Traveling with a dog - MPG specific

[MountainTop]

I hope this query will stay in the MPG forum because I really want to hear from MPG owners who travel with a dog. Answers from folks with larger rigs might not be so useful.

We'd like to get a dog and are focusing on smaller breeds, but managing the space and other logistics issues while pulling our MPG always stump us. We usually have some items in the cargo area of our Honda Pilot TV, and sometimes on the back seat as well. And, of course, space inside any MPG is limited (we have a 183 with bunks which we use as storage area for luggage and misc. items that don't fit elsewhere).

So, how do you dog owners manage while on the road? Assuming the pooch rides in the TV en route, where does it sleep at night or in bad weather? What else should we consider besides space issues? Do you find that the TV and MPG quickly start smelling like a dog kennel?

 

[RAZORBILL]

We have a Beagle (25lbs) and she rides in a cage in the bed of our truck (Nissan Frontier-crew cab/5 ft bed) which is probably similar to the amount of storage are you have. The bed has a canopy so she is out of the weather. We have the same MPG only our kids use the bunks. The dog sleeps in the area between the fridge and the entertainment console area. Plenty of room there once the slide is out.

I load the rear of the truck so her cage is right at the tailgate for easy in/out. Really not a big deal.

 

[TXSWICK]

We have a Pug and a Cavalier King Charles that always travels withus in our 185. Have never had any problems. We have a GMC Sierra Crew Cab and they ride in the back seat (they only need half) and there is still room for items we need to travel for daily use on the road. At night we have a childs adjustable gate that we place across the kitchen area - they think its their crate ) We have on occasion let them sleep with us - but they prefer to be on the floor where it is cooler. Traveling with our girls has never been a problem and we would not leave home without them!

 

[mowillie]

We will be traveling with ours a 40# mutt. will let you know after our first trip out.

 

[bobber]

We have boxer. She travels in back seat of truck and sleeps with us or on the couch. She is definately spoiled. She only takes up about half of the seat so other things can be put there also. We have never had any problems with traveling with our pet. Wouldnt think of being without one.

 

[Tumblebug]

I saw a thread some where , the owner of a 183 Modified a portion under the lower bunk with a door inside under the bottom bunk. This would allow entry from the outside or from the inside. A sorta indoor builtin kennel or cage.

JD

 

[kb0zke]

We have an mpg 181 and travel with a cat. When we're traveling, she is in a pet carrier belted in the center position of the back seat. Once we get set up we put foam barriers up along the floor of the slide so she can't get back in there. Otherwise she has the run of the camper. She is strictly an indoor cat, so when she moves from the Mercury to the camper or back again she is locked in her carrier.

 

[codycarver]

I read your post and understand you are looking for MPG input but I had a few thoughts to share. Some dogs/ breeds travel better than others. When we load up, our dog jumps in the back, goes to sleep and you hardly know he is there until we stop. We've traveled up to 8-10 hours. When we stop for fuel we'll give him a drink and/ or a potty break and he jumps in and goes back to sleep. I understand you're not going to have room for a 110 lbs lab but it's something to consider. Also, bowls. You'll need to find a place in your trailer where you can feed and have water for your new friend without tripping over them. With a 39' trailer you wouldn't think it would be that hard but we ended up finding a single spot that worked for us. lastly, who's gonna get up, get dressed and take the walk?? Here at home he comes and goes when he wants but camping we have leashes and baggies. We have none of the kennel smell but LOTS and LOTS of hair and sometimes some drool. He sleeps at the foot of our bed until he decides it's time to jump up and sleep with us (usually around 4:30)

I really hope it works out for you. I wouldn't trade it for anything. He's nine now and I'm already dreading the first time I hook up and he's not there to jump in and go for another ride.

 

[bigmaho]

I
I really hope it works out for you. I wouldn't trade it for anything. He's nine now and I'm already dreading the first time I hook up and he's not there to jump in and go for another ride.

Sigh... we have to face that now... but we traveled for years with our 50 lb pit bull/lab mix rescue, in both our pop up and then our 181. Never an issue, we'd just put her bed on the floor, usually by the table and her bowls by the door. Our last trip, just a few days before we had to put her down, she was having a hard time getting up and down the stair, but other than that she loved camping as much as we do. One trip in NM we even had our 21 year old daughter sleeping on the table/bed, a friend of hers on the floor on a self inflating camping pad AND our dog on her bed. The friend woke up in the middle of the night alarmed by the heavy breathing right in her face until she realized the dog decided to move in with her. It was kind of tight, but worked for 2 nights and the kids did have the option of a tent which they never used (might of had something to do with the fridge and the bathroom

 

[MountainTop]

As usual, lots of helpful replies. Thanks to all! Sounds like this might work for us if we stick to a small, calm breed. And I do appreciate your input codycarver, even though you have a larger rig. It will be a challenge in our 183 to find a place for a pooch to sleep AND for food/water bowls since our table becomes our bed and both bunks are storage areas. And I know who will be the one to walk the critter in the cold, wee hours. I sleep on the outside of the bed, so guess who?

 

[RetiredCoppers]

We have a 70 pound Boxer that travels with us everywhere. We took a 6000 mile trip this summer and he was a real trooper! He rides in the back seat of our F-250 with our two teenagers and takes turns sleeping in their laps. When we stop for fuel, we take him out for potty breaks, water, etc. We treat him just like the person he thinks he is During the night, he curls up on the couch or the floor in the den. When we are away from the 5th wheel and can't take him with us, we let him chill out in the kid's den/sleeping area that is separate from the rest of the rig. If we are gone for long periods of time and are in a large town (i.e., DC, NYC, etc,) many RV resorts have dog walkers. They make Mav feel like he is on vacation too!

We were in some really bad weather this summer and Boxers dont like to get wet feet so I just make sure that I have a large umbrella next to the door, have a large rug inside and a pile of clean bar mops frpm Sam's to clean his paws when we come in. I keep all of his stuff in a plastic container (leash, poop bags, etc.) which stays by the door and can easily be reached. His bowls for food and water always sit on one of those water absorbent mats that you can get for your kitchen counter.

To cut down on dog hair, we carry a Furminater comb with us to get excess hair off of Mav. We give him frequent baths where weather permits or take him to a groomer. I make sure that our couch is ALWAYS covered... I am a bit of a germaphobe and drive my family nuts!! Spray your RV with Febreeze while you are in tow for a clean smell, not when you are sitting as it will make your pet sick! Wash down leather interior of your vehicle with a warm soapy towel.

We keep his food in a storage container from Petco in one of our bays because he consumes a lot and we usually go to the mountains. We dont want to attract bears, javalinas or mice...

I hope this helps! We can't leave our Mav at home because he is a rescue and spent almost a year in a cold dreary inhumane shelter waiting to find us

 

[Sumo]

We always bring "Simple Solutions" to clean up the messes that will happen. You can find it at Petco, Petsmart, and Wally World. It's a bio cleaner that get all of the little stuff you can't see but will smell.

 

[plumber54]

Well, we have a 183 and a small dog, yorkipoo, 11#s wet. She rides in a spot where the arm rest would be in our Ford Ranger. Our last dog was an Akita and the little one is a lot easyer to deal with. She sleeps where ever she wants and if she needs to go out at nite we usually have a pad out or her cable just outside the door. I do not remember a time when I didn't have a dog, mostly larger ones. Our Akita tented with us and that was an experence, not a small dog! A dog is part of the family, they give so much and expect so little, they love you unconditionally. Go get a dog ! There are lots of dogs that need a family, and your the family some cute little fuzz ball is waiting for......

 

[cleanwiz44]

We have a wonderful Maltese names Myla! Short for My Lady! she is 7 yrs old and loves to travel. She sleeps a lot too and when she is not sleeping she wants to hang her head out the window and catch some rays or breathe the fresh air. We love her so much. We have not traveled with her this year due to camper issues. Hopefully one day all will be well with the world. I love my baby.

 

[cleanwiz44]

That is so cute! Sorry you had to put your dog down. So Sad!

 

[TND_MPG183]

We picked up our 183 one year ago. Over the course of the year we camped out 4 times, one of which was 2,200 miles round trip. All of those were done with a 95 pound, 11yr old rescue greyhound named "Bug". As hard as it may be to believe it still worked having him with us. He was trained to lay on a pillow bed so we put his pillow under the refig. If we were doing other things we would lay one of his blankets on our bed and he would stay there happy as can be. After our first trip he would get excited if he saw us taking things out to the camper thinking he was going for a trip. It was tight but as with any important family member you make it work and the minor discomfort caused by the situation made for great stories and memories. Our boy's time ran out because of bone cancer in September but taking him with us made this past year more special. Bottom line, whatever size rig you have you can work with what you've got and enjoy the trip you take...

 

[MountainTop]

Well, we have our dog, sooner than we expected. An acquaintance posted a photo of a puppy that was scheduled to be put down if not rescued from a shelter within 24 hrs. It took some fast work and a 2 hr. round trip, but we got her before the deadline. Not sure what kind of mix she is, though she has some characteristics of a Basenji. She's maybe 3 mos. old, about 14 lbs. now and will probably top out at 20-25 lbs. So she's a nice size for life in a small MPG. Hopefully we'll have her housebroken by the time we take our next trip. It will still be a challenge to find a place for her dishes as we have to switch the bed to the table and back again, but hopefully she'll be willing to snuggle into the space between the fridge and the entertainment unit. I imagine we'll just have to get used to bumping her dishes once in awhile, because there's really no out-of-the-way space that's still accessible for the pup. Just one of those things we'll get used to. We already love this little girl, so we'll make it work!

 

[mlo166]

quite a while back I had posted with pics of a quick and simple mod for a kennel inside the MPG. I cut a 16" x 14" opening under the lower bunk bed panel and installed a metal-ribbed door and latch. Our 50lbs bulldog and dachshund would be left inside the storage area. If raining, we use the cage door. Or, we could use the external access storage door to retrieve them put them in at night! They had light, air conditioning or heat... just like we have it in the living area! Plus, we can see them thru the cage door from the dining area! I will try to find the pics again! If you are like us, we store chairs, tents, grill, etc., and when camping, of course we remove the items from the storage area and put the dawgs in it! I call it our dawg cave!