My husband and I want to purchase a travel trailer and camp with our dogs. Our dogs have a pack mentality and bark at other dogs and other animals scurrying at night. We thought about renting an RV to test the waters but dog friendly RV rentals are practically unheard of in our area, both at campgrounds and from individuals. RV rental places that are pet friendly are booked! I’d hate to spend all that money only to find out our dogs will be a nuisance to others. Does anyone have experience with their own dogs that may have been similar? Any advice, recommendations or suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

Dogs, particularly irresponsible dog owners are making campgrounds unpleasant. Staying at state campgrounds dogs are off leash and not always cleaned up after. My wife recently surrounded by four dogs off leash barking in a threatening manner.As a legal CCW carrier, it will be a sad day when I shoot your dog rather than being bitten.

Sadly it doesn't like your dogs are meant for the camping lifestyle. It would be very unfair to others if they are constantly barking.

Barking dogs bother everyone in a campground. And it isn't just the people nearby. That nuisance noise travels a long ways and irritates everyone.I doubt this would work for you.

Don't bring your dog to the RV rental office then go camping or park at a shopping parking lot and see how your dogs react.

“Our dogs have a pack mentality and bark at other dogs and other animals scurrying at night.”You answered your own concern. No fun for you, the dogs or your neighbors.

Concern about RVing with Our Dogs | Good Sam Community

d1h
Nomad III
Apr 03, 2024
Take him along with you.😁
Relaxetator
Explorer
Mar 29, 2024
Dogs, particularly irresponsible dog owners are making campgrounds unpleasant. Staying at state campgrounds dogs are off leash and not always cleaned up after. My wife recently surrounded by four dogs off leash barking in a threatening manner.As a legal CCW carrier, it will be a sad day when I shoot your dog rather than being bitten.
- MORSNOW
  Navigator II
  Mar 30, 2024
  We travel with a small cat and dog, there is nothing more irresponsible than a bad pet owner who lets them run and doesn't clean up dog doo after them (including fenced in dog run areas).
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Apr 08, 2021
toedtoes wrote:
It was a bit devilish... :)

But it beats the "leave then home" standard. The solution to a barking or uncontrolled dog isn't to leave them home. The solution is to put the work in and train them so they are no longer barking non-stop or uncontrollable.

"Wear them down" - a tired dog is generally a good dog! And make sure they have a "bomb-proof recall" - having your dog ALWAYS come, no matter what, can be a life saver.

I got into RVing so that our dogs could go with us, and they seem to enjoy the trips as much as we do.
toedtoes
Explorer III
Apr 08, 2021
It was a bit devilish... :)

But it beats the "leave then home" standard. The solution to a barking or uncontrolled dog isn't to leave them home. The solution is to put the work in and train them so they are no longer barking non-stop or uncontrollable.
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Apr 08, 2021
toedtoes wrote:

I get that. I just think trying in a tent when they are so reactive to outside stimuli is bound to fail so it isn't a good test.

I really think the OP needs to put in some effort at home to refocus the dogs first. If they can't do that then the dogs won't change their behavior at a campground.

OK -my suggestion WAS diabolical ;-) More of a test of "if your dogs have a "pack mentality" - who is the Alpha and can you control them??" and simply setting up a tent for a day, should show where the control problems lie without spending a fortune on an RV.
Crowe
Explorer
Apr 07, 2021
toedtoes wrote:
Deb and Ed M wrote:
I had just suggested tent camping, to see how the dogs reacted to the experience; rather than rent - or even worse, buy an RV and then find out it won't work.

I get that. I just think trying in a tent when they are so reactive to outside stimuli is bound to fail so it isn't a good test.

I really think the OP needs to put in some effort at home to refocus the dogs first. If they can't do that then the dogs won't change their behavior at a campground.

X2
georgelesley
Explorer
Apr 07, 2021
We used to have two dogs. When we left them alone in the rv we dropped all window shades and put the tv or some music on and the a/c fan for noise. We also put bark collars on them. We then would hang around for a few minutes when we left them to hear if they barked. The first few times we did this they barked. We would open the door and let them know this was not OK.

When we returned we asked around to find out if they barked. They did not according to neighbors in the end we did not even put the batteries in the bark collars, just putting them on their neck was enough to keep them quiet.
toedtoes
Explorer III
Apr 07, 2021
Deb and Ed M wrote:
I had just suggested tent camping, to see how the dogs reacted to the experience; rather than rent - or even worse, buy an RV and then find out it won't work.

I get that. I just think trying in a tent when they are so reactive to outside stimuli is bound to fail so it isn't a good test.

I really think the OP needs to put in some effort at home to refocus the dogs first. If they can't do that then the dogs won't change their behavior at a campground.
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Apr 07, 2021
I had just suggested tent camping, to see how the dogs reacted to the experience; rather than rent - or even worse, buy an RV and then find out it won't work.
toedtoes
Explorer III
Apr 06, 2021
I agree. That's why I asked how many dogs the OP has. "Pack mentality" with two dogs can be completely different that "pack mentality" with three or more dogs.

I also think that a tent is not the way to go. Too many sounds and shadows to set the dogs off.

Unless the OP returns to provide more details on their dogs, we really can't say what will work or not.

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