# Does the top knot need to be removed at night? And litter box question



## BPanzee (Dec 9, 2020)

Hi, I’ve seen posts with users talking about cutting the band at night and I’m wondering if this is a preference to reduce breakage or because they really should be removed. l haven’t seen answers on this. Also if any of you have your dogs litter box trained and that is the main potty method what do you do when you visit someone? If you will be somewhere - let’s say dinner at a friend’s house for a few hours do you bring a box with you or do you just trust your dog to signal so you can take them outside? Thanks for the advice!


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

From ShamaPapa:

We have to remove all bands/clips from Her Royal Highness Shama, first of her name, Queen of the House and Deck, Lady of the Yard, and Protector of the Pack, before going to bed (or into her crate for any reason). She has very fine hair and doesn't like things in her hair so she has become very good at pulling them out. However, when she does, she usually gets a clump of hair as well. She has had bald patches on her head in the past so we are very careful now.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

BPanzee said:


> Hi, I’ve seen posts with users talking about cutting the band at night and I’m wondering if this is a preference to reduce breakage or because they really should be removed. l haven’t seen answers on this. Also if any of you have your dogs litter box trained and that is the main potty method what do you do when you visit someone? If you will be somewhere - let’s say dinner at a friend’s house for a few hours do you bring a box with you or do you just trust your dog to signal so you can take them outside? Thanks for the advice!


I remove my dog' top knot because they break their hair if you leave it in. For me, that is reason enough to remove it.

I have never yet met a litter box trained dog who also has access to the outdoors who does not prefer to pro outdoors. That does NOT mean that I would EVER allow my dog to roam another person's house, unsupervised, and "hope for the best" whether that dog was trained to pottymindoors or outdoors and whether I brought a potty tray with me or not. Dogs can get into all sorts of trouble in a strange environment, and it is neither safe for them nor polite to your host. And it's terribly unfair to your dog to expect that they will know how or where to {ask" to go outside. How are they possibly to know that without the context of their familiar back (or front) door? The answer is, no matter HOW well trained they are, you are ASKING for an accident.

When we are visiting someone's house and have one of our dogs along (Heaven FORBID we bring all four! LOL!) we have them potty before we enter the house. Then we keep a close eye on them. The older ones will stay close by on a verbal cue. The puppy? Well, he would be on a leash or in a crate or pen. During dinner, or any time that we couldn't watch or supervise, they would be popped into their crate or pen with their own dinner and/or a nice chew to wait for us to finish, and then we would take them out fora potty break. We don't leave things like that to chance!


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

I always take out clear bands at night because of breakage, but I rarely use them anymore because the “no breakage” kind I used to buy seem to have changed. I have been using soft nylon bands lately and they can stay in longer, but even the softest bands can cause breakage if they’re in the same place all of the time (my daughter has lots of breakage just from her ballet bun). I do leave the soft ones in overnight occasionally. If I have left them in longer when I redo them I will alternate styles, such as doing two braids next to the ears instead of one in the center.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Mia likes rolling around on her head. She will never be in a top knot or else she will be completely bald, in which case a top knot would no longer be needed!


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## GoWithTheFlo (Oct 11, 2018)

mudpuppymama said:


> Mia likes rolling around on her head. She will never be in a top knot or else she will be completely bald, in which case a top knot would no longer be needed!


😂😂😂😂


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

I've been leaving the bands in Willow's hair overnight just because the hair falls forward and completely covers her eyes if it's not in a topknot. I use the fabric covered bands and I don't seem to be getting any breakage. The only thing I see is she seems to be getting a permanent part about where I place the hair tie.


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

BPanzee said:


> Hi, I’ve seen posts with users talking about cutting the band at night and I’m wondering if this is a preference to reduce breakage or because they really should be removed. l haven’t seen answers on this. *Also if any of you have your dogs litter box trained and that is the main potty method what do you do when you visit someone? If you will be somewhere - let’s say dinner at a friend’s house for a few hours do you bring a box with you or do you just trust your dog to signal so you can take them outside? Thanks for the advice!*


My three-year-old female Havanese is indoor litter box trained but prefers to go outside. Not everyone wants someone elses dog in their home. I rarely take my dog to other peoples homes unless they are very good friends and I know Patti is welcomed. Even at her age now, initially I keep her on a leash until she gets acquainted with the environment. Patti is 100% trustworthy but I still leash her until she's familiar with the home.

Personally, I would not like it if someone would bring a dog into my home and turn them loose. I'm pretty sure I'd tell them to leash the dog until I'm comfortable. Unless they have a dog that sticks with them like glue. 

I take potty trays to hotels but Patti rarely uses them because she waits to go outside. No! I would not take a potty tray to someone's home and turn the dog loose expecting them to use the potty tray.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

Mikki said:


> My three-year-old female Havanese is indoor litter box trained but prefers to go outside. Not everyone wants someone elses dog in their home. I rarely take my dog to other peoples homes unless they are very good friends and I know Patti is welcomed. Even at her age now, initially I keep her on a leash until she gets acquainted with the environment. Patti is 100% trustworthy but I still leash her until she's familiar with the home.
> 
> Personally, I would not like it if someone would bring a dog into my home and turn them loose. I'm pretty sure I'd tell them to leash the dog until I'm comfortable. Unless they have a dog that sticks with them like glue.
> 
> I take potty trays to hotels but Patti rarely uses them because she waits to go outside. No! I would not take a potty tray to someone's home and turn the dog loose expecting them to use the potty tray.


Even when I go to my sister-in-laws house I bring Perry's crate or carrier (and I keep him in it - and probably would even if she said it was ok to let him run around) - they don't have a dog and I will not impose my dog on them (he has gone to their house because they live in the DC area so he's with us when we are traveling and stopping there to visit them.)


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