Those photos from the fishing gear catalogs with the adorable Labrador retriever perched on a dry box make my heart melt. But much as we love our pups, they don’t always make the river trip squad—even though we’d always rather have their company than not, and even though it’s another pre-trip logistical hassle to find accommodations for them while we’re on the river. 

Tully dog on raft trip Gunnison River
Tully helping Audrey row on the Gunnison River, Escalante Canyon
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Every dog is different, and every river trip is different, so I can’t offer any hard-and-fast rules about whether to bring your dog on your next float. But here are the questions we ask ourselves before loading the crates and the food and the leashes and, finally, the hounds themselves.

Black dog in Astral lifejacket on Arkansas River
Look for a dog PFD (lifejacket) that has a loop so you can grab them out of the water: This Astral jacket leaves plenty of room for the dog legs to move freely

Table of Contents

1. Are dogs allowed on the river?

Checking the regulations is the first step in the decision-making process. If the BLM says no, then your dog will accept that ruling and be happy to go to grandma’s for the week, right? If you somehow find yourself at the put-in with a dog and are just learning the no-dog rule, then you’ll have to make some hard choices. (Note that if you bring your dog on a BLM-regulated river stretch where they’re not allowed, you’ll risk being prohibited from applying for permits for three years.)

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2. What level of whitewater is right for your dog? 

Some dogs are great swimmers, but in my observation they aren’t built for propelling themselves away from hazards on the river and breaking over waves into eddies—even if they’re wearing canine life jackets. We’ve often taken dogs on Class I and II water, and even did the Middle Fork at relatively low water (late July) with two dogs. Everything turned out aces. But if there’s any chance a dog might get knocked out of a raft in serious whitewater, we skip it. 

Rafting on Middle Fork of the Salmon River
Adah was the perfect dog for bringing on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River

3. Do you have life jackets (PFDs) for all the dogs?

Even in relatively calm water, a well-fitting life jacket is a good call for all the dogs on the trip. They tend to leap out of the boat when you’re in the middle of the river and it might take a minute for you to get to them and pull them back in. Here are a few good life jackets (PFDs) for dogs to consider:

As with PFDs for people, good fit is crucial so look for a life jacket that can be adjusted at various points so you can dial in the fit for your pup. Also makes sure your dog’s life jacket has a good handle on the top so you can easily grab them out of the water.

Small dog on stand-up paddleboard
Mabey wearing a very small lifejacket while styling it on a stand-up paddleboard on the Gunnison River through Escalante Canyon

4. Can your dog chill out on a boat for hours on end? 

If you’re on a calm stretch of water and you need to make several river miles before sunset, having a dog constantly racing around the tubes and needing entertainment is a serious bummer. In most cases, if you have a dog on a raft, you also need a dog wrangler—someone who’s happy to keep the pup happy and distracted. Unless, of course, your dog is older or naturally mellow.

Black Labrador retriever on raft
Lindy takes a snooze on a warm raft tube on the Gunnison River, Escalante Canyon

5. Where will your dog sit in the boat?

Dogs will be happiest floating the river in a raft as it’s extremely tricky to keep them on a paddleboard or in a canoe unless you’re on flat water. But dogs on rafts can be a pain in any type of water, especially if they can’t find the right spot to hang out. They will scrabble around, hopping from chamber to chamber, occasionally trying to jump out—typically right before you enter the riffles.

The trick is to give them something relatively flat and non-slick to lie on. We use Paco pads for our sleeping pads. These super-thick, super-resilient pads make excellent decks for dogs: Just strap the pad across the dry box and your dog will likely plop right on it and not move for a while. The material of Paco pads can withstand plenty of dog scrabbling. But any tent sleeping pad will work fine, as will draping an old towel across the dry box (which keeps the dog from being scalded by a scorching dry box in hot weather).

Lindy chilling out on a stable sleeping pad on the raft

6. Can your dog get plenty of exercise in camp? 

If you’ve chosen a river that features hiking trails at each camp, you can run or hike with the dogs and wear them out a bit. (This tip assumes that you have younger, active dogs. If your dogs are older and happy to curl up by the fire, taking that edge off is less of a concern.) If hiking or running is out, then throwing sticks in the eddy for your dog to chase will help burn some energy.

Black Labrador retriever dog on river trip chasing sticks
Wearing the dog out with a few hours of stick-chasing cuts down on camp mishaps

7. How will your dog react to wildlife? 

Dogs can be dangerous to wildlife, and wildlife can be dangerous to dogs. Think about how your dog will respond to a snake, skunk, deer, porcupine, bobcat, or bear. If your dog loves to go running off into the woods and is hard to call back, think through some of the consequences before loading her in the boat. 

8. Do you have a first-aid kit for your dog?

Dogs can get into many shenanigans on the river, including impaling themselves on sticks, inhaling massive quantities of forbidden food (where did you put the chocolate?), and getting stung or bit by critters. Many camping gear stores have first-aid kits for dogs, but you likely have most of what you need in your kit for humans, with a few additions. Some supplies that make sense to bring along include saline solution to flush a dog’s eyes after a skunk encounter, benadryl to address insect stings, a wrap bandage in case of a damaged limb, antiseptic for cuts, pliers to extract porcupine quills, and tweezers to remove ticks.

Ask your vet for dog-specific pain relievers (ibuprofen and acetaminophen can be harmful to dogs), a vomit inducer in case your dog eats something poisonous, and other dog-specific medications.

Here’s a good dog first aid kit, the ADS Me and My Dog First Aid Kit from Adventure Medical Kits. For a deep dive into dog first aid, check out the following books:

9. Are you down with dog-proofing your camp?

River camps are magical little temporary villages full of wonder—especially for dogs. Half-drunk beers wedged into the sand. Home-baked cookies set on top of a cooler. Open campfires (which are fun to whiz around while barking). And then there’s the rickety blue roll-a-table with the evening’s dinner burbling away on the campstove—until the rowdy hounds knock over the table while racing around like horrid zanies.

This sad thing happened to us on a Gunnison River trip, an incident that is now referred to as “Dinner in the Dust,” or “Supper in the Sand.” We were happy that we had the camp kitchen floor as it made clean-up a little easier. But with that lesson learned, we now designate someone to deal with dogs in camp, at least until they’re sufficiently worn out to chill out in the sand. 

A short vignette of Lindy and Tully racing around the river camp (not long before they knocked over the campstove)

10. Where will your dog sleep?

For safety and to minimize conflicts with wildlife, you’ll need to keep your dogs contained at night in camp. If your dog is crate-trained, he will likely settle down well in the tent with you. A soft-sided crate (that can pack down in the raft gear) can also help them settle: This EliteField soft dog crate packs down to a height of just three inches and comes with a carrying case. (As a side note, if your dog is comfortable in a crate, that will be a good spot for them to chill out in camp as well, freeing the people to get the kitchen and tents set up.)

Dogs can make good river companions

All in all, if the river is mellow, if the dogs can get plenty of exercise on land, and if the time on the water each day isn’t excessive, dogs make fine river pals. And they always look good on the boat in those trip photographs. 

Dog and woman rafting on Middle Fork of the Salmon River
Adah on the Middle Fork of the Salmon

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