A Camping Pet Question

[~Kristina~ 10]

So I'm considering getting a Lab puppy.  But dh is bringing up some good points.  What are we going to do with puppy while camping?  Can't leave puppy in the camper while we go to the beach or pool, can't do touristy stuff without the puppy because we can't leave it in the camper.  How do you guys to do it?  All of this would probably be easier with a lap dog since it's easier to take a 5-15lbs dog anywhere, but not so much with a 50-65lbs dog.

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

If I can bring 5 chihuahuas, I would think 1 lab puppy wouldn't be a problem. :dance: My only concern is Labs tend to eat the house when left alone. Two of my stepsons have Labs that have destroyed many things when left alone. You might want to consider crate training. That way the pup is used to being in it's safe place. :grpwelcome:

[Avatab.... Steve 124]

Labs are HIGH energy!  Esp the puppies. They are retrievers and LIVE to run and retrieve, mine can't get enough of the yellow tennis ball......  They are the best dogs in many ways, we have two :dance:  But they are also very strong pack animals and do best when they are with "the Pack" which is you and your family. They think that you are just a bigger dog!  Keep them in the house with the family and they will do well and be great watch dogs. If you keep them outside, they feel like they have been abandoned by the pack and it is torture for them.

Leaving them in the camper will be tough at first, thats where having 2 comes in handy since they will entertain each other, and will be comforted by the other dog so they don't have as much separation anxiety.......We leave the TV on, AC or fan on if its hot, plenty of water. 

Read up (google is your friend :grpwelcome: ) on crate training, which helps with housebreaking, and also pinch collars. Don't use a choke collar on Labs, they are too willful and will just pull and pull until they hurt themselves. Pinch collars look awful, but they work great.

Good luck, do your homework and keep us posted!

:banana: :) :) :) :)

[~Kristina~ 10]

I don't know if I could take my dh into 2 dogs.  My cousin breeds them, so I could get 2, but my dh is not a dog guy.

[Avatab.... Steve 124]

BTW, we also have 2 chihuahuas... LOL  So when we go camping we have our son, 2 labs, and 2 chihuahuas.... all in a motorhome with no slide outs.  Gets a little crowded in the hallway :grpwelcome:

But thats the beauty of RVing. You can take it all with you (and everybody!)  All the dogs love to travel, can't wait to jump on board if they hear the engine start, and they think that EVERY rest area is the most exciting place EVER!  LOL!

:dance: :banana: :) :) :)

[disneylitch......Debbie 61]

We bring our dogs with us.  They are crate trained at home, so we bring their crates and they are fine.  We always leave the TV on so they can't hear any loud noises.  We have been bringing them for 5 years and wouldn't even think of leaving them home.

[Avatab.... Steve 124]

I don't know if I could take my dh into 2 dogs.  My cousin breeds them, so I could get 2, but my dh is not a dog guy.

He'll come around when the dog is licking his face and looking at him like he is the best person that ever walked on the planet.....  :banana:

A single dog will do OK once he/she is older, but when they are puppies (kittens too) they get bored and start tearing things up. With two, they will chase each other around till they are exhausted and then collapse on top of each other... sparing your furniture and drapes.... well, sometimes....

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

I don't know if I could take my dh into 2 dogs.  My cousin breeds them, so I could get 2, but my dh is not a dog guy.

He'll come around when the dog is licking his face and looking at him like he is the best person that ever walked on the planet..... 

A single dog will do OK once he/she is older, but when they are puppies (kittens too) they get bored and start tearing things up. With two, they will chase each other around till they are exhausted and then collapse on top of each other... sparing your furniture and drapes.... well, sometimes....

I agree. I would never have just one dog. My mothers biggest regret is that she didn't get two. She had a heck of time with her chihuahua. They are pack animals too. I may have gone overboard with 5 but unless you count them you don't realize that there are so many in the house. They entertain each other and me :banana:

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

A single dog will do OK once he/she is older, but when they are puppies (kittens too) they get bored and start tearing things up. With two, they will chase each other around till they are exhausted and then collapse on top of each other... sparing your furniture and drapes.... well, sometimes.... :banana:

You never met my kitten.  He would whip hell out of the other kittens in three litters; proceed to the food dish; eat it ALL; then look for more trouble to get into.  That might have been due to his breeding, though.  1/2 Maine Coon Cat and 1/2 Canadian Lynx MIGHT have had a little something to do with his temperament ... and his size 

[ftwildernessrick 10]

Definately crate train him (or her).

[Avatab.... Steve 124]

I don't know if I could take my dh into 2 dogs.  My cousin breeds them, so I could get 2, but my dh is not a dog guy.

He'll come around when the dog is licking his face and looking at him like he is the best person that ever walked on the planet..... 

A single dog will do OK once he/she is older, but when they are puppies (kittens too) they get bored and start tearing things up. With two, they will chase each other around till they are exhausted and then collapse on top of each other... sparing your furniture and drapes.... well, sometimes....

I agree. I would never have just one dog. My mothers biggest regret is that she didn't get two. She had a heck of time with her chihuahua. They are pack animals too. I may have gone overboard with 5 but unless you count them you don't realize that there are so many in the house. They entertain each other and me :banana:

Yup, my SIL got ONE chihuahua when my wife got her two and the SIL's is a terror with people and other dogs while my wife's two are great, well except for the little rat-dog yapping everytime they hear ANYTHING or if the cat comes in the room, or just whenever they feel like it....   oooppps, hope my wife doesn't read this..... 

:) :) :) :) :)

BTW, all of our pets came from a shelter.  If you don't end up getting one from your cousin, look on petfinder.com for local shelter listings. You can look up by breed, age, sex, whatever, and you are saving a life  :)

[caveat lector 181]

It appears you've started down a path........a path that I wish someone would have enlightened me on before departure:

1) My daughter writes me a note about needing a puppy.

2) She never asks for anything, so Dad agrees to consider

3) I finally break down, shortly thereafter, our schnoodle Zeus arrives at his home

4) Realize that he is a member of our family, and thus receives same vacation rights as everyone else.

5) Buy a TT so he can enjoy Disney

6) Buy a bigger truck so Dad can enjoy Disney (eliminating a lot of the stress of getting there)

My, that was one expensive note my daughter wrote.... :banana:  (but I wouldn't change a thing)

[~Kristina~ 10]

Well, the good news, we bought the bigger truck and tt already! LOL

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

It appears you've started down a path........a path that I wish someone would have enlightened me on before departure:

1) My daughter writes me a note about needing a puppy.

2) She never asks for anything, so Dad agrees to consider

3) I finally break down, shortly thereafter, our schnoodle Zeus arrives at his home

4) Realize that he is a member of our family, and thus receives same vacation rights as everyone else.

5) Buy a TT so he can enjoy Disney

6) Buy a bigger truck so Dad can enjoy Disney (eliminating a lot of the stress of getting there)

My, that was one expensive note my daughter wrote.... :banana:  (but I wouldn't change a thing)

Funny how that works,

1)  Stay at The Cabins for the first time,

2)  OldeKoot (the Momma) proclaims she never wants to stay anywhere except The Fort while she is at Disney,

3)  PureTCrazy (The Sister) says it would be cheaper to stay at The Fort if we are camping - and we can bring Lola too

4)  We rent from http://makecampingeasy.com to "try it out"

5)  PureTCrazy points out that we don't save much having to rent the camper & pay for the site ...

6)  Buy 5er

7)  Buy truck to haul it

  Buy all the supplies need to go with the last two

9)  Cry

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

If you decide on smaller dogs I have a couple of breeders in the Port Huron area. One breeds chihuahuas and bull dogs. The other breeds shitzu's, poodles and shi-poo's. She used to breed chihuahuas but has recently stopped.

The one thing I will say in favor of small dogs is SMALL POOP :banana:

[beccaewert 10]

If you decide on smaller dogs I have a couple of breeders in the Port Huron area. One breeds chihuahuas and bull dogs. The other breeds shitzu's, poodles and shi-poo's. She used to breed chihuahuas but has recently stopped.

The one thing I will say in favor of small dogs is SMALL POOP :banana:

NOT necessarily...I have a french bulldog,...who is small (not a toy, but still small)----and let me tell ya,....there is nothing SMALL about her bowel movements!

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

If you decide on smaller dogs I have a couple of breeders in the Port Huron area. One breeds chihuahuas and bull dogs. The other breeds shitzu's, poodles and shi-poo's. She used to breed chihuahuas but has recently stopped.

The one thing I will say in favor of small dogs is SMALL POOP :banana:

NOT necessarily...I have a french bulldog,...who is small (not a toy, but still small)----and let me tell ya,....there is nothing SMALL about her bowel movements!

I guess there are always exceptions

[Lou... 3,118]

I would never have just one dog.

We talk about getting another dog, but it can run into a lot of money if they have medical complications. Buddy was given a 50/50 of surviving major surgery a few years ago. The little trouper wouldn't give in and he did survive and is living a normal life. But it costs us a bundle in yearly special checkups, tests, vitamins, and special food for his condition. Add grooming to that and we're talking big bucks, not to mention what the surgery cost. He's worth every single penny and more, but if we got a second dog and it happened to it, wow.

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

I would never have just one dog.

We talk about getting another dog, but it can run into a lot of money if they have medical complications. Buddy was given a 50/50 of surviving major surgery a few years ago. The little trouper wouldn't give in and he did survive and is living a normal life. But it costs us a bundle in yearly special checkups, tests, vitamins, and special food for his condition. Add grooming to that and we're talking big bucks, not to mention what the surgery cost. He's worth every single penny and more, but if we got a second dog and it happened to it, wow.

I know what you mean about medical expenses. Our first chihuahua weighed in at an all time high of 2 1/2 pounds. Everything was a major thing with her. When we had her spayed her veins were to small for the tiniest IV they made. They had to have a Vet Tech inject her with fluids through out the entire surgery. And lord help us if she got a stomach upset. She didn't have any weight to spare. She was with us for 13 years and we loved her dearly. We made a decision never to have a dog that would weigh less then 5 lbs full grown.

The first in line is Buster, he was 10 wks old in this picture. Carmen 13 is next this was taken about 2 weeks before we had to put her down. Then Tequila 10 we lost her about 3 months later, She had Cushing's disease. That was a very rough thing to go through for all of us. These three are gone now. But in our hearts forever :banana:

[Avatab.... Steve 124]

I would never have just one dog.

We talk about getting another dog, but it can run into a lot of money if they have medical complications. Buddy was given a 50/50 of surviving major surgery a few years ago. The little trouper wouldn't give in and he did survive and is living a normal life. But it costs us a bundle in yearly special checkups, tests, vitamins, and special food for his condition. Add grooming to that and we're talking big bucks, not to mention what the surgery cost. He's worth every single penny and more, but if we got a second dog and it happened to it, wow.

I am right there with you guys. One of my two Labs became Diabetic about 6 or 7 yrs ago. I didn't even know dogs could get Diabetes!  She started drinking water like crazy for several days straight, Vet checked her sugar, and ever since we have had to give her insulin injections twice a day..... Also had her eyes operated on to remove cataracts, plus vet bills for other complications over the years.

I have spent literally a small fortune on her, but there is no way I could have put her down.  God sent her to someone who had the ability to care for her and thats what I did.

As far as two dogs (or kittens) its more important to have two when they are young. Older animals are much more even tempered and better at being alone. That is why I always suggest getting two puppies or kittens if you have to start out young. Otherwise, there are dozens and dozens of clean, trained, loving dogs and cats that need homes or they will be put down...

[~Kristina~ 10]

Due to cost, we could only have one dog, though I'd love 2.  We have a girl chocolate lab on hold for us, but I need to get final approval from dh.

[Avatab.... Steve 124]

The exception to the "get two" rule is if you have a child or children who will be "the other puppy". Kids that are old enough to know not to hurt it, but young enough to run around all day playing fetch and hide and seek will keep a puppy occupied no problem and the two will grow up together (Do NOT rent "My Dog Skip" if you are the teary eyed type..... fair warning!)

If you are going to leave the puppy alone every day w/no one around to play with, then get 2 and/or crate train. You will both be happier.

:) :) :) :) :)

[AuburnJen 777]

Labs are HIGH energy!  Esp the puppies. They are retrievers and LIVE to run and retrieve, mine can't get enough of the yellow tennis ball......  They are the best dogs in many ways, we have two :)  But they are also very strong pack animals and do best when they are with "the Pack" which is you and your family. They think that you are just a bigger dog!  Keep them in the house with the family and they will do well and be great watch dogs. If you keep them outside, they feel like they have been abandoned by the pack and it is torture for them.

Leaving them in the camper will be tough at first, thats where having 2 comes in handy since they will entertain each other, and will be comforted by the other dog so they don't have as much separation anxiety.......We leave the TV on, AC or fan on if its hot, plenty of water. 

Read up (google is your friend :) ) on crate training, which helps with housebreaking, and also pinch collars. Don't use a choke collar on Labs, they are too willful and will just pull and pull until they hurt themselves. Pinch collars look awful, but they work great.

Good luck, do your homework and keep us posted!

:) :) :) :) :)

I could not have said it better.  We had a lab for 13 wonderful years and I so want another one.  If you work with them, they will be the best dogs.  We took ours everywhere, camping, traveling.  We always joked that we had to pack around the dog because he always went in the vehicle first.  That dog saw a duffle bag or suitcase and off ot the car he went.

[Kazlac4 3]

Due to cost, we could only have one dog, though I'd love 2.  We have a girl chocolate lab on hold for us, but I need to get final approval from dh.

Great choice on the chocolate lab. Our DD has one (as well as a golden retriever) and the lab is a great pet, though she does seem to have a thing for throw rugs (she chews the ends of any and all of the them  :argh:), though she is absolutely great with the kids (ages 2 and 6), and she listens better than them too! :rofl2:

[Lou... 3,118]

Dogs are the best, aren't they?