Author Topic: First time camping with a dog - any tips?  (Read 2993 times)

Dibdib

  • Fat'n'slow
First time camping with a dog - any tips?
« on: 29 April, 2016, 10:06:54 am »
So I'm taking Blu to Dartmoor for a couple of nights over the long bank holiday weekend, along with mum, sister, sis's boyfriend and their dog.

Apart from the obvious (keep him warm, fed, watered and emptied regularly) does anyone have any tips for making his first camping experience a happy one?

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: First time camping with a dog - any tips?
« Reply #1 on: 29 April, 2016, 10:21:05 am »
Never taken my dog camping but as long as you stick to the obvious if he's anything like ours the excitement of being in a new place will be more than enough!

LEE

  • "Shut Up Jens" - Legs.
Re: First time camping with a dog - any tips?
« Reply #2 on: 29 April, 2016, 10:56:42 am »
Repeatedly asking them "Who's a good boy then?" whilst roughly rubbing their head seems to make them happy.
Some people say I'm self-obsessed but that's enough about them.

Re: First time camping with a dog - any tips?
« Reply #3 on: 29 April, 2016, 11:06:53 am »
For our Tilley we need...
Lots of towels for muddy paws and to protect sleeping bags
A secure harness to prevent her buggering off after bunnies..  When camping she's always on intensive bunny watch.
 A ground anchor and long line so she can potter about securely
Ways of distracting her when in the tent and she hears interesting sounds and tries to dig her way out of the sides... Moos baas tweets bunnies etc
Moar towels!
Tick remover, to be employed several times a day if in the Lake District

It's great fun, camping with a dog. Does Blu get on with the other dog going?

Re: First time camping with a dog - any tips?
« Reply #4 on: 29 April, 2016, 11:10:33 am »
Repeatedly asking them "Who's a good boy then?" whilst roughly rubbing their head seems to make them happy.

It's an existential question for dogs.

I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Wombat

  • Is it supposed to hurt this much?
Re: First time camping with a dog - any tips?
« Reply #5 on: 29 April, 2016, 01:47:59 pm »
Wot Peli said.

We used to go camping regularly with our collie/springer cross, with no real issues.  She used to guard the tent if we went away to do the washing up or whatever, and severely frightened some friendly Nederlanders who wanted to give her a bone from their food, while we were down the other end of the campsite.  When she was told to "guard it" she took her responsibilities very seriously.  She slept on the other side of the 6 man tent from us two, and would wander over to say hello in the morning, if one of us looked at her.  I do think its only workable with a well behaved dog though, the thought of camping with some of the uncontrolled idiot hounds I see about would be terrifying.

We did once go on holiday to Bala, and had to give up as it was so wet we had to take her out in the car every day with the heating on full tilt, to dry her out.  That said, pretty well every time we cross the Welsh border, the heavens open.
Wombat

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: First time camping with a dog - any tips?
« Reply #6 on: 29 April, 2016, 01:52:18 pm »
Spend a night at The Barge Inn - preferably in a cheap tent - studying what the dog owners do.  Then do the opposite.

Dibdib

  • Fat'n'slow
Re: First time camping with a dog - any tips?
« Reply #7 on: 29 April, 2016, 02:59:17 pm »
For our Tilley we need...
Lots of towels for muddy paws and to protect sleeping bags
A secure harness to prevent her buggering off after bunnies..  When camping she's always on intensive bunny watch.
 A ground anchor and long line so she can potter about securely
Ways of distracting her when in the tent and she hears interesting sounds and tries to dig her way out of the sides... Moos baas tweets bunnies etc
Moar towels!
Tick remover, to be employed several times a day if in the Lake District

It's great fun, camping with a dog. Does Blu get on with the other dog going?

Yup, got towels and a ground anchor :) he's pretty chilled about noises too, which is promising.

Blu has met Rufus a couple of times and they won't be on top of each other - we've got a camping pitch with a big tent (me and Blu in one half, mum in the other) and also a little hut (sister, her bf and Rufus). I'm really hopeful he'll enjoy it!

Dibdib

  • Fat'n'slow
Re: First time camping with a dog - any tips?
« Reply #8 on: 04 May, 2016, 02:39:31 pm »
A little update - Blu loved camping, and even stayed put in his bed (ground, dog bed, dog, sleeping bag) all night. Didn't try to get muddy paws on my nice clean sleeping bag except once, didn't try to burrow out of the tent.

 :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Steph

  • Fast. Fast and bulbous. But fluffy.
Re: First time camping with a dog - any tips?
« Reply #9 on: 07 May, 2016, 08:45:03 pm »
Wot Peli said.

We used to go camping regularly with our collie/springer cross, with no real issues.  She used to guard the tent if we went away to do the washing up or whatever, and severely frightened some friendly Nederlanders who wanted to give her a bone from their food, while we were down the other end of the campsite.  When she was told to "guard it" she took her responsibilities very seriously.  She slept on the other side of the 6 man tent from us two, and would wander over to say hello in the morning, if one of us looked at her.  I do think its only workable with a well behaved dog though, the thought of camping with some of the uncontrolled idiot hounds I see about would be terrifying.

We did once go on holiday to Bala, and had to give up as it was so wet we had to take her out in the car every day with the heating on full tilt, to dry her out.  That said, pretty well every time we cross the Welsh border, the heavens open.
Stop leaving Wales, then!
Mae angen arnaf i byw, a fe fydda'i