Dogs and Paddles By Dave Brown Rating ** Going canoeing may be one of your favourite things to do, but sometimes you have to miss it to take care of a dog. If you’re one of those people, it would be a great idea for you to read this article from Ottawa Outdoor and Travel Magazine. Bringing a dog in a canoe can be an extremely difficult thing to do as the dog may get scared and panic, so it’s a good idea to get your dog used to the canoe before bringing them in. It could be helpful to just set a canoe on the ground and have your dog practice getting in and out of it, each time your dog does this successfully, you could give them a treat so they associate the memory of the canoe with treats. After you think your dog is ready for the canoe trip, you’ll need to buy a few things. One of these things will be a lifejacket for your dog; these can be found in stores and have specific ones for your dog’s size and weight. Another thing that will help your dog from slipping around a wet canoe would be a mat that sticks to the bottom and gives your dog some grip to walk around. You can use any shower mat for this, or buy a real outdoor mat for the bottom of a canoe. This article taught me some new things that I may be able to use, I have two dogs now so if I started canoeing with my family at some time this new information could help me train and keep my dogs comfortable in a canoe. I don’t think I really will ever go canoeing with a dog, but it still could be helpful if I ever did decide to try it.