Camping with Your Dog

Date Published: November 23, 2017, Updated: February 23, 2019 at 4:01 pm, Author: Alice

One of the great things to do if you live in the United States is to enjoy the country at its most beautiful and most raw. You have to enjoy the outdoors and go camping from time to time. Of course, you can’t leave your beloved pet dog behind, and it’s pretty much a guarantee that your pet will love the opportunity to get out of the house and accompany you as you commune with nature.

However, it is not a wise idea to just go out and bring your dog camping if this is your first time. Dogs have specific needs that need to be addressed, and if you are not careful the dog could hamper your camping activites – and that’s the best case scenario. If you are really not careful and saddled with bad luck, camping can even be harmful to your dog.

If you want to bring your dog camping and want the experience to be fun and safe, keep the following things in mind:

Make Sure Your Dog Will Enjoy Camping

Before making plans, you might want to ask yourself if your dog is

• highly excitable and difficult to restrain when excited
• Easily distracted and stressed
• Suffering from any medical issues
• Dislike being leashed
• Nervous when around new people or surroundings
• Prone to wandering

If many of the above things apply to your dog, then it is probably not a good idea to bring him along. The outdoors may be sensory overload and could stress your dog so much, that it could be traumatized. On the other hand, if you really need to take your dog camping, it is possible that they can be trained. Start with small trips to nearby unfamiliar areas and see if your dog will gradually grow accustomed to the experience.

Get Ready for the Trip Itself

If the previous item does not apply to your dog and he seems capable of being taken camping, then it is time to make sure that he has everything he needs to brave the outdoors.

• Make sure he is up to date on his shots. It is a point of safety to make sure he is protected from rabies, distemper, heart worm, and other afflictions.
• Pack flea and tick medication. Dogs are already prone to flea and ticks, and the outdoors increase this risk.
• Pack treats, lots of it. Bully sticks are perfect, because they are odorless, 100% natural, and will not spoil easily. Since you are going outdoors for a while, the jumbo bully sticks may be a good choice because they will last a while.
• If your dog is not chipped, it may be a good idea to get him chipped before going camping. At the very least, the dog should have tags, but tags could be prone to getting snagged on things and lost in the outdoors. A microchip is always better.
• Check in advance if the area you are planning to camp on allows dogs, and make sure you check their regulations with regard to leashes. Different areas will have different policies, and it is best to make sure you’ll be compliant.

Finally, make sure you are willing to supervise your dog at all times. It’s not that you will need to do so, but a situation may arise where you’ll have to rear in your dog and keep him in control, so it’s best to be prepared for the eventuality.

Learn how to fly with your dog too!