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RVing With Dogs - Tips and Tricks From Our Experience

RVing with dogs

Setting out on a camping trip with our furry, four-leg companions has become one of the hallmarks of modern-day camping culture. There isn't much better of a feeling than being able to take your family dog along on a vacation. Hiking, swimming, and exploring new places is all the more entertaining with a wide-eyed pup taking it all in. More now than ever our pets have become like members of our family that we want to share these experiences with. There is a lot to consider prior to loading up the family pet and heading down the road if you want to make it a rewarding experience. In this article will share our experience, recommendations, and tips on RVing with dogs.



Getting Your Dog RV Ready

I think the first point that needs to be made is that not all dogs are cut out for RVing. I know that can be a tough pill to swallow, but we've been there. Our current camping pup Stella is a great travel companion, but our previous dog, Max, who passed away absolutely was not. Alot of it boiled down to temperament which can be unique to each dog. Max was naturally anxious and distrustful of strangers which made him a hazard around kids, other animals, and just people passing by. We tried many things but only took him on an overnight trip once at a small sparsely filled campground before we decided this just wasn't for him. So, we would board him where he was comfortable when we went on camping trips. Stella on the other hand loves kids, other animals, and is comfortable in chaotic situations. It's a night and day difference that means she rides along on every trip. She even gets excited if she sees us loading up the RV.


I feel that it is important to point out how important temperament is when deciding if your dog is an acceptable travel companion. Remember, you don't own the campground or your RV site in most cases. Kids, other animals, and other campers will be at most if not all campgrounds. You have no right to disturb or endanger those other campers or their pets and a dog with a bad temperament does just that whether its aggressive behavior or non-stop barking. In many states you can be held legally liable for any damage or injuries your dog causes. A kid walking across your site (while not a polite thing to do) likely won't hold water as a defense in a court room. Likewise, the campground owners are on the hook along with their insurance for hazards they don't address. This is why we now see so many leash, breed, and fence restrictions... other campers have caused a hazard with their animals that they must address. Your dog is your responsibility and being careless only causes further restrictions to be imposed.


While I'm not a dog behavior expert, I do have some tips for getting your dog camp ready and gauging temperament.


First, socialize them to get them used to campground like environments. When Stella was a puppy we would take her to community parks, stores (that allowed dogs), and frequent car rides. The constant exposure to these situations where it was both safe and rewarding for her allowed her to disassociate any kind of fear of being around people, kids, and other animals as well as being in a vehicle for long periods of time. Doing this before trying camping as short, frequent activities allowed us to have more control of the environment and her exposure to the stimuli where we could quickly remove her from the situations or reassure her if she started to get anxious. It also gave us an idea of what fears she wasn't shaking. For Stella, it is trash trucks. No idea why, but if we see one coming or are close to dumpsters, we know what to watch for and mitigate. Thankfully, trash truck exposure is easily controllable for us. If it was something like kids or other dogs that we couldn't get her used to, well, she wouldn't be able to go camping with us. It would just be too much stress on her and us along with the liability factor. Thankfully she adapted quickly to these exposures and loves kids, people, and other pets.


Next was dog daycare. There is no better way to socialize a dog with other animals than a reputable and knowledgeable dog daycare facility in my opinion. They will often do temperament tests before putting them with other dogs and over time they will adjust and get used to encounters with dogs of all sizes and associate it with a rewarding experience. Just because your dog doesn't chase a like-size pup doesn't mean it won't go after someone's miniature poodle which is a big risk if that behavior hasn't been worked out.


Finally, we started bringing her into the camper while it was at our house to get used to being in the RV. In this way, she got used to respecting the furniture, wood, and various areas of the RV. She learned what was expected of her while she was inside. You don't have to search far to find a vast number of pictures of RVs torn up by anxious or curious pups. Then we moved on to local, short weekend camping trips. Places where we could pack up and leave if things didn't go well. Once thru this phase, and with Her's and our confidence growing, we began to move forward with long and far RV trips.


A good result of this process is that a dog that enjoys dog daycare can make travel so much nicer. We rarely leave Stella alone all day in our RV. Instead, we always schedule a day or two at a local dog daycare where we are staying and then use those days to do non-dog friendly activities. Think public pool or beach days, museums, shopping trips, or certain site-seeing locations. We get our day to do those things, and she comes back worn out from a full day of playing. It is a win-win. Honestly, we have found great locations for dog daycare almost everywhere we've camped. A couple of our favorites are:




What We Bring Along

If you're ready to venture out with your dog on a long camping trip there are some things you will want to bring along. I've put together a list of what we have found to be must-haves for K-9 camping adventures that goes beyond just some food, toys, and a water bowl. Here's what we pack:


  1. Shot Records - Believe it or not, this is often state law as you travel around the country. Your dog must be up to date on their required shots. We have found that some campgrounds won't even allow you to bring a dog in if you can't produce the documentation. Print it out and keep a copy handy.


  2. Dog First Aid Kit - I know it may seem a little extreme to some, but you are taking your dog to unfamiliar places and hopefully going on adventures. A kid drops a chocolate piece and your dog gobbles it up, your dog picks a fight with a raccoon getting in your trash, or something as simple as a tick from a hike (Stella once managed to get a tick on her tongue) ... Stuff happens, and you'll want the tools to deal with it readily available. We always keep a kit handy for the unexpected.


  3. Travel Bowls - You're going to be spending time on the road, and you need a way to get your pup a drink. The same goes for adventures out in town and on the trail. It's easy to overlook, but you need to have a convenient way to carry a bowl of some sort around with you unless your dog finds a way to drink directly from the water bottle. We find the collapsible bowls to be the best option to have around. Keep one in the vehicle and one in the backpack for easy access.


  4. Long and Short Leash - You'll find many campgrounds and parks have a 6-foot leash rule with varying degrees of enforcement. Be sure to have one available to avoid any issues. We always keep a long waterproof leash for giving Stella some room to play when we can and she loves to swim. The long leash lets us allow her to explore the beach, creeks, and lakes without a soaked, sandy mess to haul around and dry off.


  5. Dog Harnesses (2) - We always use harnesses because they are more secure than a collar. This is especially true when hiking and you have to assist in keeping the pup out of trouble or you simply need more control in a situation. We keep two around because Stella loves to swim. A wet harness can be swapped out easily if you've got an extra around instead of your backseat getting soaked since they are difficult to dry. We also like ones with a front clip as well to prevent pulling when she's really wound up and excited.


  6. Tie-Outs and Fencing - We've tried several tie-outs for at the campsite and found that a single quality tie-out attached to the RV tire rim seems to work the best. The tree runs are often prohibited at campgrounds if you even have the trees to use them. The ground stakes are only good in the right soil. All the other fancy contraptions break. A simple effective cable does the trick and has become our go-to. Fencing can be nice, but many campgrounds prohibit it now days because some owners can't keep their dogs inside the fence when they get aggressive or excited. It only takes once for a campground's insurance to inform them to either pay up or pass new rules. Only use the fence if it's allowed and your dog respects boundaries. Luckily for us Stella doesn't test fences.


  7. Cordless Stick Vacuum - FUR EVERYWHERE! That's just the name of the game with dogs...they shed...a lot. They also like to track sand, leaves, and dirt in with them as well. In an enclosed space it is even worse than a house. We are sure to vacuum at least daily to keep the fur at bay. A Dyson would be nice, but on a camper's budget we have been using this model for the past two years and it works great. I also use the attachments for cleaning the tow vehicle as well.


  8. Fur Cleaner - If you have dogs riding in your vehicle, the Stick-It pet hair remover is a must have. I originally found this at an RV show and it combines a sticky roller and a fur rake into one tool. You simply scrape the truck carpet and seat to release the hair and then roll over it to pick it up. There is one trick I've found to it and it is to use the blue Dawn dish soap. As the sticky roller gets dirty, just dip it in a bucket of hot water and Dawn to release the dirt and then dry it off on a towel. Don't ask me why blue Dawn dish soap is the one that works, but I've tried other things and the Dawn and hot water method is where it is at.


  9. Dog Bath Supplies - Try as you may, the pup is going to get into something. Be it mud, sand, or creek water they are attracted to things you don't want brought inside. The good news is that most RVs now have an outdoor shower. Our pup knows once she's done being, well a dog, she's getting a bath before she's going in. Sometimes I think she does it just so she can get a bath.


  10. Dog Fast Dry Towels - I've probably said it 10 times now, but our dog loves water. These towels help us get her dry fast. They are also good for after a bath before she can roll back into some dirt and grime.


  11. Dog Waste Bags - You're going to need a lot of them if you travel with your pup often. Many times the dog park dispenser will be out. Just don't be that goon that doesn't clean up after their dog. These things are dirt cheap.


  12. Bowl Mats - Water is death to an RV and dogs tend to splash in the water whether they are drinking or playing. These help keep water from damaging your RV.


  13. Outdoor Raised Bed - Your pup is gonna want some relaxing time once you've sufficiently worn them out with hikes and adventures. We've found these raised beds keep them from lying in the dirt and gravel and let me keep my camp chair. Otherwise, our pup will take over the nearest vacant chair. I simply take the four hex-head screws out and roll it up for travel.


  14. Folding Kennel - This isn't for all dogs, but if your dog is crate trained these make excellent travel crates. It also alleviates the worry of what they are doing when left inside. The last thing you want is to come back to your RV being a chew toy. Just be sure your dog isn't an anxious barker and annoying all your neighbors while you're out. They fold down flat for travel days.


  15. Camera With Temp Alert - This is something that we love. As long as you have internet access you can keep an eye on your pup and get temperature updates to be sure the AC or heat is working. You can also talk thru the camera on the app if you need to calm your pup. Finally, the Canary camera also can be used for security while you're away. It has an alarm feature that you can remotely activate if you notice unexpected company on the camera. The free app lets you use all the tools in real time, but if you want the recording feature you'll need to pay for the subscription.


  16. Headlamp for Night Walks - Because the pup never needs to go out at a convenient time. There is nothing worse than being tired and ready for bed, but stuck trying to find where your pup left a present in the grass that you need to clean up. They are also nice to keep around for those unexpected repairs that come up with RVs.


  17. Slow-Drink Bowl - These are great for keeping your dog's drinking water off the floor. They are really necessary, but it'll save you a lot of cleanup around the RV.



What To Do

We have many things we like to do with our dog while RVing. She loves the trails, exploring downtowns, beaches, and even restaurants. Every dog is different, but I'm sure you have an idea of what activities your dog might enjoy. The trick to making it work is a little planning ahead of time.


Let's start by talking about trails. There are trails everywhere that welcome dogs. Most locations you can simply pack your gear and head out with the pup. The one thing we have found is to check ahead of time when you go to a public (National or State) park or nature preserve. You will find that some parks don't allow dogs on all trails but normally will have one or two that are dog friendly. In the Smokey Mountains for example there are only two trails that are dog friendly. Often I will check the AllTrails app for dog friendly hikes in different areas.


Beaches can be hit or miss on when and if they allow dogs. We've found dog friendly beaches all over the place such as the Pensacola Dog Beach in Florida and the dog beach at Van Buren State Park in Michigan. Google is your best friend when looking for dog beaches. Just be sure to follow the leash rules and respect fellow beach goers. If you check public beach websites, some allow dogs only during certain hours. So, be sure to check the current rules before ruling out taking the pup along.


Shops and restaurants are actually real options available to bring your pup along in most areas we go. The trick here is to check BringFido before you go. We have found a ton of restaurants that allow dogs in outdoor seating areas and even shops that welcome friendly dogs. The best ones are the restaurants that even have dog menus to order from. You can also call ahead just to check. You might be surprised by how many places your dog is welcome as long as they are well behaved. If you visit a dog friendly location or discover a new one, be sure to leave a review on BringFido so others can find it too.


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