RV'ing w/dog
My wife & I are in our 70s and have a 10 lb Coton de Tulear named Bebe. We are thinking about getting a 25' Class C. We have a car seat for Bebe that keeps her buckled while we drive. What advice ...
Forum Discussion
I agree with Doxiemom11's advice to let the dog get adjusted to being in the RV before traveling. RVs have different sounds than cars and they ride different - dogs can really sense these differences and don't always like them.
What I did with my dogs was to establish a "doggie toy box" for the RV. These toys can only be played with while in the RV. I started this month's before our first outing. My RV (a trailer at that time) was parked in my driveway and all winter, I would let the dogs go in and play with their special toys while I worked on setting up the trailer for our first summer trip. Some nights, I would feed them in the trailer and we would sleep in it (driveway camping). By the time we went on their first camping trip, they saw the trailer as just another room (albeit more fun than most) in the house.
When I got the clipper, I moved their toy box into it and again, let them spend time in the clipper just playing with the toys, looking out the windshield (they love to sit in the cab and watch the neighborhood). When we went for their first drive, I made it a short one with a positive outcome (they went to visit their "uncle" - my dad's dog). After a couple trips like that, they couldn't wait to get in the clipper and the different feel of riding in it stopped being a problem.
If asked "what breed is your dog", I suggest starting with "she's 10lbs" and ending with something like "sort of like a poodle mix" - most folks won't have a clue what a Coton is and will be more likely to natter on about "dangerous dogs", etc., fearing yours is one. Showing a photo will stop the nattering also so keep one handy when doing your RV Park check in.
What I did with my dogs was to establish a "doggie toy box" for the RV. These toys can only be played with while in the RV. I started this month's before our first outing. My RV (a trailer at that time) was parked in my driveway and all winter, I would let the dogs go in and play with their special toys while I worked on setting up the trailer for our first summer trip. Some nights, I would feed them in the trailer and we would sleep in it (driveway camping). By the time we went on their first camping trip, they saw the trailer as just another room (albeit more fun than most) in the house.
When I got the clipper, I moved their toy box into it and again, let them spend time in the clipper just playing with the toys, looking out the windshield (they love to sit in the cab and watch the neighborhood). When we went for their first drive, I made it a short one with a positive outcome (they went to visit their "uncle" - my dad's dog). After a couple trips like that, they couldn't wait to get in the clipper and the different feel of riding in it stopped being a problem.
If asked "what breed is your dog", I suggest starting with "she's 10lbs" and ending with something like "sort of like a poodle mix" - most folks won't have a clue what a Coton is and will be more likely to natter on about "dangerous dogs", etc., fearing yours is one. Showing a photo will stop the nattering also so keep one handy when doing your RV Park check in.
