Dog on a boat overnight

[78puget-trawler]

Last summer, our older lab starting panting really bad, it wasn't hot out. Oh, he needs to hit the beach. Got him into the dinghy, and right there he let loose for about a minute solid. Put him back on the boat, put the dink in the step davits, pulled it up and hosed it out. Only time that has happened.
I am going to try to talk the wife into kenneling him this year, if we ever get out!

 

[bykpjfk]

A patch of grass

I actually constructed a wooden box the size of one piece of sod out of 1x4 PT lumber. Hardware cloth floor (spray paint with rustoleum to control rust) under filter cloth. Takes a day before she'll use it, but once she starts, it's used pretty regularly.

 

[Comodave]

Dog: "my master is torturing me. Where can I "go"? Help!"

Animals need to be trained before forcing them into a must-do situation.

That is what is happening when you have them aboard and make them go on the boat, it is called training. Once they go a few times on the boat they are trained. I specifically asked our bet if it would hurt the dog to wait until they finally went, he said absolutely it will not hurt the dog, he said that you have to train it to go. How do you train a dog if you don’t force to to go??? Torturing a dog would be not providing it a place to go and keeping it on the boat.

 

[captmikem]

I had a Jack Russle who circumnavigated with me on a 151 trawler/yacht. It was a pleasure to have him aboard, and he enhanced the voyage.

I now have a few more dogs, a bit larger, and a smaller boat.. but They are still a pleasure to have aboard.

 

[Deano]

I had to do the sod routine as we have Astro turf on our lanai and he couldn’t deal with it on the boat. Sod was an easy adjustment. Did a similar arrangement to what earlier poster did.

 

[m/v ATHENA]

You can try the following which has worked for years for my Golden Retriever, but keep in mind each dog behaves differently on boats.

*** I use the large tray from his indoor kennel cage and a piece of a green outdoor carpet or artificial turf. He learned to use it in 2 days ***
I wasn't able to download a photo but you can see it by visiting my website
WELCOME ABOARD

 

[jbloyd]

Just wouldn't do it?

Never did figure out the on-board method with our dogs, they just wouldn't do #1 or #2 on the boat. It was to shore in the dink or nothing, even after long travel days getting in late. Some dogs, though, will adapt to it. Good luck.

"they just wouldn't do"? Who's training who? Sounds like you caved. That's something I regularly do with our ChocLab (it's the eyes) but, at least I'm willing to admit it.

 

[Comodave]

The dog was training you. Eventually they will go you just have to wait them out. Their bladder will not explode, so wait and they will go.

 

[Lollygag1]

We are starting the Astro turf method. If that fails I told my wife I would hold him over the side and squeeze.

 

[menzies]

We are starting the Astro turf method. If that fails I told my wife I would hold him over the side and squeeze.

Hmmm, if I told my wife that she would be squeezing certain parts of me!

 

[Comodave]

Hmmm, if I told my wife that she would be squeezing certain parts of me!

But will you pee on command?

 

[menzies]

But will you pee on command?

Where she would be squeezing there would be no ability to pee!

 

[Steveg353]

We lived at the dock for a couple years before casting off for a year cruise. Our dog was use to the boat but not relieving herself on the boat. The following method had her trained in a couple days.
We used a plastic tray (made for task) and pee pads sized for tray. Over that lays the astro turf.
Here is the fun part...have a "good" friend soak up their dogs pee with a pee pad and put that under the turf right before shoving off. Change pad and clean turf as needed.
I can only speak firsthand for our experience but Trouble the dog did #1 on day one and #2 on day3. Dogs like to cover other dogs.
After being out awhile it became apparent that, while at anchor, if the dingy was in the water, she would hold everything. If the dingy was stowed away, she would use the pad. Smart little dog.

 

[Kiwi.]

Some forty years ago we got smashed by a big storm on our way from Fiji to New Zealand on White Squall II a 70ft Schooner (captain and uncle Ross Norgrove). Clancy, Ross and Minine's schipperke (Belgium barge dog), lasted quite a few days sleeping on the end of Minine's bunk before venturing up onto deck to seek out his favorite scupper.
One of Ross's sailing books "The Cruising Life" is still available on Amazon some 40 years after he wrote it and 20 years since he passed on; from memory (I'm Covid stuck away from home so I don't have my copy) it's got good advice on animals onboard.

 

[Simi 60]

Mate of ours has 2 boofheaded boxers on board his 65 fter and has done full time for years.
They **** on the deck
He hoses it off.

Cats are so much better, they use litter trays.

 

[Cigatoo]

Mate of ours has 2 boofheaded boxers on board his 65 fter and has done full time for years.
They **** on the deck
He hoses it off.

Cats are so much better, they use litter trays.

Years ago we had a friend with cats on the boat. They both squatted over the toilet. What’s better than that!

 

[Bay Retriever]

Dog Ladder

I am interested in a dog ladder that would help my yellow lab climb onto the swim platform on my 2004 Mainship 400. Any tips and pics would be helpful including website links and suggestions to attach.

 

[menzies]

I am interested in a dog ladder that would help my yellow lab climb onto the swim platform on my 2004 Mainship 400. Any tips and pics would be helpful including website links and suggestions to attach.

From the water or the deck?

 

[ranger58sb]

I actually constructed a wooden box the size of one piece of sod out of 1x4 PT lumber. Hardware cloth floor (spray paint with rustoleum to control rust) under filter cloth. Takes a day before she'll use it, but once she starts, it's used pretty regularly.

There's a commercial version of that on the market. Has a drain/rinse mechanism... and I don't remember it being too expensive. I forget the name, but a search engine will turn it up.

-Chris

 

[jeffnick]

You taught your dog not to poop in the house. Now you want to teach him to poop in the house = on the boat. Your dog knows the rules.

I used to row my dog ashore every 12 hours. This got old.

We bought a green doormat and put it on the aft deck. I rubbed a little of his poop on it and encouraged him to use the mat. Instead, he taught himself to swim ashore to go potty. When he was finished, he'd swim back to the boat and come aboard. This was uncomfortable at first, but because he swam ashore to a small island, we just let him do his thing until we knew the drill.

But then there were those times we were too far from shore. We put out the green mat. Nothing doing for 24 hours. I got him out on the deck and pissed on the mat while he was watching. Thirty six hours later he too tinkled on the mat. About 10 hours later we were all soooooo relieved to find Tootsi Rolls on the mat. On subsequent voyages it took him about 36 hours to get into using the mat on a regular basis.


Your dog is not a moron. He may just need an example.

 

[Sangamo]

Charlie, our 20# GoldenDoodle, has held it for 42 hours...knows he should go on deck but refuses. We’ve tried the mats with all the various scents , potted plants, long walks around the decks, on and on...finally, after no shore opportunity, did his business. Vet said he will not hurt himself. I think we were suffering more than Charlie, he had smile and treats for being a goodly...

 

[stiggy]

We have two Bull Terriers.
<------Seen here.
We bought some astroturf that has some drain holes and then that's placed in a plastic tray which I plumbed a drain with some flexible tubing to one of our cockpit drains.

Our boy Vino (white) goes without hesitation, but he's lazy and rather just do his business and go back to the couch.

Our girl Kona still hasn't gone so she waits for the dingy ride. Typically one ride in the morning and one in the evening. Once we arrived at an anchorage close to sunset and to our surprise there was no reasonable place after hours to take them ashore so she had to hold it for 18 hours.

 

[GBPunky]

Turf/tray

Could anyone that has used types of turf and a tray recommend any specific product? I can't help but think some of the new artificial turf products would be an easy sell to those used to grass, especially on the bellies of low riders such as our dachshunds.

TIA!

 

[jeffnick]

Could anyone that has used types of turf and a tray recommend any specific product? I can't help but think some of the new artificial turf products would be an easy sell to those used to grass, especially on the bellies of low riders such as our dachshunds.

TIA!

It ain't about the 'product' - it's about who can hold out longer.

 

[menzies]

Gator in the surf last week.

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