Camping with your dog
My husband, Jim and I love to camp! Our Springer, Eliot also loves to camp! However, the first trip we took with him proved interesting. Eliot was one year old when we bought our first camper. Jim and I both camped as children so camping was not new to either one of us. We decided to camp for a weekend to find out what we had overlooked.
We soon found out there were a few items that we could not live without when we were camping. And there were also a few items that Eliot could not live without when he was camping. Treats were first on the list! Every good dog needs rewards! Second was extra food, because a dog can sure work up an appetite while camping, exploring and meeting new playmates! Third was a place to sleep! Eliot was crate trained and by the time he was six months old he usually slept in his crate, but the door was never shut and locked. So the first night in the camper we went to bed and Eliot began to cry. He did not know where to sleep! Nine years and another camper later, I still keep a rug in the camper just for him to sleep on.
Previous to our first camping trip, I had trained Eliot to only relieve himself in his own yard. It was great to walk him, but camping for the first time was a rather uncomfortable situation. Needless to say, we no longer worry about that training.
I always keep several leashes in the camper. One retractable for walking, one short leash for traveling, and one soft long leash for tying him while we are outside. (A soft leash will not harm a tree.) I always take bowls, food, Kong (to fill with peanut butter), toys, brush, and raincoat, pooper scooper and plenty of plastic bags. While most campgrounds are pet friendly, some have restrictions on size of dogs and number of dogs. I have even seen campgrounds that do not allow certain breeds, so check with every reservation. Every campground requires you to clean up after your pet and for them be on a leash, so be prepared. Camping is great fun and I think that Eliot loves it just as much as we do!
Tags: campground, leashes, training, treats