Camping with a Dog
Camping is a great way to get out and enjoy nature, and being able to bring your best friend is an added bonus. It can be a bit complicated depending on your plans and the age and ability of your dog, as we have learned over the years. We’re going to go over our camping experiences and some tips for camping with your pup!
Tent Camping
We tent-camped with Riley from when she was a puppy up until she injured her knee. For context, she tore her ACL and had surgery to fix it when she was 6. We had a camping kennel for her, that she never used. She always ended up sleeping right on the air mattress with us. During this time period, we did a lot of hiking and always took her with us.
When you tent camp with a dog, it should go to say that you can’t leave them alone. A tent is not designed to hold a dog, nor should you want to leave them alone anyway. That would be a downfall to tent camping with a dog. The next downfall is that if it rains, you’re probably going to get wet. Riley got the biggest kick out of leaning on the tent walls and letting all the water in, then licking it off the floor. I would have to say the last downfall is when they get wet, all of your stuff is going to get wet. Unless you bring their kennel, then you stand a chance at keeping your things dry.
The key to tent camping with your pup is to make sure you are well enough prepared. You’ll want to bring extra towels, extra potable water, bed, kennel (optional), and leashes. Another thing we did to keep our sanity is bought a portable cabinet from Cabela’s. It made it so you didn’t need to keep your things on the ground, and kept it all dry.
RV Camping
We bought our first camper shortly after Riley healed from her ACL surgery. The decision was a good one to make because we could no longer bring her on the longer hikes we like to do. She now gets to rest in comfort on the couch and lounge in the AC all day.
It may seem like having an RV would solve all of your camping needs but sadly it doesn’t. The main issue is the restriction in freedom, whether it’s limiting where you can go with the RV, how long you can be away from your pup, and the power needs of your RV. In our current setup, we need to have shore power to feel comfortable leaving Riley in the camper while we step out. We are always very cognizant of the campground rules because some campgrounds do not allow dogs to be left at all. If the campground you’re staying at allows dogs to be left in RV’s, you should assess whether your dog will be stressed when left alone. Most dogs will bark when stressed and you don’t want to come back to an angry campground host and neighbors.
Riley is really well-behaved when left alone. How do we know? We set up cameras to keep an eye on her. We have Ring cameras at home and made a configuration that works for our camper as well. Being able to see what she is up to while we are gone gives us great peace of mind. It is always a good idea to test your pup’s ability to be left alone before you leave home. Try leaving them in the camper (fully set up of course) at home and get them used to it before you hit the road.
Camping Packing List for Pup
- Portable food container
- Food and Water
- Bed
- Leashes
- Long lead
- ID Tags
- Rabies tag or certificate
- Poop bags
- Safety lights or reflective collar
- Towel
- First aid kit
What you bring and how much of it really depends on your camping style. Make sure to bring your pup’s rabies and vaccine paperwork or check in advance with the campground on their rules. Most campgrounds require proof of vaccination now, and it is good to have if something were to happen.
No matter what type of camping you’ll be doing bringing your pup is doable. It just takes extra planning to make sure everything goes smoothly. If I had to pick one piece of advice to leave you with out of all of this, is to train your pup for what you want to do. They won’t understand what you want from them on their first outing, especially if they’re still young or a puppy. The more prepared you are, the better your experience will be. Happy camping!