Creature Comforts

At one time, my dog was a boat dog. He would lay on top of the boat all day and refuse our directions to approach the open hatch so we could pull him down below for the night. I imagine he loved smelling the air, watching what marina traffic there was, and just being a part of the natural environment that surrounded our slip. Our good friends, also liveaboards, could always tell if we were home by whether or not our pooch was up top. 

Yet, it sadly seems that our dog has also been seduced by the comforts of land life. Our first overnight stay aboard our new/old little sailboat was unsuccessful due in part to our animal, who could not seem to fall asleep. Through the night, as my husband and I were warm and cozy in our sleeping bags, sleep was interrupted by whining, scratching (which sounds like a jackhammer on a hard surface), and movement. The only time that the dog fell asleep was when he was next to me, warm in my arms - which unfortunately for me, required I lay uncomfortably on my side. 

5 a.m. arrived and in the darkness my husband said, "I think it's time to go home." Once we pulled out of our sleeping bags and switched on the light, the dog jumped down onto the wooden floor and headed straight for the stairs to begin a hard stare at the hatch, willing it to open (so it seemed). We packed everything up, headed up the road in the early morning darkness, and promptly found our way to our queen size bed, on which the dog was sound asleep within minutes - and our household did not wake that morning until 10 a.m. 


It seems that while my husband and I really do want to stay afloat for some portion of our lives, our dog is happy 100% on land. Other than the occasional visit to the dock to see good friends, this creature loves the comforts of his home on land.