Tips for camping with your dog
Our dog Jackson camping along the Appalachian Trail.
As we all know pets are a part of the family and it’s natural to want to involve your dog in a family camping trip. And why not? Camping is the perfect vacation for your dog but it’s important to keep in mind a few things when planning your trip:
1. Plan activities that involve your dog. This is easily the most often overlooked aspect of camping with your dog but it’s also the most important. If your daytime activities revolve around mountain biking, for example, what do you plan to do with your dog while you’re out? Tying a dog up in your campsite while you’re gone is no vacation for you or the dog and it can be dangerous if no one is around to keep an eye on your pet. Instead, consider activities like hiking or even swimming where you can bring your dog with you - he’ll enjoy it and so will you!
On a camping trip to Fort Mountain this summer we camped beside a large family that brought a dog with them. The family spent most of the day at the lake canoeing, swimming, and fishing but they left the poor pup by himself tied to a tree. The dog’s constant sad whining was annoying to us and nearby campers and certainly wasn’t what the dog had in mind when he got in the car to go camping. Consider this sad dog when you plan your own trip :(.
2. Keep your dog on a leash in camp. When you ARE at your campsite, it’s a good idea to keep your dog restrained for his own safety. Camping can involve some dangerous things for dogs: campfires, open food containers with raw meat, wild animals, and unpredictable children. Even if your dog is well behaved he or she may be stressed out by a camping trip and may act erradically. Be safe and keep your dog on a leash whenever possible.
3. Don’t forget to pack doggie stuff! Nobody likes to pack for a trip but your dog doesn’t even know he’s going on a trip so you’ll need to do double duty. Don’t forget clean bowls, food, extra water, treats, and toys to keep your dog entertained. What’s a camping trip without a frisbee anyway?
4. Consider sleeping arrangements. I prefer to keep our dog in the tent with us at night for safety reasons (his safety, not ours!) so there’s no need to pack a special bed for him. You may want to test your dog in the tent to see how he reacts before you head out. Some dogs don’t like going into a tent and will keep you up all night moving around. Give it a dry run and see how things work.
Camping with your dog can be a great experience - or a terrible one if you aren’t prepared. Just keep these tips in mind and you and your dog will both have a great camping vacation!
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March 4th, 2009 at 6:44 am
[...] but just remember that you will be forced to take the good with the bad. Read our tips for camping with your dog to make your next canine camping experience a good [...]