Solo RV'ers With Dogs

As always, I really appreciate you good folks who take the time to answer my querries. And when I say: "... the dog tied to a tree...", I'm of course speaking figuratively. It sounds from your replies pretty much as I thought: a dog can be a good companion, especially if well-trained, but nothing in life comes without a price. Lots to think about. Thanks again.

I've always traveled with a dog. And when my lab died, I knew that I'd need a "new to me" pooch before I set out on my next long trip. Not only is a dog a great companion, but I also feel safer with one. If you are comfortable leaving your dog in your home when you're out and about, then you should be comfortable leaving her in your RV.

stevekk wrote:
Also consider having the dog qualify as a "service dog".
That way you can take into store with you.

Very bad advice. It makes all dog owners look bad and makes life harder for those who have a true need for a service dog. The ONLY service dogs should be ones who've been trained and certified through legitimate service dog providers.

Just some ideas...
Get a small dog.
Consider like a Poodle/ mix, since they do not shed.
Buy a plastic carrier for the MH and leave the dog in carrier, when away.
Big problem is the heat... if you take the dog with you in car.
Better to leave in MH.

Lots of positives, having a dog. Lots of fun, companionship, sleep with.

Also consider having the dog qualify as a "service dog".
That way you can take into store with you.

We haven't found our dogs to be particularly limiting. They're well trained, so leaving them in the RV for a few hours at a time while we check out the sights or go out to eat isn't a problem at all. We try not to leave them alone more than six hours at a time. They don't think much more of being alone in the RV than they do when we leave them in our sticks and bricks house. I crate them to prevent them from being able to see outside and also close the blinds. I leave the AC/heat on as appropriate and also leave on a TV or fan for white noise. Now a couple of caveats to what I just said -- First, one of our dogs is old and one is a small breed. They don't need much exercise and are happy to spend most of the day sleeping. Second, we almost always stay in commercial RV parks with reliable power (and we have two AC units). It might be different if you're planning on doing a lot of boondocking or staying in campgrounds w/o electricity. But for us traveling with dogs really isn't much different than how it would be if we didn't have them. And since I do 99.95% of caring for them, I don't think things would be much different if I were solo RV'ing.

If you decide to get one, I'd recommend adopting an adult dog who has been in a foster home and is known to be calm and easygoing. Stack the odds in your favor to begin with!

Showering and leaving the dog(s) in the car in cool weather is not a problem. I have taken my 2 dogs on solo camping weekends and it was really no different than when my DW is along. Having the extra person doesn't help that much because the limitations are still there. Whether alone or not, you won't be able to do some things you could have done without a dog (hiking on some trails where dogs are restricted, going into visitor centers, going to entertainment events, etc.).

We live where it's cool 90+% of the time. When it's hot it's much harder because you can't leave the dog(s) in the car for more than a few minutes. We never leave the dogs "tied to a tree" unless we are there with them. We have a couple of long leashes that we use for that purpose when sitting around camp. Rangers/Hosts don't seem to mind that even when there is a 6' leash restriction.

Some types of RV-ing are better suited to having dogs. Boondocking with a Truck Camper is ideal. RV parks with closely-packed A's and 5ers is not that great. State and national parks are somewhere in-between.

Don't forget that if you are snowbirding you need to have access to vet services. Unexpected things can/do happen and it's expensive when it does.

Having a dog is a MAJOR responsibility, but we couldn't imagine life without them. We probably wouldn't even have an RV if we didn't have dogs. It's like when people get an RV to spend time with their kids for us.

I could not imagine being without my dog, Bucky, my faithful companion and best friend. However, having a pet does limit your activities. Before deciding to get a dog, you need to consider your lifestyle and what you would be willing to sacrifice.

If you are just in the "thinking of getting a dog" stage?
If you plan on doing a lot of RV'ing do NOT get a dog.

You will have WAY more fun and see more sights RV'ing without a dog.

I travel with dogs and there is a whole extra set of baggage dogs' bring with them when it comes to RV'ing. They drastically limit what I can and can not do traveling with them on board.

Just got home from a 5 day camping trip to Myakka river State park in Bradenton Florida! The people there visiting seemed to not want to follow the parks rules:
1)no picking up the poop

2)walking dogs around park without leashes(big and small dogs)

3) leaving dogs locked up in RV while they left for 4 hours and dogs never stopped barking the whole time

I have been going solo for about 10 months now. I have always had dogs up until the seperation. I had to make a difficult but wise decision not to get another dog. not having someone to care for it in the event of emergency was a deciding factor. just this past holiday weekend, I spent several hours at a clinic which was extremely busy. If I had a fur friend stuck in the RV, it would have been misery for both of us. Luckily in my travels, I get to meet plenty of friendly pooches.