Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

[bear_69cuda]

Good morning,

We have a 7 month old lab mix that we're both smitten with... We even named our boat after him. (see pic) I've been getting him use to the boat on land so when the big day comes this weekend he doesn't freak out. He love car rides, and is very well behaved (potty trained as well), we sure hope he'll love boating. My question is, where do the dogs pee, and or relieve themselves? Do they just pee in the lake? do I make frequent landings? I assume he wouldn't take a dump in the water being out of his normal mulch/grass spot in the back yard. :redface: I hope not! We usually stay out w/o going to shore most of the time so I'm looking for advice from other members.

Thanks in advance!

 

[captainzac]

Re: Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

We treat our dogs just like when we are taking them on an airplane trip.

The morning before we leave we feed them 1/3 to 1/2 as much food
about 1 hr. after they eat we walk them to the spot in the yard that they like to (do their business)

go put the boat in an give them one more chance. (do not let them wonder and play short leach)
then we go boating
when we go back to the dock at the end of the day we tie up and take the dogs so they can (do their business)
do not let them run and play or sniff around keep a short leach on them
after about 3 trips they will learn
but you have to be consistent about procedure do the same thing everytime

our experience has showed that we can stay on the water 1 hr or 8 hrs and the dogs do not know the difference
but no matter how long we stay out we stick to the same procedure

remember that you have to be the master do not let the dog tell you when he wants to go put him on a schedule

Harry

 

[lkbum]

Re: Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

Nice Boat, and dog. Our goldens were a little older, maybe 1 or so when they started going on the boat with us. They would let us know if they needed to go. They would start pacing around and get anxious. The funny thing, to me, about having a dog on a boat is that other boats will treat you with more courtesy (like in congested areas or at the gas dock) once they see the dog. The marina we used for gas, kept dog treats and would always remember the dog's name before they remembered yours.

 

[smclear]

Re: Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

Good morning,

I assume he wouldn't take a dump in the water being out of his normal mulch/grass spot in the back yard.

Thanks in advance!

Don't make that assumption. I have a golden that will take a dump in the water (if it's shallow enough for him to stand, or rather, squat). He holds it as long as possible but when he absolutely has to go, he will. We try our best to watch for the signs but sometimes we either miss them, or he just doesn't show any signs.

It's only happened twice, and we did clean up after.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

personally I think it's gross but I knew a guy who lived on his boat and his dog was trained to use the swim platform.... he just hosed it off with a washdown pump each time...

otherwise you either need to starve em (within reason) or take em to the shore.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

We take shore breaks for our pooch, she gives us the signal which is usually her very anxious attitude, so we pull up and she jumps in. its pretty easy for us since our situation is that our Lab is 8, and has a weight issue so going to the lake is our opportunity to work off her winter weight in a low impact way, by July she will be ready to go running with me as that's when I start training for hunting season. She will swim until she drops and will go to shore to do her business and investigate everything she can, when she is ready to go back out she will let us know. She has never had an accident on the boat.

 

[25thmustang]

Re: Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

The dog will learn. Our golden/hound mix has had a potty problem at our house for a while (he was a rescue and untrained at an older age than he should have been). The other weekend we left him to roam the house and trip took a very long time. 17 hours he was home without a bathroom break. Luckily, no mess and he went as soon as he got outside.

I like the idea of letting him go as right before you leave, and then as soon as your back. Short of 10-12 hours on the boat, the pup should be fine!

 

[cr2k]

Re: Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

If you are planning on taking your dog, then be planning for short shore breaks is the responsible thing to do as a pet's human. You will know when she needs to go and you will figure out about how long she can go between breaks. Not all dogs have the same potty schedule do to age, health, medicals, etc. Most appropriate is to learn how to co-exist. You would expect someone to stop for you if you had to go. Beautiful dog BTW.

 

[bear_69cuda]

Re: Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

Gang,

Thanks all for the great advice... We're very attentive to Jackson's needs, and becoming very tuned into his body language at home, when he needs to go out for relief. The admiral works second shift so he's never alone more than 4-6 hours at a time. So maybe a slight reduction in solid food in the morning, a good poop and pee before boarding, keep him hydrated, watch for the tell tale signs, and take it as it goes. I just picked up a life vest for him yesterday. We'll more than likely keep him on a lead, and see how he reacts to the boat moving at speed... I'm so excited to have my pal out on the boat with us! I'll post some pics and keep an eye on this thread for more of your great experiences...

Thanks again iboats!

 

[Gromulin]

Re: Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

We are usually anchored close enough to shore, and the dog is usually in the water most of the time anyway...she just swims over to shore as needed. We took an old, beat up, closed-cell foam pool lounge, mummified it in cheap duct-tape and tie it off to a cleat for her to use as an "island". She (lab/golden/border collie mix) hangs out there or on shore while we hang out on the boat.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

This thread is totally disgusting. Pardon me for taking the other side of the coin, so I hope I don't offend any of you dog lovers. (I probably will)

When I go for a picnic with my family in the State Park, I can be assured that I won't have to step in dog poop, because the place is regulated. They have a "dog walking" area where you can poop to your heart's content. But its not where other people frequent.

On the other hand, some of the remote Island beaches that I like to go to in the boat are not patrolled, so those beaches are littered with dog poop, diapers and cigarette butts. Just imagine spending a beautiful Sunday afternoon on the beach when some idiot comes in and lets his dog(s) loose, only to have them poop right next to your pickinick basket!

I'm not saying you shouldn't take Rover for a ride, but just be considerate of your fellow boaters. Its just like smoking Cigarettes outside in a group of people, or getting drunk and being a menace to everybody else. Maybe there ought to be dedicated places that people shopuld go to do whatever they want without pi$$ing off everybody else.

 

[sw33ttooth]

Re: Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

Not all dogs have the same potty schedule

my moms dog has diabeties and she has to go every 2-3 hours. the white german shepards i had for 10 and 12 years they could go maybe 5-6 hours if not a little longer on a daily basis. we also never rationed there food just kept it full. figure out about how long your dog can hold it normally, and look for signs like others were talking about. dont expect your dog to hold it for 6 hours on its first trip, even if he looks fine find a shoreline.

 

[bear_69cuda]

Re: Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

This thread is totally disgusting. Pardon me for taking the other side of the coin, so I hope I don't offend any of you dog lovers. (I probably will)

When I go for a picnic with my family in the State Park, I can be assured that I won't have to step in dog poop, because the place is regulated. They have a "dog walking" area where you can poop to your heart's content. But its not where other people frequent.

On the other hand, some of the remote Island beaches that I like to go to in the boat are not patrolled, so those beaches are littered with dog poop, diapers and cigarette butts. Just imagine spending a beautiful Sunday afternoon on the beach when some idiot comes in and lets his dog(s) loose, only to have them poop right next to your pickinick basket!

I'm not saying you shouldn't take Rover for a ride, but just be considerate of your fellow boaters. Its just like smoking Cigarettes outside in a group of people, or getting drunk and being a menace to everybody else. Maybe there ought to be dedicated places that people shopuld go to do whatever they want without pi$$ing off everybody else.

Not sure I agree the thread is totally disgusting, as all the earth's creatures do it. I agree with your point for the most part, but I'm not the idiot you speak of... I hate when folks toss cigarettes out the window like the earth is their ashtray, so please rest assured as I'm not a smoker, and will never leave my dogs crap for others to stumble upon.

 

[sw33ttooth]

Re: Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

This thread is totally disgusting. Pardon me for taking the other side of the coin, so I hope I don't offend any of you dog lovers. (I probably will)

When I go for a picnic with my family in the State Park, I can be assured that I won't have to step in dog poop, because the place is regulated. They have a "dog walking" area where you can poop to your heart's content. But its not where other people frequent.

On the other hand, some of the remote Island beaches that I like to go to in the boat are not patrolled, so those beaches are littered with dog poop, diapers and cigarette butts. Just imagine spending a beautiful Sunday afternoon on the beach when some idiot comes in and lets his dog(s) loose, only to have them poop right next to your pickinick basket!

I'm not saying you shouldn't take Rover for a ride, but just be considerate of your fellow boaters. Its just like smoking Cigarettes outside in a group of people, or getting drunk and being a menace to everybody else. Maybe there ought to be dedicated places that people shopuld go to do whatever they want without pi$$ing off everybody else.

we always picked up after our dogs and so does every one else in my family. however i seen something this weekend, people camping next to us took there dogs for a walk the dog went right in the middle of the field and they left it... 2 girls walking it[when i say girls 16-20ish] the one girl ran away like she didnt know why she was walking out there in the first place and the 2nd that was holding the leash walked foward and acted like she didnt know that dog was doing it. that kind of ignorance just fumes me because i might be the one to walk in that pile... so your point is valid but calling this whole thread disgusting i wouldnt agree with.

i did end up yelling at there camp and a guy went down with a shovel about 30 minuites later, only because i yelled at them.

 

[cookinhot]

Re: Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

Well, I do not agree with this. I am a smoker, but I don't throw my butts out the window or in the lake (that is one I saw a friend of mine do, Yes I got on to him about it). I am a dog owner, (He loves the water) just like when I take him anywhere in public I also bring plenty of (Walmart) plastic bags or as I call them "Poopers". The wife loves that one. I guess that if you are a responsible boat owner then, you should also be a responsible pet owner.

I guess I am lucky because when Sparky (Black Lab/ Pitbull mix) first learned about water was at my parents pool. I took him in the water for a few minutes then made him get out and go "Potty". Gradually increasing the time in the water. Now when we go out on the boat he can go about 5 hours without ever needing to relieve himself.

So, I would say be a responsible pet owner and make sure you have plenty of "Poopers" when you go to the lake, or anywhere in public for that matter. If he had an accident inside the boat you wouldn't leave it there, would you?

 

[bear_69cuda]

Re: Dog on boat thread regarding pee and poop breaks.

Good morning,

I in no way wanted to offend any smokers, I want to keep this thread clean and on topic, I realize that there are folks that smoke, and responsibly dispose of the butts... I've have no problems with that. I'm just looking for others experience with how they deal with their dogs in regards to bathroom breaks while boating. Have a safe and wonderful weekend boating everyone!