Any Advice On This?

JiminDenver wrote:
As with anything in life, having a pet has trade offs. They are not a toy that you can put on a shelf when you don't feel like playing with them.

You will loose some freedom, you will incur expenses, (wait till you see the vet bills), you will have to put effort into training, exercising, grooming and cleaning up after them. You will have to modify your behavior and choices around them. Finally there will come the day all pet owners dread and your heart WILL be broken.

All you get out of all of that is this tiny fuzzy ball of fur with the biggest brown eyes you will ever see. When you come home the wiggle will start in it's tail and grow until the whole body is shaking with excitement and the affection just explodes out of it. You are home and all is right with the world again.

When you are ill, they will know it and you will see the worry in their eyes. When there is a threat big or small, they will stand their ground and protect their master and their home. When they learn a trick, the joy in your face will be more reward than any treat you may give them.

Our schnauzers bark at everything and because of it we avoid campgrounds. The upside is we boondock in the most spectacular places and never have to put up with others dogs, generators, kids, music, parties etc.
Because of them we have a much larger rig than we wanted originally. Now that we have it we appreciate the extra space.
We never leave the trailer without them, it would kill me if something happened while we were gone. Then again our sight seeing is driving the 4x4 trails and they love that too.

Our dogs give us a reason to come home, not because the need to go potty but because our companions are waiting for us. (they also make a excellent excuse to get going when the in laws are boring ;)) They fill what was a empty dark house with life, affection and purpose. They are our babies after all. We don't look at things like walking, grooming, caring for as things we have to do but rather things we get to do because we have pets. We just lost one to illness and what I wouldn't do to get to walk her or groom her or love her up just one more time.

BTW we said no more after we had to put the last two down 12 years ago. 6 months later we were driving half way across the state looking for just the right pups. In the 11 years since we haven't given up more to have them than they give us everyday. I'm sure there will be more after these to fill the holes they will leave in our hearts when they are gone.

Only you will be able to decide if what you will get out of having a pet will be worth the effort and expense.

Thank you! Brought tears to my eyes because I can identify. Beautifully stated.

The last 2 posts sum it up.

Jim in Denver said it all beautifully.

Nick the hunter was strictly practical.

This is something you will have to figure out.

Good luck!

Best advice I can give you, "Don't get a Dog". Full time or Semi-full time living in a RV is not the place to have a dog. Forty acres out in the country is the ideal place for dogs.

As with anything in life, having a pet has trade offs. They are not a toy that you can put on a shelf when you don't feel like playing with them.

You will loose some freedom, you will incur expenses, (wait till you see the vet bills), you will have to put effort into training, exercising, grooming and cleaning up after them. You will have to modify your behavior and choices around them. Finally there will come the day all pet owners dread and your heart WILL be broken.

All you get out of all of that is this tiny fuzzy ball of fur with the biggest brown eyes you will ever see. When you come home the wiggle will start in it's tail and grow until the whole body is shaking with excitement and the affection just explodes out of it. You are home and all is right with the world again.

When you are ill, they will know it and you will see the worry in their eyes. When there is a threat big or small, they will stand their ground and protect their master and their home. When they learn a trick, the joy in your face will be more reward than any treat you may give them.

Our schnauzers bark at everything and because of it we avoid campgrounds. The upside is we boondock in the most spectacular places and never have to put up with others dogs, generators, kids, music, parties etc.
Because of them we have a much larger rig than we wanted originally. Now that we have it we appreciate the extra space.
We never leave the trailer without them, it would kill me if something happened while we were gone. Then again our sight seeing is driving the 4x4 trails and they love that too.

Our dogs give us a reason to come home, not because the need to go potty but because our companions are waiting for us. (they also make a excellent excuse to get going when the in laws are boring ;)) They fill what was a empty dark house with life, affection and purpose. They are our babies after all. We don't look at things like walking, grooming, caring for as things we have to do but rather things we get to do because we have pets. We just lost one to illness and what I wouldn't do to get to walk her or groom her or love her up just one more time.

BTW we said no more after we had to put the last two down 12 years ago. 6 months later we were driving half way across the state looking for just the right pups. In the 11 years since we haven't given up more to have them than they give us everyday. I'm sure there will be more after these to fill the holes they will leave in our hearts when they are gone.

Only you will be able to decide if what you will get out of having a pet will be worth the effort and expense.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I count 6 pro-dog, 8 against, and 5 N/A (neutral, get a cat, etc.) So I think I was right about what I said about sampling bias. Anyway, there is no doubt a lot to consider. Thanks again everyone.

I would leave my DW home before I would leave my dog home.

rockportrocket wrote:
The last 12 years, I have traveled with my dog. A 200 lb Doberman , trapped in a 16lb Dachshund body. He has been like and is a part of me. I have sacrificed a lot of things to take care of him. I have missed a lot cause dogs were not ideal for some things. I have spent a lot of money on him. I LOVE him like my own kids.

However, I would not do it again. I would not take 3 million dollars for him, but I would not give a dollar for another dog.

It is a 24 hour , 7 day responsibility. Decide carefully. But I love my dog.

BINGO!

this is me right now. small dog we got for my daughter. we take him every time we camp. he is behaved, fun, good in the truck etc.
BUT when he is gone, we will not get another. My daughter is 8 now, the dog is almost 3 yrs old. If timing goes well, she will hit college and the little dog will be gone. FREEDOM.

There are a few things we don't do while camping with the dog. I just did 10 days at the beach. I wanted a full day at St. Augustine for sightseeing etc. but we dropped it. Doggie! What would happen if the AC went off for any reason if we were gone so long? It was hot in florida.

So we compensate many times for this little dog in the camper, but we love him, have a blast with him, take good care of him and all is ok right now.

But knowing when he is gone, the freedom of no pet while camping will be very much appreciated.


Someone mentioned a cat! Might be the way to go :)

We love our Chihuahuas and always take them with us. They love riding in the truck and are not a bother. They are so used to the camping that anytime they get near the camper, in the back yard, they want to get in it.

We plan our days at camp so that they are not left for long periods, just in case there is a problem with A/C or some other issues. We do have a nice, large portable cage that they will habitate while we are gone, just in case there is an "accident" but that is almost non-existant.

We love our pups and they love us back and are better behaved than some children. Yes, we do have to make some consessions and considerations, but it is well-worth it to us.

We have 3 Border Collies and a cat. For the next two weeks we are in Newfoundland camping with just the cat. We LOVE out dogs but for this trip traveling with just the cat is a lot less stressful. We have 2 one week trips planned this summer where the cat will stay home and we'll have the dogs with us.

Get yourself an indoor cat.

As mentioned by many here it is a personal choice. I have a MH so my dogs can go with me and I have come to enjoy the life style. My pups can stay 6-8 hrs by themselves in the MH but that does not often happen. We are a simple family and enjoy many of the places that our dogs can come with us to. I would think it out carefully and only get a dog if it fits your plans almost always. They need a lot of attention and care if they are expected to be with you in this confined space. They also need to be well trained so they are not a nuisance to others as you travel. There is no need for a barking unruly dog. Just remember that what ever you pay will just be the tip of the ice berg and there will be limitations to what you do and where you go. If those limitations are too much then a dog will only frustrate you.