Dog Care with you while RVing

[nnason]

So many of the places we visited this summer did not allow our 45-pound non-barking labradoodle inside or on hiking trails. Large towns have day-care or overnight care but small towns like Seward Alaska don't.
1. What do RVers consider the maximum they will leave their dog alone in their RV?
2. Other ideas?

[Camp CA]

Originally Posted by nnason

.............1. What do RVers consider the maximum they will leave their dog alone in their RV? 2. Other ideas?

1. 4 hours.
2. Have a trusted RV camping neighbor look after the dog.

[dbircky]

I leave them home.
Or just accept that you’re not going to be able to do certain activities or go certain places. I’m sure a neighbor in a campground a) has plans to do things that don’t include watching a strangers dog or b) don’t want to hear your dog barking for hours while you’re away.
People bringing a pet with them should expect to make concessions as a result.
Sorry if that’s harsh. But mine stay home or at a kennel for just those reasons.

[KenZ71]

If plugged in to a pedestal leave the AC on and a bowl of water just like at home in the sticks and bricks.

If no shore power supplement with generator and auto start

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by Camp CA

1. 4 hours.
2. Have a trusted RV camping neighbor look after the dog.

We once watched a camping neighbor's dog while they toured Scotty's Castle in Death Valley Nat'l Park. They became good friends and we met up with them often.

If the park states "no pets left in the RV" & you decide to do otherwise - be very sure your dog won't bark or the office will get complaints. (We volunteered for public parks & know this to be true.)

[Wellibe]

We have a very anxious dog who can't be left at a kennel or home with a pet sitter, so he goes with us on every trip. For the most part we just accept the fact that there are certain places we can't go. The biggest downer is that we basically can't visit most National Parks because they won't allow pets on trails and overlooks.

We do sometimes leave him alone in the camper for short periods. He never barks, so no worries about other campers complaining, but we're just not comfortable leaving him all day because he would be a nervous wreck by the time we got back.

[TXiceman]

Get a cell phone-based power and temperature system, such as Marcell. It will text your cell if the power is out or temperature is out of range.

MarCELL

[RV_Lee]

My lab comes everywhere with me, she's needy and anxious like the other posters dogs above, past 2 weeks alone she's been camping twice and to two hotels. If they dont allow dogs, I dont spend money there - its that simple. Yes, have a smoke, carbon monoxide, propane, temp detector and even a camera linked to your phone so you can go enjoy yourself and keep tabs on the RV.


FYI most patios allow dogs these days, but call ahead...

[Dutch Star Don]

I have to say that I think many people are more controlled by their dog then the dog by the owners. Unless a dog has some medical needs, they can be left alone a LOT longer than four hours.

Up until I retired, we had two labs, one was a pet, and one was a working dog. They were both allowed to sleep inside on a mat at the back slider. I had two cables mounted to the baseboard and they were not allowed to roam. They came in between 7pm and 8pm, or even earlier, and stayed in until 8am.

While out of town training the working dog, we stayed in an extended stay hotel. My wife and I went out for 17 hours and when we came back, the lab had to pee, but had not soiled her kennel.

Neither of the dogs EVER had an accident.

My point, I watch friends and family JUMP whenever their dogs even whimper. The dogs have the humans more trained than the humans have the dogs trained.

We never took our dogs camping. We knew how limiting they could be and just hired a sitter. They did fine. Dogs have no understanding of time, so they don't know if you left two days ago or two months ago.

I know many will be appalled by my statement, but I loved my dogs and had one or two dogs at a time for over a 30 year span, I just didn't let them run my life.

[IASM]

We have two dogs now and usually have had two and a cat. we take them all with us both boating and the rv. Boat trips are a few weeks and the rv is a few months. If were looking at parks or running around they all stay in the rv or boat for up to 10 hours but mostly about 8 max. Never an accident but on those rare occasions where they end up with a long day they do really have to go potty. We have three arlo cameras on board so i am able to see what there up to from my phone and also see temp..They usually are just sleeping. As previously mentioned folks will humanize there pets but we prefer a well trained dog.No need for a leash other then to comply with rules. No barking or crazy behavior. Stay is stay down is down. No questions ask. We take them most every where we go but if were in a federal park and pets are not allowed i will not keep them in the car. Staying in a conditioned rv is safer for them. They dont crimp our style. Ironically on the boat the cat does the best.

[Wellibe]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

I have to say that I think many people are more controlled by their dog then the dog by the owners. Unless a dog has some medical needs, they can be left alone a LOT longer than four hours.

Up until I retired, we had two labs, one was a pet, and one was a working dog. They were both allowed to sleep inside on a mat at the back slider. I had two cables mounted to the baseboard and they were not allowed to roam. They came in between 7pm and 8pm, or even earlier, and stayed in until 8am.

While out of town training the working dog, we stayed in an extended stay hotel. My wife and I went out for 17 hours and when we came back, the lab had to pee, but had not soiled her kennel.

Neither of the dogs EVER had an accident.

My point, I watch friends and family JUMP whenever their dogs even whimper. The dogs have the humans more trained than the humans have the dogs trained.

We never took our dogs camping. We knew how limiting they could be and just hired a sitter. They did fine. Dogs have no understanding of time, so they don't know if you left two days ago or two months ago.

I know many will be appalled by my statement, but I loved my dogs and had one or two dogs at a time for over a 30 year span, I just didn't let them run my life.

Dogs are individuals, just like people. Your dogs were fine when left alone for long periods of time, but that doesn't mean it works for all dogs.

If you've ever had a dog with anxiety issues, you know that the behavior can't be trained out of them using standard training techniques. We've had our guy for over a year and half now, and he still won't do his business with me most of the time (he's only truly comfortable with my wife). We went away once for a 4-day weekend and left our son to sit with him. He only peed twice the whole time, and that was on the floor by the door in the middle of the night (he's never had an accident in the house any other time). And he only pooped once in 4 days. You can't just force a dog like that to overcome his fears.

And I have to disagree with you about a dog's sense of time. If we leave our dog alone for an hour, he's fine when we get back. If we leave him for six or eight hours, he's a quivering, whimpering mess when we return. He knows when dinner time is to within a half hour or so (he'll come stare me down when it's time). We don't let him sleep with us all night, but we do let him come up in the wee hours of the morning and let him cuddle for a couple of hours. He knows the appropriate time to come in. He knows when it's time for his morning and afternoon walks. I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

You are right that many dogs can be trained to spend all day alone without any adverse consequences. But folks need to know their particular dog's quirks and adjust accordingly.

[carybosse]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

... The dogs have the humans more trained than the humans have the dogs trained.
...

You don't train dogs, they train you. We had trouble housebreaking our cocker. They are some of the most hard-headed dogs around. Read about putting a bell on the door for her to ring. She learned it on one try, never had another problem with her.

She now rings the bell for 4 reasons:

1. I want to go out and see what the neighbor dogs are barking about.

2. OK, now that you are up, go fill up my food or water bowl.

3. That other dog, our Springer, is bothering me. When you open the door, she will go outside, and I will hop up on the bed without her bothering me.

4. If she rings the bell really hard, she needs to go outside to the bathroom, the original intent...

Our Springer has never mastered the bell after 10 years. She just walks back and forth to the door till you realize she wants out. Maybe 20 times, but eventually we get the message. We are slow learners.

Some dogs do well traveling, etc. Our two seem to do extremely well when left in the TT. Minimal barking till they see or hear us return. Probably the longest we have left them maybe 4 hours or so.

Our daughter's dog, is not as good, but does okay for short periods. The other daughter's dog, we would never leave in the trailer, she might destroy it in 20 minutes.

Yes, you have to know your dog.

[Old-Biscuit]

Folks go to work and leave dog alone in house for 8+ hours

We FTd and traveled with a 78# Border Collie/Lab

We took her everywhere and if not allowed she stayed 'home' (in the RV) just like we did when we had a S&B and worked.

We went did our thing and came 'home' .....she slept

[carybosse]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Folks go to work and leave dog alone in house for 8+ hours

We FTd and traveled with a 78# Border Collie/Lab

We took her everywhere and if not allowed she stayed 'home' (in the RV) just like we did when we had a S&B and worked.

We went did our thing and came 'home' .....she slept

I agree.

There does seem to be a serious concern that AC units fail/electricity goes out and dogs die in the heat of an RV.

My first question is: Does this happen often? I have never had an issue.

Second question, more of a comment: We are not talking an area near as small as a car. I would not think the heat would rise so quickly in an RV as to be dangerous in a few hours. Uncomfortable, yes. Deadly, not so much.