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We are taking Katie camping for the first time this weekend at the beach for two nights. We will take her tether, crate, long lead, and some toys.
Does anyone else do this regularly and have some suggestions for sleeping issues? As she is still crated at night due to several reasons, I just wonder if she would be OK with the crate door open in the tent. I also do not know if she will bark a lot at night due to the sounds outside, or if she will try to go potty in the tent.
Also, she will be crazy to get in the water as she is a 7mos Lab/Whippet mix and goes nuts even at a small rain puddle. Do we need to rinse salt water off her after a swim?
Any tips for the road ride down would be helpful as well.
All this is in preparation for a longer camping trip with her to Ohio/Michigan in the summer. We really want to take her instead of boarding her while we are gone.
Thanks!
One husband, two kids, two cats, two gerbils, one dog, one me....FULL HOUSE!!
Okay, we have taken Annie camping a number of times, once at a lake. We are in a dry/desert area, where it is VERY hot in the summer-- 110 degrees is the average, but it can get up to 118.
Anyway, as for sleeping in the tent, Annie was never comfortable. It never worked out. She was simply too claustrophobic/too hot. She would pace, and kept shifting from one person's feet to another-- she would not sleep in her own little corner. I would finally be the one to put my shoes on, and take her out for one more stroll around the campground (she didn't necessarily need to potty, she was just hot and restless). Then after our stroll, I ended up tethering her to the picnic table, where she lay down and slept under the table, a lot happier/more comfortable there. We've never bothered with her crate, since we just didn't have the room in the vehicles. Last summer, it was so hot, we ended up dragging our cots outside and joining her! We've decided if we ever go somewhere hot again, we will leave the tent home, lol.
Pottying in the tent was never an issue. Long story short, Annie really doesn't like being in the tent at all, period.
I don't recall hearing her bark at strange noises, and there were several. She might have given a low growl a time or two-- like when the campground hosts went driving around in their golf-cart to make sure everything was quiet. The bobcats, cougars, and coyotes pretty much stay away from the campgrounds. The coyotes howling kind of freak her out a bit, so she likes to have company for that.
Other things to keep in mind: Watch your dog closely for signs of fatigue, especially when swimming. You may have to call her out of the water for a break, and all of you join her, as she won't like sitting out by herself while the rest of you stay in the water having fun. And like any little kid, dogs have a hard time stopping their fun even when they are tired-- they will go until they collapse.
Watch her closely for overheating, and keep her well-hydrated-- as much as possible, anyway. Just put a little water at a time in her bowl, and refill very frequently as needed, rather than filling it up and leaving it. Otherwise, the water will heat up, and we know how refreshing hot water is to drink on a hot day! (Blech!) If she starts getting over-heated, you could soak some towels in cold water for her to lay on. Read up on the signs/symptoms of heatstroke/dehydration. Right off the top of my head, some things to look for are blood-shot eyes, pale gums, or a dry nosecap (the black/brown part that's usually wet). The nosecap does dry periodically, then refills. But if it dries out and does not refill within a couple of hours, your dog may be getting dehydrated/overheated. Even convincing her to crunch on some ice would help immensely-- not only for replenishing water, but for cooling her body temperature. Draping wet towels over her back as well as underneath her would be helpful in this circumstance also.
And yes, it is a good idea to rinse the saltwater out of her coat, as dried salt on her skin is every bit as unpleasant as it is on yours (itchy), and is hard on her fur as well, just as it is on your hair.
In addition, don't let her drink the seawater. Drinking salty water is as bad for dogs as it is for people.
Hot sand can get a bit scorching on the paws, depending upon how intense the heat is in your area-- in my area, it would burn and cause some very tender feet. You could maybe get her some booties, if she has to traverse a good distance over hot sand to get to the cool wet stuff.
That's all that comes to mind for now-- have a ball! We love to take Annie camping with us! Dottie has never been, so I don't know what she would be like or even whether she likes swimming. One day I hope we will get the chance to find out!
Fortunately we are SC and will be camping not far from Hilton Head. The temperatures should only be in the 80's and nights in the 70's. Hoping for a sea breeze as well. Not sure what the water temp will be, I doubt it will be warm enough for me.
As far as her crate goes, it folds flat for storage/travel and we have a truck so we will take it just in case. Love the wet towel idea. And I may make her some frozen treats before we leave as well.
Keep the ideas coming! I love the advice you all have
One husband, two kids, two cats, two gerbils, one dog, one me....FULL HOUSE!!
We camp at agility shows and I take Horus' crate in with me. He doesn't normally sleep in it at home, so I just leave the door open to make a nest for him, but if yours is used to sleeping in it with the door shut, then shut the door. He took a while to settle the first night cos he kept pacing around the inner tent to find the exit, in the end I told him to lie down and held his collar and covered him with his blanket until he went to sleep. He didn't bother with noises though cos he doesn't hear them, so can't help you there. Have fun!
I tried this years ago with a friends dog, and spent the whole night being slobbered on, trumped on, and I woke up in the morning with a dog bum in my face!
The thought of camping in a tent, with my pair of sods, would fill me with dread. I know that Derrick would at some point lie all over me, and take up the whole space, and Ethel would just never settle down. She would be barking at anything that happened to be nearby outside... and I mean anything.. fly's, bats, neighbouring cattle.
It would be an absolute nightmare
I wish you the best of luck..... if your dogs are anything like mine... your gonna need it lol
I think if you use your good common sense you will know what to do. First time anything in a new and strange place, new sights, smells and sounds. I would keep the pup on a long lead any time you take your dog to a new place. Perpare for a long night since there is the real possibility this dog is going to react to every sound it hears. Don't I wish it would have been legal to put my kids on a leash when camping.
Fundog wrote:The bobcats, cougars, and coyotes pretty much stay away from the campgrounds. The coyotes howling kind of freak her out a bit, so she likes to have company for that.
Even with the deer coming to eat from the kids hands, the raccoons fighting over watermelon rinds, and the flies and skeeters, she was perfect! Her crate really did the trick at night, only one bark in the dark. We even left her in it with the fan going while we went crabbing for about 2 hours.
She loved the beach, though the ocean was a bit strange to her. The tidal pools however, she just played in constantly, rolling over and over in them 'til she was gray with sand! And Fundog, we did experience the "hot sand" paws ! It was quite funny to see her "dance" for the few second it took my husband to move her to the shady side of the path.
Our friends' oldest daughter took her running 'round the field several times to wear her out. And she got to meet LOTS of new four-legged friends as well.
The only issue we had was on the ride down. She had what we think was a panic attack, trying desparately to get in the front seat after riding quietly for over an hour. We stopped so she could potty, which she did immediately. But she never really settled back down until I got in the back with her in my lap (and she is not a lap dog at all).
The ride home was totally different. She slept the entire time, as did our daughter. She did not even potty when we stopped for a lunch break, just had a drink of water. We did fix her crate in the back of the truck, which does have a cap, just in case we needed her to ride back there.
She really did wonderfully!! We are still considering our options for July as Michigan is a two day trip for us. We'd love to take her, but realize it may be too much for all involved.
Thank you all so much for your tips and advice! As soon as I get the photos off the camera, I'll try to post some.
One husband, two kids, two cats, two gerbils, one dog, one me....FULL HOUSE!!
scbelle: I was thinking about you all weekend! I'm sooo glad to hear you had a good time, and so did Katie! Noodle some more on your upcoming trip out of state-- you might be able to take your dog afterall, with no problem. One idea, is to do most of your driving at night-- and secure Katie in her crate in the back of the truck. That way she will be more likely to just snooze, and it will be much cooler for her, thus relieving some of her anxiety and possible motion sickness. When our kids were just babies, we always drove at night, so they would sleep, and be less inclined to whine and be bored. It works better that way with pets too.
When you get to your camp site, just walk the dogs around to get used to the surroundings. Otherwise, do with your dogs what you do at home. As long as your dogs know you're around, they will be all right!
This question is for muddyfloors: Where is your sense of adventure?
