Forum Discussion
34 Replies
- jerseyjimExplorerFirst off....our dog (and the ones before) have NEVER been in a crate. We simply don't believe in it. Our dog is a member of the family and is treated as such. Full run of the house and RV at all times. That's OUR way. Maybe lucky: no chewing or anything destructive and housebroken...only 3 accidents in 4 years...due to ....whatever. A perfect traveling companion.
When she (dog) new to camping, and our first time leaving her alone we thought she might be calm(er) if we shut the plastic blinds and kept the lights low (it was evening). Upon our return, we found that one plastic blind destroyed. We then realized she likes to look out the window(s) all the time. Replaced the blind for $30. A really cheap "learning experience") Of course during that trip...and others, we've asked our next door neighbors to tell us if our dog barks/cries during our absence. No complaints. - CampinghossExplorer IIWe take our dogs with us everywhere we go. I would say about 90% of the time we let the camp host know we are going out and Lucky and Lucie are in the motor home. I generally give them an extra key and make sure they have both our cell numbers. Sometimes I give them a tip if they will accept it. Our dogs have been travelling with us all their lives and do not bark nor raise cane when we are gone. Leaving them home is not an option for us.
- AmryaExplorerThank you all. Now is the time to get it all sorted out. It's a 9 week trip so honestly I hate to leave her with my mom for that long. She is a lazy thing (it's shocking as she is a bc) but when we are out she is happiest in her crate. So much so we don't shut the door. Will have to do a few trial runs with her but hoping she can be a travle mate. She is an awsome trailer.
- DownTheAvenueExplorerThere is nothing wrong with leaving your dog alone in your camper anywhere as long as he/she is quiet and it is temperature controlled. Over the years, I have traveled all over the US and Canada with three different dogs without issue. Of course, they laid down and quietly waited for my return. You know your dog, and if he/she also waits quietly, there is no problem. Rarely, my current dog may bark a few times as I leave to say, "Hey, you forgot me!" but is quiet before I leave the campsite. Border collies are very smart and high energy, so you need to satisfy those needs.
- Johno02ExplorerOne other thing, if a campsite objects to our dogs, it is not the type of place we like to stay at, therefore we will find somewhere else that is more pet friendly. BTW, our dogs are crate trained, and do not bark, howl, or make noise when we leave them. UNLESS someone strange trys to come in, then we train them to make as much noise as possible.
- Johno02ExplorerWe installed a thermostat controlled Fantastic Fan for this exact reason. We have no problems leaving our dogs in their crates in the motorhome, with either ac or heat on. The fan is always open, and in summer time allows excessive heat to vent. It if 12v powered, and if shore power fails for any reason, the fan will run and draw out excessive heat. The inside temps may get as hot as the outside air, but the fan keeps it from getting excessive, and draws in fresh air from outside via some opening we always leave.
- HappytravelerExplorerOur dog does the same thing in our motorhome as she does at home. She loves the motorhome because she gets to go on more walks, LOL. If it's a cool day we take her with us, it really depends on the weather because sometimes she's better off in the motorhome with the air on. Our dog doesn't do well with extreme heat. We do have Sensored Life incase of a power outage or the air conditioner goes off.
- Deb_and_Ed_MExplorer IIMy traveling companions have been an Aussie, a Cattle Dog; and now two Aussie-poos. All high-energy dogs. The secret to leaving them in the RV with the A/C running, is a brisk, long walk beforehand; then we'd close the shades and turn on the TV (to drown out outside noises, just in case) In over 13 years of RVing, we never had a neighbor say our dogs barked (and we asked them).
We enjoyed the companionship of our dogs, and we feel they added a certain level of security. If someone HAD attempted to get into our RV, they would have been greeted by some serious growling. Any sensible thief would go try to break into a less-threatening RV, I'm sure?
I don't ever remember that we couldn't leave our dogs inside the RV for a while. Most rules say they can't be left unattended OUTDOORS. We also tried to stay at KOAs, who tend to be so dog-friendly that many offer nice fenced dog parks. - AcampingwewillgExplorer IIHave had the MH for about 15 years, a travel trailer before that and tents even earlier. Have always had multiple dogs along with us. Now, its a given that with a tent things were different but with heating and air conditioning in an RV(and appropriate safety devices)...my dogs have traveled all over the US with us...never with any problem. My RV is my home on the road and I leave the doggies at the house when I leave so why not in the RV. Its a GIVEN that they don't bark while away and we make every effort to be Good neighbor and Good dog owner...with all that goes with that.
- Pawz4meExplorerWe've never had a problem leaving our dogs (either the current one or our previous two). They were all well used to being alone, no separation anxiety or anything like that. We always leave (left) them crated with the AC or fan and TV on for white noise.
In ten years of RV'ing we've encountered exactly one campground that when directly asked said no to leaving them alone. So we politely told them we'd find somewhere else to stay. Although many do have a rule that pets aren't to be left unattended, when we've asked about it (and we always do) except for that one campground we've always been told that it's fine to leave well behaved dogs.
One of the main reasons we bought an RV is so our dog(s) could travel with us.
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2,082 PostsLatest Activity: Jul 31, 2025