House Training

[Desmo]

I had a quick look but could not find any hints. How do you go about training your dog to relieve themselves on board. I had a friend who used a tin box full of earth near the mast. Anyone any other tips on what to do, trips to the shore are not always practical.

[swagman]

Never done this ourselves but friends have and recommend using a piece of imitation grass as the p/poo spot. They 'scented' theirs when the dog did a p ashore and then placed it on the foredeck. Then when it became obvious the dog needs to go somewhere, they took it forward.

Lots of praise after a successful jobbie and quickly their dog realised it was THE spot.

Once the dog was broken in it was then easy to tow it behind them for 5 minutes to clean it up after use.

JOHN

[Astrid]

here is also this product:

https://www.ugodog.net/

[Sunspot Baby]

My comments are at:
A Serious Look at
Cruising With a Dog

George

[nigel1]

As Swagman suggested, it worked for our boarder collie

[SaucySailoress]

Our dog goes on the foredeck, but only when desperate!! I have to admit though, that I've been cleaning it with a bag and bucket of water.... the astroturf idea seems cool - I think I'll give it a go!

[The Boat Galley]

Our approach was similar but not identical to Swagman's, with very quick results for both our dog Paz and various guest dogs. You know how your dog likes to sniff and go where other dogs have gone? You just need a carpet with the right smell! More details and tips:

Training a Dog to be a Boat Dog

[Entlie]

We tried everything - a plastic shrub tied to the kingpost, a stinky fish net, astroturf, a mat sprayed with "puppy go here" stuff...demonstrations by the Captain (thankfully #1 only)...but on the fifth extended cruise, Toby figured it out! What a difference it has made in our cruising!
Entlile
Sailing Catamaran Sunspot Baby

[Coachbolt61]

I have a putting green on the front deck. (astro turf) No training he just used it. I think it was when you gotta go you gotta go. But he still likes the real thing. I figure when it gets too rough out there you can move it somewhere else for him.

[Cat's Eye]

I have 3 dogs on board. All different ages - 12, 6 and 2. All have been living on aboard since they where little. With my newest one (and the 6 year old) we used pee pads. We started in the cockpit and slowly moved the pad up to the bow of the boat where the other dogs go. Then we just removed the pad. This worked for us!
All my dogs have been sailing since puppys. Having them be able to stay on the boat while we are in different countries is nice. A lot of islands having wander strays that can be aggressive. It also helps with keeping fleas and ticks in check.

Just a side thought - get to know how your dog reacts on your boat while you are underway. I have one dog that HATES thunderstorms. I would never leave the dogs behind but knowing them and understanding how they react takes a lot of the stress of having them.

Good Luck!!

[topfrog007]

What about those fake grass pads that are meant for dogs to pee in RV's and such? Anyone tried those on a boat?

[buster3861]

I have tried real grass when I sailed to Ireland and it did not work to well, the locals thought it a tradition of somewhere and I never told them any different. Lol