just me wrote:

I took my little dog with me for her first "offshore" experience. Sailed
outside from Charleston to St. Augustine. Tink is 3 years old and weighs
about 5#. She would not go to the bathroom! 31 hours! She did not seem to
be in distress. I had brought a litter box lined with scented puppy pads.
She would sit in (unwillingly) but no go. We tried everything we could
think of. No luck. When we docked she went to the grass and did
everything..twice. What do you folks who travel with dogs do? Help!

KRJ indentified the problem--and the right solution. Your dog is
housebroken, she wouldn't go because she doesn't know it's ok to go on
the boat. She's never used a litter box at home, so she has no way of
knowing what you want her to do with it...ANYwhere "inside" is against
all her training...she thinks she has to hold it till she can get ashore
where she can "go outside." Train her to use the litterbox outside,
then inside at home too...then she'll know she can go in it on the boat.

Btw...there are a couple of good books about cruising with
Pets..."Training Your Dog To Eliminate on Command" is one..."Cruising
With Your Four-Footed Friends" is another.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304