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Cruising With A Service Dog....everything You Ever Wanted To Know!


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DKD: Will send you some sunshine, fast. It says high of 79 & low 53, Friday, then on Monday, back up to 93 and 62. This is what I am talking about, the roller coaster. If you are going to cool off, then cool off. Quit cooling off then slamming us a few days later with warm weather. I am not complaining. I will take 93 degrees any day of the week, compared to 115 + any day!

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Cindy-------- is that Wex in your Avatar? I don't want to be looking for a black dog and he is brown.:D Counting down the days.

 

It is Trudy. And he is black. I don't think it will be to hard to find us! :D Here's his website http://wexler2009.shutterfly.com/ Check it out. We are getting excited too!

 

Yesterday we noticed that the cyst on his ear is now gone :confused: Kind of strange but good for him and us, no surgery (I hope). We have no idea where it went. :eek:

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It is Trudy. And he is black. I don't think it will be to hard to find us! :D Here's his website http://wexler2009.shutterfly.com/ Check it out. We are getting excited too!

 

Yesterday we noticed that the cyst on his ear is now gone :confused: Kind of strange but good for him and us, no surgery (I hope). We have no idea where it went. :eek:

 

Loved the pictures of Wexler and you and John. It is so wonderful to be able to have these service dogs.

 

Maybe the cyst was a blood blister----I remember my dog had a big blood blister, on her ear----I guess a vein in her ear broke but it also went away before it was lanced.:D

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It is Trudy. And he is black. I don't think it will be to hard to find us! :D Here's his website http://wexler2009.shutterfly.com/ Check it out. We are getting excited too!

 

Yesterday we noticed that the cyst on his ear is now gone :confused: Kind of strange but good for him and us, no surgery (I hope). We have no idea where it went. :eek:

 

Hershey had her ear swell up a couple times and after I googled it and called the vet to confirm & he said it was most likely a hematoma from shaking her head and hitting her ear on a doorframe/ chair leg or something similar. Due to her age the vet recommended letting it be and see if it re-absorbed which it did over time. Her ear was HUGE the first time and stuck straight out but the second time it was much smaller... Google dog ear hematoma and see if that's what he had... The surgery pics / description were way more than I would put her through at any age let alone at age 11-12!... Would have had to have the "cone of shame" on for a long time after it too! The ear returned to about 95% normal- was a little bit misshapen but nothing anyone would notice unless she was a show dog! Luckily the 2nd time it was the opposite one so they matched again lol

 

 

 

 

Sent from my Speak & Spell using Tapatalk

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Marcia, wait a minute......YOU'RE NOT going to be out to sea when I am? What's going on here? :confused: We ALWAYS cruise at the same time.

 

I look forward to the day that we can!

 

Thank you for your good wishes, I miss you!

Sometimes I need to take a vacation with DH. ;) We went to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Here are some pics I posted on another thread: http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=35665564&postcount=3611

 

Hope you had a great trip... can't wait to hear all about it! :D

Edited by dobiemom
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Hershey had her ear swell up a couple times and after I googled it and called the vet to confirm & he said it was most likely a hematoma from shaking her head and hitting her ear on a doorframe/ chair leg or something similar. Due to her age the vet recommended letting it be and see if it re-absorbed which it did over time. Her ear was HUGE the first time and stuck straight out but the second time it was much smaller... Google dog ear hematoma and see if that's what he had... The surgery pics / description were way more than I would put her through at any age let alone at age 11-12!... Would have had to have the "cone of shame" on for a long time after it too! The ear returned to about 95% normal- was a little bit misshapen but nothing anyone would notice unless she was a show dog! Luckily the 2nd time it was the opposite one so they matched again lol

 

 

 

 

Sent from my Speak & Spell using Tapatalk

 

OH NO Not the cone of shame!!!! :eek:

I looked it up and it's not a hematoma, looks more like a black cyst, well it did before it came off. We are not sure where it went. Gonna call the vet and see if we should bring him in. There's just a little bump now and I think that is going to scab over and disappear. Saves us probably 300 or 400 bucks!

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Sometimes I need to take a vacation with DH. ;) We went to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Here are some pics I posted on another thread: http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=35665564&postcount=3611

 

Hope you had a great trip... can't wait to hear all about it! :D

 

Wow Great pics!!! I love seeing all those balloons.

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Loved the pictures of Wexler and you and John. It is so wonderful to be able to have these service dogs.

 

Maybe the cyst was a blood blister----I remember my dog had a big blood blister, on her ear----I guess a vein in her ear broke but it also went away before it was lanced.:D

 

Less than 8 weeks now Trudy. Well even less for you!!!

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Sometimes I need to take a vacation with DH. ;) We went to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Here are some pics I posted on another thread: http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=35665564&postcount=3611

 

Hope you had a great trip... can't wait to hear all about it! :D

 

Thanks for sharing those pictures with us. My niece lives out there and she also posted some pictures, you had a few different then she had. I hope to get out there some day to see it. Did you have a camper or stay at a hotel? Looks like a lot of fun----I think it goes on all week.

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Hi, Wizard of Oz,

So glad I found your post.. We just recently booked a cruise on the Carnival Ecstasy , and we are going to take my service dog. This will be our first cruise. I have to say we are both a little nervous about this.. We are just going to the Bahamas, so

we probably will stay on the boat. I understand it is a real hassle to get all the paper work and permits to go on shore.

We have been there many times but it would be nice. My question is can you please give me advice on the do,s and don,ts and HELP!! :confused:

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I am really enjoying reading about everyones cruises with thier service dogs. I not quite as scared as I was.. But I still have questions. If the dog uses the mulch or pellets, to pee, what do you have to do. Does it drain or soak up, how do we clean it?? I have the bags for the poop but how does it work for the pee..Sounds stupid I know but this is all new for us..Thanks for any help all..:o

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Hi, Wizard of Oz,

So glad I found your post.. We just recently booked a cruise on the Carnival Ecstasy , and we are going to take my service dog. This will be our first cruise. I have to say we are both a little nervous about this.. We are just going to the Bahamas, so

we probably will stay on the boat. I understand it is a real hassle to get all the paper work and permits to go on shore.

We have been there many times but it would be nice. My question is can you please give me advice on the do,s and don,ts and HELP!! :confused:

 

Just a heads up... I wouldn't consider taking a dog (or any other animal) off the ship in the bahamas.. I live here.. and we have problems with roaming dogs and packs. You may have control of your animal.. but there is noone in control of these strays.

 

Unless you are being picked up and delivered to a private property.. I wouldn't take a pet or service animal off the ship.

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Hi Honey's, I'm home!!!!!!!! What a fabulous cruise! Princess is truly a "rock-star" when it comes to taking care of the passengers and the pooch's!

 

There were two other dogs onboard a "Chiauhua(sp), who did absolutely nothing and got "dragged" around by it's collar by her owner, I hated to see it. Her name was "Sophie." I never asked what she did as a Service Dog but it was obvious that she wasn't very well trained. Then there was a "Jack Russel/wire-haired Terrier" named "Topper" who was a seizure alert dog. He was very well behaved, except when he saw Horton then he'd give out a quick, low bark to remind Horton not to eat him!

 

I love the Sapphire Princess and the crew was outstanding! There was an air show and the America's Cup boat race in San Francisco so two/full days in SF turned to 1 1/2 days, with huge crowds on the wharf. It rained in San Diego and the seas were a bit rough but who cares, I was on a cruise and that made everything okay.

 

The folks onboard were wonderful and fun. I only had ONE person who actually "kicked" Horton to try and get him to move from a "down/stay" so that he could sit in the seat that Horton was sitting in front of! We were sitting in the Piazza to watch a show. Another passenger saw it and asked if she should call "Security" I said "no" and then confronted the "jerk!" He was so mean. He said, "I won't bother your dog, if he doesn't bother me!" I just couldn't believe how rude he was. He also treated his wife in a mean way.......I stayed right where I was and watched to make sure he didn't touch my boy again. I NEVER ran into him again. But had a lot of supporters who were willing to beat the guy up! It always amazes me how you may never see some folks again while onboard a cruise and for some, that's just fine with me.

 

I can't begin to tell you how many folks came over and asked, "are you Roz from Cruise Critic, I read the blog every day!" I told them to join in our conversation, they said they enjoy reading what we say to each other. We have friends from all over the world, you guys....they mentioned Cindy, Karen, DVD, Quam, Nancy, Barbara, Marcia, Jocko, Trudy and even asked me questions about some folks who don't write-in so much. Amazing, we better be careful what we say....we're going to get paparazzi before we know it.

 

Marcia, I love those balloons. Such a good idea to keep hubby happy, every now and then!!!!

 

Cindy, I'm glad that Wexy's ear is getting better....I hope it stays away! Are you getting excited, you're cruise is coming up soon.

 

scubagirrl: Thanks for the info. on the Bahama's. I was just in Mexico and had no problems with strays......Of course, there were police everywhere and one guard seemed to walk right behind me wherever we went. I didn't mind the "private, security guard feeling" at all!

 

bamagal: I can't stress enough; have your paperwork all in order and make copies for the registration people, at the pier. It makes everything go faster. They ask for the dogs paperwork and then they'll ask you to wait while they make a copy......you just need to hand the copies to them and tell them to keep it and move right along. Call the "Access Dept" a few days before you cruise so they can "alert" the ship, via email or fax to get the potty-box in place.

:)We had a 5x4 box, lined in heavy plastic, with cyprus mulch as the filler. I asked our room steward to leave the bag of mulch so that I could fill it to keep it more clean. [They NEVER put in enough.] I bring my own plastic bags, I pick up the solid waste, knot the bag and drop it into the recepticle that they provide. The mulch absorbs the urine and there's no smell. I lay a layer of new mulch daily to help with the absorbtion [i use my hands and wash-up back at my cabin.] I like the box in the stairwell near our cabin. You can put it on your veranda or have it placed on a deck, away from the public. When you call make sure you mention to use mulch.:)

 

If the Bahama's is difficult to bring your Service Dog to, stay onboard the ship. It's not worth the hassles to bring our dogs into some countries. If they don't want my money, I'm happy to spend it elsewhere!

 

Allow fellow passengers to ask you questions and be ready to answer them, here's a sample of some:

  • What kind of dog is that
  • What does the dog do
  • How old is the dog
  • Why do you have a dog
  • Who trained your dog
  • Can I pat your dog
  • Where does the dog go potty
  • How did you get your dog onboard
  • Is that a puppy in training

And on and on and on!!!!!!

 

People are missing their pets, they just want a "furry-fix" and I recommend you allow them to touch the genious that walks beside you and makes your life so much better [your dog not you're significant other!] :p

Remember, you represent ALL of us when you bring your Service Dog onboard and can make a huge difference in how we're each treated in the future!

 

I had a foo-foo drink EVERY SINGLE DAY! And, I absolutely thought about all of you.

 

I bought the Ultimate Drink Package and if you're not an alcohol person, like me, I highly recommend it! It really saves you a lot of money when you like smoothies, hot chocolate, sodas and mocktails.

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Hi Roz,Welcome Home !

 

So glad you had a nice trip. Not too long now and I will see Wex and his family.

 

There always has to be ONE person that gives you trouble :mad: Glad that you had back up, just in case you needed it. But glad that you had a fun trip and when do you cruise again?

 

Have a great weekend---we are headed over to Hard Rock in Tampa for a couple of days.

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Hi Roz,Welcome Home !

 

So glad you had a nice trip. Not too long now and I will see Wex and his family.

 

There always has to be ONE person that gives you trouble :mad: Glad that you had back up, just in case you needed it. But glad that you had a fun trip and when do you cruise again?

 

Have a great weekend---we are headed over to Hard Rock in Tampa for a couple of days.

 

Our next cruise is March 30th. Hey! Where's my room steward?

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Thanks for sharing those pictures with us. My niece lives out there and she also posted some pictures, you had a few different then she had. I hope to get out there some day to see it. Did you have a camper or stay at a hotel? Looks like a lot of fun----I think it goes on all week.

We stayed in their RV park. There is a shuttle that goes from the RV park to the balloon field morning and evening sessions. Everyone else is in a looonnnggg line to get into parking and then again to leave. The cops even let the shuttles go through first AND there's a different lane so we weren't in that long line. There was a shuttle stop for hotels but I don't know which ones or how often they ran. (PS: I have almost 1300 pictures! ;))

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Mornin' all:

Roz: Welcome back! Glad you had a good time. As for the jerk that kicked Horty, I don't know what I would have done. I would have loved to kick him back. What if is had been poor Ms. Brenny? I just can't even believe there are people that are so miserable that they would behave like that. He obviously needs help.

As for us being celebrities on here! :o I hope they have read enough of the thread to understand some of our conversations! :eek: LOL. That is exciting that people actually recognize us, well you and Horty. I would have been so happy to see you guys on a cruise. And you know they recognized the "distinguished" couple. The tall, handsome, beautiful black boy and the tall, striking blonde lady! :D You make us proud.

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Hi, Wizard of Oz,

So glad I found your post.. We just recently booked a cruise on the Carnival Ecstasy , and we are going to take my service dog. This will be our first cruise. I have to say we are both a little nervous about this.. We are just going to the Bahamas, so

we probably will stay on the boat. I understand it is a real hassle to get all the paper work and permits to go on shore.

We have been there many times but it would be nice. My question is can you please give me advice on the do,s and don,ts and HELP!! :confused:

 

 

Hi Bamagal, Welcome to our little service dog world. The Bahamas is one of the easiest places for paperwork for your dog. We cruise on Holland America and they have a prvate island there so we always get a permit. We have also gone on Nassau and taken our dog to Atlantis. But we travelled by an HP van so we didn't wonder around the town at all. All you need is the international health certificate and the Bahamas permit. I actually have the form to get the permit, so if you would like it, let me know. I am actually waiting for our permit to come in the mail.

 

Cindy

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Hi Honey's, I'm home!!!!!!!! What a fabulous cruise! Princess is truly a "rock-star" when it comes to taking care of the passengers and the pooch's!

 

There were two other dogs onboard a "Chiauhua(sp), who did absolutely nothing and got "dragged" around by it's collar by her owner, I hated to see it. Her name was "Sophie." I never asked what she did as a Service Dog but it was obvious that she wasn't very well trained. Then there was a "Jack Russel/wire-haired Terrier" named "Topper" who was a seizure alert dog. He was very well behaved, except when he saw Horton then he'd give out a quick, low bark to remind Horton not to eat him!

 

I love the Sapphire Princess and the crew was outstanding! There was an air show and the America's Cup boat race in San Francisco so two/full days in SF turned to 1 1/2 days, with huge crowds on the wharf. It rained in San Diego and the seas were a bit rough but who cares, I was on a cruise and that made everything okay.

 

The folks onboard were wonderful and fun. I only had ONE person who actually "kicked" Horton to try and get him to move from a "down/stay" so that he could sit in the seat that Horton was sitting in front of! We were sitting in the Piazza to watch a show. Another passenger saw it and asked if she should call "Security" I said "no" and then confronted the "jerk!" He was so mean. He said, "I won't bother your dog, if he doesn't bother me!" I just couldn't believe how rude he was. He also treated his wife in a mean way.......I stayed right where I was and watched to make sure he didn't touch my boy again. I NEVER ran into him again. But had a lot of supporters who were willing to beat the guy up! It always amazes me how you may never see some folks again while onboard a cruise and for some, that's just fine with me.

 

I can't begin to tell you how many folks came over and asked, "are you Roz from Cruise Critic, I read the blog every day!" I told them to join in our conversation, they said they enjoy reading what we say to each other. We have friends from all over the world, you guys....they mentioned Cindy, Karen, DVD, Quam, Nancy, Barbara, Marcia, Jocko, Trudy and even asked me questions about some folks who don't write-in so much. Amazing, we better be careful what we say....we're going to get paparazzi before we know it.

 

Marcia, I love those balloons. Such a good idea to keep hubby happy, every now and then!!!!

 

Cindy, I'm glad that Wexy's ear is getting better....I hope it stays away! Are you getting excited, you're cruise is coming up soon.

 

scubagirrl: Thanks for the info. on the Bahama's. I was just in Mexico and had no problems with strays......Of course, there were police everywhere and one guard seemed to walk right behind me wherever we went. I didn't mind the "private, security guard feeling" at all!

 

bamagal: I can't stress enough; have your paperwork all in order and make copies for the registration people, at the pier. It makes everything go faster. They ask for the dogs paperwork and then they'll ask you to wait while they make a copy......you just need to hand the copies to them and tell them to keep it and move right along. Call the "Access Dept" a few days before you cruise so they can "alert" the ship, via email or fax to get the potty-box in place.

 

:)We had a 5x4 box, lined in heavy plastic, with cyprus mulch as the filler. I asked our room steward to leave the bag of mulch so that I could fill it to keep it more clean. [They NEVER put in enough.] I bring my own plastic bags, I pick up the solid waste, knot the bag and drop it into the recepticle that they provide. The mulch absorbs the urine and there's no smell. I lay a layer of new mulch daily to help with the absorbtion [i use my hands and wash-up back at my cabin.] I like the box in the stairwell near our cabin. You can put it on your veranda or have it placed on a deck, away from the public. When you call make sure you mention to use mulch.:)

 

If the Bahama's is difficult to bring your Service Dog to, stay onboard the ship. It's not worth the hassles to bring our dogs into some countries. If they don't want my money, I'm happy to spend it elsewhere!

 

 

Allow fellow passengers to ask you questions and be ready to answer them, here's a sample of some:

  • What kind of dog is that
  • What does the dog do
  • How old is the dog
  • Why do you have a dog
  • Who trained your dog
  • Can I pat your dog
  • Where does the dog go potty
  • How did you get your dog onboard
  • Is that a puppy in training

And on and on and on!!!!!!

 

People are missing their pets, they just want a "furry-fix" and I recommend you allow them to touch the genious that walks beside you and makes your life so much better [your dog not you're significant other!] :p

 

Remember, you represent ALL of us when you bring your Service Dog onboard and can make a huge difference in how we're each treated in the future!

 

I had a foo-foo drink EVERY SINGLE DAY! And, I absolutely thought about all of you.

 

I bought the Ultimate Drink Package and if you're not an alcohol person, like me, I highly recommend it! It really saves you a lot of money when you like smoothies, hot chocolate, sodas and mocktails.

 

Roz!!!!! :D Welcome back my friend. So glad you had a good time, but I knew you would. And only one jerk to deal with, that must be a record.

 

Sounds like "Sophie" might not have been a service dog? I'm not going to judge but you can usually tell.

 

I'll be back later, my honey is finally ready to get out of bed. :eek:

 

Cindy

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Mornin' all:

Roz: Welcome back! Glad you had a good time. As for the jerk that kicked Horty, I don't know what I would have done. I would have loved to kick him back. What if is had been poor Ms. Brenny? I just can't even believe there are people that are so miserable that they would behave like that. He obviously needs help.

 

As for us being celebrities on here! :o I hope they have read enough of the thread to understand some of our conversations! :eek: LOL. That is exciting that people actually recognize us, well you and Horty. I would have been so happy to see you guys on a cruise. And you know they recognized the "distinguished" couple. The tall, handsome, beautiful black boy and the tall, striking blonde lady! :D You make us proud.

 

Awwwww! You're so sweet! I wasn't kidding about the folks who just like to "lurk" and follow us! I even got asked if I ever met "Travis?" Come on, talk about knowing us!

 

I hope that more folks join in and add to our conversations.

 

It's time for you to plan your cruise. Actually, you're overdue! ;)

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