i am curious to know how your camping went with the dogs. we don't have dogs, i'm just curious. do you tent camp?

becky

Yeah, those little dogs make good foot-balls to those who would like to rob you! A good Smith & Wesson will certainly help in the security department. just don't brasndish it around. Post a sign saying how much you like modern guns, and you should be safe.
I have several signs around my home and garage that say: THIS PROPERTY PROTECTED BY SMITH & WESSON! CARE TO TAKE A CHANCE?" One day, two young lads stopped in obviously to inspect things so they could break in later! They asked a lot of pertinent questions about my security, etc. They were all "eyes" until one spotted my sign, and the other one saw my 12 guage shot-gun standing in a rack nearby! When i told them i really have a Smith & vWesson, they suddenly decided they had pressing business else-where, and left, in a hurry!
Ain't been back yet!

I have a chow-lab mix we took camping with us ( 3 of our children, my sister and her 2 yr old, my husband and myself) over the summer to the state park. We were in a camper not a tent and she did great. She loved the new area to go exploring into. Though she had to stay on a leash I still think she had fun. Tale wagging and naps after the outings are the clues I use. the best advice I have to offer is insure you have water for them to drink when you go walking with them and if they are long haired... bring a big toothed comb. there is all kinds of stuff that can get stuck in their hair, a brush just doesn't get it good.
As for a deterrent for snoopers... being that she is solid black and has pretty white teeth, did I say she is half chow... the kids loved her but the adults would only comment from a distance. No one came snooping... have fun and as long as you know your pet they seem to do fine.
P.S. the cats did stay home

As for me, I am generally not pleased to see dogs at campgrounds. You have the possibility of barking in the night which is a bother. But, then I have friends who own dogs and feel they are much a member of the family and don't want to leave them at home when they are gone so I can see why someone would want to bring theirs along.

As for the pistol, if I only could.... Alas those Cook County folk in Illinois have held the rest of us in So. IL back. Perhaps one of these days. Of course not on a BSA event!

We were at a camp ground one time, with our camping group. Some other campers not of our bunch, had camped nearby, and then tied their dog outside their trailer and went shopping!
Well! That durned dog got lonely, and frightened, and he kept barking and barking, and nothing would shut him up. Everybody was trying to think of what to do, when suddenly, my 7 year old son ran up and nailed him with a rock! That did the trick. But, i happened to notice the dogs owners had just gotten back and saw my kid toss the rock! UH-OH! Well, the stuff hit the fan! But, after i talked to the dogs owner, we finally got it all straightened out. Well, uhhh-not quite---
Several weeks later, the State sent a trooper to our shop where i worked, to check it out for the next year of State car inspection, and guess who the trooper was--------Good thing i didn't have an inspection license to be checked out! He recognised me, but didn't say anything about the dog episode! WHEW!!

I absolutely love taking my dog camping! There are a couple of things to remember:

-Your dog must be on a leash in most campgrounds, and it is only respectful of your neighbors to control your dog. I have only ONCE seen a dog that was actually trained well enough to be fully obedient off-leash, and you don't know what your dog may decide to do in a completely new setting.
We ususally string a rope between 2 trees and attach our dog's Flexi lead to the rope with a carabiner. This way we have a place for her to be out of the way, and she is not tipping over our camp chairs with a leash.

-Make sure you PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOG! Nothing ruins the trip more than stepping in dog poo when you are trying to commune with nature. This is also one of the fastest ways to get dogs completely kicked out of campgrounds. So don't ruin it for the rest of us!

-If your dog cannot get through the day without barking all the time, maybe camping near others is not the place for him/her. We do not allow our dog to bark and bark and bark. We trained her with a squirt bottle when she was a puppy, and we bring it along camping just in case she gets any ideas about that sound the eagles are making. I don't mind a warning woof if someone is approaching, but only one or two, thank you.

-Make sure you provide potable water for your dog. Dogs can get diseases just as easy as people, and forcing them to get their water from a nearby lake or river is asking for trouble.

-Make sure you have first aid supplies along for people and pets. It is really easy for a dog that is not used to the wilderness to be injured. A small cut on a paw, for example. There are pet first aid kits and books available at many pet stores.

-Make sure your dog is current on vaccinations. There are many diseases they can catch camping that they may not run into at home. Lyme disease and rabies are two examples.

-Do not leave your dog alone at your campsite, and do not leave them tied up outside your tent/camper overnight. There are lots of strange noises and smells outdoors that a "city dog" may find scary. Let them know that this is a fun time, and not a time to be afraid.

-Keep in mind that your dog may get really cold easier than at home, since they are not in a climate controlled house. I make sure I have a doggy fleece coat with us just in case and I give her an old towel to lay on so she is not on the cold ground. It is her choice to use it or not.

My pooch LOVES camping and hiking. She also LOVES meeting other campers and being a good "doggie ambasador", I don't think she would ever forgive us if we went camping without her!

Our dog Sadie, a lab and beagle mix, goes camping with us all the time. Wouldnt leave home without her. REJ2

Many people camp with their dogs. I personally don't but there are a few businesses that cater for dog camping gear. Ruff Wear, Flophouse and Outward Hound make outdoor gear for dogs.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dog Camping Gear

We have work camped at wilderness Provincial Parks for the past two summers and now work full time all year long at an RV park in Kelowna, BC. At all of these, almost everyone had a dog or two. As long as everyone obeys the leash laws and poop pick up, there has not been any problems.

Here in the more structured RV park, people with noisy dogs are asked to keep them quiet or leave. We don't allow that type of noise since we also have some full time RVers who stay here long term. They almost all have dogs and some have cats.

In the campgrounds, most people take their dogs with them hiking or wherever they go. I have not seen anyone leave them all day tied up outside alone. Too many things could happen to a dog tied up unsupervised in the wilderness campground, like BEARS. Even here it's not safe in the RV park because of the coyotes at night, dusk and dawn.

I know this is an old post, but I had a thought on this. Before I went camping with my dogs, I would take ant spray along to clear the bugs from the site before setting up the tent. I've come a long way since then and would suggest taking some Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth on the trip. I now take my dog with me and though I treat HIM with the DE, campsites can be overrun with fleas and ticks, so I spread the DE around the site and on the perimeter, keeping the dog AND my family tick and flea-free! Great stuff & perfectly safe for the environment!

Here is a link that might be useful: Diatomaceous Earth

Hi found the camping forum and was reading this thread that is rather old but thought I'd add my two cents worth also. I LOVE camping and so does my husband, my son and four cats! Yes I said four cats! We take them camping with us and haven't had a problem yet. We camp in a 30' trailer and the cats stay inside or they go outside in a big dog kennel actually and if all is clear I will take one at a time on the leash and walk him. NOT in the heavily wild places with bears, coyotes or other campers with dogs. It usually has to be quiet to take him for a walk.

michelle

My wife, me and the dog. I think the dog enjoys camping more than we do. He gets all fired up when he sees me going in and out of the travel trailer the day before. We like to camp where and when there is few people camping near us so we can let the dog roam a bit. He never goes far but if we have campers within about 50 yards of us, he will eventually find his way over to them which I feel is not right so we keep him tied in that instance. The biggest hassle with a dog and camping is what to do with him when you want to go somewhere and cannot take the dog. Most campgrounds frown on leaving dogs in the camper while you are gone and definitely don't allow leaving them tied up outside. We routinely leave our dog inside the camper when we go somewhere with no problems except that one time he scratched the screen at the bottom of the door and tore it up. Other than that, we haven't had a problem leaving the dog in the camper for a few hours.