Dog Dad Braves Charleston Storms for His German Shepherd's Walk

For people living in certain southern states on the east coast of the United States, it's been a rough week for weather. As Tropical Storm Debby rolls in, some areas are facing massive winds and rain, and that's causing a lot of flooding in lowland areas. In Charleston, South Carolina, that means that many are dealing with standing water that's already creating some devastating effects. Even under the best of circumstances, the flooding means many people are stuck in their homes for the time being — and that means that their dogs are stuck in their homes, too.

But as we all know (probably too well), a dog's bladder doesn't stop for the weather. It might not be safe outside, but when a dog's gotta go, a dog's gotta go. And that meant that one dog dad in the area really went the extra mile to make sure his pup got a potty break.

Charleston local @robdapasta shared this TikTok video of what he had to do when his German Shepherd , Odin, needed a walk before flood waters receded from the road they live on. From the footage here, we can see that the flooding comes up past this adult man's knees, so obviously, it isn't fit for a dog.

He decided to improvise, and I'm assuming that's how he ended up pulling Odin in a kayak from their front door to dry land, where he could do his business before heading back home.

Genius? Yes — especially since Odin seemed to stay calm and understood that he needed to remain in the boat. This method may not have worked for more skittish dogs or pups who don't like water, but this guy really did seem to understand the assignment.

Now this is dedication. Sometimes it takes a little creativity, but Odin and his dad were able to make sure business was taken care of.

How to Take Care of Your Dog's Potty Needs

Of course, not everyone is going to have a kayak on hand when bad weather and floods hit — and like I mentioned earlier, not every dog is going to be cool with this solution, anyway.

So what do you do when a major storm is rolling in and it's not safe to take your dog outside, but they obviously still have to go?

There are a lot of ideas online, but the obvious one is potty pads , possibly set up inside a bath tub for even easier clean up. However, not all dogs will be willing to go in the tub (especially if they don't love baths) or may not understand that potty pads are for going potty.

It may help to encourage them to go by recreating their daily walks as well as you can inside, like keeping them on the same leash they use when they go out, and speaking to them the same way. The first time you have success, offer plenty of positive reinforcement so they know they didn't break a rule.

Fortunately, most storms are temporary, and hopefully, you won't ever have to make use of this tip. But if all else fails? Maybe then it's time to get out the kayak...