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

[wizard-of-roz]

It's not HAL or Celebrity. Since Wex can't swim (an embarrassment in the lab community) we bring our own life vest.

 

 

Wait-a-minute, "Wex can't swim!" Oh! My! I don't know if Horton can or not......Brenda swims like a fish, I just assumed that all Labs swam. Gotta test the boy out in the pool. It's too cold now.

[wizard-of-roz]

Hi all. Hope you don't mind me joining in. My spouse and I are new to cruising. We are hoping to go on our first cruise in January/February of 2014. We have never really gone on a vacation so it feels a bit overwhelming. My current Service dog is retiring in the next year and a half and I am getting my new one in June to start training. By 2014 she will be 2-3 months shy of her 2nd b-day so we figure that is the perfect time to go then. Would love to go sooner but don't want to interupt the new girls training or stress out my current girl since she is over 8yrs old and slowing down.

 

We are considering Royal Caribean Cruise Lines since it has a lot of the onboard actitives that we are looking for. The potty box will be no issue because I always train my dogs to use a similar box, just bigger, in our yard so we can always have a nice yard to walk bare foot in with no worries. My concerns are making sure I have all my ducks in a row for the shore excursions. I know I need to do a lot of stuff months in advance so that my Service Dog can join me.

 

Even with 2yrs to plan and prepare it feels very overwhelming for me. Hope to get tons of great info here and help in planning our first ever real vacation.

 

Nicole, welcome. Your cruise sounds wonderful. Soon you'll be hooked on cruising with your Service Dog just like a lot of us are.

 

I'm a firm believer in planning for everything that you do with your dog, it just makes for a much more fun trip when you do.

 

I have a "Brenda [my retired dog] list", it has everything from her food, oil capsules to her toys and Verbac Chews.

 

I want her to love cruising so I make sure that she's as comfortable as I am.

 

And, when I start cruising with Horton, I'll do exactly the same thing.

 

I also remember to bring her scarves and fancy collars for formal nights. For Horton, it will be the wonderful tuxedo that Cindy had made for him.

I suggest having your dog do some really good "under's" for when he has to go under the table in the dining room or the buffet and practice his "staying" without being distracted.

[wizard-of-roz]

Our cruise is only 3 weeks away...I can't wait!

What do other people do about water for their dogs? I am planning on taking a water bottle along and filling it on the ship, then taking it ashore. Is there anywhere to buy bottled or purified water while in ports? Or should we be taking multiple bottles from the ship?

 

We used to bring two one gallon jugs of water and dropped them off at the pier, to have them delivered to our room. I always bring a water bottle along with a collapsible bowl that fits in my purse. I've actually had to resort to using it when our boarding was delayed and the weather was extremely hot.

I investigated the potable water supply onboard cruise ships and found out that it is extremely purified and very safe for drinking and I no longer worry about bringing my own. I make sure to have a collapsible bowl and a drinking container filled with the ships water on me. I've also found that most destinations [ports] have bottled water for sale and even the ship may provide it for you as you disembark.

If you're planning on travel during the hot weather times please be ready to use "booties" for your dog because the pavement or sand can be sweltering hot and very painful. Also, in some foreign countries there may be strays and no leash laws....be ready to prevent any attacks.

[wizard-of-roz]

Hi Roz...saw you posted on the Princess main board and wanted to say hello and see how you and Horton are getting along? How is Brenda? is she enjoying retirement? give her a kiss for me. (and if Karen is out there HI!)

 

Also, for those of you who have a Service Dog and are considering retirement for your dog; don't be affraid. I was so scared for both of us. Brenda and me. We're both transitioning very well. And, Horton is becoming part of our lives with more and more ease each day.

 

I am getting very close to him, we're bonding really well. He's very loving and likes to put his head on my lap for pats and stroking. Where Brenda was more aloof when we first brought her home.....he's very touchy, feely! So cute and so welcoming for me!!!!!

 

I can't believe the difference in size between them. I used to think she was so big but he totally dwarf's her. His head, ears, paws and height make her look like a puppy!

[rangeley]

Our cruise is only 3 weeks away...I can't wait!

What do other people do about water for their dogs? I am planning on taking a water bottle along and filling it on the ship, then taking it ashore. Is there anywhere to buy bottled or purified water while in ports? Or should we be taking multiple bottles from the ship?

 

 

Our service dog drinks the water right out of the tap. I think it's probably alot more purified than our water at home. We also drink it ourselves. We never spend money on bottled water on the ship.

[rangeley]

Also, for those of you who have a Service Dog and are considering retirement for your dog; don't be affraid. I was so scared for both of us. Brenda and me. We're both transitioning very well. And, Horton is becoming part of our lives with more and more ease each day.

 

I am getting very close to him, we're bonding really well. He's very loving and likes to put his head on my lap for pats and stroking. Where Brenda was more aloof when we first brought her home.....he's very touchy, feely! So cute and so welcoming for me!!!!!

 

I can't believe the difference in size between them. I used to think she was so big but he totally dwarf's her. His head, ears, paws and height make her look like a puppy!

 

 

We need to see a pic of them together. :D

[S.S. Cruisers]

Mornin' all:

Wait-a-minute, "Wex can't swim!" Oh! My! I don't know if Horton can or not......Brenda swims like a fish, I just assumed that all Labs swam. Gotta test the boy out in the pool. It's too cold now.

My Renie boy could swim but did not like it. In the pool, he would only get on the first step, lay down and get his belly nice and cool. He preferred his wading pool. We thought we had the only Lab in the world that didn't really like water. I guess it is not that uncommon.

I can hardly wait for Mr. Horty's first cruise! I can't remember, is Ms. Brenny going too? If not, who will she stay with?

A big welcome to the new members on our little Homey thread.

Hope everyone is doing great.

[DisneyKidsDad]

We don't know if Orson can swim or not. He has no interest in finding out. He has been at houses with pools and has walked around them. People have been in the pool and have tried to call him in. He says nope.

[Quampapetet]

Quam, so good to hear from you. I'm sorry about your family member and glad that it all worked out. What the heck happened to your dog that caused thousands of dollars? I hope that it also has a happy ending.

 

There were a few different things that happened to my dog, but she is good now. :)

 

My family member is doing okay, but they are still trying to figure things out and there have been more complications. Still can't travel yet.

 

Thank goodness Horty's ears are doing really well now and it was not his food. Apparantly the ear wash I was using [Calm Ears] was causing all the problems. I'm NEVER using it again. It was remaining in the ear canal and causing yeast to form. I was creating more of a problem than a solution. His ears look really good now.

 

I'm glad he is doing better! Check out "Miracle Ear" for cleaning ears. It is from Chris Christensen. It is good stuff!

 

Wasn't that horrible about that idiot feeding ice cream to Denver? :mad:

 

Yes, very horrible! I hope that lady ended up with the runs or something, LOL!

 

As for the Costa ship....That Captain should be severly punished and my heart goes out to the families who suffered a loss. My biggest fear is to be put in this situation with my dog. It makes me want to walk around the ship with his life preserver in my hand.

 

Seriously. I am so mad about what he did! I saw the TV special that the NatGeo channel (I think it was) did about the survivors and what all happened. Seeing how everything went down and video of the announcements and the employees telling ppl to go back inside instead of being at their muster stations (because that is what the captain told them to do) and hearing the actual talks between the captain and the Coast Guard and everything just made me so much madder at that captain!! :mad: He needs to be severely punished!!!

 

I so agree with you about the "here" and "stop" commands being so important....we're working very diligently on this with Horton. Brenda is very good at this......he's still learning me. Hopefully, he'll soon realize I accept no less than immediate responses. He's a big tease.....I'm not used to this and he's constantly testing me. He's much better than he was when he first came home. He's calmer and knows that he will get a "time out" for bad behavior. I love his spirit and his quirky personality!

Quam he's twice as tall as Brenda and looks like a black "Marmaduke!" I'm falling madly in love with this boy.

 

Stay in touch.

 

 

He's gonna test you as a new person, but he'll eventually stop 'cause he'll know you mean business. Then he'll realize he is in his forever home, not just another puppy raiser or trainer home! :D Enjoy!

[Quampapetet]

Hi All!

I have been a lurker for awhile, but just registered. We are about to take our first cruise with our son's Seizure Response Dog in March.

I am from Canada, and noticed some posts above regarding travel in Canada with a SD.

Basically the laws for Canada are exactly the same as the ADA. If you are refused entry somewhere, you need to stand up for yourself! The Canadian version of the ADA is the Human Rights Code. Remind the owner of the business that the accessibility laws state that your Service Animal can accompany you ANYWHERE except the kitchen area of a restaurant. If they fail to comply, they can be charged up to $5000.

We have never been refused entry in Canada, but have been questioned a few times when traveling in Buffalo.

 

We have been told by Carnival that we need to comply with all of the entry requirements for Cayman even if we don't get off the ship. has anyone else come across this?

 

Hastingsmom

 

Aren't Canada's laws per province, not national? Or has something changed recently?

 

You don't have to comply with entry requirements if you are not getting off the ship with your dog. When I was on a cruise that had Cayman Islands on the itinerary in '08, Cayman's requirements included a rabies titer and no dogs coming from Mexico. Since we didn't have the rabies titer (I think I didn't have the time for the six-month wait by the time I signed up for the cruise) and our port of call prior to Cayman was Cozumel, Mexico, we couldn't get off the ship in Cayman. (We also had Jamaica on that cruise and they don't allow dogs at all, so we also had to stay onboard at that port. This past cruise, we couldn't get off at Barbados because they refused to waive the requirement that the dog come directly from Britain - an impossible requirement for a service dog on a cruise!)

[Quampapetet]

It's driving me crazy......I know Princess supplies them, I can't for the life of me remember what other line it was....Maybe it was HAL. No matter, for those of you thinking of cruising with your Service Dog check with the Special Needs Dept. and they'll tell you whether they supply a vest or not!

I know that after the Costa incident, I know that having a vest on my dog would certainly alleviate me worrying about his drowning or not. Although, none of us walk around the ship with our vests on us or our dogs!

 

If you can't get to your cabin to get the life vest in an emergency, you should be able to adapt a human life vest to the dog - better than nothing! Put the dog's front legs through the arm holes with the fully-buoyant part on the bottom, the part that clips together on top.

 

The dog life vest I use is the kind with the extra buoyant part under the dog's head so their head doesn't fall in the water if they get too tired to hold it up (panic can tire a dog quickly). REMEMBER, NEVER CRUSH OR PLACE ANYTHING ON ANY LIFE VEST, as this will crush the buoyant stuff, rendering it less buoyant. When I cruise, I carry the life vest on the plane as carry-on (medical-related, so doesn't count towards your limit) and make sure nothing is placed on top of it in the overhead bin. I also carry it as such onto the ship. Never put it in a suitcase, especially one you are checking, since it will be crushed in there from all the other hundreds of pounds of bags that will get stacked on top of your suitcase.

[Quampapetet]

Our cruise is only 3 weeks away...I can't wait!

What do other people do about water for their dogs? I am planning on taking a water bottle along and filling it on the ship, then taking it ashore. Is there anywhere to buy bottled or purified water while in ports? Or should we be taking multiple bottles from the ship?

 

The ship will be selling ice-cold bottles of water just before you get off the ship (on the same deck), so you can just buy one for your dog then. You will be able to get bottled water in the ports, too, of course, but getting the one in the morning (plus one for yourself) is easier. You can get a PetTop to use with the bottle, pour the water into a metal bottle with a built-in roller-ball top (PetEdge and JeffersPet both sell these), or pour the water when needed into a fold-up travel bowl (but then you waste whatever water the dog doesn't drink, plus have to find an appropriate place to pour it out). I go with the former two solutions (the PetTop doesn't work with every brand of water due to the differences in the size of the tops of the bottles - I believe it worked just fine with the brand Carnival sells, as I did that in '10, but in '11 I brought my own packs of water onboard as it was cheaper and I was staying pre-cruise for several days in a hotel with a CVS next door - I never give my dog water from the ship's tap, as it can have more salt in it than usual since it is filtered/treated sea water, so I needed water for her bowl in our cabin every day plus water for the excursions).

[wizard-of-roz]

Mornin' all:

 

My Renie boy could swim but did not like it. In the pool, he would only get on the first step, lay down and get his belly nice and cool. He preferred his wading pool. We thought we had the only Lab in the world that didn't really like water. I guess it is not that uncommon.

 

I can hardly wait for Mr. Horty's first cruise! I can't remember, is Ms. Brenny going too? If not, who will she stay with?

 

A big welcome to the new members on our little Homey thread.

 

Hope everyone is doing great.

 

 

Nancy, it's so good to see you posting. You must have found a free moment for us.....I'm glad!

Well, my SIL Debi is going with me and Morey's staying home with Brenny [he's not upset about it at all], we don't think Brenny could do it. It's just too much walking and so stressful for her. She and PaPa will have a nice relaxing week to themselves and Horty and me will hit the high seas.

[wizard-of-roz]

We don't know if Orson can swim or not. He has no interest in finding out. He has been at houses with pools and has walked around them. People have been in the pool and have tried to call him in. He says nope.

 

Brenda jumped right in like a fish and, we had a hard time getting her to come out [she was raised near the Sacramento River and did a lot of swimming as a pup]......we haven't seen what Horton will do, although it's 80 degrees here today......it's been too cold to hang around the pool. It'll be fun to see what he does when he sees the ocean and the pool onboard!

Edited February 22, 2012 by wizard-of-roz

[wizard-of-roz]

There were a few different things that happened to my dog, but she is good now. :)

 

I'm glad he is doing better! Check out "Miracle Ear" for cleaning ears. It is from Chris Christensen. It is good stuff!

 

I definitely will check it out. Labs and their ears are complicated. I could kick myself for starting his "flare-up!"

 

He's gonna test you as a new person, but he'll eventually stop 'cause he'll know you mean business. Then he'll realize he is in his forever home, not just another puppy raiser or trainer home! :D Enjoy!

 

Horton is getting better but has some behavior issues. He's very good at his tasks but still wants to play "keep away" with wadded-up tissues, paper, etc. It's so funny to watch. He'll pick-up the paper, go to a corner, look at me and wait for me to scold him. I just ignore him and walk away, he'll look at me, with the paper in his mouth and cock his head in several directions [this cracks me up], I really have to hold myself from laughing out loud because he's so baffled by why I'm not chasing him.

Finally, I walk over to him and take the paper out of his mouth and throw it away. I don't reward bad behavior with any attention....but, it's hard to do!!!!! He's so darn funny!!!!

Brenda just watches the whole thing from her perch [the couch] and I know she's laughing inside!!!!!:D

[rangeley]

Roz, Wex also has alot of ear problems and we have finally found miracle juice! :D It's called "KET Flush". Ketoconazole-EDTA-Tris Multicleanse Topical Flush made by Butler Animal Health Supply. We use it once a week and he has not had an ear infection since. You just put it in their ears and leave it. We went through the same thing you are going through. It's something you have to get from your vet, you cannot buy it in a store, only by RX.

Edited February 23, 2012 by rangeley

[guitarest]

Horton is getting better but has some behavior issues. He's very good at his tasks but still wants to play "keep away" with wadded-up tissues, paper, etc. It's so funny to watch. He'll pick-up the paper, go to a corner, look at me and wait for me to scold him. I just ignore him and walk away, he'll look at me, with the paper in his mouth and cock his head in several directions [this cracks me up], I really have to hold myself from laughing out loud because he's so baffled by why I'm not chasing him.

 

Finally, I walk over to him and take the paper out of his mouth and throw it away. I don't reward bad behavior with any attention....but, it's hard to do!!!!! He's so darn funny!!!!

 

Brenda just watches the whole thing from her perch [the couch] and I know she's laughing inside!!!!!:D

 

I love it....

[wizard-of-roz]

Roz, Wex also has alot of ear problems and we have finally found miracle juice! :D It's called "KET Flush". Ketoconazole-EDTA-Tris Multicleanse Topical Flush made by Butler Animal Health Supply. We use it once a week and he has not had an ear infection since. You just put it in their ears and leave it. We went through the same thing you are going through. It's something you have to get from your vet, you cannot buy it in a store, only by RX.

 

Thanks Cindy, I will definitely ask my Vet about the Ket Flush. I've stopped using the "Calm Ears".....all it did was leave his ears so wet that the yeast started to form and went deep into the canal. The Vet said that Labs have a deep canal but retrievers have a long zig-zag in their ears where "stuff" can cling more easily. Since I stopped using the ear product on both Brenda and him their problems with their ears went away [i hope it stays away.]

If you see this stuff; "Calm Ears"......my recommendation: DON'T BUY IT!!!

[wizard-of-roz]

I love it....

 

I thought you'd like it.

When I take my socks off and leave them any where he can reach them....he'll grab them and take them to his bed. Did NOBODY see him doing this as a puppy and stop him? He's like a juvenile delinquent and I'm the probation officer that's going to teach him how to behave! Or, did he wait until he got his "forever home" and let out all his quirks!!!!!:eek:

You know, I'm kind of a "quirky gal", we're a perfect match. CCI knew we'd "get" each other!!!!

Edited February 24, 2012 by wizard-of-roz

[S.S. Cruisers]

Mornin' all:

Reno use to grab shoes and run with them. He wouldn't chew them up, but I was afraid he might so I insisted on getting them back. I will never forget the time I chased him in a big circle in the backyard, telling him to keep running. Who was the idiot? ME. He could definately out run me. I could just see him smiling and laughing at his crazy mom chasing him.

Roz: Their is the most gorgeous Champaign colored standard poodle in the RV park. He walks so regally (is that a word?) head up high and each step planted. I just want to huggle that boy!

Hope everyone is doing great.

[wizard-of-roz]

Mornin' all:

 

Reno use to grab shoes and run with them. He wouldn't chew them up, but I was afraid he might so I insisted on getting them back. I will never forget the time I chased him in a big circle in the backyard, telling him to keep running. Who was the idiot? ME. He could definately out run me. I could just see him smiling and laughing at his crazy mom chasing him.

 

Roz: Their is the most gorgeous Champaign colored standard poodle in the RV park. He walks so regally (is that a word?) head up high and each step planted. I just want to huggle that boy!

 

Hope everyone is doing great.

 

Nancy, the visual is so funny in my head. It's exactly what Horton does while Brenda just watches us. He's such a character and I love it. His personality is huge, just like him.

 

I'm such a sucker for poodles, be they big or small, they're really great dogs. So smart! I love to watch them strut their stuff!!!!!

[Quampapetet]

Horton is getting better but has some behavior issues. He's very good at his tasks but still wants to play "keep away" with wadded-up tissues, paper, etc. It's so funny to watch. He'll pick-up the paper, go to a corner, look at me and wait for me to scold him. I just ignore him and walk away, he'll look at me, with the paper in his mouth and cock his head in several directions [this cracks me up], I really have to hold myself from laughing out loud because he's so baffled by why I'm not chasing him.

Finally, I walk over to him and take the paper out of his mouth and throw it away. I don't reward bad behavior with any attention....but, it's hard to do!!!!! He's so darn funny!!!!

Brenda just watches the whole thing from her perch [the couch] and I know she's laughing inside!!!!!:D

 

That does sound funny and cute to see! Sounds like he got away with it in his previous home. He'll eventually learn.

 

Brenda likely thinks he's a doofus young kid! ;)

[guitarest]

All this talk about ears; I noticed yesterday Blitz scratching his left ear. Yup black tar in his ear so he has a appointment at the Vet on Monday to see its its ear mites. I looked in the ear and the ear canal look inflamed I feel so bad for Blitz right now.....

[wizard-of-roz]

I would think that it's not so bad in Shepherd's because their ears stand-up and get a lot of air.....maybe they also get a lot of "stuff" because they're so exposed. Poor Labs have those flappy ears that get no air so they stay a great breeding ground for everything.

This week I'm trying to get Horton to eat his gluscosamine/chondroitin in powder form since he hates the tablets that Brenda loves. Well, he ate his food, with the powder sprinkled on and in it but he hated it.

Do you guys have any great suggestions for getting the glucosamine/chon. into him...any special secrets or formula?

With his long legs and huge body I'd like to see him get every advantage of supplements that Brenda gets!!!!!

Edited February 27, 2012 by wizard-of-roz

[DisneyKidsDad]

I would think that it's not so bad in Shepherd's because their ears stand-up and get a lot of air.....maybe they also get a lot of "stuff" because they're so exposed. Poor Labs have those flappy ears that get no air so they stay a great breeding ground for everything.

 

This week I'm trying to get Horton to eat his gluscosamine/chondroitin in powder form since he hates the tablets that Brenda loves. Well, he ate his food, with the powder sprinkled on and in it but he hated it.

 

Do you guys have any great suggestions for getting the glucosamine/chon. into him...any special secrets or formula?

 

With his long legs and huge body I'd like to see him get every advantage of supplements that Brenda gets!!!!!

 

How bout if after you sprinkle the powder on his food, you wet it a little bit so he doesn't see the powder. We don't have that problem with Orson. He's fine with the tablets. But then again, you could put a Buick in his bowl and he would eat it. We also give him about a half cup of thawed string beans with each meal.