Sleeper train travel with dog

[drowningwitch]

I am looking to do take the sleeper to Scotland with my one year old whippet. London to Fort William is just over 12 hours overnight. As is typical for whippets, he spends the majority of the time asleep, and is fine with shorter journeys by train, which is why I think this might be a good idea. However, I'm a bit concerned that there's nowhere for him to wee (he usually manages 10 hours overnight without going). I'm just wondering if anyone has experience of travelling by train with a dog for such a long trip, and if they have any advice. Thank you!

I've never done this journey, always fancied the sleeper train though!

If it was me (greyhound owner) I would split the journey - I'd book London to Glasgow which I believe is 8 hours overnight, then have a short break for walkies and toilet, then take an onward train to Fort William.
My greyhound can also go a long time overnight without toilet but I wouldn't want to put him in the position of needing to go and not being able to, that would just distress him.

It stops on the way up at various stations, you'd have time to let him off for a quick wee if he wees on command.....

Buy one of those green mats that look like (fake) grass and get him trained to use it? They have larger versions in airports etc for service dogs to use before flights/travel.

Just get a pack of puppy pads, they can go in his travel crate or even on the floor if he's allowed out of the crate.

Happy travels.

All very good suggestions. Thank you very much. I think that splitting the journey is certainly one possibility, although I need to think it through - there are several routes on the sleeper (I only realised this). I'll look into how that affects cost.

According to seat61.com (which is a fantastic website for those who like rail travel, and it usually includes a section on dogs/pets on any particular train journey), the trains split at Edinburgh in the early hours. My experience of such service stops is that they usually take quite a while. Enough time to get off and have a quick walk up and down the platform, perhaps, but I'll have to check (and they don't always open the doors on such service stops). A more detailed look at the timetable should confirm if there are longer stops at any other stations.

Training him to use a puppy pad might also work. We never used these as he house trained really fast. Thanks everyone!

@drowningwitch

It looks as though pets aren't allowed off the train once en route, OP.

https://www.sleeper.scot/sleeper-experience/pets/

Would a pack of these be the solution?

https://www.petsathome.com/product/simple-solution-extra-large-training-pads-10-pack/37089P?productId=37089&purchaseType=easy-repeat&packSize=10Pack

I have to be honest, reading that website doesn't make it look even remotely dog friendly - just something they've tacked on to try and look as though they are!

I think it depends on the dog, to be fair. It's probably feasible with a small breed that can be crated, but with a giant breed dog like mine, no.

I've never used pads or the fake grass. Surely once used they will just make your train cabin stink of stale wee?

Puppy pads aren't too bad for smell unless they're down for a very long time and start to dry. It's a small dog so the used pad can easily be folded and tied up in a freezer bag or something then you can just put a fresh pad down. That's how they are intended to be used, you wouldn't just leave it there covered in wee.