There is a lot of debate about whether it is a good idea to take larger dogs cruising. Granted, they take a lot of work and make a mess, but the thought of leaving these dogs to someone else is inconceivable. They do fine on the sailboat. Better than me a lot of the time. It's not too small a space. I watched a younger guy on a 25 foot sailboat anchor so close to shore that his dog swam to and from the boat and was perfectly happy doing so. Jake and Anne get to dingy to and from the boat. I think they are just happy to be together with their pack, which fortunately includes me.