traveling with doggie

[bigdog2306]

We are soon to be T/T owners,we have little dog (yorkie),we want to camp in state parks,COE parks,and Natl parks. do we take the dog where ever we go,leave her in rig,,not a big barker we think.Anyone have ideas.No we cant leave her home, shes part of the family.

[rbpru]

Never had much need or use for a dog crate. They sleep on the floor where I am. If I am not there, they sleep on the floor where I should be.

[CavemanCharlie]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
Keep her close. Some animals will take the dog for food right in front of you eyes. Many places say that you can not leave the dog unattended. Even if it is inside the camper. I ignore that. As long as the dog doesn't bark how do they even know it's in there ?

I have a kennel for my dog that I use when leaving the camper. I also have a Bark Collar. I haven't had to use use the bark collar in a few years. He got the idea. He may bark when I first leave. If he does I go back and punish him. I have sneaked back to the camper after driving away and he is quiet. I have many times asked the neighbors if there was trouble and they said no.

Take the dog,, keep it safe !!! leave it behind when you must. And make sure it is quiet when you leave it alone.

Maybe I should have called the Kennel a Crate but, the idea is the same. Train your dog to like the crate. They will think of it as a home and feel secure in it. Then you can leave them in the RV when you leave and no one will know that they are there.

I feel bad when I have to do this but, sometimes there is no other choice.

The dog doesn't care as long as he gets to go with (and not get left home) and sniff new things.

[myredracer]

bigdog2306 wrote:
Anyone have ideas.

Beware of any CG that doesn't strictly enforce their leash rule. Our dog got attacked at a CG once by an off-leash bulldog and the CG was like, whatever... :M Maybe check RVparkreviews or elsewhere in advance?

Besides things mentioned above, if you plan to go to a particular CG often or stay at a new one for a while, see if there is a doggie daycare nearby so you can do shopping or whatever if you want to without having to worry or needing one person to stay behind at the CG.

Depending on what the dog is like, replace the lower screen in the entry door with plexiglass (easy to do). Maybe try a nanny cam that you can remote monitor from your phone. Maybe crate train (at least at first)? May sound harsh but it's not. We did that with a previous dog and he loved laying down in it even when we were home.

At first, it was hard to get our dog into the TT because it was so new and out of his "comfort zone." Almost had to drag him in. Now, somehow he just knows when we're getting ready to leave and he can't wait to get to the CG. It is hard on us sometimes tho.

[toedtoes]

Know the rules before you go and follow them. Don't pick and choose what rules to follow and don't ignore the rules you don't like. Those behaviors are what get dogs banned from campgrounds and trails more than anything else.

My dogs go with me everywhere except the campground bathrooms. That's why I like camping, because it's a "group" activity. I pick places where I can do this and leave the other places for when I don't have dogs. If I'm going to leave my dogs inside the rv for hours, then I might as well leave them at home where they can go in and out as they wish. So, my campground choices reflect this. No need to ignore rules or defy them.

[susan-y]

My dog is not a barker at home, but stands on the table and barks unless I leave the tv or radio on and loud enough to mask outside noises.

[danimal53]

like you, our dogs (2 huskies) were a big reason we got a TT as well. They come with on every trip, and we always check the campground or park rules regarding where they are allowed. they are not barkers when we leave them in the TT, and we ALWAYS camp with at least electric hookup so we can run the AC. The white noise of the AC blocks most noise from outside, and we keep the blinds closed, keeps the temp cool and blocks them from seeing other dogs through the windows (which they would bark at). The only problem we've had was them barking at some critters in the darkness, which angered a neighbor (it was only 9pm, quiet hours were at 10pm), but we just put the dogs inside while we sat around the campfire. No real issues otherwise.

[rbpru]

I believe the biggest issue is the dogs temperament. My hound rarely barks, has little interest in other dogs, sits tied or untied under the picnic table when we are their. He is a super mellow Golden Doodle perfectly content to lay on the back seat dog lounge I made for him.

However, when he sees a squirrel, all bets are off and the chase is on. Fortunately he has not learned to climb trees.

Other dogs are yappers and will bark at their shadow, like children each has to be treated according.

[Atlee]

Different national parks are different. At Petrified Forest/Painted Desert National Park, our dog could pretty much go anywhere we went.

At Yellowstone National Park, there are some places were dogs are 100% verboten. This is especially true around the thermal sites.

There are also few, if any trails, where dogs are welcome in Yellowstone.

bigdog2306 wrote:
We are soon to be T/T owners,we have little dog (yorkie),we want to camp in state parks,COE parks,and Natl parks. do we take the dog where ever we go,leave her in rig,,not a big barker we think.Anyone have ideas.No we cant leave her home, shes part of the family.

[CavemanCharlie]

Keep her close. Some animals will take the dog for food right in front of you eyes. Many places say that you can not leave the dog unattended. Even if it is inside the camper. I ignore that. As long as the dog doesn't bark how do they even know it's in there ?

I have a kennel for my dog that I use when leaving the camper. I also have a Bark Collar. I haven't had to use use the bark collar in a few years. He got the idea. He may bark when I first leave. If he does I go back and punish him. I have sneaked back to the camper after driving away and he is quiet. I have many times asked the neighbors if there was trouble and they said no.

Take the dog,, keep it safe !!! leave it behind when you must. And make sure it is quiet when you leave it alone.

[rbpru]

When we travel our 60 lb. Golden Doodle goes with us. In AZ dogs are allowed in many stores because they do not want them left in cars.

All the National Parks we have been in would not let the dog on the trails. All the State Parks allowed them on the trails when on a leash. I am sure there are exceptions but we have not found one.

On the BLM land out West, the dog was free to run off leash, which also allowed then to be attached or bitten by the local critters.

Bass pro, Camping World, TSC and a few other places will allow dogs. We very rarely leave the dog in the TT unattended and never tied out side alone.(Often not allowed.)

Many restaurants have us allowed us to dine on the outside patio with him.

You will at times have to modify your plans because of your dog but that is life. Fortunately the increase in service dogs for a multitude of tasks, is helping create a more dog friendly environment.

[yillb]

We have two dogs.. once of them that is big... i regret it every day 🙂

[ssthrd]

I guess the answer is it depends on how your dog reacts to being alone. Our Lab goes almost everywhere with us, but on the rare occasion that we can't take him, he is crate trained, and is quite happy to be in his safe place for a couple of hours.

I have no issues with telling friends to leave their rambunctious pets at home.

[pennysmom09]

janstey58 wrote:
How about another angle on this dog topic, how do you feel if you are expecting out of town guests that are planning to stay with you in your RV, and they say they are bringing their dog that I know is not well trained (poor dog owner basically)? We are faced with this, and it is my DW's daughter, a no win!! I put my foot down and insisted they either board the dog or rent a cabin in the CG. What would you do?

Same thing you did. I would have no problem refusing any other dog in our RV.

[Hornnumb2]

We mostly stay at Texas state parks but they are welcome anywhere except in the buildings. When in the campsite they are on a lead connected to a tree. If we have to leave them in the rv they are fine. I have 2 aussies.