Getting Your Pooch To Pee On Long Days

[menzies]

When we brouight the boat back from Stuart we had one 10 hour day. Our 12 year old female managed it but we suspect was uncomfortable.

We have a trip planned from Jax to Hilton Head in a couple of months with the second day being a long run.

We have previously tried her on the specially made pads with no luck.

We have read about the Astroturf/fake grass that dogs would go on?

What has worked for you - anything, other than letting her get so uncomfortable that she HAS to go?

 

[hmason]

"What has worked for you - anything, other than letting her get so uncomfortable that she HAS to go?"

That's what finally worked for us. Now it's easy.

 

[Comodave]

We have a young Lab that we are training to go on astro turf right now in prep for our trip from Virginia to Michigan. It took about 5 minutes to get him to pee on it the first time. We are going to have a piece about 28 by 36 with absorbent pet pads under the turf. We had an other Lab that was 11 years old and needed to learn to go on a concrete slab at home. We spoke to the vet and he said just make him wait and it would not hurt him and he would finally go when he had to. It took 36 hours, but he finally went and then we had no problems from then on with him going on the concrete. I would not be too concerned about 10 to 12 hours if the dog does not have any uninary problems.

 

[Peter B]

Might be a bit late for this, but our toy poodle was brought up to do her jobs on old newspaper, right from a pup. Easily rolled up, bagged and disposed of. We kept that going by always spreading one out next to her bed, and she never missed. It meant we could take her anywhere and know she would not embarrass us if we had to confine her overnight. I'm sure it would have worked on the boat as well, if she had not passed on before we got ours.

 

[BandB]

At her age she's well conditioned for real grass. You might get a patch of it and put it in whatever frame you plan on putting turf in, then once she uses it, replace with turf.

 

[RCook]

We have a faux grass doormat, zip-tied at one end into an upside-down rubber tub lid. Two dogs in a row (when they were young) took to it almost immediately. Easy to dump and rinse overboard, doesn't slide around much, but also easily moved elsewhere temporarily if it's in the way. It does require extra cleaning with a brush and hose once in a while - pisscrete builds up, and it gets smelly.

 

[Larry M]

Morgan's record is 41 hours. We tried astro turf, sand, a piece of carpet that had been tied to a hydrant for 48 hours, I even have demonstrated for him plus a few other sugestions. Hobo's his home and he doesn't like going where he lives.

We screwed up when Morgan first moved on board. If I had to do it again, we wouldn't have let him off till he found his "spot".

We were told the same thing by our vet as Comdave, they'll go when they have to. It's not fun to watch the pooch waiting, particularly knowing how long I can only hold it for.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
The very FIRST thing Cruiser (Redbone Hound-rescue) did when we brought him on board was trot up to the fore deck and relieve himself. That's been "the" place ever since for both #'s 1/2. Real easy to rinse down with the anchor wash. I'm positive he had never been on a boat before and probably never been indoors in a house. Smart dogs those Redbones...

 

[rwidman]

"Puppy pads" from the pet shop. Buy the plastic frame also to keep them from blowing away.


We raised her on them so an older dog might not do as well.

 

[janice142]

Skipper is now eight. I have puppy pads. Each winter I have to retrain her. She usually uses the swim platform however when it is cold I'm not going outside so she MUST use the puppy pad.

The process is this:
I put a puppy pad down just inside the door to my cockpit
She whines (Skipper sleeps in my bunk and cannot jump down -- too far/scary for her)
I put her in the pilothouse.
She trots to the backdoor and waits
Then whines some more.
Finally she gives up and comes back to bed with me.
Later she'll whine again.
Usually by the third trip she's ready and performs.

MASSIVE praise.
From that point on, when it is cold and the pad is out she'll use it.

She forgets each year and that's okay.

When underway I put the engine in neutral while she uses the swim deck. And she's wearing a life jacket, plus is attached via leash to the dinghy davit so she cannot fall overboard.

Skipper likes the water and loves dolphin. They are unimpressed with her though.

Good luck. For smaller dog I'd definitely recommend the puppy pads. They are sold in two sizes. Unless you have a real small dog, opt for the larger of the two sizes.

 

[psneeld]

Morgan's record is 41 hours. We tried astro turf, sand, a piece of carpet that had been tied to a hydrant for 48 hours, I even have demonstrated for him plus a few other sugestions. Hobo's his home and he doesn't like going where he lives.

We screwed up when Morgan first moved on board. If I had to do it again, we wouldn't have let him off till he found his "spot".

We were told the same thing by our vet as Comdave, they'll go when they have to. It's not fun to watch the pooch waiting, particularly knowing how long I can only hold it for.

I tend to agree....

When taking the ferry to Alaska...it worried many of us dog owners when the dogs wouldn't go at first on the steel decks. Finally one dog couldn't wait....when all the other dogs saw it happening with no yelling...guess they figured it out.

If worried about your dog, maybe invite RTF over and let his dog train your dog.

RTF...new cruising source of income...because if it works...I know I would pay a lot as the dang dog on my boat (and owner) costs me thousands in marina bills every year when anchoring is out of the question!!!!!!

 

[Renegade15]

Not sure how large of a dog she is, but I have a deep rubbermaid tote that I cut a door in the side and places a real piece of sod in. I have to replace the sod pretty regularly, but the tote is nice cause I can keep the lid on it so it does not fill with rain and also gives the pooch, a chihuahua in our case, somewhere dry to go if it is raining. Mine too does not care for the fake turf, real grass was the trick for us.

 

[Xlantic]

My two Labradors will use the bow area "in a pinch" but seldom do.

Last summer we did a 24 hour run and they both held it in until they got to land!

 

[kthoennes]

Funny how it's so dependent on each dog's habits and psychology. Our little Peanut, she would never go anywhere on the boat, no matter what. Had to dingy her ashore if we had to, like Cleopatra on a barge. Pearl the lab mix though, she doesn't much care. I came back to the boat one day and saw a small dark object right in the middle of the bow, just aft of the windlass - Pearl took care of business right there, in full view of anybody who walked by the boat on the marina walkway. Like she was some poopin' dog hood ornament on a Rolls Royce.

Hilarious how we spend so much time and effort to accomdate our dogs' bathroom preferences.

 

[what_barnacles]

you never know...