Traveling with a pet

The parks I've stay at long term, I usually developed a friendship that can be used as a pet setter while away.

Off your question, but, We have 3 dogs (inherited, son(s)divorce) and have quit camping. We have to take a one week trip next month and it is costing us 70.00 a day to board them. So, a one week trip, boarding + campground + gas will cost over $1000.00. I'd rather stay home. Get used to fast food restaurants or high boarding fees.

You leave them in the RV and hope that they don't bark which will cause the park manager to call you.

We have a Class B now, so the dog comes everywhere with us. If we go in a restaurant, store, historic site or wherever that he can't come he stays in the RV. It's his home away from home, so it's exactly what he's used to. The only difference is that in the RV we crate him. He's not crated at home, but in the RV we do it for his safety and to keep him from damaging anything. We pull the shades and leave the AC or the fan on for white noise. We have an on board genny, so we can run it when he needs the AC.

When we had our Class A, a toad and two dogs they stayed in the RV when we went out and they couldn't come. Again--crates, leave something on for white noise, etc.

You want to make sure barking while you're gone isn't an issue. Some will say that's impossible to know but in reality it's very easy--ask neighbors (you can ask them to listen for barking before you leave and even give them your cell # and ask them to call if there's a problem) or set up a camera or a voice activated recorder. For the first few times it would be good to leave for just a few minutes, then gradually lengthen the time you're away. If necessary practice leaving the dog in your trailer while you're at home to get her used to it and see how she does. It also helps to make sure your dog is well-exercised and tired before you leave, and to leave her with a safe, yummy chew toy.

Of course the above assumes you have reliable electricity and can run the AC to keep your RV at a safe temperature for the dog.

Many campgrounds state that dogs are not to be left unattended. Some people take that to mean they aren't to be left outside an RV unattended, others take it to mean they aren't to be left even inside their own RV. We had our Class A for ten years and I always asked. Every place we stayed or thought about staying I asked in advance. In those ten years in only one instance was I told that it was not okay to leave a quiet, well behaved dog inside our RV. Of course we chose not to stay there. My conclusion is (obviously) that if this ambiguous rule has ever meant that dogs couldn't be left alone inside an RV it was meant to be selectively applied in retrospect for troublesome barkers. But--ask. We've encountered a very, very small number of campgrounds that state unambiguously in their rules that dogs can't be left unattended, ever, even inside their own unit. So we just avoid those. They have been very few, so it hasn't been hard.

I'm looking forward (not) to this fall when we go to Maine for a couple weeks and bring our very large black lab / chow mix along. He's 100 pounds and quite large, looks wicked mean but in reality is a big baby, very mannerly, obedient and housebroken and loves kids...

I guess boarding is an alternative which we may do but prefer not too and we have a truck camper so at night it would be like 3 peas in a pod..

Been down the boarding route before. One it's expensive, two, it's hard on any dog because of the absence of their owner, three it's hard on the owner(s), especially if they are as attached to the dog as we are and fourth, the dog might get sick or go off feed. Dog's especially are used to a schedule that will get disrupted with boarding and when you board, the dog must be vaccinated for kennel cough.

So no, we aren't looking forward to boarding but bringing along the big black dog will have some interesting aspects....

Will be an adventure for sure.

Anyone use rover.com... pet sitters in about every city?

azrving wrote:
You leave them in the RV and hope that they don't bark which will cause the park manager to call you.

Not really great advise. Even if the park manager doesn't get involved, the dog, especially a howler like a Basset Hound, may be making quite a bit of noise. Plus it's not fair to the dog.

Guy down the road a bit has a hound and at times I want to go down there and stuff a sock in it's mouth. Nice pup but the baying is highly irritating at times.

Our dog don't bay, thankfully nor does it bark often. Good on both counts.

Basset hounds hate to be alone, so we take her about everywhere we go. When we can...

I full-time with my 3 yr old cocker spaniel. I include him in on all activities, except to go grocery shopping. He howls/barks/cries if left alone. I almost always talk to the neighbors, explain he is alone and will not be happy until I return. Tell them where I am going and how long I expect to be gone. I have not met an unreasonable person yet. Give them my cell # if needed. If furkid is not allowed at event, then I don't go. My choice to have him.