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Old 12-06-2014, 10:19 PM   #1
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Introducing a new pet to camping

We recently adopted a six month old golden retriever mix from an animal rescue shelter. She is a beautiful golden with short hair, about 7 1/2 months old now. But she is real skittish, around new people, around other dogs, and when i took her for a walk tried to see if she would go up the camper steps, she was not interested. She has huge paws she is growing into and has that puppy trait of chewing on everything! She chewed on the back of a cabinet in the office the other day so we are a little worried about the furniture in the camper. Needs a robot vacuum cleaner to follow her around. We generally go somewhere close by about every three weeks, (South Mississippi) and we dont want to leave her home. Any suggestions on making the camping transition easier? fold up kennel inside when we are gone?
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Old 12-06-2014, 10:46 PM   #2
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If you expect her to use the kennel while camping,she needs to trained to use it all the time.We have never kennel trained our dogs,we teach them to behave properly instead,but she will need to view the kennel as HER place,not a punishment, but a safe and welcome place to go.
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Old 12-06-2014, 11:43 PM   #3
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Our dog is kennel trained and a good camper from the start. Even though her kennel door is not latched she stays in there till given permission to leave in the morning. She has her car bed in the truck and travels really well. Just takes some time.
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Old 12-06-2014, 11:49 PM   #4
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We adopted a 5 month old boxer/American bulldog/beagle mix a year ago. He eats everything including walls. We ended up crate training because he is not trustworthy when we aren't around. I'm told boxers stay crate trained for life because they tend to get themselves into trouble when they get bored. He gets a bone and a sturdy toy as well as a bowl of water and a soft bed in his crate. Every time he goes in, he gets a treat. he loves his crate. We don't crate at night but we do lock him in our bedroom. The crate is too big for the trailer so we lock him in the bedroom. He is given a treat every time we leave, something that will keep him busy. He also has an antler or hard bone in there to chew when the desire strikes him. (Remember when they chew the wrong thing, tell them no and then trade it for the correct thing. Reward them with attention when they chew the correct thing.) So far (knock on wood) he hasn't chewed anything in the trailer.

For the steps, our guy didn't like them at first either. It was the openness of them that scared him. We covered them with an old blanket and began helping him up and down the steps one foot at a time. Once in the trailer he got a reward. When he was comfortable going up and down on his own with the steps covered, we removed the blanket and repeated the process. He loves the trailer and runs into it now. He gets mad when the trailer is home and we don't let him claim his spot.

Remember to train the dog not to be a barker. We do this by rewarding our leaving, ignoring the dog when we come back. We leave the trailer and circle around the row of trailers. We sneak back up quietly, listening for barking. We increased the time gone a little bit at a time. No barking, he gets rewarded with our return. We always tell our neighbors we are training our dog to camp which includes training him not to bark. We ask them to tell us if they hear him barking. If we leave the campground, we give our neighbors our cell # to call us if they hear him barking so we can come back and stop it.

Our biggest issue so far is our dog is so submissive, he won't overpee another dogs scent. I have trouble getting him to go potty at rest stops and campgrounds. He once held it for 24 hours before giving in, this was despite long walks to lesser populated areas. Any suggestions here?
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Old 02-05-2015, 05:08 PM   #5
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1. I'd take some day trips to get the Golden used to the different environments;
2. we always use the crate for sleeping at home and for riding in the car.
3. Our Westie didn't want to pee at rest stops, and went many hours without, but after the first trip he learned, and now he's fine with it. (Five months old, in theory, can go 6 hours, and then should be encouraged.)
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Old 02-05-2015, 06:30 PM   #6
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Crate train the dog first in the house. If the camper is at home short stays with them in it, a few minutes more each time. Give them treats and feed them & take their toys inside the camper. Make the stays longer each time. Overnight in the driveway with them would be a nice idea after they have been introduced to the camper.

We have a Boxer & a Boxer mix now when the trailer is hooked up & we are getting ready they know it & will beat us to the truck every time.....they know which door to get in.
When they were younger we kept them in collapsible crates. Since we now have a toyhauler they stay in the garage when we are gone & each sleeps beside our bed at night. Our son's dog is not a year old yet he camps often with us also but he (the dog) still sleep & stays in his crate.

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Old 02-05-2015, 07:29 PM   #7
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I've always crate trained my guys. They have wire crates for home, airline crates for the motorhome or car to keep them safe in an accident and to not get into trouble if we leave (house/ motorhome). While we are home they are not crates, dog beds everywhere that we pack up for the road. Another reason I started crate training is if they ever need to stay overnight at the vets or emergency clinic they have had exposure to a crate. That's a difficult time to begin with and the added stress of being crated doesn't help.
They feel it is a den and they are safe. Each one of my guys, on the low bunk jumps right in and waits for their cookie. Because I have 7 they also eat in their crate or a couple would be eating everyone's breakfast and dinner. As long as it isn't used as a punishment, given toys, treats and they aren't kept continually in it they are fine and the pup will find it is a safe place. Mine will curl up and sleep with the door open. We also have a bunch of dog beds scattered in different places they each have picked out as "their spot".
We also have a baby gate put up to block the stairs to the outside of the motorhome. One of my guys fell and was frightened so the gate took care of that.


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Old 05-06-2015, 11:43 AM   #8
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We are getting our first RV next week and look forward to taking our hound, Dixie camping with us. There are some great tips here for getting her used to the RV. Thanks!
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Old 05-06-2015, 09:14 PM   #9
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We take our first trip with a new camping dog to someplace close (15 minutes away for our first trip with the Danes we adopted this year). We try to get a campground that is quieter and has more secluded sites. We have one of these: http://www.wag.com/dog/p/productname-446778 (not sure if this is the size, we have the largest one) which folds out to form a screen. We stretch it across the entrance to our campsite so the dogs can't see people, dogs, kids walking by. When we leave without the dogs, we make sure all of the blinds/curtains are closed and turn on the TV or music to muffle any noises from outside.
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