I'd have posted this in the Pets forum, but it's a ghost town over there.We're doing an 8 week trip this year with our 5er, hitting a bunch of National Parks along the way.My understanding is that, except for some narrow restrictions, like a few feet from roadways, pets are not permitted in National Parks.Most of the parks we are hitting that's not a problem, we can leave the pooch at the camper for 5-6 hours while we go do sightseeing with the truck.But at the big parks, like Yellowstone, we might need to be gone more than 8 hours per day to account for the potential travel times just to get to the sights.What do people normally do in those situations?Todd

In the big parks either take the dog or cut your day shorter - I cut the day shorter because my dog barked at all the buffalo's

We too cut the day shorter and take more trips out. When we went to Zion, Bryce, and Mesa Verde, we boarded our pets because we took day hikes there. In some rare cases, such as when we went to Natural Bridges National Monument, I stayed in the truck with the dogs while hubby hiked to the bottom to take photos. Sometimes when it's a short hike to a site, we take turns going and staying with the dogs. At the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, we parked the truck in the shade with the big dogs in their crates in the back, then took the Maltese in her soft sided crate slung over my shoulder, while we hiked around the trails at the top.

Most people visit a big park like Yellowstone mostly by car. Bring your dogs with you. Most of the hiking is short duration. You can let your dogs out anytime. I like the dirt roads in Yellowstone. Then you can get away from the crowds. There is no telling what might happen.I can understand why the NPS wants dogs on a leash, or not deep in the backcountry. But it makes no sense to allow them only in parking lots.

For years we've used crates as a method of house breaking our dogs and a place to sleep at night. The crates become a secure quiet place for them as they grow up. We often crate our fur balls and leave them for 6-7 hours. We pull the shades, turn on the a/c or fan to block outside noises. Fellow campers have told us that they never make a peep. Nothing worse than have a little yapper running back and forth on the dash barking at everything that comes by.

Usually not allowed on trails. Unless you hire a sitter I don't think many options besides leaving the pet in the RV. That can be problematic if real hot or cold. We lived by a couple workamping at Glacier NP and they never enjoyed the Park because they didn't want to leave the dogs. That's crazy to us.

Pets and National Parks | Good Sam Community

ppine
Explorer II
Jan 11, 2020
One of the reasons I avoid parks are the rules regarding dogs. I travel solo a lot and my dog is the first line of defense. She has great hearing and a great nose often seeing predators before I do. She is well behaved. When I run into hikers and especially livestock, I take her off the trail and tell her to sit.
mdcamping
Explorer
Jan 11, 2020
Old-Biscuit wrote:
We traveled FT for 7 yrs with our Dog.....4 yrs old until 11 yrs old
We did same as we would have done IF we where in a S&B

As the dog got older we shortened or time away
Instead of spending ALL day got----we used 2 days/3 days etc

We still work 40, we had owned a Sheltie, as our dog aged out we found we couldn't get her out of the camper. We felt we were very fortunate that the dog traveled so well. Comes down to knowing your dog, knowing the rules and environment around you.

been 5 yrs since we have had a dog, new Sheltie coming this spring, Will our new dog be a clone as our old one, probably not so adjustments will have to be made.

Mike
BarryG20
Explorer
Jan 11, 2020
You can check the parks for kennels too. We used the one at south rim of Grand Canyon. Wasn’t overly expensive for the day and were happy with the conditions at least when we used it
Durb
Explorer
Jan 11, 2020
We don't travel with pets but I recall some posts regarding private parks in West Yellowstone having dog tending services due to the particularly long-visit nature of Yellowstone Park.
ScottG
Nomad
Jan 10, 2020
ToddD wrote:
dedmiston wrote:
ToddD wrote:
I'd have posted this in the Pets forum, but it's a ghost town over there.

OP: You started off on the wrong foot by disparaging the Pet forum and then got snotty with other members. I've deleted your unkind posts and will reopen the the thread again for now.

Please play nice to keep the thread open.

For the record, I felt the need to qualify why I wasn’t posting this thread in the Pets forum because I fully expected to be attacked for posting “off topic” in this forum.

While I’ve been a member of rv.net since 2001, I don’t spend much time on it much anymore since it’s become a tough place in the last few years (as you can see from some of the posts in this thread). I’ve preferred to contribute regularly on other sites.

Thanks for cleaning up this thread, Moderator, I appreciate your commitment to making rv.net a more welcoming place.

While it may seem like a particular forum is dead, most of us hit the "Newest" button at the top of the screen so we see any new thread that is posted, no matter what sub forum it's in.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jan 10, 2020
GDS-3950BH wrote:
Old-Biscuit wrote:
What do you do when AT HOME....gone to work?
Dogs are routinely left home alone from time folks left to go to work and until they get back home from work

YOU are the responsible party......your dog
Do what you would NORMALLY do

RV is no different

It's a lot different. When you're at a campground you have people closer than "back home" while someone is at work, and most times they're outside. An RV is about as soundproof as toilet paper, I don't care what type, brand, or model. When dogs are left alone they typically bark at every noise they hear outside. Some might not but most do including everyone I have ever had, which is several. Sure our Spot never barks, he's perfectly behaved lol. To me it's just flat out ignorant to do so. Although I have never witnessed anyone being booted out of a campground, I have seen folks warned about it more than once. I have also been in campgrounds where folks have left their barking dogs there all day alone, and I have sat and listened to them way too many times to keep track of.

You're 100% spot on they're the responsible party. I have never been to a public campground that did not have a rule that was worded something to the effect of "Pets may not create a disturbance or nuisance. Excessive barking is a disturbance" or something along the lines that you can not disturb other campers.

One that comes to mind is in PA state parks, VA has something similar. "Pets must not be left unattended, except when using a restroom or visiting a park building for a brief period of time. When doing so, the pet must be kept in a camping unit or vehicle, weather conditions permitting."

The emphasis is "brief period of time while using restroom or visiting a park building".

To me it falls under camping etiquette, something that is going by the wayside.

We traveled FT for 7 yrs with our Dog.....4 yrs old until 11 yrs old
We did same as we would have done IF we where in a S&B

As the dog got older we shortened or time away
Instead of spending ALL day got----we used 2 days/3 days etc
ToddD
Explorer
Jan 10, 2020
dedmiston wrote:
ToddD wrote:
I'd have posted this in the Pets forum, but it's a ghost town over there.

OP: You started off on the wrong foot by disparaging the Pet forum and then got snotty with other members. I've deleted your unkind posts and will reopen the the thread again for now.

Please play nice to keep the thread open.

For the record, I felt the need to qualify why I wasn’t posting this thread in the Pets forum because I fully expected to be attacked for posting “off topic” in this forum.

While I’ve been a member of rv.net since 2001, I don’t spend much time on it much anymore since it’s become a tough place in the last few years (as you can see from some of the posts in this thread). I’ve preferred to contribute regularly on other sites.

Thanks for cleaning up this thread, Moderator, I appreciate your commitment to making rv.net a more welcoming place.
dedmiston
Moderator
Jan 10, 2020
ToddD wrote:
I'd have posted this in the Pets forum, but it's a ghost town over there.

OP: You started off on the wrong foot by disparaging the Pet forum and then got snotty with other members. I've deleted your unkind posts and will reopen the the thread again for now.

Please play nice to keep the thread open.
dedmiston
Moderator
Jan 10, 2020
Temporarily closing this thread for review.
riven1950
Explorer
Jan 10, 2020
My ex and I back packed into the SW entrance of Yellowstone back in the 70's for 2 nights with our little dog. She ended up hearing things in the night and I think almost got us eaten by a bear. The last day Rangers road in on horseback ( only humans we saw ). They were not amused with the dog growling at their horses. Took my DL and told me to come get it when we got out of the trail. They sat me down for a long talk, told me about the possible fines and then let me go. Young and dumb but memories!

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