# Do you travel with pets?



## bludog

Just curious. 
When I met my DH and his kids, we'd pack up Sears mega-tent in the trunk and camp/cook-out in local deserts, mts. to bond...no pets. 
As the kids grew up and drifted off to jobs/schools, our 'camping' became an escape from intense jobs and we'd bring our best friend, a rescued rottie, with us. She was a love and I miss her perspectives on the whole camping adventure. Nothing felt right after she passed on.
RV is a lot less hairy...:rudi:


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## ctfortner

Yeah, but we have a smaller critter. A pomeranian. He loves to be outside, against everything we have ever heard about these dogs. We take him camping with us everytime we go. We just stake him outside, set his water bowl out there, and he is usally pretty happy. 

It does become a hassle sometimes, because he is a full time leash dog, otherwise he would run off. And he is VERY mischevious, always into something. So when it gets too hot, we will put him in the camper, but we always have to make sure everything is up so he cant get to it.


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## grace

I've loved reading about these pets of yours, a Pomeranian, and Rottweiler. Sorry if I misspelled them. We had pets at our house, but they didn't go with us camping. It looks like so much enjoyment to have a pet along. My Mom lost their Scottie about 4 months ago. She lives in MN, and brought him everywhere with her. He was 15 years old, and they had to put him to sleep. Because she didn't want him to suffer. She misses him.:comfort_:


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## bludog

CT's Pomeranian is probably more fierce that our Rotty was. Folks WOULD drop their jaws when I'd open the RV door for the morning walk. 

She'd stand in the stairwell with her head out...sniffing. After that ritual, we'd go flying out the door. Also had to do the leash when we were out-n-about...so nimble was the watchword. Sigh...miss her.

So...why do dogs put up with us?


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## roadhouse

When I first started camping with my wife we had dogs. They both went with us all the time. We did a lot of Boondocking/Dry camping, so the wife felt safer with the dogs. We had a 120lb Rotti male, and a 80lb German Shepard female. 
Most people didn't come too close to camp with those two running around.:rotflmao1:

Then we had kids, and more kids. So no more dogs right now. We are planning on building a bigger house in the next few years. So when that happens I'll probably get a couple German Shepards again, and they will camp with us.


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## ctfortner

> CT's Pomeranian is probably more fierce that our Rotty was. Folks WOULD drop their jaws when I'd open the RV door for the morning walk.


I know I would have done the same thing bludog. They can be quite intimidating

I dont know about why they put up with us. However I do know that our dog has no idea he is a dog. He is like another kid around here, so if I was him, I would put up with us :rotflmao1:


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## mailfire99

We dont currently go camping with any pets. We do camp with others that do though. I wouldnt have a problem camping with dogs, but I dont think I could go camping with a cat. I am not a cat person, maybe if I was it would be different. I dont think it would be that enjoyable for either, cat or owners. Anyone here take their cat? How well does that go?


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## mikey

No camping pets for us either. We have camped with dogs before, never been a problem. I imagine at some point in our lives, we will be camping with pets again.


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## grace

My husband's brother had a Rottweiler. That thing was huge and had to be in a large outside cage. He was fierce to look at, and no one would mess with him. I think he got him because of the way he looked. But my brother-in-law really got attached to him. He'd do things like get special treats for him. The dog always howled when he was coming home.


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## antigua

We bring our dog with us (Mandy) camping all the time. She loves the campfire. We put her towel on the ground usually right beside me in front of the fire pit and she curls up to stay warm and falls asleep. She's a Silky Terrier. The only thing is she likes to growl at everything that comes close to the campsite. Including bugs!! It's a nice treat for her to get out and get some fresh air and go camping too.


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## grace

*My Daughter Wants a Silky Terrier*

The girls begged their Dad for a Silky Terrier. They petted the ones at the pet store. We did on-line searches for adoption for them. They read books, but it's still a "No". We plan on getting a dog in the future. So they are waiting. You must love how beautiful they are. Curling up at the fireside -Mmmmmmm.


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## terri01p

Glad you asked :

This is one of the reasons we got into camping, we have always like to take our dogs camping with us, we had a beagle that died last April and whenever we would go out to the camper he would go crazy with excitment. We now have a doggie that is learning to love camping as well. It makes us feel good to be able to take our whole family with us! :yippie: Ok you gotta love the smiley.


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## happiestcamper

The first time we went camping with our dog, we had one strange experience. She was a rescued Greyhound racer, and we awoke that night thinking that there were some cats fighting outside the tent. What made it even stranger was the dog wasn't concerned. Turns out her stomach was upset from drinking out of the streams, and since greyhounds have hardly any fat, there was no insulation to buffer the sound. After that, I started giving her a Pepto Bismol tablet every night - that did the trick.

Our present dog is a half St. Bernard who knows what else. I do the same trick with the Pepto, though he's insulated well. Keeps him from wanting to make a late night stroll.

I've tried to get him to sleep on a rug on the camper floor, but by morning he's always up in my 5 year old daughter's bed with her. The greyhound would sleep on the floor - but we don't have a slideout and when she stretched those longs legs and body out, there was no room left to walk by.

We always get praise from everyone else, because he will not bark unless a stranger comes into our campsite. He has to stay on a long leash when we are there, but 90% or our trips are to a campground near where a friend has ten acres in the mountains, so we'll make a couple trips there during the week to let him run.


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## terri01p

Hehehe that's funny, greyhounds are such great animals, my sister has three :shocked: .


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## jackandnancy

*K9's r us jackandnancy*

DO WE CAMP WITH DOGS???? Somewhere we mentioned that we have over 300 pounds of dog in our motorhome. Two large goldies, a blind lab and a Belgian shepherd. We have always traveled with dogs and have had up to 7 in the motorhome at once. This included my parents' blind dog who needed insulin shots twice a day. We know this wouldn't be the life for everyone, but to us, it is just the greatest. To look on the floor and see them stretched out and sleeping peacefully just makes this motorhome a home. Of course, when they all have to sleep on the bed with us, that does make it alittle tight for sleeping:thumbdown: It is alot of work, especially the hair as we both work in a security department and our uniforms are BLACK...:shrug: But we wouldn't trade them for anything. They do earn their keep as two of them are drug dogs and they all do their part to remind anyone that this is THEIR home. They sound ferocious when someone comes to the door, but it is a free-for-all when they come in and all four of them want the attention at once. :welcome: To us, it is the only way to travel and we couldn't imagine not having a dog in our motorhome with us.:thumbup1:


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## rjan67

Our Golden Retriever died before Christmas and we will miss him terribly this camping season. He did get to go on a final trip in October (which was our Thanksgiving). He could no longer lay on the floor in the back of the truck with our kids and had to lay in the front seat between my husband and I. Even though he was so arthritic and had to be lifted in and out of the trailer, he still loved it and going for the short walks that he could still muster at that time. I even took our cat one time when he was also on his final legs and could no longer be left at home for the neighbour to check on. We are now "thinking" about getting a new pet(s), but they will probably camp with us as well!


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## dd45529

Just read this forum. We plan to leave tomorrow (Sunday) with our Belgian Tervs. Neither the dogs or us has traveled together except for trips to the vet in our car. They are getting better about traveling. Will they learn to travel in a fifth? I got some medication for them (just in case) for travel sickness and nerves. Storms upset them a lot. Maybe we are just crazy, but I just couldn't leave the 'children' behind again. kkd


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## jackandnancy

*traveling with pets*

We're sure you won't have any problems with them once they get used to the traveling. One thing we have found over the years is that they need to feel secure in their footing, etc. Our first goldie was not too sure in the back of the truck and got sick. We put a carpet back there and no problems after that. Good luck with your guys and enjoy the trips.:10220:


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## cts424

We also camp with our "second" child , a two year old Jack Russell Terrier . His name is Odin and he is the biggest attention seeker you will ever see . He has to be chained out when we camp or he will be gone like the wind . If anybody walks by our campsite he cries until he get some scratches under the chin . At night , he will chase the sparks from the fire and then just curl up on one of our chairs and fall fast asleep . We wouldn't go camping without him (our 2 year old daughter loves to have her o-nee close to her :comfort_


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## xisle

This one is ok as long as you share your tent with him.

RV and Tent Camping | Campground Directory


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## amy0807

I have a Pug/Jack Russell Terrier mix who has a variety of nervous conditions. Anyone else ever deal with this? We got her when she was 8 weeks old and she will be two in October. She weighed four pounds when we got her and couldn't deal with cold or heat very well so we litter trained her so she wouldn't have to go out in snow or extreme heat. At 25 pounds, she still uses a litter box. She is terrified of other dogs. DH's uncle has a pom and she cowers at the sight of him. She will bark at dogs from a distance but will urinate on herself if they come too close. She also has severe separation anxiety. I spent over $200 on vet bills once when we kenneled her for a few days while going out of town, but she had gotten sick when we took her with us to St. Louis a few months before. Now if we have to go out of town and can't take her or it's too far, we hire a sitter to stay with her at our home so she is more comfortable.

The camper was ideal for us because she gets accustomed to it here before we go and she sees it as part of home. We're relaxed when heading out with the camper and not in a rush so we can stop when needed to let her out and calm down from the ride. She can stay in when it gets too hot for her outside or if other dogs are visiting. (She loves cats, by the way, but they are intimidated by her size.) She also loves to camp. DH told her one night last week that she couldn't go camping with us. She cried until he got out of bed at 11:30 PM and told her she could go. 

She is very sensitive and is afraid of her own shadow. She'll give a vicious growl if a stranger knocks...but she'll be hiding behind something when she does it. She's just like a toddler...can't be away from Mom and Dad and still fearful of the world. When my baby went to kindergarten I was lonely after being home with kids for so many years and we got her so I wouldn't feel so alone at home and she has certainly filled that void! I can't imagine doing something without her. We went to Gatlinburg over the Fourth of July and we called the sitter several times a day.


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