks cooler wood, tile, or concrete to lay on. I do like to bring a big tiling sponge that I can use to help remove bilge water from right in front of me where he usually sits. They are $0.98 in the floor tile section of Home Depot or Lowes.

When my dog Cupcake was a puppy, I lined the front of the solo canoe with a cut-to-size yoga type pad, secured to sides with duct tape. I think the added traction made her feel more secure. Now that she is 3 and has 4 BW trips under her collar, I don't bother with anything in the canoe. That said, she is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and does not seem to mind ever being wet. But even with that, I make every effort to keep the bilge to a minimum by sponging when needed. She is now fully grown and at 78 pounds has no trouble getting in and out of the canoe, but needs to get in around the middle of the boat to have enough landing room. Then she goes over the thwart and rides in the front where I can see her. She is a steady rider and makes few sudden moves and stays stabile.

At night she sleeps in the tent on 1/3 of a closed cell pad. I bring a dog towel to dry her as best as I can, and can usually discourage her from going swimming by the time the tent is up and dinner is on. She dries out pretty well by tent time. The photos are from her first trip when she was 3.5 months old. I carry her food in my pack, in a bear vault. She eats 1.25 lbs. of food per day. If not for the bear vault thing, I would try to get her to take a dog pack, but she will swim spontaneously while we travel at portages, so the pack would be liable to get wet and who wants 10 lbs of wet dog food if I fail to pack it supper dry. And anyway, she's more than worth the extra effort on my part.

I must be mean.... no pad for Echo. He's never complained and he's always happy to get in the canoe and during his ride :)

Buy a cheap closed cell foam sleeping mat, and cut it so that it lays across the canoe, and is held in by the gunnels. Works perfect for my dog. Comfortable for her to stand or lay on, weighs little, and stays in the boat all week.

My dog wears a Ruffwear PFD in the boat and over portages. I don't bother putting a pack on her. She can't carry a meaningful amount of weight, and I don't want to bother switching between PFD and pack at every portage.

Bringing a pad is not a bad idea, especially if you teach the dog the "Place" command. I often take some burlap on duck hunting trips, and put a pile in the bottom of the canoe and tell the dog, "place" and she sits/lays on the burlap as that is where I sent her. It makes for a much more comfortable trip for us, if not for her.

but I would also reiterate what others have said, take some time and get the dog comfortable with a canoe before you go on your BWCA trip. nothing worse than going swimming because the dog didn't know how to behave in the canoe

Our dog seems to really like the pad. We duct-taped it to the area in the stern where she sits. (She's not great at lying down in the canoe, too much to look at and sniff. But she is required to sit and is good at that.) We use an old close-cell foam pad but I think the "egg-carton" pad like Thermarest makes would work great too. I'd just use one layer, not two, and I'd secure it to the canoe so it just stays in place when you portage.

Yoga mats work great, padded and somewhat waterproof. roll up, push under seat for portaging. Cutting optional, I have not cut mine but am considering it. Labrador sleeps on it in the tent too.

My JRT insists on laying on the map case... when I'm trying to navigate!!!! :D

Have never brought a pooch to the BW, but on treks around town, I always use a pad.