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?

[Grit_dog]

discovery4us wrote:
We never leave our dogs alone. They are with each other.

Our RV is no different to us or our dogs than our stick and brick. We go to dinner dogs are at home. We go to the store dogs are at home. We go to work dogs are at home. The only thing that changes is the view and a lack of a doggy door.

I’m with you. But that defeats the purpose of the thread with all the Karens complaining about barking dogs.
If your dogs are good, they’re good. If they’re not, it doesn’t matter if you’re in a campground, at home, or one of those weirdos who walks their dog in the Home Depot!

[discovery4us]

We never leave our dogs alone. They are with each other.

Our RV is no different to us or our dogs than our stick and brick. We go to dinner dogs are at home. We go to the store dogs are at home. We go to work dogs are at home. The only thing that changes is the view and a lack of a doggy door.

[dodge_guy]

We do it all the time. We also have a waggle that monitors temps and power and responds through its own cell connection and built in battery. Ours is a barker, but only if someone knocks on the door.

[toedtoes]

dedmiston wrote:

It’s intellectually dishonest and I’m pretty sure that people who speak that way aren’t trusted by their dogs.

Seriously? You are a frigging Administrator and you make a personal attack on a poster who has done nothing to you?

[toedtoes]

Geez people! You accuse ME of equivocating... Just say it "we take issue with everything Toedtoes has to say" and quit beating around the bush.

And for the record, I said "I don't disagree", because while I agreed with Lantley's preamble, I don't agree with their conclusion.

[dedmiston]

Walaby wrote:
I most closely align with the position that what goes on inside my RV is none of your business unless what Im doing directly affects you negatively.

I also get a chuckle when people say "I don't disagree". Why can't you just say "I agree". I hear that alot. Somewhere in life we, as a society, got to the point where some people refuse to agree, even when they agree. They draw their line at "not disagreeing", instead of simply saying I agree. If you don't disagree, then by default, you agree.

Mike

I don’t not not not not not not disagree.

Hopefully I counted right and they added up to “I agree”.

I think that “I don’t disagree” is a way of equivocating when one isn’t willing to admit to the world that they agree.

If you draw an imaginary line with a center point with an Agree side and a Disagree side, that’s the verbal way of ruling out the Disagree side without stepping over into the Agree side.

It’s intellectually dishonest and I’m pretty sure that people who speak that way aren’t trusted by their dogs.

[Walaby]

I most closely align with the position that what goes on inside my RV is none of your business unless what Im doing directly affects you negatively.

I also get a chuckle when people say "I don't disagree". Why can't you just say "I agree". I hear that alot. Somewhere in life we, as a society, got to the point where some people refuse to agree, even when they agree. They draw their line at "not disagreeing", instead of simply saying I agree. If you don't disagree, then by default, you agree.

Mike

[willald]

As so many have already said, this is one of those rules that campgrounds put in place so they can enforce such when they need to for a dog/owner that becomes a problem. However, in most cases, for responsible owners and well behaved dogs, they look the other way and really do not care. Same thing with the rules about alcohol, and firearms in campgrounds.

Its a little like the fireworks laws in North Carolina, too. Not illegal to buy or own, but technically, illegal to let off. However, police look the other way and do not care at all how big a fireworks you buy elsewhere and let off here in NC. They will almost never cite someone for such unless they cause a bigger problem (neighbors complaining, property damage, etc.)

You'll find also that people's opinion about how strictly one should adhere to rules like this, is very dependent on their situation and their preferences. It is easy for someone to 'preach' that nobody should ever leave a dog unattended inside an RV, ever, when that person doesn't own any pets and/or doesn't like hearing them or seeing them. Or, if they are the type that always prefers to leave their pets at home, regardless, for whatever reason. People's personal preferences for their own life always seems to impact their opinions on just what rules should be 100% enforced and which can be bent a little. Funny how that works.

For me personally.... We bring our dog (Aussie Shepherd mix) with us almost every time we go camping. And, yes, she stays in our camper by herself when we go out to places we can't bring her easily. She is not a barker, almost never barks, ever, unless she has a very good reason to (like when she really needs to go out to do her business and we take too long to get her out). She is very quiet and is perfectly fine staying by herself in our camper. You would never know there even is a dog in our camper when we are out unless you climbed up and peaked in a window (and even then, since we normally have shades pulled and she is so quiet when we are gone, you still probably couldn't tell). Soo, yes, she stays in our camper by herself quite frequently, and we've never had an issue.

I agree, that its not a good idea to tell total newcomers that it is OK to ignore this rule. You definitely should know what the rules are regarding this at the campgrounds you stay at, and should seriously consider making other arrangements if your dog is not one that can be calm, quiet when alone in your camper. Like so many other things, its about respecting those around you, that may or may not be OK with hearing your dog bark all the time.s

[toedtoes]

If I had to turn on my tv to prevent my Tornado-dog from hearing stuff outside, the neighbors would be complaining about the tv blasting all over the campground.

While the consensus here is that there's no problem doing it, I suspect a roomful of park owners and/or hosts and/or rangers would have a different opinion. But who cares what they think as long as I'm doing it "for the right reasons" (aka MY reasons).

[ford_truck_guy]

we've been camping for 40 or so years, just about ALL with a lab of some age..

I am in the group of folks that always ASSUMED that " no dogs unattended" rule was for people leaving their dogs outside.. unattended.. for hours..

I happen to know that our 2 labs don't bark while we are away, heck they don't bark at home either. We always have another camper or 2 with us and they all know to go and get our dogs if they are barking while we are away. They have not gotten our dogs 1 time to date.

I also agree with the idea to keep the dog isolated from outside "stuff" .. we keep the AC blowing ( or heat ) , shades usually pulled, and TV on for noise.

I have had several folks tell me that if they didn't see the dogs, they would never had known we had a dog..

So... If my dogs start to bark while we are away, we have always said we will rethink our travel schedules...

[Veebyes]

There is not much worse than a barking yapping dog & the owner is nowhere to be found.

Dogs bark at what they can see or hear. The trick is to prevent the dog from seeing outside & prevent the dog from hearing anything outside. Pull the curtains & turn the TV or radio on loud enough to cover all but the loudest of outside sounds.

This is no guarantee for a quiet dog but it is a much better effort than most people make when leaving dogs.

[Grit_dog]

Lantley wrote:
Some of the doomsday scenario you guys bring up are a bit much. Yes people do suddenly become ill and leave pets abandoned but this is not common.
People have heart attacks while driving on the highway with and without pets in the car but we don't prohibit driving.
Emergencies will always occur but they will have to be dealt with on a case by case basis.
I do believe some unattended pet rules are in place simply to limit CG liability
when things go wrong, such as pets being abandoned for weeks, be it intentionally or do to unforeseen illness.

But it’s only the doomsday scenarios and the like that keep uninformative threads like this going…like the Energizer bunny!
This is sillier than the 3 RVs washed in to an arroyo thread.
I don’t care about anyone else’s dog or RV. Not sure why so many are. Nosy Nellies I suppose (to pull up a quote that the Boomers and Silent Gens can relate to).

[StirCrazy]

most of the rules are based on a dog barking and disturbing others while you gone, so they make a blanket rule. we leave our lab alone but we always have AC when we do (5th wheel) and he just sleeps. I know a lot of people think there dog doesnt bark but when left alone they actualy do, and this is what you have to find out also, as if they do then you will have a angry campground host waiting for you when you get back.

[Campinghoss]

We raised our two dogs from the puppy stage to full grown, camping and travelling in various vehicles. We also use cameras with sound so we can hear if the dogs bark and also speak to them. We had a temp and humidity monitor as well. The camera was tied into our inverter so if there was a power failure we would know. The Verizon mi-fi was battery back up which was connected to the camera and temp stik. Over the thousands of miles we have travelled and the number of cg's we have stayed we never had an issue with the dogs or the cg mgmt.

I would not leave the windows open, rather cut on the a/c or just the fan if it is cool enough and leave a radio on. Leaving the window open will almost be sure to get them barking at something. Bottom line know your dog, prepare and always monitor.

[Tvov]

solismaris wrote:
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?

When we bring our dog with us, we plan the camping trip with her in mind. Plan meals at the camper if needed, plan trips where dogs are welcomed, etc.

If we have a trip involving places where dogs are not allowed, then we make arrangements for the dog to be taken care of at home.

We have been to many campgrounds over the years where we were next to or near the camper that had the dog that "never barks". The dog barks...

I have seen many dog owners who I swear simply are so used to their dog barking that they don't hear it anymore. Or, and this is usually more annoying, the dog owner screaming at their dog to shut up - usually involving many inventive words.

Dogs and camping always makes for interesting threads!