Dogs aboard

[Christopher]

I'm interested in knowing how others have handled some of the unavoidable complications of having dog(s) aboard.  My wife will not go anywhere without our dog (soon to be dogs).  I'm going to be putting the netting up around the perimeter of the boat to keep them aboard.  These are small dogs around 12 pounds.  What I'm wondering is how others have handled when they have to do their business.  Do you just have them go in the cockpit and dump some water to help it down the drains?  In the case of #2, where do they go?  How have they handled doing such a thing in anything but the calmest seas?  I can't picture our dog pinching one while the boat is pitching or rolling at all... Do they adjust?

Interested to hear if any of you have tips

[s/v Faith]

Christopher,

Peter went with us on our trip.  He handled it great, he has already spent lots of time aboard and was quite comfortable.

  The passages were planned to depart in the evening and arrive in the morning.  He was very clever and seemed to know when we were getting ready to get underway... and would limit his liquid intake.

  I Do believe that I saw some cay's that most people do not stop at simply so Peter could get his paws on dry ground for a bit.

  Spend some time on your dingy ingress / egress plan.  It is going to need to work in all weathers and sea states.

You might get some ideas from our thread (the link above).  I can tell you we were VERY glad to have him along.  Life is better with a dog, and we had friends everywhere we went.  As a matter of fact, the children in Marsh harbour greeted us and knew the dogs name... before we had ever been there!  He was a great ambassador, and valued member of our crew. 

[Christopher]

So Peter does fine just peeing on the foredeck?  I wonder how our dog would take to it...  I can't imagine her doing it while underway in any swell at all.  We'll have some long legs of sailing without anchorage so I guess we'll just have to get her accustomed to going somewhere...  Too bad they couldn't just learn to use the head or go over the side

[Pablo]

I have heard of people using a section of astro turf (like a litter box with the litter) and there are some sort of absorbent pads you can buy as well.

[Bill NH]

...and there are some sort of absorbent pads you can buy as well.

Doggie diapers??   

[Pablo]

https://www.pottypatch.com/ver12/index.asp



And here is an example of the wee wee pads.  (Note: I can't find the manufacturers website but here they are on Amazon with a good description. 

http://www.amazon.com/100-Gridlock-Puppy-Training-pads/dp/B000GBK314