# Boat Blind and Dog?



## Hook&Shot (Dec 18, 2017)

I recently purchased a 1548 War Eagle with an Avery Quickset blind. I do plan to hunt out of the boat some next season and was wondering if anyone has any tips/tricks for setting the boat up to be dog friendly?

I’m not able to have a platform for the dog to sit on, and I don’t want to have him in a raised blind next to the boat. He is a versatile and isn’t meant to sit still in a blind for hours. However, he will “woah” on my command and stay like that when ducks are in the air. 

I assume I will have to cut an opening in the blind for a door, and I am wondering what other guys have done or if anyone has pictures of what works for them (sewing the door in, Velcro, etc.)I will have a ladder placed somewhere for the dog to get back in. 

I have seen other threads about this on other forums that are older and can’t seem to access the pictures.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

It can be a pain. The beavertail blind I have on my boat has no opening for a dog to even look out of let alone jump out of (which is mind boggling), so I have just put him in his marsh stand and I hunt next to him in a marsh seat. So I am in your boat (no pun intended) as far as having to cut a hole, I just haven't done so yet. 

But I have seen plenty of great set ups for dogs hunting from boats though. My friends that have the pods off the back of their boat seem to really like them. And the ladders also seem to be really easy for dogs to get in and out of, you'd be surprised how quickly dogs learn to climb up a ladder. If I were you I would post a thread asking about what boat ladders work good for folks, then buy one and give it a try this spring and summer and if all works out well with it, THEN attack the whole cutting a hole in your boat blind issue. I just think it's best to figure out what works best in terms of where your dog will sit, and how it will get in and out of the boat, before you start cutting holes in the blind and such.


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## Hook&Shot (Dec 18, 2017)

Lamarsh said:


> It can be a pain. The beavertail blind I have on my boat has no opening for a dog to even look out of let alone jump out of (which is mind boggling), so I have just put him in his marsh stand and I hunt next to him in a marsh seat. So I am in your boat (no pun intended) as far as having to cut a hole, I just haven't done so yet.
> 
> But I have seen plenty of great set ups for dogs hunting from boats though. My friends that have the pods off the back of their boat seem to really like them. And the ladders also seem to be really easy for dogs to get in and out of, you'd be surprised how quickly dogs learn to climb up a ladder. If I were you I would post a thread asking about what boat ladders work good for folks, then buy one and give it a try this spring and summer and if all works out well with it, THEN attack the whole cutting a hole in your boat blind issue. I just think it's best to figure out what works best in terms of where your dog will sit, and how it will get in and out of the boat, before you start cutting holes in the blind and such.


That’s good advice. Maybe I’ll just get through a season and see how he does. I can probably just lift the blind skirt up and he could jump off underneath it. It would require a blind retrieve but he understands left and right hand signals so it may work for one season.


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## jabelism (Oct 29, 2011)

I have a war eagle 1542. My dog sits on the front of the boat and i use a ball bungee to make a opening for the dog to get in and out. I have a war eagle dog ladder and love it. I like the whole set up.







You can see it in the picture.


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## Hook&Shot (Dec 18, 2017)

jabelism said:


> I have a war eagle 1542. My dog sits on the front of the boat and i use a ball bungee to make a opening for the dog to get in and out. I have a war eagle dog ladder and love it. I like the whole set up.
> View attachment 287005
> You can see it in the picture.


Maybe I haven’t looked at my blind set up enough and that is possible. That’s an Avery Quickset, too, isn’t it? Mine has the wind blocker. 

The guy who had it before me put a 17-18’ blind on a 15’ boat. Not a bad idea to have extra brushed in material, but it might be in the way for this set up. I guess I am not understanding what you are pulling back.


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## fowlme (Jun 19, 2009)

I have the Beavertail blind and purchased the dog doors and had my wife sew them in.


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## lastflight (Aug 16, 2005)

I have the Beavertail blind. I had a canvas shop sew in zippered door on both sides. I made a cover/roof from corrugated plastic with some snaps for keeping her hidden and out of the wind. A ladder off the transom makes life easier for everyone.


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## Hook&Shot (Dec 18, 2017)

lastflight said:


> I have the Beavertail blind. I had a canvas shop sew in zippered door on both sides. I made a cover/roof from corrugated plastic with some snaps for keeping her hidden and out of the wind. A ladder off the transom makes life easier for everyone.
> 
> View attachment 287043


I may have to go that route, too. The War Eagles have a winged transom so putting a ladder off the back isn't an option. I think I would just get one of the step kinds that the dog can clear when jumping off the boat. He is a good dock jumper, so I shouldn't have too much of an issue.

The fun part will be pulling all the rafia grass off of my blind to take it to a canvas shop. Do you know about how much you paid for that? It would be nice to have zippers and the straps to still be able to brush it in.


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## lastflight (Aug 16, 2005)

Hook&Shot said:


> The fun part will be pulling all the rafia grass off of my blind to take it to a canvas shop. Do you know about how much you paid for that? It would be nice to have zippers and the straps to still be able to brush it in.


I had them do several other alterations to the blind at the same time (I made some modifications to the frame to fit my boat) so I don't know exactly what I paid for the dog doors. I would guess one hour of labor and the cost of zippers (get heavy duty zippers!)


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## mmac1318 (Feb 5, 2007)

I have the same blind on my Lowe Roughneck. I hunt in the back seat usually and my dog stays there on the back deck wit me and then she just jumps out the back to retrieve and the ladder is permanently mounted to the transom which sounds like isn't an option for you. You could still let the dog out the back,put a ladder on the gunner and just figure out some way to push the material back/out enough for him to go under it.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

Hook&Shot said:


> That’s good advice. Maybe I’ll just get through a season and see how he does. I can probably just lift the blind skirt up and he could jump off underneath it. *It would require a blind retrieve* but he understands left and right hand signals so it may work for one season.


That's the problem with just lifting the skirt up, and why I haven't done that. I'm not sure how serious you want to be about retriever work, but I want my dog to mark all birds if possible, and only send him on blinds if I have to. 

My dog will gaze and scan the sky and horizon pretty much the entire hunt unless there is absolutely nothing flying (which in that case, after an hour of nothing, he'll go to sleep until he hears my duck call or safety click off), so I was always concerned that putting him anywhere where he can't see the sky would simply make him lay down and ignore the hunt. Maybe it's just me, but I think a lot of what engages a retriever is the ability to see. Heck, a lot of the time my dog sees birds coming before I do. 



lastflight said:


> I have the Beavertail blind. I had a canvas shop sew in zippered door on both sides. I made a cover/roof from corrugated plastic with some snaps for keeping her hidden and out of the wind. A ladder off the transom makes life easier for everyone.
> 
> View attachment 287043


That is a cool set up Travis. I should do the same on my beavertail, cause there's no way my wife can figure out how to sew the beavertail dog door in like fowlme's wife did. My wife is a millennial, and their domestic skills are...... basically non-existent lol.


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## Hook&Shot (Dec 18, 2017)

Jabelism’s method was spot on — thank you! It requires no modification of the blind and takes 2 seconds to complete each hunt. 

I do not know how this method hasn’t been discussed on other forums. With the rafia grass on my blind, it still brushes the hole it well while letting him get his head and body out when needed. 

Now, I just have to find the platform-style ladder that he can clear on his jump and get to training. Thanks again for all the help, guys.


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## stackemup (Oct 31, 2011)

This is a Beavertail blind, with dog door on a 1542 War Eagle. I used the blind without the dog door last year. Just lifted the blind up to let the dog jump out. This year the dog is able to see out, and jump out just fine. I used a Speedy Stitcher to sew the dog door on. Works great. Just an fyi. When your dog returns to the boat, let him/her get their front legs hitched over the side, and then gently push down on their head. They’ll actually be able to leverage themselves back aboard.


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## jabelism (Oct 29, 2011)

Hook&Shot said:


> Jabelism’s method was spot on — thank you! It requires no modification of the blind and takes 2 seconds to complete each hunt.
> 
> I do not know how this method hasn’t been discussed on other forums. With the rafia grass on my blind, it still brushes the hole it well while letting him get his head and body out when needed.
> 
> Now, I just have to find the platform-style ladder that he can clear on his jump and get to training. Thanks again for all the help, guys.


Yes it is very easy to do. It works great. I have done this for three years now. I do want to cover the front deck with a neomat or something so the dog does not sit on the cold deck the whole time eventually. The War Eagle dog step is hands down the best! I got lucky and bought a used one from a guy on RTF- Retriever Training Forum and he shipped it. I have seen other ladders used. It stays hooked to the boat, swings up into the boat when not used, and barely takes up any room. More expensive than others but totally worth it. I worry about the dogs nails when i see ladders that have the holes or grating on them.


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## David Mackinder (Oct 30, 2016)

Hook&Shot said:


> Jabelism’s method was spot on — thank you! It requires no modification of the blind and takes 2 seconds to complete each hunt.
> 
> I do not know how this method hasn’t been discussed on other forums. With the rafia grass on my blind, it still brushes the hole it well while letting him get his head and body out when needed.
> 
> Now, I just have to find the platform-style ladder that he can clear on his jump and get to training. Thanks again for all the help, guys.


I tried the platform system. I found out that when the dog gets to the boat and puts his feet on the edge, I Firmly put a firm hand on top of his head and that gives him the leverage to easily get back in. Now I have one less piece of equipment to deal with. Try it


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