Poll How many people have pets with them rving

[twogypsies]

We love dogs and have had them during our working years. When we went full-time we decided we wanted to be free. We love hiking in national parks and they aren't allowed on trails for the most part. There are many places dogs can't go and to have to leave them behind and worry about having to return at a certain time to let them out or if it's barking when left alone just isn't in our lifestyle anymore.

We solved that by volunteering at a no-kill shelter and giving them a little attention and walking which they need. So we still get our dog fix without 24 hour responsibility.

There are 55+ parks that have separate sites for dog owners. It seems to work well.

It's a shame that a few irresponsible owners ruin it for others.

[paddykern]

Travel with two cats.

[winniman]

Considering the hundreds of responses every barking thread gets, I thought we would get a better response for the poll. So far it is looking about what I expected as per my own observations. Most rvs have pets on board.

[pete5016]

Originally Posted by Bahamaniac

We travel with our 6 pound maltipoo. The 120 pound German shepherd stays home. The little dog stays with us at all times. She doesn't run free or bark.

We would never leave our 110 pound German Shepherd at home....she is in charge!

[1bigmess]

I got a dog. She is either with me, or at day care during the work day. It is my responsibility to make sure she is the good neighbor that I would want next door to me. She recently started barking when I left her in the trailer while I was gone for more than a few minutes, so I'm taking her to day care where she gets stimulated, exercised, socialized, and comes back tired at the end of the day.

She's family, and it's my responsibility to make sure that my family is not making staying at the RV park or campground difficult for others. I take it very seriously.

[okcnewbie]

45% of owners have pets onboard and 0% of sellers.......

[zmotorsports]

We never have had nor will have pets when we travel and would absolutely stay at a pet free campground/RV Park. However, I don't think it would be in business long based on our experience traveling and seeing how many travel with pets.

Two funny things we've noticed. First is how many RV's for sale advertise as being "pet free" yet real world says otherwise. Second is how many state their dogs don't bark yet as soon as the owners walk out the door the dogs start barking and quit as soon as the owners pull back into their campsite.

[theboondork.]

When I started full-timing four years ago one of the things that attracted me to living that lifestyle was the freedom it offers. The freedom to come and go as I please, the freedom to eat, sleep, and play, whenever I decide, and the freedom to sit, relax, and do absolutely nothing for as long as I want. I've had dogs and cats all of my life, why would I now want a dog that will take away a substantial portion of that freedom.

The dog may preclude me from staying wherever I want to stay. His barking may instigate problems with my neighbors or the campground hosts. I can't always sit and relax when I want to, because the dog may want to do something else. I can't go for a walk when I want to, I have to go for a walk when the dog needs to. I may have a dog that is a perfect angel while I'm home with him, but as soon as I drive away without him he turns into a barking maniac that doesn't stop barking for one second until I pull back into the campsite. I've actually camped next to that dog before. I have to take him to the vet after he runs into a cactus, back to the vet after an altercation with a porcupine. And this is a big one... I have to walk behind that dog everywhere he goes picking up his poop.

My first real job when I was 16 years old was cleaning out stables where horses were boarded, and I'll be darned if at this stage of my life, 57 years later, I'm still cleaning up behind an animal, my life and my freedom is worth more than that to me.

theboondork.com

[steve52]

Lifelong dog owner here.

Dogs aren't the problem, the problem is dog owners who don't keep them leashed, don't pick up after them, leave them in the RV barking for hours, and think everyone loves their dog. If you cannot control your dog, or your dog is aggressive or not socialized to strange dogs and people, then do not take your dog camping.

I have never taken any of my dogs to a campground, because they would be miserable there. They are accustomed to roaming free in a 2 acre fenced yard. They don't like being leashed. They aren't used to other dogs. So they stay at the boarding kennel, where they are happy.

[Solo_RV_Guy]

Originally Posted by okcnewbie

45% of owners have pets onboard and 0% of sellers.......

Some odors defy Febreeze after a couple of days with the RV closed up. I'd say it's more like 75% have pet odors.


I love animals but have no pets due to my work and travels, and I'm VERY allergic to cats and dogs so you can't fool me with perfumes and deodorizers if I spend more than a few minutes in the RV.


How allergic? When I went to a specialist they did blood work to see what to expose me to in the "scratch tests". The lab counts white cell reactions to various proteins; my reaction to dogs was over 6,000 and the lab stopped counting the reaction to cats at 10,000. A "strong positive" reaction is 400.


Did I mention I love animals? I ended on up allergy shots for 3 years and they helped a whole lot, enough that I didn't need daily antihistamines. Kept 2 cats (sisters) for 18 years. Now that I've been off the shots for 35 years I've lost a lot of the immunity I had, but will still develop immunity to individual animals after titrated exposure.

[RKins]

Originally Posted by 1bigmess

I got a dog. She is either with me, or at day care during the work day. It is my responsibility to make sure she is the good neighbor that I would want next door to me. She recently started barking when I left her in the trailer while I was gone for more than a few minutes, so I'm taking her to day care where she gets stimulated, exercised, socialized, and comes back tired at the end of the day.

She's family, and it's my responsibility to make sure that my family is not making staying at the RV park or campground difficult for others. I take it very seriously.

Yup, I take our dog to Camp Bow Wow (CBW) 2 days a week for a half day - she runs and plays with dogs her size and has a ball - been taking her there for 4 years. They are nation wide - great organization - always a human in the play areas. If you have small dogs check to see if they have a small dog play area.

When we go camping I either take her with us (she does pretty good - she is "maturing" at 5) or we board her at CBW, like when we go to a close by rally. When she is with us I have figured out how to make our walks productive - it's nice that way instead of just walking her for an hour with no results.

[Old-Biscuit]

First dog was when I was 3
Yep...had dogs, got dogs, have a dog
Camping, RVng, FTng

[bamaboy473]

hint to those that have little dogs so their sh***t is hard to see, thereby not worth picking up;...............please have a pick-up bag visible in your pocket, even if you don't plan to use it. Those that notice things see that most of the crap left for the rest of us is left by little chitters....

[rlott2k]

Only in our memories now.. :_(