Taking an outdoor puppy on a camping trip - possible or insane?

[anoukrice]

Hi guys! Once more, we'd like to ask your precious advice. Anouk is 2 1/2 months old and doing really well at home, can extend *most* of her training to situations where there aren't treats (!) and loves her walks. We are a large family so the only type of holiday we regularly take are camping breaks with our caravan - we like to shoot off round mainland Europe and just go with the flow, head where we feel like heading in a very unplanned and haphazard manner. OK, so how do the two fit together now?

Anouk lives outside at home and is never tethered, she goes to the loo in her own little area at will; so we bought a long cable and a spiral hook thing for the ground and Mark's spent some time out there with her on the tether and playing and showing her her limits etc, but she hates it of course (although she's ok on the lead now) and spends most of the time trying to squirm or paw it off. In a campsite, she'll need to be tethered presumably all the time we're in the site itself, and probably on a lead most of the time on walks since they're pretty busy in the summer.

Do you have any suggestions? We're loath to let her sleep in the caravan toilet with us - she's used to being outside, she'd want to climb all over the beds, space is scarce enough with 6 of us. We were hoping that she might be OK tethered in the awning just outside the van and having enough cable to reach her designated toilet-spot wherever we go (we're just going to one campsite for a week from the end of next week to break her in gently, initially - if it works well we may do a bit more later in the summer). Does this sound feasible to you? Do you have any tips, will it be whining like the "first nights in the new home" thing or will she be quite adaptable do you think? We're afraid of bothering the neighbouring campers of course, since she's new to it all and is likely to protest vociferously... At least she's not much of a barker (yet?).

Thanks in advance.

[youngK9]

I think since she stays outside at home she will be okay. She may whine or bark for a minute because it's a new place, but I think she will be fine.

[goldcreek]

I started taking Bonnie camping at that age. We tent camp. Her first trip at 10 weeks she absolutely had to sleep in my bag with me, it was so cold out she would have froze to death otherwise. Actually now that I think about it...every tent trip we have been on she has needed to be in my sleeping bag. Lol. I don't take chances with a baby pup, I don't want her to get cold. And I was afraid she'd be an absolute wiggle worm because she was/is a wildly energetic puppy, but she seemed to know it was time to sleep and settled down really well, slept through the night even!

I think if you tether her outside your van, even if she is used to the tether, she will cry. Because she will feel like she's been abandoned in a strange place. My dogs are both well crate trained, but if I try to make them sleep in crates in my parent's garage (my parent's don't allow dogs in the house) they will howl all night. This has been true of three dogs I have tried it with. I think it is just because the place is strange to them. But I have had zero problems leaving Bonnie crated by herself in my car overnight, no matter where it is parked. Because the car is ours and she's used to being in it she sleeps quietly through the night. (obviously don't leave a dog in a car overnight in an unsafe neighborhood)

Since your pup isn't crate trained, I think your best bet would be to let her sleep in the van with you and just tether her to a piece of furniture so she can't go relieve herself in a corner or jump all over your stuff. She can be outside under the awning while you are outside, but when you're ready for bed time bring her in or she'll probably cry. My sister is like you and keeps her dog absolutely outside only, but does let the dog sleep in the van on camping trips.

[youngK9]

Yeah, Alanna gave you some good advice. I guess it really depends on your puppy. You could try it and if not bring her in.

[trickytrip]

I agree with Gabby and Alana and think that since she is still young, she will get the hang of it pretty quick and really enjoy being with the family.

[Vicky]

She should be ok, but i have to agree i would not leave her outside at night, you never know who or what is about!.

[anoukrice]

Thanks guys! Since I posted Mark has been thinking more along your lines, bringing her in to sleep in the toilet cubicle overnight. I guess we'll have to let her out a few times to pee since she's only about 10 weeks old, but we don't know her routine at all. On the other hand, we have a few days to "practise" before we go so he's going to sleep in the van, in our garden, for a few nights with her to see how it goes and get her used to it. We'll practise positive associations with lying on a blanket on the floor too, just during the daytime, so that it's not new or scary to her. Thanks for all the advice, Alanna in particular, so clear.

[Oenoke]

I go to alot of weekend competitions with my dogs in the caravan, I put a orange net fence around, so the dogs have somewhere to play, they have their crates in the awning, so if I go to run 1 of the dogs, the others are all safely shut away, etc.

You can see the fence in this pic.

[braindead]

this is just me but, i don't think i have the heart to keep a dog outside all the time. i enjoy the dogs inside too much. watching tv, annoying them with the vacuum etc. that being said, i agree - dogs adapt. she may whine at first but she'll get over it.

[anoukrice]

I can see how that would bother some people, but we practically live outside anyway, except in the heat of the midday sun when all she (and we) want to do is sleep! She sees us all the time, adults or kids, and loves having the freedom to roam the garden. She was a bit antsy for the first day or two but now she doesn't mind at all when we leave her.

Tonight's the big test - having done some great naps in her crate in the caravan in the garden (you follow?), we're going to shut her in it overnight, Mark's staying there... for the next 3 nights! eek. I need to be in the house to watch over the kids, so we can't both be in the caravan. Thank god.

[anoukrice]

It's Thursday morning and we'll be off in a moment! 6 hours of driving roughly and then a week or two in the Alps (depending on the weather...). Anouk spent the last 2 nights shut in her crate in the caravan (with Mark keeping her company) and did brilliantly, just getting up once for a pee (she didn't whine or anything, Mark just took her out in the wee hours each time). She's so good! The first night he woke her at 7:30am when he got up, and last night when he awoke she was already awake but just lying there quietly waiting for him! Woohoo! So we're confident that even with the added distractions of all 6 of us in there she'll be fine. Hoping she won't freak out at the thunderstorms now... She'll be doing the driving segment in her crate too for safety (no luggage can fall on her!!) but it's the longest she'll have spent in the car, so wish us luck... usually she does great though, just sleeps till it's over!

See you on the flip side, thanks again for all the moral support!

[youngK9]

Awesome job guys!!

[Mandy89]

(07-03-2011 10:11 PM)braindead Wrote:  this is just me but, i don't think i have the heart to keep a dog outside all the time. i enjoy the dogs inside too much. watching tv, annoying them with the vacuum etc. that being said, i agree - dogs adapt. she may whine at first but she'll get over it.

I'm the same way, i couldn't imagine my dogs living outside..I'd be bored.

[Vicky]

Have a lovely time away, sure your puppy will do fine too!.