House-Training Your Dog for your Boat. A Printable Boat Dog Potty Training Guide

Transcription

1 Huse-Training Yur Dg fr yur Bat A Printable Bat Dg Ptty Training Guide frm EvenKeelTraveller.cm Simple Steps t Huse Train yur dg fr yur bat First, ALWAYS check with yur vet t make sure yur dg is healthy and able t live n a bat. Als, befre yu attempt this transitin f life n bard yur bat with yur dg, here are a few things t cnsider, s that yu can make the best decisin fr bth yu and yur dg: Yur dg(s) age Yur dg s medical histry Yur dgs current physical cnditin (arthritis r ther mbility issues?), allergies? Prne t infectins? Des yur dg react well t change r is it fearful, n the nervus side, r easily reactive? All f these are imprtant t cnsider BEFORE yu have yur dg live n bard. D yu have safety netting installed? We d, and we feel it s saved ur dgs frm falling verbard many times. It takes a while t set up (a few days), s START NOW! Yur wn stress level and patience with yur dg (live abard life can have stressful mments, cnsider carefully yur wn health and yur dg s) Hpefully, yur dg has been n yur bat many times fr day trips and is used t the set up f yur bat (steps/cmpaninways, railings) and being n the water. Make sure yu have already acclimated yur dg t yur bat fr shrt trips (at least!). It wuld be unfair t expect yur dg t adjust t bat life (and bat-ptty training all at nce), s please make sure yur dg has spent smetime n the water s his stress level will nt be dubled by being new t the bat, as well as new t bat ptty training. Hw t huse train yur dg fr yur bat:

2 Once yu ve thrughly (& been hnest & realistic abut yur wn patience, reslve, and yur dg s health) cnsidered the abve list, and had yur dg checked ut by yur veterinarian, (and it s given the kay t live n a bat), then g ahead & start with the steps. A. Start with buying/installing the safety netting, and as yu d this, B. gradually add amunts f time n bard fr yur dg, feeding n bard etc. Mve his bed/crate n bard as well, bth underway and dcked. C. THEN begin wrk n huse-training yur dg fr the bat while OFF the bat. The Steps: Step 1. Yu will need the fllwing items: A life jacket fr yur dg that des NOT cver r impede his FLOW areas test it ut first! Any jack lines r safety lines yu feel are needed fr pttying while underway fr yu, yur dg, and yur bat safety first! 2 r 3 f these specifically made fr dg ptty use turf mats (yes, they may blw/fall verbard, yu WILL want t have spares n bard) **DON T GET REGULAR AstrTURF mats, they wn t drain prperly and will get stinky and grss! 2 r 3 heavy duty mats like thse fr cmmercial kitchen use, these will prvide weight n tp f the Astrturf mat, tractin & secure fting fr yur dg Nature s Miracle fr cleaning up accidents, the ONLY prduct that really wrks t keep pets frm return accidents Yur favrite carpet r wd flr stain remver (depending n yur bat surfaces) in case f ptty accidents n bard Paper twels 2

3 Dg REWARD treats, ur dgs LOVE these (HINT: if yur dg has a sensitive stmach, just use his wn fd as a treat, *dn t try ut any new fds while traveling!) Scented trash bags fr cleaning up the dg waste ne (r 2) LARGE empty cffee canisters, they can be a can, plastic cffee jug with lid, r large cffee ziplck puch as lng as it can be CLOSED tightly (this is t keep n deck and will stre the used pp bags when yu are in places where yu can t thrw them away) Yu will be glad yu have these! OPTIONAL STEP that sme dgs will need: Get 1-2 squares f sd frm yur lcal landscaper r lawn supply stre and if yu get the SOD, then yu will ALSO need get 2, (yes 2!) sd cntainers (we used these) Step 2. Once yu have ALL yur supplies, use a ladle (yes, a ladle! :-) ) r a cup r even a dispsable/plate, and cllect yur dg s urine. Als, cllect a small stl sample. These will be used fr marking the Astrturf mats as well. Yes, I tld yu this wuld require patience and a sense f humr as well! Only a small amunt f each is needed t mark the turf. (nt even enugh fr yu t smell, as yur dg can smell at least 200 times better than yu!) Step 3. Take the turf mat utside in yur yard (t the lcatin that yur dg typically ges ptty/urinates first thing in the mrning) Take a little f the fresh urine that yu cllected within a day r s, and sprinkle it n the green turf mat. Let it sak in, in the turf mat in grass/yard. Again, the advantage t having this Astrturf mat that is a specially made fr dg ptties and it easily drained and easily cleaned, and des NOT hld any drs if yu rinse after use. (the dg will STILL be able t smell his urine there) (dn t be tempted t use an ld rug, it will CONFUSE yur dg and he may use yur ther rugs, plus they cant be rinsed 3

4 well and will STINK!) The turf is very similar t grass and ur dgs tk t it right away, there was never any cnfusin abut using any ther kind f surface t g ptty n. Yu must keep yur dg n a leash fr ptty trips fr the next several days & urge it t g n the turf that s been marked with its wn urine. The first ptty in the mrning is usually the mst successful, as the dg really has an urgent need and can be easily caxed t g n the mat, as it lays in the grass. When the dg uses the mat fr the first time (and each time thereafter), give LOTS f praise and a treat fr urinating r defecating n the turf. This step shuld take a week r less depending n yur dgs level f flexibility and yur patience. Dn t frget t reward and give lts f praise when the dg uses the turf mat. Be careful nt t drag that dg ver t the turf r pressure them t g n it, yu dn t want t make them nervus r phbic abut the turf. Have a treat held ver the mat if yu need t. If needed, cllect mre urine r waste each day t mark the turf and urge the dg t use the turf, leading it in the right directin each time yu g ut fr a ptty break. This is where having tw r three pieces f the Astrturf cmes in handy because yur dg may want t walk arund and sniff befre ging and if yu have mre pieces f turf, yu increase the chances that he will use ne f them, and then he get the praise and reward! **The stage may take a week r just a few days but nce yur dg is willing t g n the turf mat, yu re pretty much hme free! Step 4. Once yu knw yur dg feels at hme and cmfrtable n yur bat in general, think abut the best place t put the turf mat fr yur dg s safe bathrm area use. We use the trampline area f ur catamaran, but yu will have t determine the right area that s safe and cnvenient fr yur bat. Keep in mind that yur dg s safety is f utmst cncern here. D nt place the the mat in area where yur dg is at risk f falling dwn r falling verbard while using 4

5 the ptty. If yur space is limited then make sure the area arund the ptty has safety netting arund it. Take int cnsideratin yur lifelines/jacklines and keep a life jacket n the dg (and yu) and a leash r harness n the dg while pttying t. Yu must escrt them t the ptty if the area the first several times, and always when underway. Plan a backup lcatin fr rugh weather t, and practice with the mats there as well. Remember, even if yu find what yu feel is the safe cmfrtable lcatin fr the mat, there may always be a time with rugh seas and yur dg will need t relieve himself. Plan a backup lcatin and have yur dg practice using bth lcatins equally n the bat s he knws that it s kay t g in bth places. Remember t give TONS f exuberant praise and reward with a treat r ty. It s s imprtant t praise and reward lavishly when yur dg uses the primary lcatin and the backup lcatin t relieve himself, this will g a lng way t establishing his cmfrt level with ptty training n the bat. Step 5: After a few days (r weeks depending n yur dg), yu may want t transitin ut f using the turf mat and just use the rubber mat fr tractin while using the ptty. Yur dg will simply get used t using that lcatin and may n lnger need the turf t feel cmfrtable relieving himself. Our dgs n lnger use the turf r tractin mat unless we are in rugh seas. Our back up lcatin fr rugh seas is t put dwn the turf and tractin mats right utside ur frnt saln dr and keep the dgs n a leash and harness while they relieve themselves ver the scupper, right next t the frnt saln dr. *Use the OPTIONAL SOD STEP if yur dg wn t even CONSIDER using the turf mat, (despite yur attempts t ffer treats as he steps n it, etc): Bring a previusly marked by yur dg s urine/feces sd square n bard in the flat plastic underbed-sized cntainers listed abve. (cut drain hles in ne cntainer, place the sd in the ne with drain hles, and place that cntainer inside the ther (intact) cntainer, this will help the sd drain. Place them n a steady, nn-slippery area n yur bat that yu want t be the ptty zne. As 5

6 yu need t, yu can then empty liquid frm the bttm cntainer and rinse it when it seems necessary. Place the marked turf mat n tp f the sd fr a few days, as yu lead yur LEASHED dg t the ptty area, have him step nt the marked sd, again, first thing in the mrning usually brings success! Sme dgs will likely be mre cmfrtable using this sd+ turf methd, rather than just the turf at first. Yu can then just thrw the sd away after a few days, nce yur dg is a pr at bat ptty usage! Sme peple keep/grw sd n bard fr their dgs, but it s heavy, awkward and gets stinky try t transitin t the easily clean-able /strable dr-free turf & rubber mats as sn as yu can. It takes patience and time t huse train yur dg fr a bat Once yur dg is huse-ptty trained fr the bat, yu are n lnger dependent n making multiple dinghy stps a day n land fr ptty breaks, r even walking yur dg in the marina if it s strming! Yur dg will feel happy and cmfrtable ging t the restrm utside, n their wn bat. This is nt a substitute fr walking yur dg hwever as we always take every pprtunity t walk ur dgs and any marina r anchrage r island that feels safe fr ur dgs. We knw and strngly believe that walking ur dgs is nt nly essential fr their physical exercise, but walking a dg is essential fr their mental health as well. CLEANING UP: The mats are easily rinsed ff n the trampline and they drain there t. (we use the hse that s already there fr the windlass system) but a bucket r jug f sapy water wrks fine t, and just leave the turf mat, weighted dwn, n the deck t dry (we weight them dwn with the rinsed rubber mats). Thse awesme turf mats dry SUPER QUICKLY and NEVER hld any drs. Als, we simply dump a bucket f sapy water t clean the mats when they are in the scupper area t. If yu aren t in a place where yu can dump the slid waste ver, we suggest cllecting it in scented dg pp bags, and then stre in an ld cffee cntainer, til yu can dispse f it prperly. Lepard Catamarans, like the ne we wn, have a unique feature, a frward cckpit/lunge area. This area is particularly dg-friendly and it enabled us t feel gd abut bring the dgs t live abard with us, fr 2 main reasns: 1. We 6

7 can EASILY access the frward area & trampline fr accessing the bw, and fr the dg s needs, thrugh the frnt dr. 2. The frward cckpit als has a scupper, that in case f rugh seas when we can t take the dgs nt the trampline fr a break, we simply place their turf n tp f the scupper and they g there, and it rinses and cleans up easily! This frnt lunge area is als PERFECT when it s t sunny t sit in the stern lunge area. It s usually shaded and always has a great breeze! Just anther reasn t LOVE Lepard Cats! **We als trained bth dgs, as very yung puppies, t ring a bell that hangs n the dr, when they NEED t g ut. While sme may think this is silly r unnecessary, having yur dg ring a bell t g utside is incredibly handy, useful, and cnvenient when yu are traveling. This makes ANY kind f travel much easier, especially fr htel stays r staying with family at the hlidays. If yu have a puppy, and want t bell train them, just let me knw in a cmment r and I can explain it. It nly takes abut 2 weeks. Please keep in mind that this is what wrked fr ur dgs, it may nt wrk fr yur dg, because yur dg may have a different training histry r breed traits/persnality traits r temperament that is different than ur dgs. Hwever, n matter yur dgs age r breed, if yu are PATIENT, this system shuld wrk just fine fr MOST dgs. Again, dn t stress ut yur dg r yurself and try t rush this.it will nly make yur dg hate the bat. Please keep in mind that ur system was set up by Bridget, wh has trained many dgs ver the years, is a certified Vet Tech, has served at several dg training nnprfits. We als cnsulted with a veterinarian and a Certified Guide Dg trainer n this methd as well. Take yur time and it can wrk fr yu t! We are happy t answer yur questins abut bat ptty training fr yur dg, please cmment with a questin belw r us at: EvenKeelTraveller@gmail.cm Pictures included n next pages (t save yur printer ink!) 7

8 As always, we want yu t knw that sme f the links abve are affiliate links t prducts r services that we truly believe in and shared, because they are helpful & useful. S, at n additinal cst t yu, we ll earn a small cmmissin if yu decide t make a purchase after clicking thrugh these links. Mrning meeting n the trampline. 8

9 Abve: Frward cckpit with mats ver scupper.. Abve: Special ptty turf with heavy grip mat n tp fr tractin & weight. 9

10 Optinal bells fr dgs t ring 10