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

[Caribbean Chris]

Cindy, you aren't harping at all, you are helping all of us by sharing the things that can happen. Thanks so much for the photos. That room was so nice and big, and the balcony, too. Plenty of room for a box. So why the heck was it so hard for them to just place the box - full of grass! - on it from Day One? That would have been such a simple, fast accommodation, end of story. Instead, lots of staff time was consumed to dig in their heels and antagonize a passenger throughout the cruise. I just don't get it.

[wizard-of-roz]

There is no good excuse that any cruise line can use for not making it as easy as possible for us.

 

I simply don't let them get away with it anymore. I will stay at the information desk [Purser's Desk] until the Hotel Manager or someone else in authority comes to assist me. Have I been driven to tears.....sometimes, but I don't back down. I will have the box placed on my veranda within the first day of arrival. If they were to use artificial turf for me......I'd love it. Horton has been trained to use it at our house [because it's so easy to maintain.] At work he uses a 5x5 box filled with sod [from Doggie In The City.] If they use the wood shavings I do my best to step all over them to break them down so that they don't poke at his paws. I then insist that they get me some mulch or sod ASAP.

 

I'm such a darn pain in their butt because I'm relentless and I quote the DOJ and ADA with my long sentences about, "there is no such law that prevents the ship from placing the potty box on my veranda!" "Now, PLEASE, do it!"

 

I find that no narrative, phone call or email placed to their Special Needs Dept. has ever made a difference in the placement of the box as much as my insistence on it when I FIRST ARRIVE!!! It's the very first thing I take care of when I step foot on the ship. They know I'm NOT gong to settle for anything less and I won't go away!!!!

 

I may have a frustrated tear in my eye but I don't back down until I see the crew actually carrying the box. I tell them I will NOT go to the Muster Drill until I see the supplies, the filler and the box being placed on my veranda!

 

This is not about esthetics this is about the comfort and safety of my Service Dog.

Edited January 25, 2017 by wizard-of-roz

[DUTRAVEL]

OK folks...and especially Roz! This is Tommen. He is a six month old full black lab that we are fostering for CCI. We don't know how long we will have him for. We don't have much information on him but he is a handful. He was named for a character on The Game Of Thrones. Actually all five pups in the litter have Game Of Thrones names beginning with T. I don't watch the show.

 

So cute!!

 

Dianne

[DUTRAVEL]

I don't want to harp on this dog cruise thing but this whole thing was more traumatic on Wex than we thought. I really had to make him go in that box every day. He didn't poop the first few days and really had to be forced to go after that. It took an incredible amount of encouraging to get him to go. Peeing not so much. He has pooped so many times since we got home. Like he had it all in him and just went enough on the ship. We did notice he was incredibly fidgety the whole cruise and I think this is why. He wouldn't settle down anywhere we went. This was unexcusible! With the amount of contact we had with access Dept this never should of happened.

 

I really don't know why this has to be so difficult - we all have to continue to stay on top of the cruise lines. I agree with Roz, contacting the Access Dept ahead of time doesn't do much good. I think we have all been given the run around; now that they are being challenged, they cannot come up with any actual laws.

 

Your pictures of Wexler are so adorable - Henri does the same thing - laying on her back with her legs in the air. I am glad that you ended up have a good time anyway.

 

What airline did you fly?

 

Dianne

[DisneyKidsDad]

As puppy raisers we train the dogs to "go" on any any surface we can have them go on. At first, it's a treat for them to "go" on grass. The CCI trainers continue this training. As a recipient of one of these service dogs, you should also keep up this training just for reasons like airports and cruise ships. That doesn't mean that cruise lines shouldn't honor your potty box fill request. But if the dog is comfortable going on any surface , it will make life easier for all concerned until your request is fulfilled. Just my 2 cents!!

[wizard-of-roz]

DKD, reminds me of a wedding we went to in the fashion district of L.A. It was very posh, on a roof top and there was absolutely NOTHING around to entice Horton to pee. I spotted a décor of large, smooth stones with lighting coming up from under them......I really scoped them out and saw there was no danger in walking on them.....so, I walked Horton over them and gave him the command and waaahlah......

 

This had to go down in my book of; "funny places that Horton had to pee on!"

Edited January 25, 2017 by wizard-of-roz

[Algebralovr]

Funny!

 

That is actually something Scooter and I are struggling a bit with. His preference hs grass, and he started off before I got him on a farm with lots of grass. He has no problem with mulch or rocks (although he doesn't much care for the rocks). I'm struggling with getting him to go in fake grass, but we keep trying. Puppy pads don't attract him at all. You can imagine how the airport was! Luckily, where we spend most of our time we have lots of grass. I'm seriously thinking making a box in the basement and putting fake grass and puppy pads in it and not leaving the house for a couple of days though.

 

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[wizard-of-roz]

Barb, at first Brenda didn't like the fake stuff........and would walk around it sniffing and avoiding it. However, I gave her no other choices and I put her on leash and walked her over the potty box [filled with mulch and covered with artificial turf.] Over and over and over again [all the while repeating the command.] She finally went and the rest of the day she had no other choice but to use this same box over and over again.

 

When Horton came home with me he watched where Brenda went potty and no problem at all he just followed her!

 

Persistence, repetition and monkey see, monkey do!

[DUTRAVEL]

I am lucky that Henri isn't picky at all - she will use artificial grass, gravel, dirt, mulch or whatever is available. Last week when we went to Oracle Arena to the Golden State Warriors game we couldn't use her usual spot because it was raining so hard. We found a planter box and she hopped right up in it andf used it no problem (it had mulch and plants, but it was about four feet off the ground). We go to several games a year and always sit in the same seats. Someone asked our usher why there was a dog at the basketball game - he told them that Henri was a season ticket holder. We all got a good laugh out of that.

 

On our last cruise we requested sod well before the deadline; never got it the entire cruise.

 

Dianne

[Caribbean Chris]

The most challenging time for me was in NY City. No grass other than behind tall locked gates in midtown Manhattan. Raylene eventually had to use concrete. You do what you've gotta do.

 

She's OK with mulch but definitely likes grass the best when we get it (usually on Holland America). But I've never tried the green artificial stuff.

[Caribbean Chris]

Dianne, I laughed picturing Henri hopping on the planter box. At DFW when we went outside baggage claim before connecting to another flight, Ray had to hop up like that onto a large dirt area above the sidewalk with a scrubby patch of weeds. But it worked for her.

 

Bless these puppies' little hearts. And bless those puppy raisers who do such a great job with them!

[wizard-of-roz]

I am lucky that Henri isn't picky at all - she will use artificial grass, gravel, dirt, mulch or whatever is available. Last week when we went to Oracle Arena to the Golden State Warriors game we couldn't use her usual spot because it was raining so hard. We found a planter box and she hopped right up in it andf used it no problem (it had mulch and plants, but it was about four feet off the ground). We go to several games a year and always sit in the same seats. Someone asked our usher why there was a dog at the basketball game - he told them that Henri was a season ticket holder. We all got a good laugh out of that.

 

On our last cruise we requested sod well before the deadline; never got it the entire cruise.

 

Dianne

 

Yep! I know the planter boxes well. Outside of the port of San Pedro there are planter boxes filled with ice plants and dirt. When boarding is delayed I've asked many a Port Authority if they would please allow my Service Dog and I out the door and I have Horton jump into the box. Brenda could have never done this because her legs weren't nearly as long as Horton's.

[alexspepa]

Roz - was just reading the one of the other threads here and I have to tell you how much I admire your graciousness and restraint in your response to the OP; you are a very nice person.

[rangeley]

Wex has never gone on cement. The situation just never came up. When we cruise, he needs to be comfortable. If grass makes him happy, then that's what we need. It's not rocket science to get a piece of grass. They just didn't do their job. This was 9 months in the making. No excuses! And after the same thing happened last year, you would think they could get it right. I think the lieing and calling us liars was unexcusible!

 

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[alexspepa]

Hey Folks here is a really good photo log from a Puppy Raiser named Laura about her time with Battier - named after Shane Battier and he is featured in the video along with some other Miami Heat players - but the stars of course are Battier and Laura!

 

 

I have posted on her video and asked her to come visit us so she can meet all the great people and Dogs that post here.

[wizard-of-roz]

Roz - was just reading the one of the other threads here and I have to tell you how much I admire your graciousness and restraint in your response to the OP; you are a very nice person.

 

Thanks! Sometimes doesn't it seem that all people want to do is argue.

[wizard-of-roz]

Wex has never gone on cement. The situation just never came up. When we cruise, he needs to be comfortable. If grass makes him happy, then that's what we need. It's not rocket science to get a piece of grass. They just didn't do their job. This was 9 months in the making. No excuses! And after the same thing happened last year, you would think they could get it right. I think the lieing and calling us liars was unexcusible!

 

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Cindy, going on cement is really challenging because the urine has no where to go except on the pads of the dogs paws, it can be very messy. And, because Horton is so tall, it splatters!!!!

 

You're so right, the ship really has no excuse not to have gotten this right! It's so easy for them to do!

 

If they're trying to discourage us from cruising with our dogs......WON'T WORK! I'm not going to stop!

 

Edited January 26, 2017 by wizard-of-roz

[rangeley]

Hey Folks here is a really good photo log from a Puppy Raiser named Laura about her time with Battier - named after Shane Battier and he is featured in the video along with some other Miami Heat players - but the stars of course are Battier and Laura!

 

 

I have posted on her video and asked her to come visit us so she can meet all the great people and Dogs that post here.

Omg so cute!!!!

 

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[rangeley]

Cindy, going on cement is really challenging because the urine has no where to go except on the pads of the dogs paws, it can be very messy. And, because Horton is so tall, it splatters!!!!

 

You're so right, the ship really has no excuse not to have gotten this right! It's so easy for them to do!

 

If they're trying to discourage us from cruising with our dogs......WON'T WORK! I'm not going to stop!

 

Wex is a wierdo when it comes to peeing. He does NOT like pee touching his paws. He will actually run away from it. Lol

 

 

 

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Edited January 26, 2017 by rangeley

[wizard-of-roz]

Hey Folks here is a really good photo log from a Puppy Raiser named Laura about her time with Battier - named after Shane Battier and he is featured in the video along with some other Miami Heat players - but the stars of course are Battier and Laura!

 

 

I have posted on her video and asked her to come visit us so she can meet all the great people and Dogs that post here.

 

Such a handsome dog! I loved the video, thanks so much for sharing it!

[Caribbean Chris]

Keith, that ending really got me, watching the CCI person lead Battier away to be trained. No wonder the video got blurry for a second!

[wizard-of-roz]

Wex is a wierdo when it comes to peeing. He does NOT like pee touching his paws. He will actually run away from it. Lol

 

 

 

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Oh! Wexy! Mommy doesn't mean this......I know exactly how you feel. I could handle a dozen dirty diapers and pick up poop until the sun goes down, but handling pee makes me puke! Humans or otherwise!!! The thought of stepping in it barefoot makes my stomach turn!

[DUTRAVEL]

Dianne, I laughed picturing Henri hopping on the planter box. At DFW when we went outside baggage claim before connecting to another flight, Ray had to hop up like that onto a large dirt area above the sidewalk with a scrubby patch of weeds. But it worked for her.

 

Bless these puppies' little hearts. And bless those puppy raisers who do such a great job with them!

 

I agree - big thanks to the puppy raisers that do such an amazing job!

 

Dianne

[DUTRAVEL]

 

I have posted on her video and asked her to come visit us so she can meet all the great people and Dogs that post here.

 

Great video - wish I was that creative!

 

Dianne

[wizard-of-roz]

Keith, that ending really got me, watching the CCI person lead Battier away to be trained. No wonder the video got blurry for a second!

 

Awwwww!