Pets left alone in RV at campground?

[solismaris]

We are now a dog owner and would consider bringing her on next camping trip. Question for all: is it considered acceptable to leave dog in trailer while we are away?

Windows and vents will be open, curtains drawn, propane will be turned off. Where I travel no AC is needed. Dog is not a barker.

I asked at one place and they said no unattended pets. Of course they did. Maybe better to not ask and do it surreptitiously?

Surely campers with dogs are still able to get away for a restaurant, museum, other no-pets tourist attractions?

[wildtoad]

I’ve seen all kinds of opinions on this thread ranging from self interpretations of the rules, self-righteous never broken a rule ever, to those with common sense. I’ve been to federal parks where pets aren’t allowed on the beach, trails, roadways. It’s impractical to never leave your pet alone in your RV when you need/want to go out for dinner, grocery shopping, or seek medical help. Taking them with you and leaving them in the car kinda depends on the weather. Lots of dogs, cats, babies have perished in what some consider a mild climate, but park their car in the sun. If you are a full timer it’s hard to leave your pets with a friend or board them.

We take our dogs with us all the time because they are family, they are small loving creatures that wouldn’t hurt a flea, and usually only bark as we are backing out of the campsite and they realize they can’t go too. We leave them in a climate controlled MH, and if we ever comeback and there’s a note from the ranger we will deal with at that time. We also drink in our RV even though the signs says no alcohol allowed. I do speed on a regular basis but not by much, another rule broken..O’ Darn.

[Samsonsworld]

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?

[toedtoes]

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.

[Samsonsworld]

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.

[toedtoes]

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.

[toedtoes]

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.

[toedtoes]

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.

[JimK-NY]

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.

[Azalea]

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.

[Thermoguy]

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.

[BB_TX]

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.

[Horsedoc]

Non-barking dogs? I wonder? Hokeypokey is right. The calm and quiet for everyone around you will be broken when the pup does start barking.
When we first started RVing in 1990, we were across a small cove from a couple who tied their pup outside and left for a while. Barked continuously. Poor pup was scared in a new place and no one he knew around and those he trusted for security had abandoned him. He could only bark for help. It will be the same even if you leave him inside. Please don't for his sake and the sake of your neighbors

[Danger_Don]

As per usual, the "All about me" or the "rules don't apply to me" folks come out of the woodwork.

[JoeH]

We travel with a dog and do leave him inside when we must. Many of the campgrounds elaborate on the unattended pet by saying no unattended pets OUTSIDE.
I've read that well over 50% of RV'ers travel with pets.

[hokeypokey]

Most likely the dog will be a little anxious. They’ll hear noises and bark. It’s their nature. Owners should think about neighboring campers who have to listen to it. I’m speaking from experience and I should’ve reported it because it was 9 hours of continuous barking. Air conditioning, radios and favorite toys don’t make a difference. Don’t do it.