Tory Story

Tory full grown at 2 years.

Tory at 8 weeks.

So her story begins in 2018, when a deal was struck between Bill and me that I would do the Great Loop, a 6,000-mile boat trip around the Eastern United States and parts of Canada, if we got a puppy when we returned. After all, our boat was named Salty Paws. Bill jumped at this, as he had tried every angle to get me to agree to this trip. You can read about this trip in early entries to our blog. BTW, I loved the trip!

Any boat named Salty Paws has to have a dog.

Before we left for that trip, we had done our research, had decided on a Portuguese Water Dog (we live on the water) and had found a good breeder in Maine. We made arrangements to buy one of the puppies that was born on 2/29, a Leapster.  Covid hit hard in early March, 2020.  We were in Eleuthera, Bahamas, with plans to visit the Abacos, but figured we needed to hightail it home.  We arrived in Fort Lauderdale on March 13, with spring break in full swing. We sped toward home, having to leave our boat in Maryland before Bill and an intrepid friend could retrieve it later in the spring. 

We picked up Tory on in April 2020, just 3 weeks after we got home.

Tory is the lookout on our dinghy.

Tory eagerly comes on any
snowshoe or X-country ski trip.

I swear that Tory is not a “covid” puppy, but she sure made those early days more fun. We were able to participate in a dog training class (outside, masked and spaced-apart) and even some zoom training. Tory is a joyful dog who loves all things. People, other dogs, hiking in the woods, chasing balls nonstop, and snow.   Even though we live on the beach, she has never really loved swimming, but she certainly loves the water, often going up to her chest to cool down after chasing balls, even in the winter. 

Tory was quick to adapt to being on Salty Paws and has already done multiple overnight trips.  She is an expert at jumping into and out of our dinghy or kayak and getting off to boat to a dock.  When underway, she usually curls up in our v-berth or sofa to await the arrival at our destination.She likes rocking and rolling as much as I do!

Tory was a welcome guest as we parked in front of friends'
and relatives' houses on the way down to Florida.

With Tory on board, I agreed to Bill's latest plan to trailer the boat to Florida and spend several weeks in the Bahamas, our third trip there.  Bill spent much of November 2021 preparing Salty Paws for our end of February departure to Florida.  He found a few things to reduce weight offset the 75 pounds of dog food and the new dog stairs to our bow that are now on board.  We finally departed Maine on February 27th.  

It took more than a week to trailer Salty Paws down to Daytona Beach for our launching.   Maybe you read about our road trip in the first blog.  Tory did great.  Apparently, being with us, even stuck in the back seat of a truck all day, day after day, and spending the night with strangers (to her), is reward enough for this loyal pup.

Tory swam from the boat
to join everyone.

Tory loves chasing balls into the water.

We finally made it to the warm, crystal-clear waters of the Bahamas on 3/17. The spectacular Sand Cay was Tory’s first experience in these waters. Bill was able to coax her to swim by throwing a ball in the water.   She learned to jump through crashing waves to get the ball.  As the trip wore on, it got hotter and hotter. We took some long walks on hot marl (coral) and she would often beat us to the beach where we would find her swimming around to cool off.  Not too excited about jumping off the boat, Bill threw her in a couple of times, and she had to swim to the beach.

We began the trip with 5 balls, two of each
Tory destroyed, and three got lost on the boat,
assuming she didn't drop them overboard.
Fortunately, Tory found a tennis ball, which
she is always inviting someone to throw.

As our trip wears on, the weather heats up and Tory’s hair continues to grow, she is clearly hot and tired.  We will be back on the road in 1 ½ weeks and home in 4.  We have loved having Tory along and have earned our name, Salty Paws.

At two years old, Tory has earned her own name as a Portuguese Water Dog. We’ll see how she does in the frigid, murky waters of the Maine waters.

Tory will often sleep with a ball in her mouth.

Bill tried to get Tory to jump in the water on her own, but in the end had to throw her in to swim to shore.

Charlotte and Tory became buddies in the Bahamas.

We had many walks on the Pink Sand Beach on Harbour Island, and Tory would frequently get in the the water to cool off.

One of our many walks in the Bahamas.

Tory ran ahead and jumped in the water after one of our long walks.

Tory joined us on the bow for our daily cocktails.

Tory also serves as lookout on our kayak.

Here Tory was mesmerized by the two dolphins swimming near Salty Paws.