Long train journey with new puppy

unforeseen wrote: »

Have you actually read the rules for dogs on trains?

A lot of what you are thinking about doing is not allowed.

They must be in a carrier or on a lead, no exceptions for puppies
Not allowed on seats even in a carrier. I would think that cuddling him would come under that as well as the whole intention is for the dog to not be in any situation where its urine can end up on a seat.

Plus others.

Yes I have. What have I suggested that is not allowed? I clearly said he would be in a carrier

thorsoak wrote: »

How old will the puppy be? 9 weeks or 13 weeks? The puppy will probably sleep for most of the journey, so don't worry about "entertaining" it. A warm bed with a blanket smelling of mum will help.

Ask the breeder to put a pee pad in with the litter so that there is a smell of pee already on it - then put it in the crate with the puppy until s/he has done a first pee, then take it out. That will encourage him/her to go in that place. The puppy will probably sleep for most of the journey, so don't worry about "entertaining" it. A warm bed with a blanket smelling of mum will help.


I've brought puppies back from Yorkshire to Essex/had puppies move from Essex to Aberdeen (that took 2 days) - and even had a puppy fly from London to Rome! They've all managed well.

Thank you for this, that’s encouraging to hear

Pup will be 13 weeks so hopefully slightly more worldly wise than a 9 week old. I’m hoping he will sleep for as much of the journey as possible - there will be a blanket smelling of mum which will hopefully help as well

onwards&upwards wrote: »

Train toilets are bad enough without people letting dogs go on the floor! Puppies are not robots and might miss, or might get diarrhoea. There are only tiny bins on trains if there are any at all, a soaked pee pad or a full poo bag in there will stink out the carriage.

You’re planning something quite antisocial when you’re stuck in a tin can with unsuspecting victims for three hours. Please don’t!

Either do it in shorter stages or look at borrowing a car.

I can’t drive so that’s not an option. Even if I did it in shorter stages, that’s no guarantee that the pup wouldn’t need to go while we were on the train. Plus, I can only stop as often as the train stops, which I isn’t very often. There are good 1-2 hour chunks where it doesn’t stop at all.

I understand what you’re saying but I’m not sure what the alternative is to be honest. I’m trying to do the maximum that I can to minimise disruption. If you have any suggestions of things that are actually possible for me to do, I’m all ears.

Also is it antisocial to change and then bin a babies nappy on the train? Isn’t that essentially the same thing with regards to any smells? I think baby poo smells worse than dog poo to be honest, and that happens on almost every train journey you go on.

onwards&upwards wrote: »

You should book your journey in chunks so you can get off the train a couple of times along the way, as I said earlier. This might mean taking slower stopping trains and adding time to the journey.

Public toilets have changing facilities, babies are different to dogs, and parents will wrap up used nappies and take them home in their changing bags if there is no bin.

Look, if you’re on something like a virgin train and fellow passengers realise you are taking your puppy into the loo to let it go on the floor, you are quite likely to be asked to get off at the next stop anyway, so at least this way that’s not a risk!

I don’t really get how making the journey longer is going to help? Surely that’s just more time on a train where pup may need to wee? You haven’t answered my question about what I can do if pup needs to wee while we’re actually on the train?

In terms of mess I can’t really see how babies are that different to dogs. If I put the poo bags in my bag until we get home how is that any different to a used nappy in a bag on a train? I really think the distinction is in your mind here rather than any actual mess or smells.

It wouldn’t be going on the floor, it would be going on puppy pads. No contact with the floor and I would disinfect afterwards just in case. I can’t see any way anyone would have any idea it had even happened. Incidentally I have a chronic bowel condition that means I’m likely to need to go to the toilet every hour on a train anyway, and I would obviously take pup with me when I go rather than leaving him so it’s no different to what I’d be doing on the train anyway.

I’m happy to take the risk that someone will report me to the train guard for using the toilet? I’ll just hope I don’t get anyone like you on my train

gettingtheresometime wrote: »

Have you seen the size of a puppy pad? At least people tend to put used nappies in nappy sacks that can try to mask the smell




This plan is so bonkers that I'm half inclined to believe it's all a fantasy.....well that's the hope anyway

Have you seen the size of a puppy? They’re not exactly massive. I will have scented bags to put any waste in if needed.

I really can’t see how it’s bonkers, I know people who have done much longer train journeys than this, and I still don’t know what you think the alternative is. So far the only actual suggestion you’ve given is to make the journey longer which to me seems pretty counter intuitive. I’m guessing you’re not a dog person :rotfl: