Newbie q's re: leashing, etc
Hello! My family is very new to RV'ing and we are soon-to-be new dog parents as well. We'll be bringing home a bernese mountain dog pup in a few weeks! We're also considering full timing for a y...
Forum Discussion
I really love that you guys are giving me so many things to think about...we've only shared this grand idea with a couple of select friends, haven't had a lot of other brains yet to bounce things around with! It's very helpful to talk this stuff out!
We have discussed the issue of what to do if our activity for the day can't include our dog. Neither hub nor I are comfortable leaving her for extended periods of time. A short trip to pick up groceries? If we're certain she's not a big howler, sure. But all day? Not gonna do it. So if that's the case, one of us will likely stay behind with one or two of the kids. Great opportunity for one-on-one time with the kids and great opportunity for quiet (or "quieter") time for whomever stays behind (ME!). And if there is something really big like, say, Disneyland, then we have agreed to find a suitable doggy day care. We've also discussed taking a few days at a nice resort once every few months just to recharge, and for that we'd fly our parents out for a little dog-sitting getaway (no kids) in our RV.
I definitely anticipate that we'll have our share of angsty moments. It is difficult to do a big trip with little ones without them. We've traveled with our kids to 7 countries and numerous spots around the US...I know the romanticism of traveling with kids comes in the planning and the aftermath, and with hearty doses of hard work in between. You really can't know what's going to happen until you do it, either. Our hardest trips have often been the ones that looked easy on paper, and vice versa! There will be times when we'll be hiding from the weather. We'll still need to walk the dog and take out the trash, etc. We have friends in small apartments in NYC with kids and/or dogs who deal with the same issues, and I know farm kids who know that they still have to go out and get the eggs even if it's raining. As long as both adults are home, one can take the kids out to some indoor activity. Hub will be away from us 3 days at a time 2 or 3 times a month; that's not too bad. If our crappy weather days happen to fall when he's away, it falls to me to get creative and keep everyone engaged and happy. My hope is that those 'watch movies and bake cookies' days will be so few and far between that they'll be a treat when they are needed. Our BMD will have energy to expend, but perhaps less than most terriers I've known! As has been mentioned, keeping her mentally challenged will be important too, and that's something I plan to discuss with our trainer.
There are still quite a few things that could derail us before we begin; we still need to finish our home reno and get it sold before May, as well as selling and storing our stuff. That's a huge hurdle. And get our puppy home, commence with training, and make a judgement on whether she and we are up for it. I am, at the moment, taking notes and making lists and making plans and contingency plans, thinking it out as best I can. This is definitely helping. :-)
We have discussed the issue of what to do if our activity for the day can't include our dog. Neither hub nor I are comfortable leaving her for extended periods of time. A short trip to pick up groceries? If we're certain she's not a big howler, sure. But all day? Not gonna do it. So if that's the case, one of us will likely stay behind with one or two of the kids. Great opportunity for one-on-one time with the kids and great opportunity for quiet (or "quieter") time for whomever stays behind (ME!). And if there is something really big like, say, Disneyland, then we have agreed to find a suitable doggy day care. We've also discussed taking a few days at a nice resort once every few months just to recharge, and for that we'd fly our parents out for a little dog-sitting getaway (no kids) in our RV.
I definitely anticipate that we'll have our share of angsty moments. It is difficult to do a big trip with little ones without them. We've traveled with our kids to 7 countries and numerous spots around the US...I know the romanticism of traveling with kids comes in the planning and the aftermath, and with hearty doses of hard work in between. You really can't know what's going to happen until you do it, either. Our hardest trips have often been the ones that looked easy on paper, and vice versa! There will be times when we'll be hiding from the weather. We'll still need to walk the dog and take out the trash, etc. We have friends in small apartments in NYC with kids and/or dogs who deal with the same issues, and I know farm kids who know that they still have to go out and get the eggs even if it's raining. As long as both adults are home, one can take the kids out to some indoor activity. Hub will be away from us 3 days at a time 2 or 3 times a month; that's not too bad. If our crappy weather days happen to fall when he's away, it falls to me to get creative and keep everyone engaged and happy. My hope is that those 'watch movies and bake cookies' days will be so few and far between that they'll be a treat when they are needed. Our BMD will have energy to expend, but perhaps less than most terriers I've known! As has been mentioned, keeping her mentally challenged will be important too, and that's something I plan to discuss with our trainer.
There are still quite a few things that could derail us before we begin; we still need to finish our home reno and get it sold before May, as well as selling and storing our stuff. That's a huge hurdle. And get our puppy home, commence with training, and make a judgement on whether she and we are up for it. I am, at the moment, taking notes and making lists and making plans and contingency plans, thinking it out as best I can. This is definitely helping. :-)
