Big Dog - Small Trailer

sue.t wrote:


We tether our dogs using the plastic covered metal cables (don't break and can't be chewed through). The cables are secured to either the bumper of the fifth wheel OR the tie-downs of the truck camper. If space is limited, the leads are shortened accordingly, but if there is lots of space or nobody around, the leads are left at the full length of 25'.

If we're not outside, our dogs aren't outside either. If we're sitting around the site or campfire, then they may be outside with us. Except for the big girl who likes to put herself to bed at about 9 p.m.

We prefer to take them with us wherever we go, easy to do with the camper. But with the fifth wheel, they might stay in it at the campsite. We walk and hike with the dogs, 3-4 times a day. If we have to leave them for an extended period, they get a good walk (an hour or more) beforehand. Then they're more likely to snooze while we're gone. Neither are barkers and usually use their alone time to catch up on their sleep.

They spend time alone at home and are good there ... the fifth wheel and camper are an extension of their home-space.

This is what we do with our little 13-lb Tiki-Bird (bichon). He is very good at home and inside the camper, no barking. But he can be fearful of people and new places, so we keep him leashed at ALL times. He is never off-leash, not even in my own backyard. We have a similar tie-out to yours and I attach it to the TT steps, or to the picnic table if there is a metal or concrete one. If we're going to be outside reading or messing with the fire, I bring out his crate and let him retreat in there. I plan to get him and X-pen so he can have a little more walking around room. Where we camp the sites are made of little pebbles or sand, depending where we are. We aren't killing any grass, nor do we allow him to pee or poo anywhere on our site. That's what long walks are for.

When we walk Tiki, he wears a muzzle and we take care to keep him away from strangers, especially children. We had two boys come up to us last weekend, asking to pet the dog. Tiki was growling and all fuzzed up, so DH picked him up (for safety.) I explained that Tiki had been beaten up by some bad boys and now he is afraid of children. The boys understood, and one even said, "That's so sad. Who would beat up a little dog?" So sweet. We didn't tarry, but parted ways and walked him back to our camp without incident.

ETA: We are working with our vet and a trainer. They both seem to feel that this dog has potential for rehab, so we are committed to that. In the meantime, we are guarded about where Tiki goes. Thankfully, he is quite comfortable in the TT and we have no problems with barking, whining or tearing stuff up.