Work Dogs On Board?

[minniebeth]

Just out of curiosity, is there any info on or has anyone had experience with bringing working dogs on board? We know someone who would love info on this... any help would be appreciated! Thank you!

 

[EpcotKilterFan]

Yes!! Cash the wonderdog!!

If you search for Videogal1 I am sure Lynda will be happy to answer the questions.



Debbie

 

[videogal1]

Just out of curiosity, is there any info on or has anyone had experience with bringing working dogs on board? We know someone who would love info on this... any help would be appreciated! Thank you!

Awww, Debbie (Hi, there) ratted me out...


Cash and I take DCL cruises all the time, as do Skye and her handler, Kathy...I just sent you a PM. Contact me and I'll tell you what I can...

 

[CPM]

Awww, Debbie (Hi, there) ratted me out...

Cash and I take DCL cruises all the time, as do Skye and her handler, Kathy...I just sent you a PM. Contact me and I'll tell you what I can...

Yes, Kathy is my friend as well. She had a great time on her cruise.
Didn't Kathy have some sort of cabin selection problem at the beginning?

 

[Tiffann4k]

Okay I am curious and have to ask...where do the dogs go to the bathroom at ??

 

[stampinshauna]

There was a work dog on our last cruise. When we went to the "secret veranda" on deck 7, we found a kids plastic swimming pool with grass in it and that is what the dog used to do his thing.

 

[Mortlives]

There was a work dog on our last cruise. When we went to the "secret veranda" on deck 7, we found a kids plastic swimming pool with grass in it and that is what the dog used to do his thing.

Guess you found the "poop deck". Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[sk8ingmom]

OOHHH Mort you beat me to it!

 

[Tiffann4k]

Thanks for answering my question...lol poop deck! Thats priceless!

 

[videogal1]

There was a work dog on our last cruise. When we went to the "secret veranda" on deck 7, we found a kids plastic swimming pool with grass in it and that is what the dog used to do his thing.

That was Kathy and Skye. Skye is a shy dog and was having difficulties with the potty box so she was relocated to Deck 7's verandah...Not DCL's favorite solution...

 

[tecdavidt]

I always wondered where the dog's did their business. We have friends with a Yorkie on their small 38' Sea Ray and they trained their pup to use the puppy pads all the time so they can have her on the boat without having to go to shore to walk the dog. Kathy

 

[videogal1]

Okay I am curious and have to ask...where do the dogs go to the bathroom at ??

The DCL policy states that the service dog must use a litter box in the stateroom, OR, must allow a CM to walk it on a predetermined schedule to a backstage area. These options are illegal, as they are completely contrary to service dog training. DCL does not permit the handler to walk the service dog backstage, as those areas are mostly open only to the crew and are not handicapped accessible. Deck 7 aft is a public area and DCL, until Skye, has refused to allow the litter box to be placed in public areas. Normally the litter box is placed on a private verandah. As service dogs are trained to go on command this is usually not a problem...unless the dog is having difficulties getting used to the change in water, or travel, or is ill, in which case there can be problems. For this reason, cruise lines such as Holland America and RCCL are much better cruise choices for those with service dogs, as they set aside a public area on one of the lower decks (3 or 4) at the forward end and provide large boxed and sod (or something)-filled places to go. This is much more accident proof as the location is more central and convenient. As it is, if the same rules applied to passengers, the only place to "freshen up" would be the staterooms, with no other bathrooms available... Needless to say, we spend a lot of valuable cruising time walking to and from the stateroom.

 

[tvguy]

There was a service dog on our HAL cruise, and right outside was a box filled with what looked like cat litter......the next day there was a bag next to it with....DOG LITTER printed on it.

 

[videogal1]

There was a service dog on our HAL cruise, and right outside was a box filled with what looked like cat litter......the next day there was a bag next to it with....DOG LITTER printed on it.

HAL has a "learn by doing it wrong" attitude about litterbox fillers. Our first HAL adventure was a service dog advanced training cruise with 10 service dogs and their handlers....10 dogs...Four 4'X8' plywood boxes that were supposed to be filled with sod...Lesson 1, never try to buy sod in Fort Lauderdale in November. And, if you are desperate for litterbox filler, skip the gravel and, too, skip the extruded paper products...little puffs of cardboard do not hold up under the onslaught of ten fully-hydrated labs and Golden Retrievers. Besides, it gets wet and sticks to hairy feet....Sod was found in Nassau, thank goodness....

 

[mrsltg]

You know, I always wondered how service dogs relieved themselves in public places. I don't think it's right for DCL to ignore service dog rules. I'm not saying a box should be put in the lobby, but maybe somewhere on deck 4? Oh well....


Erin

 

[JJsmama]

Do the dogs ever suffer from sea-sickness?

Were they allowed to play at Castaway Cay? If they were off duty, did they get to swim in the ocean?

 

[tecdavidt]

I like the idea of using the public space on deck 7 aft. All DCL would have to do is have a rope off an area and have a dog litter box with a sign informing the public that it is the "walking" area for work dogs and to please watch your children so that they stay out of the litter box. That way the cruiser can have one on their verandah and have the deck 7 option. (This topic reminds me of the Westminster Kennel Club show in NY. Last year they showed where the dogs do their business--we are talking a lot of dogs in a tiny space!) Kathy

 

[videogal1]

Do the dogs ever suffer from sea-sickness?

Were they allowed to play at Castaway Cay? If they were off duty, did they get to swim in the ocean?

I never saw any of the HAL 10, or my Cash, suffer from seasickness...I think that with 4 legs, they're self-leveling.

Your first question is more complex. The purpose of a service dog is to help mitigate some disabling condition that significantly limits one or more of a person's major life activities...walking, hearing, breathing,etc, etc. With this kind of major disabling condition, the chances of a service dog being "off duty" in the presence of the disabled handler it has been trained to assist are slim. It depends on the disability and the assistance the dog has been trained to render.
Cash has been in the ocean...with me. On the beach I need him to help me walk but when we get into the water he's on his own. Strangely enough, though, he will not leave me to go swimming. He loves swimming but does not love the ocean...Water that moves by itself makes him nervous.

On long cruises I let Cash loose to run and stretch his legs in a safe place off the ship if I am on my scooter or in a wheelchair. He has a couple of favorite trees he likes to check for doggie "messages" on Castaway Cay and in Nassau.

One of the biggest dangers to a service dog in a foreign port is the presence of unleashed aggressive resident dogs. I have had problems in Cabo, Nassau, and on St. Maarten. I would not let Cash off leash anywhere he might have a run-in with another dog.

 

[spotdog]

Just out of curiosity, does Disney allow service dogs and puppies "in training" on DCL or in the parks?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Just out of curiosity, does Disney allow service dogs and puppies "in training" on DCL or in the parks?

Not sure if I am qualified to answer--but I have seen in training pups in the parks.

We have also read books on the matter and a training dog does have papers as well as his training jacket (sorry don't know what that is really called) and are permitted in places just like a service dog. They do have to learn somehow .

Fascinating thread!