Camping with your dog

[TrishB]

I may go to some shows this summer that are situated on camp grounds. So why not combine a camping trip with showing? :)

Who has gone camping with their dogs? What additional supplies did you need that were specific to your dog? Where did they sleep? Did you have issues with your air mattress?

Any stories and insights would be appreciated. :D

[Jamie & Odin]

I camped with Odin at last year's Rottstock. It was great fun!

He did great with the tent, I wondered how he'd do so I set it up at home first. To my surprise he ran right in and layed down, he loved it! But then he tried to run back in through the netted window and knocked the whole thing down He only tried that once, though;)

I used a big piece of foam I got from a craft store instead of an air mattress, worked great. He slept in the tent with me. He was much more attuned to noises though, being in a strange place. He didn't do a lot of barking, but quite a bit of huffing when he heard critters outside.

I used a wire, collapsable crate, and marianne had a tarp to put over it to provide shade.

I just brought the things he uses at home, a few toys, food, bowls, extra leashes, treats, etc. I don't remember bringing anything beyond the everyday items.

If I were to go somewhere were I didn't know people, I'd bring an emergency kit and look ahead of time for phone numbers and locations of emergency vets.

Have fun!

[Grendl]

I've done lots of camping with dogs, both back-packing and campground camping. There's not a whole lot to it. At campgrounds, the dog(s) sleeps in the camper with us. Back-packing, they sleep either in the tent, or outside, depending on the weather. We do not use air mattresses, so we did not have that to deal with. When camping in the camper, I bring along the dog's regular water & food bowls. You do need some way to secure your dog. My mother sent me a nifty tie-out for camping, but I cannot begin to describe it. Anyway, we rarely tied the dogs; they were either on the leash with us, or in the camper. When back-packing, securing the dogs was sometimes a necessity, usually to a tree, and never unsupervised. My first malamute would have to be tied after breakfast on the last day of any back-packing trip. She would disappear, and we would find her waiting for us back at the car, minus her pack, which we would be carrying. After doing that to us twice, she was always tied until we were packed and ready to hit the trail.

[TekaRott]

Bring a hockey helmet, and close the window above your head. We were on a fishing trip and at 3:00 Am Duke caught a whiff of a skunk. Of course he jumps on my bed, stands on my head and is smelling so hard he is blowing slobber everywhere, he wants to go out and play with the stinky kitty. Needless to say we got an early start that morning.

[LynnS]

Teka Rott that is a hilarious story..reminds me of my Akita who grabbed a stinky kittky out of the bushes one night and silly mommy acted before she smelled That was the longest night of my entire life :o

Trish
You would have to drag me kicking a screaming to a show where I had to camp out - You would have to drag me kicking and screaming to anyplace that i had to camp out. Can you tell I am a Jewish American Princess? :D No wasn't that a helpful reply?

[Jaegergirl]

we are avid campers so we got maverick with camping in mind. we only took him on one trip, tho, because we got him end of july and our last camping trip was labor day weekend. we have a tent, so he slept in the tent with us.. but he slept in his crate (he sleeps in it at home so there's no reason he couldn't sleep in it at the campground). we really didn't bring anything special for him, just a long lead that we used to "tie" him up. all of the campgrounds we camp at require dogs be on leash at all times. my youngest son at the time was only 14 m/o so there was no way i could keep maverick on a 6 foot lead and chase after my very adventurous son. so maverick was connected to a very large tree but was able to lie down right next to me. he was right there in all the action!!! maverick did really well and loved being out in the fresh air. we joke about camping this year.. that my son, who will be 2 in may, will need to be secured to something because we are more worried that he will attempt to run off more than maverick will.:) :)

[Maddiesgirl]

Also, take a very long line! We camped (before my rott) with two dogs who both loved to swim. Shorter lines to tie out, as they kept getting wound up on trees, but they loved the lake- so a LONG lines for swimming.

Just be ready with a back up plan, or prepared to leave. We saw a couple politely asked to leave a campground, their dog was confused and barked ...alot. Which really echoes in the woods at night.

Alittle doggie bug repellant is also nice, it seemed like the bugs bothered the dogs more than they went after us.:D

[flyballmom]

Oh yeah! That's the best of both worlds. We do the same at flyball tournaments. We camped in a beach campground for one tournament, it was great! At first we tent camped. Then we bought a little travel trailer. The dogs LOVE it!! The dogs sleep with my friend and I-either in the tent or in bed with us in the trailer. Tent camping we did use one of those inflatable mattresses and had no problem with them tearing it-we keep their nails trimmed pretty short, though. We set up an x-pen outside the door of the tent or trailer so in the morning the dogs are out from under foot. That's where they are fed. We take along a few familiar toys and some chewies, and all is well. Have fun!!

[amya1234]

We bought our first camper last summer. Bailey loves it! Our camper is a tent camper (with the fold out beds on each end). It sleeps 6. And since we only have one son, that means Bailey gets her own bed! The only problem that we had was that she wouldn't eat her food. We used her bowls from home too. I'm hoping that this summer she will be used to camping and eat normally. She loves to swim. We used one of the retractable leashes. It is so much fun! I can't wait until we can go again! Cabin fever is setting in! I have enclosed some swimming pictures(hopefully they turn out) from last summer. It was such a beautiful day,and the colors are so gorgeous.:D I want summer!:(

[Nina&Bill]

Smidgen loved to camp...actually she loved to do anything with us. We brought her to a few motorcycle rallies and it never occurred to me to bring anything special for her aside from the usual food, water (and bug spray :)). She slept in the tent with us...found the most confortable spot & just sacked out. Of course the most comfortable spot was smack in the middle of the sleeping bags so she was relocated to the second most comfortable spot :D.

We made sure to keep both the tent & her in the shade, kept her as wet as possible and had a blast. She was a wonderful vacation partner. Well behaved in both tenst & hotel rooms :).

Amber's a different story. I guess we'll find out this summer how she takes to camping. But I'm definitely packing a long line for swimming this time!

Nina

[TrishB]

If you're looking for a cheap long line - go to a tack store and get a nylon "Lunge Line" for horses. ;)

[Nina&Bill]

Trish, you bring up a great point that my trainer clued me in on...check out the horse stuff! Lots of times those things (like the lunge line that you mentioned) are loads cheaper than the equivalent labelled for a dog. We have a 10 foot horse lead that is clipped to Amber around the house to help stop her from jumping up on people (step down on the lead so she can't get a jumping). It's thick, sturdy cotton rope & cost all of 6$. I'll definitely stop by the tack shop this weekend & look for a lunge line. :)

Nina

[snooksbc]

Yes! camping with the beasts is great!!! Last year we brought a small tent for the dogs, but neither one of them used it at night. They got to sleep in the tent with us. (no skunks thank goodness). they had their own tent for during the day if they wanted. Bug spray is a necessity up here. This year it is in a camper, the DH says its so the dogs are warmer and have more room.

[TekaRott]

Snooksbc,

The camper is great, however when the temperature drops to around 32F, there is not much room in the bed for 2-80lbs dogs, myself and my wife. The wife has to move to the other bed, she gets out-voted, don't want my doggies to get cold.:D

[Jaegergirl]

is good to use on dogs to keep bugs away... that's what we use.