Transporting our dog

[daryl989mich]

I hope this is seen as an honest question, but we are trying to determine the safest way to take our dog on trips in our RV......let me explain. My wife is asthmatic and having my German Shorthair inside the coach will be a health problem. She tells me breathing is still important to her. So...can it be safe for our dog to be placed in a bay that would have to be made no longer air tight? Some might consider this cruel, but it may be our only option. Our motorhome is a 40' diesel pusher. Has anyone faced this same issue? If so, how did you solve the problem.

[halfwright]

What do you do with the dog when you are out sightseeing? Most campgrounds do not allow dogs to be tied out without you around.


To me it comes down to choosing who stays home, the wife or the dog.


It might be easier to find a good home for the wife than the dog.

[rbleau6885]

Put your wife in the compartment if it's not cruel

[Scarab0088]

Where does the dog live when you are not RVing? And where would the dog stay when at your destination?

To seriously answer the question, a storage bay or bin would surely be unsafe and uncomfortable for any animal...we strongly recommend this idea be adandoned.

And, if seen loading/unloading the dog, you would be at great risk of being the object of a 911 call to authorities.

A more serious alternative would be a climate controlled/air filtered kennel for transit...please let cool/warm air in and filter the exhaust air for the spouse's breathing issue. This could be a built-in cabinet inside RV interior if you are really serious about this. For kennel size, the dog should be able to stand and turn around in the kennel.

Safe travels

[Wapa1]

I had a similar problem. Absolutely love the new wife.

[jroethke]

Sounds like you need to find a new home for the dog. A good home and not in a compartment! Find a good shelter someone who would give the dog the home that they need now. You cannot choose to burden your wife and your pet. So do the right thing. After all are they all not family? Do we not take care of our own? Good Luck! God Bless. JR

[cwsqbm]

There's no safe way to transport you dog other than inside the coach. If you wouldn't want to ride there, don't have the dog there.

If her breathing is so bad that sharing a coach with the dog would be impossible, maybe its time to look for a new home for the dog. My yellow lab used to be a friend's dog, but his youngest kid was allergic (and his wife to a lesser extent).

[MartySQ]

You could try getting a good quality hepa type air filter to run in your rig and see if she can handle that... if not, perhaps pooch needs to go to a kennel while you go on trips.

[CJ7365]

Boy I thought I had heard it all, your life your wife, but if my wife was allergic to dog hair, I would not own a dog

[pasdad1]

I have used these filters for the last 15 years...they are some of the best made.

[Happy Prospector]

Just remember a good dog is hard to find, and why in the world would you put yourself in this position?

I really thought I had heard everything.


Think about how stupid the average person is, and then realize that half of 'em are stupider than that!

[daryl989mich]

Thank you for all who crucified me for asking for possible solutions to our situation. I half way expected it. Our dog is an outside dog and is part of our family. We take very good care of her...to spoiling her. We are new to the RV experience....and we're looking for a safe way to take her to South Dakota in the fall. Hunters transport their dogs on the airlines by the thousands....in the cargo bay.....no one yells abuse in this method.......previous trips she has been crated in the back of our pickup...which has a cap on it. One dog breeder brought 4 dogs in a crate that attached to his trailer receiver......a big box off the back of his truck. I share this further information to show that not all dog owners have their pooch in their lap....or in their bed...or on the couch....

With this said....the shared idea of a filter system seems like a possible idea. Thank you for those who offered positive solutions.

[Dtwallace]

Carrying a dog in a carrier in the lower compartment is no different than in any other place like the bed of a pickup, other than less breeze. If your coach is a diesel pusher, there or no fumes to worry about. I've found having an easily excitable small dog in the cockpit very dangerous. So I have carriers for them so when needed.


Extreme outside temperatures however should be of concern and a closed compartment with no vents could become a hell hole, or a deep freezer. cutting vent holes in your RV is really not a good long term solution, you'd be creating others problems.


Lots of differing opinions on this and only you can decide how you handle your dilemma. But by the sounds of your choices, you'd be better off not taking your dog along until you can find a better solution to all the other problems you haven't addressed yet.


DTW

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by daryl989mich

Thank you for all...
Hunters transport their dogs on the airlines by the thousands....in the cargo bay.....no one yells abuse in this method.......previous trips she has been crated in the back of our pickup...which has a cap on it. One dog breeder brought 4 dogs in a crate that attached to his trailer receiver......a big box off the back of his truck..

About these point...we run a 501c3 dog rescue, so can speak with experience...

Airlines place large kennels (those that are not carry-on with passengers) within a pressurized and climate controlled area of the aircraft...it is not the cargo bay. Because of this difference, the space on most airliners is small so some airlines are limiting shipments of kennels to 1 or 2 per flight, only.

A covered pick-up bed is quite comfortable for kids to ride in and is visible to the driver...been there, done that as a kid and adult. That is quite different from an RV storage bin.

And finally, the kennels built to hang off the back of a receiver hitch have been banned in several states as unsafe for the animal (engine exhaust fumes and beyond the bumper). Too bad that laws have to be written to stop obviously bad ideas from taking place.

So, Michigan to South Dakota would typically include an overnight or few, so the question comes back about what to do with the pup during overnight stops (?). No campground we have ever used allows a dog to be tied out without a person present with the dog.

BTW, most large air filter systems require 110v power, so an inverter set will be required for use on the road.

We have transported many dogs in our RV within a kennel. It is safe and comfortable for the dog and the people riding in the RV.

Hope the details can be worked out for the safety of the spouse and the pup...
Best luck