Solo RV'ers With Dogs

[Paleo_Ron]

Hi - I'm considering getting a dog and I'd be interested in hearing from solo travellers who take their dogs with them. I've been thinking about this and am concerned with the practicalities of leaving a dog alone when one has to take a shower, or leaving the dog in the car for a quick jaunt to get groceries etc. I seems to me that one would be constantly rushing back to the car or to camp to make sure your pet is OK. I guess I'm worried about finding myself in a situation where the dog is tied to a tree, and I'm tied to the dog. On the other hand, I'm sure the company would be welcome. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Good_Ol_Boy]

I bring my dogs everywhere I go, they're well behaved, but larger breeds (pit mix, American Bulldog). They are always on leash when I'm away from home, I keep a roll of poop bags in my pocket, I keep vet records in my truck. I camp alone and feel safer and more secure when I have my dogs with me. it's nice having a bred guard dog along everywhere I go, he'll let me know if anything is looking sketchy. As far as going places I keep their crates in the trailer, and leave the AC/heat on when I leave. Or I'll keep the truck running when I have to leave them in there. I keep a spare key in the truck for this reason.

[silvercorvette]

My two dogs are always with me no matter where I go, even at home if I am driving to Walmart or a doctors appointment the dogs come with me. For the very rare occasions I need to leave them behind I may put the dogs in a metal wire crate. I am in bed using my lap top with one dog near my head and the other near my feet.

By the way one of the reasons I own an RV is to make it easier to travel with my dogs.

[milo]

We traveled with our beagle & 2 Yorkies for the better part of 10 years. We would leave em in the TT while we went in a store or took em with us sightseeing ...never had a problem. Now we only have 1 yorkie with us. The Beagle (waiting at Rainbow bridge) set the bar way to high for us to even think about getting another one + I'm to darn old to try & train another Buddy.

[Comeoutswingin]

While we're not exactly solo as its me and my girlfriend, we take our two yellow labs pretty much everywhere with us. I can't say they really have ever stopped us from doing any activity, but we like to include our dogs in the things we do so that may cause us to pick things to do that we can include them with.

They're extremely well behaved dogs who that rarely ever bark, they don't chew and are really good at holding 'it' in for hours and hours, because I swear for water dogs, these two act like they will melt in the rain.

Leaving them in the camper when we go out motorcycle riding, or even in the truck if we stop for dinner has never been a problem. We usually travel in cooler areas, but if I thought it were even questionably too hot for them I would leave the truck running with the AC on for them.

I would look for a breed that is more of a calm laid back breed if you're still in the looking mode. I've had smaller dogs, and dog sat for people with smaller dogs and I find the bigger dogs to be much lower maintenance and easier to manage.

[xteacher]

We travel with 2/3 dogs at any given time. Maddie needs to be crated b/c she'll pee on something while we're gone (don't ask how I know this...). We leave the radio on a music station when we leave them alone, and yes, we put bark collars on the little dogs. The boxer only barks if there's a good reason. We also have an x-pen with off the ground camping beds for when we're hanging around outside.

If you don't have a lot of patience, don't get a dog. If you want a loving travel companion, go for it! I'd suggest a small to medium sized dog, for convenience sake (under 45 pounds).

[rockhillmanor]

stevekk wrote:
....Also consider having the dog qualify as a "service dog". That way you can take into store with you.

[Oaklevel]

Solo sometimes............We have 2 Boxers & would not think about leaving them at home.... Yes more responsibility but would not change that....They are crate trained & they are either left in a crate or their room (we have a toyhauler) if I need to go out........ Great Company....Great Icebreakers............

LOL kind of backward but they are always on a leash camping but almost never at home...........

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

Not solo - but I would still bring my dogs with me if I were. The companionship is nice; plus I feel more secure with dogs - only because IMO, a thief will go bother someone else's RV if they hear a dog bark? Yes, you have to alter some activities; I guess the problem boils down to "do you enjoy a dog's companionship more than an all-day sightseeing trip"?

[WrongWayRandall]

lj2654 wrote:
Just got home from a 5 day camping trip to Myakka river State park in Bradenton Florida! The people there visiting seemed to not want to follow the parks rules:
1)no picking up the poop

2)walking dogs around park without leashes(big and small dogs)

3) leaving dogs locked up in RV while they left for 4 hours and dogs never stopped barking the whole time

1 + 2, definitely a problem, especially since these are part of the park rules. #3 is not so much of an issue, at least for me. If it's quiet hours then yes, I can see this as an issue, but during the day dogs inside an RV make no more noise than children playing outside (often quite a bit less), and certainly less than many generators.

Our dogs are afraid of people and strongly dislike children, so they often bark when they are in the camper alone. And while this does concern me to a degree, I have never seen anyone tell their children to keep the noise level down, and rarely see anyone ask their neighbors if they mind the generator running for 6-8 hours (or more) during the day. We do not leave our pets in the camper at night - only during the day, and then only for a few hours at a time, while we hike (dogs are not welcome on many trails) or see the sights. If they add a little bit to the ever-present cacophony of your average campground I don't worry overly about it...

[colliehauler]

It's a choice if you want to deal with the limitations imposed by having a dog or not. I bought my RV so I could take the Collies.

[Paleo_Ron]

As always, I really appreciate you good folks who take the time to answer my querries. And when I say: "... the dog tied to a tree...", I'm of course speaking figuratively. It sounds from your replies pretty much as I thought: a dog can be a good companion, especially if well-trained, but nothing in life comes without a price. Lots to think about. Thanks again.

[frmAloha]

I've always traveled with a dog. And when my lab died, I knew that I'd need a "new to me" pooch before I set out on my next long trip. Not only is a dog a great companion, but I also feel safer with one. If you are comfortable leaving your dog in your home when you're out and about, then you should be comfortable leaving her in your RV.

[Pawz4me]

stevekk wrote:
Also consider having the dog qualify as a "service dog".
That way you can take into store with you.

Very bad advice. It makes all dog owners look bad and makes life harder for those who have a true need for a service dog. The ONLY service dogs should be ones who've been trained and certified through legitimate service dog providers.

[stevekk]

Just some ideas...
Get a small dog.
Consider like a Poodle/ mix, since they do not shed.
Buy a plastic carrier for the MH and leave the dog in carrier, when away.
Big problem is the heat... if you take the dog with you in car.
Better to leave in MH.

Lots of positives, having a dog. Lots of fun, companionship, sleep with.

Also consider having the dog qualify as a "service dog".
That way you can take into store with you.