McMonsters..........Kelly 48 Posted September 8, 2013 Report Share Posted September 8, 2013 We have 2 dogs that I'm up in the air about bringing. They both came along last time when we had a larger trailer. My 9 year old husky/lab, Gwen, is set in her ways and can be a barker and doesn't do well in dog parks. She has been snappy/grumpy in the last few month, so she is confined away from my kids. She's happier with her own space and the girls can't annoy her. Our other dog, Bob, who is one, is just a big dumb happy mix breed. He aims to please but doesn't realize he's 80+ pounds. We adopted Bob as a replacement dog, we know Gwen is getting up there and ours girls will be devasted. They are also the best alarm systems money can buy :) They did well on our last trip but I'll be short an adult for our Christmas trip and our neighbors will be happy to let them out during the day if I chose to leave them behind. I'm thinking of bringing one, leaning towards Bob since he is more agreeable. I would also like to start traveling more and would love some tips and getting him used to the RV life. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted September 8, 2013 Report Share Posted September 8, 2013 We don't bring our lab on long trips because my dad lives with us and watches him. Sanford isn't used to being on a leash and doesn't like being alone, so a Disney trip wouldn't be fun for him. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dblr....Rennie 224 Posted September 8, 2013 Report Share Posted September 8, 2013 A lot of our friends camp with BIG dogs their biggest problem is planning the time and who goes back to tend to the dogs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ftwildernessguy 778 Posted September 8, 2013 Report Share Posted September 8, 2013 Our two boys go camping with us all the time. If you want your dog to get used to camping, do some driveway camping ahead of time. I do it all summer because I like it anyway. During the day at the Fort, they will be at daycare at Best Friends. We will dropoff every morning and pick up in the evening. Our doodle is 80 lbs and the golden retriever is 67 lbs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted September 8, 2013 Report Share Posted September 8, 2013 Our 3 border collies are the reason we have a camper in the first place. They aren't huge - 35, 40, 45 lbs - but combined make up a whole lotta energy. For us and them it comes down to routine...Mornings I take Brady for a walk along the canal (he's not a good dog park dog) and then the girls go to the dog park to run their little heads off. Then everyone gets settled in their crates. They're all used to and like their crates, so we just have to say "go to your room" and everyone hops in. We leave the TV and A/C or fan on (depending on temps). If they can't see/hear what's going on outside, they're not likely to bark at it. They then get peanut butter stuffed kongs and they totally ignore us as we leave. We also make sure not to make a big deal of leaving or coming home, so they don't get all worked up on either end and start to get anxious about it. The first few times we had them at the Fort, we did short trial runs to make sure they settled well and weren't going to drive the neighbors bonkers. Basically we left and then snuck back a short time later to give a listen. We also bring their x-pen to setup behind the camper so they can be outside with us when we're hanging around the site. If you're not sure, definitely do some local or even driveway camping to see how your dog(s) fare. The more comfortable they are in the camper, the better. Best advice is know your dogs and what does and doesn't work for them - at home and in the camper. The more you can keep the camping routine close to what they're comfortable with at home, the better. If they're not happy being left for a good chunk of time, and you know you'll be spending time in the parks, bringing them may not be the best way to go - or you could take Jim's suggestion and bring them over to Best Friends during the day. Bringing our dogs mean we get to the parks a lot later in the day, and have to break up our time to come back for potty breaks, but for us it's worth it to have them with us. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted September 8, 2013 Report Share Posted September 8, 2013 Our two boys go camping with us all the time. If you want your dog to get used to camping, do some driveway camping ahead of time. I do it all summer because I like it anyway. During the day at the Fort, they will be at daycare at Best Friends. We will dropoff every morning and pick up in the evening. Our doodle is 80 lbs and the golden retriever is 67 lbs. How much is the daycare? I don't think I realized they do that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
McMonsters..........Kelly 48 Posted September 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2013 Good advice!! This past time we did well, the pups were fine for 4 hours or so in the crates. We came back for mid day rest from the parks and did a walk. I put both the crates where the dinette bed is w/o the cushions so they had their beds and we had walking room. We will be doing more relaxing and less park time so that will make a difference.I crate trained the oldest b/c I worked when she was little and the other was a foster so he loves his crate too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ftwildernessguy 778 Posted September 8, 2013 Report Share Posted September 8, 2013 It is going to cost us about 47 bucks a day. There is a slight discount because they can share a kennel. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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