10 Great Tips For Camping With Your Dog

My family and I love to camp – and my family includes 3 furbabies that always go camping with us. They are a part of our family so of course they come along! They love everything about camping with us! All we have to do is ask them, “Wanna go camping??” and they jump right in the RV! Of course we love having them along, but it’s important to think about their needs and safety during the trip. Here are some things to think about before and during camping with your furbabies. Use this guide as a handy reference and even print it out to make sure you have everything in place when it comes time to leave.

1. Always check the rules for where you will be camping: Some campgrounds have rules against dogs completely, and some have rules against certain breeds of dogs, or how many dogs you are allowed to have at your campsite, so always check to make sure that your dog is welcome wherever you decide to camp. Also, make sure to check and see if there is an extra fee for your dog so there are no surprises when you get there. The National Parks have very specific rules for allowing dogs within the park – most parks welcome dogs but only along roadways, in developed areas and in campgrounds, and dogs must be on a 6-foot or shorter leash, caged or crated at all times. They are not allowed in buildings, on trails, on beaches or in the backcountry. We have brought our dogs into National Parks, and believe me when I tell you that they are NOT allowed out of the parking lots. There are Park Rangers posted in the parking lots making sure everyone follows the rules!
2. Make sure your dog is up-to-date on all vaccinations, including heartworm which is transmitted via mosquitoes, rabies (our dogs have been known to find and eat dead wildlife), and Lyme Disease, which is tick-borne. Also be sure they have been treated with flea and tick control (we have hiked in the forest with the dogs and we came home covered in ticks but they were fine!) The health of your furbaby is so important!
3. Make sure your dog has up-to-date tags on his collar that contain your cell phone number where you can be reached at all times (not a home number – you’re not home!). Our dog’s tags have both mine and my husband’s cell phone numbers on them. Also, have your dog microchipped! Ours are chipped and then the chips are registered online with Petkey, as well as registered at our veterinarian’s office. Petkey does a lifetime registration for a one-time fee, where many require annual renewal fees. Also, make sure your provider puts the chip’s information online at the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association), which is a clearinghouse for all registered microchips and the first place that will be searched when a chip is scanned. We recently had them in to the vet for check-ups and had the vet get out their machine and find the chips in the dogs (one dog’s chip had migrated to his right shoulder, which the vet noted in his chart), and check to make sure they had the numbers recorded correctly (one had an extra zero in his chip number on file). We had to ask for this to be done – the vet did not volunteer to do it! You must advocate for your pet!
4. Bring along a copy of your dog’s health and vaccination records – especially important if crossing country borders! Canada and Mexico both require a Rabies Certificate issued by your veterinarian that proves up-to-date Rabies vaccine. Many campgrounds have it written in their rules that your dog MUST be up-to-date on all vaccinations (We’ve never had a campground ask for proof, but you never know when one will!) Consider whether you will be taking your dog to a doggie daycare while on your trip and if you should get him the Kennel Cough (Bordatella) vaccine. Discussing all possible scenarios with your vet to make sure your pooch is properly protected is very important. Also, don’t forget to pack any medications that your dog may need to take.
5. Pack your dog’s regular food and food dishes, along with enough bottled water for him during the trip. Be sure to bring bottled water and his water dish with you on any hikes. Do not let your dog drink from standing water or water puddles, lakes, or streams! (We did this once when we didn’t know any better – our dog drank from a small stream in the mountains in Colorado and ended up very sick!)
6. PLEASE pack and use poop bags. ‘Nuff said…
7. So what should you do if you plan on going someplace where your dog is not allowed, like a National Park or other attraction? We have used local doggie daycares in the past, and with much success! Many campgrounds or local attractions will be able to guide you to local doggie daycares that they recommend. If we are only going to be gone for a couple of hours, we have left our dogs in the RV. Turn on the air conditioner, give them a bone to amuse themselves with, fill their water dish, and don’t worry! They will be fine for a short period of time! This is NOT recommended if your dog barks, whines or in any way would disturb the other campers that are parked nearby. And NEVER leave them outside the camper on a leash! There is no way for you to know how they are behaving while you are gone – they could be barking, whining, or even getting into dangerous things without you there. If you are tent camping, do not leave your dog unattended in the tent. Find pet friendly attractions that he can join you at, or take him to the doggie daycare. It would be way too easy for him to escape from your tent!
8. Be sure to take your dog on his regular walks. When we’re camping, our dogs get even more walks than when we are at home. It’s a great way to stave off boredom in your dog, which in turn is a great way to assure that he isn’t barking or whining at the campsite and annoying the neighbors. Our dogs LOVE to walk around the campground and meet people! Because we take them camping all the time and walk them so much, they are VERY well socialized! Anybody can come up to them, from small children to adults, and pet them. They will even tolerate small children poking them, petting them aggressively, trying to ride them, etc. Not all dogs are this friendly and tolerant though, so if your dog cannot handle strong interaction, then don’t be afraid to tell people, “NO” when they ask if they can pet them! You can also tie a yellow ribbon to your dog’s leash, which is the symbol for people to proceed with caution because your dog is not super friendly. Better safe than sorry!
9. At the campsite, make sure your dog has plenty of shade and a nice big bowl of water. Heat exhaustion/heat stroke is life-threatening for your dog. Dogs naturally have a higher body temperature than humans, so they are more prone to heat exhaustion/heat stroke. Some signs of heat exhaustion/heat stroke include heavy panting, a bright red tongue and/or gums, excessive drooling where the saliva is thick or sticky, weakness, vomiting, dehydration, not producing enough urine, rapid heart rate. If your dog shows any of these signs, get him to a cooler place immediately, wet him down with cool water (lukewarm if it’s a small dog), and turn a fan on him to cool him down. Don’t cool him too quickly because that can cause other problems. Even if he seems cooler, take him to the vet as soon as possible and have him checked for dehydration and other problems. He may need to be rehydrated via an IV. Severe heatstroke can even cause organ damage, and your pooch needs to be monitored to make sure all is well. Again, better safe than sorry!
10. Be honest! Just because you CAN take your dog camping with you does not mean you SHOULD. Consider whether your dog has the right temperament for camping. He will likely encounter other campers, kids, wildlife, many different smells, other dogs, a new environment, and a host of other new and different things. If he is nervous, untrained, aggressive, or not social, be honest with yourself and leave him home. It will be better for him, you and all the other campers in the long run.