Pets and National Parks?

[JimM68]

Sure don't seem to go together. How do you all deal with that? Seems as many have pets traveling with them as have motorhomes to travel in...lol. and of course everyone goes to National Parks.

We're doing RMNP, Grand Teton, and maybe some Yellowstone this year.

The fine print for all three says our pup is not welcome beyond 100 feet from the parking lots and pull offs.
What to do? I want to get out and hike some trails, but I can't leave doggy locked in the MH all day... Kennels can work sometimes, but expensive and dog don't like it much. But no kennels in yellowstone.

What do you do with your dog when you go into a nat'l park?

[powerboatr]

if we go a walking we crank up the a/c and lock the doors so pups stay cool.
even on top of calupin volcano we had cold a/c for the pups.

[takepride]

We take our pups camping, always. We just left Yellowstone today and arrive at Zion tomorrow. We plan our camping according to the weather. If it's hot, we always stay with hookups if our dogs must stay behind. We also have an automatic generator starter to kick on if the AC is required and no power is available.

There are also devices to contact you when temps in your moho are too high/low.

Normally we plan to camp in comfortable temperatures, so open windows and the ceiling fan are usually enough. We've not had any problems and I've been camping for 45 years.

The dogs don't mind staying in the coach. When we are camping, they know we'll return much sooner than when left at home during the workweek.

[RVThere]

We take our dog all the time but dogs on trails (like bikes and ATVs) are forbidden on many trails. In Yellowstone, dogs and bears don't mix very well.

We leave our dog in the MH with the AC on and all the shades drawn with no problems as he is not a barker. If your dog is a yapper, you should forego leaving him alone out of courtesy to your neighbors.

[Seajay]

We have a ''travel Pen'' for the dogs .... we have 3 that are our constant companions. When we are in the coach we unfold the pen and put the puppies in it. When we leave the coach and must leave the dogs inside we turn on the exhaust fans and open the windows for them. One thing to remember is that small dogs will attract eagles and or bears and this is why they dont allow them on the hiking trails etc. In Alaska they advise that if you put your dogs in a pen outside you put obstructions across the top of the pen to keep birds of prey out and when you ''walk them on a leash'' you use a very short leash especially if the dogs are small like ours. We have a 4 pound Yorkie and two Paps. The locals up there call people with small dogs on long leashes walking around say they are ''TROLING FOR EAGLES'' ....... You should remember that most dogs are pretty tough critters and if you keep plenty of water down for them they can take a lot of heat if they have a good breeze.

Seajay the sailor man ......

[smlranger]

We've been to several national parks with our dog/s. Like most here, we make sure they get exercise by walking them within the RV park then leave them in the motorhome while we sightsee. We leave the radio on and set the AC and have auto gen start in case there is a power failure.
We usually don't leave them more than 5 - 6 hours at at time and they seem to do quite well.

It is the price you pay for their unconditional love and companionship.

[Gary - K7GLD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVThere We take our dog all the time but dogs on trails (like bikes and ATVs) are forbidden on many trails. In Yellowstone, dogs and bears don't mix very well. We leave our dog in the MH with the AC on and all the shades drawn with no problems as he is not a barker. If your dog is a yapper, you should forego leaving him alone out of courtesy to your neighbors.

Absolutely!

BUT, the unfortunate fact is, that darling furball that is so saintly and quiet while you are around, can often turn into a major woofin' wailer when you are out of sight - MUCH to the disgust and annoyance of your RVing neighbors.

Our last dog was a good traveler - small female short haired breed that was USUALLY very quiet - and yeah, we THOUGHT she was OK when left alone as we cheerfully wandered around without her on rare occasions.

Until one irritated CG neighbor informed us that our own darling barked and howled the whole time we were gone...

SO, if you REALLY want to know how well behaved YOUR dog is when you are away, open a can of worms, and ASK your fellow RVers how quiet your pet was while you were away - the answer may well surprise you...

[wkdwitch]

Not to mention that many NPS have rules. Rules that say no pets may be left unattended. It is not really fair to the pets, nor the other campers, and can result in a fine.

[JimM68]

Still struggling with this one. Our riley is a male Norwegian Elkhound, still a pup at not quite 5 months. He is never left alone, he would eat the entire housr in an hour, teething and all that. I don't know what he would do left alone in the MH. Leaving him in the TOAD is out, a wrangler convertible is not particularly secure...

Was thinking about leaving him home, 18 yo son will be there, but DW says "NO WAY"

Guess we'll just manage. Itg will be better having him along than not, even if we have to change or limit what we will do. Tonight DW is searching for hikes and trails near but outside the nat'l parks, where the rules aren't so strict. Garden of the Gods in Co Springs does not prohibit leashed pets.

Anyone know of any good walking trails, waterfalls a big plus, on the southeat side of RMNP or the Idaho side of the tetons?

[smlranger]

A dog that has been properly crate trained can be left alone in their crate, avoiding the potential destruction a young dog/puppy can do to your home or RV. We've found that our dogs love their crates....it becomes their safe haven.

[Gary - K7GLD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by smlranger A dog that has been properly crate trained can be left alone in their crate, avoiding the potential destruction a young dog/puppy can do to your home or RV. We've found that our dogs love their crates....it becomes their safe haven.

The "properly trained" pets aren't the problem - it's the UNtrained ones with equally UNtrained and uncaring owners that ARE the problem - and the best pet crate in the world won't erase or sidestep the "no pets left unattended" rules where they are posted...

AND it's a "Murphy Law Rule" that the campers who came to a park to enjoy the beauties of nature's quiet solitude WILL inevitably end up right NEXT to the campers who came to unwind, raise Hell and let it all hang out - barking/howling dogs, kids, and all included...

[LindaH]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary - K7GLD the best pet crate in the world won't erase or sidestep the "no pets left unattended" rules where they are posted...

We leave our dog in the rig when we're gone even if there are such rules. No one would even know that we have a dog unless they see him since he doesn't bark. What would we do with him otherwise...leave him locked up in a hot automobile? He's much better off sleeping in the comfort of the rig while we're gone.

[Gary - K7GLD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LindaH We leave our dog in the rig when we're gone even if there are such rules. No one would even know that we have a dog unless they see him since he doesn't bark. What would we do with him otherwise...leave him locked up in a hot automobile? He's much better off sleeping in the comfort of the rig while we're gone.

YEAH, if you read one of my earlier posts in this thread, WE TOO thought OUR darling was quiet as a mouse while we were gone - but neighboring campers set us straight on that one too...

Have you actually ASKED CG neighbors if your dog IS quiet when you leave it unattended?

AND, believe it or not, that "unattended pets" pets rule applies to YOU, just as it does the REST of us, whether you choose to obey it or not!

ALSO, "what to do with dear old Joe" is YOUR problem, not your CG neighbors - YOU decided to own a pet, THEY did not!

[mythplaced]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary - K7GLD The "properly trained" pets aren't the problem - it's the UNtrained ones with equally UNtrained and uncaring owners that ARE the problem -..... ......campers who came to a park to enjoy the beauties of nature's quiet solitude WILL inevitably end up right NEXT to the campers who came to unwind, raise Hell and let it all hang out - barking/howling dogs, kids, and all included...

This is as contentious as a "Wal Mart" thread...

I try to live by one rule...

"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."

Problem is, some people have a higher tolerance level for "nuisance" than I do.