I have a water dog - a beautiful black lab who's now 14 years old and still chugging along although rather slowly and without much grace these days. When she was in her younger years and got near any body of water, she looked like the poster dog for an outdoor magazine - she would leap from the shore, fly into the water, and swim for hours retrieving balls, sticks, and sometimes river rocks (I don't know why). She was an incredible sight and oh so very entertaining. Now she's deaf and stumbly so she doesn't leave the house much. She is not, and never has been, a fishing dog.
I also have an older border collie who is the most chill dude I've met. He rarely barks when we're out and about. He's a curious and concerned observer of all things going on around me and his job (in his mind) is to keep me safe. Since he wasn't raised as a working dog on a farm, I became his herd. I can take this guy fishing and he stays right where I can see him, he doesn't disrupt the water, and we can enjoy the day together.
When I thought about my sweet beasts and all the times we've ventured out together, I decided to make this handy little chart to help you decide whether you should take your dog fishing. While I haven't shown every scenario here, I'm hoping you get the gist. Needless to say, dog etiquette is imperative.
Happy Fishing!
