Some of our best traveling experiences with Spike were camping trips. His recollection would probably not have been the same though. As much as we loved pitching a tent, relaxing around a dancing fire, listening to the wind whistling through the Pines …. Spike would, at some point relatively early in the evening, have had enough and disappear into the tent to sleep in the folds of the duvet till morning. As street-wise and widely traveled as he was, he was first and foremost a creature of comfort.
Camping, whether its on your own or with family and pets, requires a fair bit of planning and foresight.
Location
Petfriendlytravel.com has a list of pet-friendly campgrounds and RV parks in the USA and a wealth of information on other places your dogs can visit. Dogs are for the most part welcome to camp in US National Parks too. We camped with Spike in both Yosemite, Death Valley (very hot) and the Grand Canyon (very cold).
Europe is far more pet-friendly than the USA and most campgrounds (and hotels) allow pets. We camped a lot with Spike in France and Germany. In France we sought out small rural campsites which offered amazing views and relative peace. Check out: www.rural-camping.com for some really fabulous camping opportunities there.
Accessories
We are relatively low maintenance people and when it was just the two of us and Spike we would ‘wing it’ a lot of the time and just pick up things (with some luck) at local shops should we need them. Of course, this approach doesn’t work with everyone and certainly doesn’t work if you are camping out in the middle of nowhere far off the beaten track. Here are a few things you might want to consider traveling with when going camping with dogs. By the way, when camping in Germany once along the banks of the Rhine River we came across a couple camping with their dog and cat! We have not seen cats camping subsequently but the possibility is worth noting. Not that our cat would have much desire for great far-flung adventures I don’t think!
This list assumes the dog will be camping in the tent with you and will not need his own. It also assumes he has a leash, collar with a tag on it and perhaps a GPS tracker like a Whistle. Please see: Tags, Microchips and Trackers.
- A comfortable travel pet bed will probably be appreciated by the dog. Check out a few we like here: Best Travel Pet Beds
- Food. It goes without saying of course, but we have left behind a travel bowls for food and water before. Make sure to pack enough food if you are not going to be in a position to replenish if necessary and pack it in an air-tight container.
- Treats. Our dogs are treats fiends and they work both as rewards and some ‘to do’ while waiting around or hanging out. Take dog treats they are familiar with so you don’t introduce something that might not sit well.
- Toys. Our dogs don’t particularly like toys, it’s sad but true. Perhaps we haven’t found the right ones for them? But most dogs definitely have favorite toys and bringing dog toys (maybe not the favorite) away on a camping (or other) trip may be a good idea to help alleviate any stress involved in traveling and staying in new places.
- Pet First Aid Kit. A first aid kit specifically engineered towards pets is helpful in that it has been thought out with pet injury and illness in mind and assembled with items that you can easily give or help your pet with and not worry that they will do more harm than good. There are many on the market. A good one will include a thermometer, emergency collar, and tick remover. Talking about ticks, your dog is bound to attract a couple while camping so make sure flea and tick medication is up to date and applied.
- Stake Tie-Out. Campgrounds usually have leash rules in place. It is not the most fun sitting around a campfire holding on to the pet leash all the time and there are only a small handful of dogs in the world that are 100% voice command trained that can be fully trusted to sit and stay no matter how many other dogs or squirrels parade by. A stake tie-out, for when you are sitting around with your dog can be very helpful.
- Towels are often forgotten and super good to have – you know the dog is going to find whatever water it can! Dog towels should be ultra-absorbent and quick drying!
Camping is fun. Camping with dogs can be even more so for all involved. Cold air. Dark night. Warm fire. Bright stars. And may we add – Wet Nose.
