Can a dog

[Bagger97]

get in the way of sight seeing? We want to get a pet but are waiting until after our trip unless it won't matter. I know Denali will be an issue but is there any other time you were sorry you had a dog with you? Any times you were glad you had the dog? And I'm talking terrier size not a pit or Rot.

[Little_Kopit]

My dogs enhance a trip.

But I want a dog to have reached a certain stage of training before I go.

:C

[louiskathy]

I would not complicate this big trip by taking a pet along.

National Parks have strict rules about where pets can and can't be. There are rules about leaving them unattended inside the rig or inside the toad. You can't always take them with you on a trail, in fact, most times you can not have them with you on any trail.

We drove through a herd of Bison in the North Unit of T.R NP in ND with our dog in the backseat of the soft top jeep. I'm glad she obeyed my "no barking" hand signal. They were scattered out in a big area. Some standing. Some laying down. Some on the road. Some off to the side. Most of them with calves. There are places you want to go... or find yourself in the middle of... where you do not want a dog along to complicate things.

[pulsar]

We left our dogs with a house sitter, while we were on our first ever RV trip, those many years ago. Here is a picture of our first RV.



We missed our dogs and have not traveled without them, since.

On our trip to Alaska, we traveled with 4 dogs, 2 golden retrievers, one of which was 3 months old, when we started, and 2 border collies. Out traveling companions traveled with 2 golden retrievers. The dogs contributed much to our enjoyment of the trip, and did not cause us to miss anything we wanted to do.

Most often, we did things in the morning, were back at the RV for lunch. But many times, we needed to be gone long periods of time.

Examples: 1) We spent a 4 days in Denali (nights back in the RV). We didn't camp inside the park, but rather at Cantwell RV Park. The campground provides a pet sitting service. 2) We went of a fjords tour out of Seward. We camped at Bear Creek RV Park (Seward). The son of the campground owners walked our dogs.

All of that said, your situation is different, I infer that you are not accustomed to having and traveling with a dog. If that is correct, I would advise waiting until after the trip. You and the dog need time to become a family. The puppy on our trip was with us at home for a month before we started our trip; she had already become use to us and the other dogs.

Tom

[Francesca_Knowl]

Bagger97 wrote:
We want to get a pet but are waiting until after our trip unless it won't matter.

It matters.
A LOT.
"First learned, best learned", as the saying goes. The time to train a new dog is NOT on an RV adventure away from the routines you hope to establish at home.

Wait until after the trip, get the new dog, and train it well. Give it a reliable schedule and portable habits. It will be a boon companion on the next (and all future) trip(s)!

[K_Charles]

You can leave a trained dog in an RV when you go sight seeing but you can't train a puppy by leaving them in the RV while you go sight seeing.

[toedtoes]

First, I agree with gbopp about waiting due to training the dog. You don't want to get a dog familiar with RV life/travel during a big trip. That's a lot of added pressure, and if the dog doesn't handle it well, it puts you in a tough spot. Better to get the dog used to RV life/travel during short trips that you can plan for dog-friendly places and activities. Also, you don't want to have to deal with training issues like potty training, obedience, etc. on the road in unfamiliar places.

As for having a dog while sightseeing, yes, it will affect things. Some places don't allow dogs - on the trails, at the sights, at the campground. That means, you will have to leave the dog in the RV alone (which may be against campground policy) or get daycare for it. Daycare will increase costs. In addition, you will be less likely to change plans on the spur of the moment - that great restaurant you heard about from another tourist sounds great tonight, but we've got to get back and let the dog out to potty OR we have to pick up the dog from daycare or will be charged late fees.

I love dogs and I have dogs. But taking them on the road does change how you do things. If you've already got your trip planned out, then wait on the dog til you get back. Otherwise, you'll be spending your time reworking plans because those places that interest you won't let your dog in, etc.

As someone who has done pet adoptions, I'll also add that when you get a new dog, you want to be able to provide a consistency over the first few weeks, letting the dog get accustomed to his/her new home and people, before you start mixing things up. Jumping into a big trip during that time could increase neurotic tendencies in a dog that already may have issues.

If you had the dog for a while AND the dog was familiar with RV life, then I'd say go for it knowing you may have to board, etc. at times. But with a new dog, I say wait. It's undue stress for both you and the dog otherwise.

If you have a dog in mind, talk to the breeder/foster/shelter and see if they can work with you. If not, then just wait until you get home and then commit time to the dog. Then you can take small trips, getting the dog used to the RV, camping, sightseeing, etc. and build from there.

[LynnandCarol]

Our dog has been with us for the last 5 years with no problems. He was raised in our trailer. He had one accident and to be fair he tried to wake me and I ignored him and he was sick. When we leave him for an afternoon we leave the air on if it is hot and he is fine. Love my dog and would not want to be without him.

[2gypsies1]

We don't have a dog but we love them and have always had one in our younger years. With full-timing and the things we like to do, we didn't think a dog would fit in with our lifestyle.

No, you won't be able to take your dog into Denali and that's a must to do. However, there are probably kennels nearby. Also, the glacier cruises can last a full day. Would your dog be o.k. that long? The Fairbanks Riverboat Cruise also lasts a long time and we really enjoyed that, too.

If you're hiking with a dog and meet up with a bear, that could pose a problem as the bear could get agitated.

Otherwise, any other place would be easy to work around your dog. You will meet the same obstacles in the lower 48 with pets, especially in national parks and trails. However, many folks travel with dogs. I guess it just depends on how you want to sitesee, how long you want to leave your dog in the RV or if you want to put it in a kennel while you do so.

We get our dog fixes without owning one. It's a personal choice. Good luck!

[gbopp]

I would wait until after the trip. It will give you more time to enjoy traveling without being concerned about training a dog.

We have a small dog who travels with no problems but, it's much easier traveling without him. JMO

[is_it_friday_ye]

We're not sorry we bring our dog camping. You just have to plan accordingly. We leave the a/c on if its warm enough and sometimes a radio to keep him company. I guess it just depends on the dog and how long he can stay inside alone. Ours also doesn't bark non-stop when we're gone so that helps a lot. We're taking him camping in a couple weeks for fall harvest days and he's dressing up as a pig.