Pets left alone in RV at campground?

I always assumed left unattended meant unattended outside. Maybe I was wrong.

It does depend highly on the dog. We have always had older adopted Golden Retrievers, about the most calm dog there is. We would take them for a walk, then back to the RV before leaving to do whatever it was we wanted to do. They would go into a darker corner of the bedroom and still be asleep when we returned. We left the windows closed, AC or heat as needed, and the TV on for background noise. And never gone more than 2-3 hours.

But we have been next to other RVs whose dogs barked the entire time they were gone. And the owners knew it since the dogs were barking when they left and still barking when they returned. That causes problems for all dog owners.

Every dog is different, but we leave our dogs alone in the camper often depending on where we are going. We bring their kennels and put them in when we are gone, the both sleep and stay quite, never had anyone complain and we have asked if they bark.

We have gone to Yellowstone, left the dogs home. We went to Glacier, stayed outside the park. Locked the dogs up when we were in the park, they were fine. We also go to events where the dogs are not allowed outside the RV area, we lock them up, there is lots of activity around the RV's, the dogs never bark when inside, but bark at lots of people when they are tied outside the RV. We never leave them unattended outside the RV.

When we typically go camping, we are doing it for the dogs as much as ourselves. Every day we plan times to go hiking, with the dogs. We don't go places the dogs can't go and we plan our days around activities that involve everyone and the dogs. Camping is a full family activity.

It's been pretty well covered here, but I kind of interpret that to mean unattended and outside. It will vary by location and some will have a different view, but I'm certainly not concerned about a dog in an RV or camper so much as if they're outside, even if chained up. Again you have to take into account things like if it barks a lot or could get out, but I don't see an issue if you're a responsible pet owner. Lord knows a lot of bring out pets along for the trip.

Azalea wrote:
It's been pretty well covered here, but I kind of interpret that to mean unattended and outside.

That is not the rule I was expected to enforce as a campground host in a National Park. Left alone was left alone, outdoors or inside the RV. Neither were allowed.

Unattended means unattended - as in no human there to control the dog. Assuming that it only means "outside" is playing hard and fast with the rules. And again, that ends up getting ALL dogs banned from campgrounds and RV Parks.

Lantley wrote:

For the record experienced campers with well behaved dogs leave them unattended all the time.

That doesn't make it right. And for the record, I am an experienced camper with well-behaved dogs. I don't leave my dogs unattended in the campground if the rule is "dogs are not to be left unattended".

Look at it this way. You and your dog are experienced. Every day, you leave your dog behind in the RV while you go sightsee. The rules don't allow forthis, buy hey, your dog is well-behaved. Your neighbor, who is new to camping and who boarded his dog because the campground told him "no you can't leave your dog alone in the RV while you sightsee", sees you doing just that every day. He says to himself " well, obviously that rule is not enforced!". So for his next trip, he ignores the rule, brings his dog, and leaves the dog alone in the RV while he sightsees. His neighbor sees him ignoring the rule, so on their next trip, they do the same.

Now the campgrounds have a problem with dogs barking while their owners are out sightseeing. They are fed up with dog owners who disregard their rules. So they simply change the rule to "no dogs allowed". And now none of us get to enjoy camping with our dogs - all because some "experienced camper" chose to ignore the rules.

JimK-NY wrote:
When I was a campground host in a National Park, pets were not allowed on the trails and were not allowed to be left alone in the campground. That made it about impossible for a visitor with a dog to do much of a visit. The rules were enforced.

I suppose a few visitors left dogs alone and got away with it. It would be much better to leave the pets with friends/relatives or to board the animals. Of course it depends on the style of "camping" you plan on. If you want to hike and visit scenic areas, a dog can be an issue. If you want to sit around an RV park, drink and eat and have BBQs, then not so much.

I have been to a couple National Parks and I have taken my dogs. This is what I did to ensure we all had a good time within the rules:

1. I planned the trip so that the weather was conducive to bringing the dogs with me. For example, I went to Death Valley in December and Mt Lassen in May.

2. I contacted each park and specifically asked about their policies of dogs in vehicles. With Death Valley, I was told they did not citate for that in December when temps are mild. With Lassen, it was a less exacting response of "as long as the temps are mild, it's OK".

3. When I went out to explore the park, the dogs came with me. I carried water for them at all times. I let the dogs out in paved parking lots and on roads where they were allowed to be. I cleaned up after them.

4. I limited my stops to an hour or less. The exception was when a friend was with me. One of us could hike a trail on our own while the other stayed back at the car with the dogs.

5. I NEVER took my dogs on the trails, left them behind in the campground alone, or had them offleash. I always used a 6ft leash and never a flexi-disaster.

I really enjoyed my trips. My dogs really enjoyed their trips. I limited my sightseeing to half days, giving us plenty of time to kick back and enjoy the campground.

However, I admit, I have no desire to hike 2+ hours. If I had the need/desire to do that, I would leave the dogs home.

I also took many trips to national forests, BLM, and COEcampgrounds. Places where I COULD hike with my dogs on the various trails, play in the water. Those are the dog holidays - it's about letting THEM have a fun trip.

Shades down, leave the TV on with noise. The reason dogs bark is because they are reacting to external stimulation. If they can't discern it from an internal source, they don't bark.

But there a few on here I'd let my dogs poop on their site. Probably the same grumpy old farts that blast their TV every evening because they are half deaf.

Samsonsworld wrote:
Shades down, leave the TV on with noise. The reason dogs bark is because they are reacting to external stimulation. If they can't discern it from an internal source, they don't bark.

But there a few on here I'd let my dogs poop on their site. Probably the same grumpy old farts that blast their TV every evening because they are half deaf.

My dogs can quite easily discern a noise coming from outside versus inside regardless of whether they can see.

And a dog who barks at knocking or a doorbell will often bark at those sounds on a tv. So I'd be inclined to say the exact opposite is true:

Dogs barks at various noises and they can't always discern it's coming from a tv or radio, so they may well bark even if there's nothing there.

toedtoes wrote:

Samsonsworld wrote:
Shades down, leave the TV on with noise. The reason dogs bark is because they are reacting to external stimulation. If they can't discern it from an internal source, they don't bark.

But there a few on here I'd let my dogs poop on their site. Probably the same grumpy old farts that blast their TV every evening because they are half deaf.

My dogs can quite easily discern a noise coming from outside versus inside regardless of whether they can see.

And a dog who barks at knocking or a doorbell will often bark at those sounds on a tv. So I'd be inclined to say the exact opposite is true:

Dogs barks at various noises and they can't always discern it's coming from a tv or radio, so they may well bark even if there's nothing there.

I only have experience with about 20 dogs, I admit that's limited. But never had an issue, even with yappers. So, pretty much calling BS.

And if that is the case I'd question how much noise your making to stimulate the dogs.

Ps- your rv has a doorbell....people knock?