RE: Camping with a new dog - Questions

[CampinCrazy]

 
Calling all camping dog owners!
 We are the new and proud owners of a 1 year old standard Schnauzer.  Full of energy and beautiful is the best way to describe her.  I want to take her with us camping (of course) but I m not sure what to do with her the few times (pot-luck with NTPUCA) she can t come with us.
 
 Do you leave your dogs in the camper?  Do they eat the camper?  Escape?  Do you use their crate in the camper?  
 
 Any and all tips/advice/cautions would be appreciated.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!
 
 

[4campinfoxes]

 CampinCrazy
We take our 2 large Labs with us just about anytime we camp.  We have left them in the camper, they just sleep on the beds.  But we only do that if the weather is all right (not too hot) as we zip up the windows so they can t see out.  We also only do that for short periods of time.  If we re going to be gone a lot, like when we re on our week long vacation, we kennel the dogs.  
 
 If I had a smaller dog I would bring their crate along & put them in that inside the camper (again, weather permitting), unfortunately our dogs  kennels would take up the whole camper!  Mine do not eat in the camper and they are generally outside except at bedtime.  They love coming with us & hanging out near the camper.  
 
 Be sure you have an appropriate tie-out system, some campgrounds allow you to put ropes around trees, others don t.  You ll also want to make sure you find sites with shade for the dog.

[Trlrboy]

 CampinCrazy
We leave our Brittany in our camper for the potluck dinners with NTPUCA.  I think if everyone brought their dogs to the dinner it would be wild hysteria which might be fun to watch but hard to eat dinner... LOL.
 
 Our Britt is pretty calm and just sleeps on the bunk when we aren t around in contrast to her wild antics when she s out playing with a bunch of kids.  If you are edgy about leaving your Schnauzer loose in the camper, a crate is a great idea.  Our last dog loved being in the crate and she was quiet and peaceful most of the time.  We would leave her with a pig hoof to chew on and she was in hog heaven, so to speak.

[JemJen24]

 CampinCrazy
Congrats on your new Schnauzer!  And a STANDARD one at that! WOW!  You don t see those a lot and they re sooo beautiful!
 
 We can leave either of our dogs in the camper as long as the door is sealed and the windows are sipped up.  Our Boxer just sits on the bench and waits for us.  Our Brittany mix just lays in front of the door.
 
 However, since this is your first outing (I m guessing) with the dog and you haven t had it all that long, you may want to check into crating her/him while you re not in the camper so you don t come back to a destroyed bed or window.  []

[sandykayak]

 CampinCrazy
in one of the older issues of PUT (ask Dave for copies of old issues) there was an article that said, don t leave the dog inside with the a/c on since there could be a power outtage.
 
 I ve left them for a short time and (if it s warmish) I leave the a/c on and one of the zipper windows partially(well...mostly) unzipped.  
 
 as someone said, the price of the juice is included in the fee (or in Fla. state parks, we pay an extra $2 per night for the privilege).

[Gatsmommy]

 CampinCrazy
We ve taken our lab out and he does ok (he s not an outdoor dog and really doesn t like camping LOL). If we need to leave we can usually put him in the camper and he ll jump up on the dinette bed and fall asleep.
 
 That being said we re not taking him to Ink s lake. I don t want to be tied to the campsite and I feel guilty leaving him for very long.
 
 

[Trlrboy]

 CampinCrazy
Hey Beth,
 
 Maybe we need to do a dog tricks contest at Inks Lake.  There will probably be around 15 or more dogs.  What do you think?

[Tim5055]

 CampinCrazy
Leaving the dog alone in the pop up all depends on the dog.  Some, like Natasha will sleep while their owners are gone while others will continue to bark.  Only you will know your dog.
 
 The idea of a crate for dogs crate trained is a good one.  They feel safe and at home in the crate and tend to stay quiet.
 
 Check out [link=http://www.title-3.com/DoggieCamping.htm]Camping With Your Dog[/link]

[ForestCreature]

 CampinCrazy
Our dog loves to camp! If we plan things that don t include the dog he stays home.
 
 We can t leave the dog in the camper, he would tear the door up. But he is content to sit in the van while we eat out. Weather will play a big roll on where you can leave the dog. Many Campgrounds don t allow you to leave the dog unattended, keep that in mind.  
 
 BUT............ If your dog has never camped, maybe take her on a dry run so to speak to see how she deals with being locked in the camper and you walking away for a period of time. This way your meal wont be ruined by  an unexpected dog barking or escaping.

[springer02]

 CampinCrazy
Our Springer Spaniel loves to camp with us but the key to her happiness is lots of walks, hikes and just being outside with the family.  Swimming really tires her out but then we have that lovely wet-dog smell .....  She sleeps on the bed while we re gone or just hangs out and looks out the windows.
 
 Congrats on your new dog!
 
 Tena

[Gatsmommy]

 CampinCrazy

Maybe we need to do a dog tricks contest at Inks Lake. There will probably be around 15 or more dogs. What do you think?

 OK then we re DEFINATLY not bringing the dog. He hates camping, but he d be pulling at his leash all weekend trying to get to the other dogs to make friends.  We figured being it s our first group campout we d be nice to him and leave him at the kennel. He loves going there. Odd since e s mostly yellow lab, but there s somthing else in him that s a couch potato LOL!
 
 Next time he might have to come. We ve made him suffer though a couple weekends with us, and I actually think he s starting to enjoy them a little....even though he complaines the whole time.
 
 

[Starryart]

 CampinCrazy
Our Boston Terrier, Daisy, loves to camp!
 She is one that we can trust to leave in the camper (during cooler weather) and never have to worry about the camper getting chewed. We take her " blankie" , and favorite toys and she is a happy camper.(Don t you love that expression!)
 We crated her as a pup until she could prove her good manners.
 She is an excellent camp dog.[]
     We keep her bowls, tethers, and spare toys in the camper. Lord forbid we forgot the toys one weekend! Poor Daisy! Dad had to make a special trip to the nearest Wal Mart for one.
     We also keep her on a harness instead of clipping onto her collar. It saves on wear and tear on her neck, and she has a tendency to pull less on the leash.

[wssfetch]

 CampinCrazy
My guys love the camper!  Its like a secret clubhouse for them.  When I am in the camper they hang out on the bunkends or dinette seat.  But if I am not there they are either in their crates in the van or I put crates on the " spare"  bunkend for them.  Works for us.

[Miss-Teri]

 CampinCrazy
Our Collie is content to sleep on the bunkend while we re gone, but we crate the Chihuahua to keep her from seeing something outside that she ll want to bark at.  
 
 Also, one thing that I don t think was mentioned that helps us a lot is we leave the radio on quietly for white noise so the dogs don t hear the people walking past.
 
 Many campgrounds are extremely dog friendly.  We stayed at one in Estes Park, CO that gave us a dog treat wrapped in a plastic bag (hint, hint []) on check-in, and had plastic bag dispensers all along the perimeter of the site.  When one of the groundskeepers would drive by, they would stop and give the dogs a treat.  The dogs had a wonderful time there.  Especially when we stayed out too long to look at the moose that were in the campground giving them (the Chihuahua specifically) enough time to get the steak off the table!  [:@]

[whippetwrun]

 CampinCrazy
Our 2 whippets enjoy camping and hiking with us.  In general they are a silent breed and love a good, long nap after their walk. They have chew toys, food and water to occupy them.  So far they ll stay quietly in the camper.  We always bring their crates in case they are acting up.
 
 We can also keep them in the truck bed (we have a cap) with the windows open if it s in a shady spot.  
 
 If you leave them in a crate, you might want to attach a battery operated fan to the crate so air continues to move around them and get either a water bottle or bowl that attaches to the crate front.
 
 Also one those toys that you can hide treats in is a good way to make sure they don t get bored if you leave them on their own.
  And wear your dog out with a lot of play or a good walk before you leave her alone.