I can give you a couple heads up for water-averse dogs.

When my girlfriend adopted a cocker spaniel a couple years ago, she wanted to see how the dog would tolerate a kayak. Like some spaniels this one doesn't like swimming. So we go down to the outiftter I had a season pass with and I paddle out in a sit-on-top with her. Getting the dog in was easy, you throw a tennis ball in the kayak and she jumps in after it. Paddling out was tricking for a few reasons. We're on Lake Michigan so it's not a very stable ride. It probably would have been good to get her acclimated first. while right at the shore. Dogs don't like sitting in bilge -- a towel, even a wet towel, is much preferable. So she's standing up the whole time. Finally, she didn't like be separated from her owner, particularly in this way. So she jumped out about 50m offshore. The handles on the PFDs for dogs are useful.

On the river the dog is totally fine and NEVER jumps out, including after ducks in the water and rabbits nearby on shore. We'd take her out in an open-cockpit tandem and she'd just hang out.

With the next dog I'd do the following:

1. Acclimate the dog with the kayak on shore, then barely in the water where it feels the sense of "boat" without being away from shore.
2. Get some kind of setup so the dog isn't sitting in water. Either a hatch/cockpit or a platform/towel out of the bilge.
3. Treats.
4. Stick with calm rivers until kayak rides are old hat.

: So my wife and I broke down and got a dog finally. She is currently
: curled up next to me. She is a 2yr/old 45lb lab mix. Her name is
: Sierra (even though we live in the Green Mts...).
: Do people take their dogs paddling with them and how do you do it?
: My most stable largest cockpit yak is a Perception Carolina, but
: have a Wee Lassie canoe in the works. Obviously shorter
: "play" trips are my goal with Sierra.
: Thanks,
: Scott