Traveling with your pets forum

Clark

Member
We have two Welsh Springer Spaniels, Danny and Cymy, that occupy the back seat of the truck on every trip. We regularly leave them and have had no problems with barking or chewing. Some campgrounds restrict certain breeds, normally we find because of insurance rules. We have more often found bad owners who don't feel that they are required to pick up after their dogs and therefore cause problems in the campgrounds for those more responsible. We always specify that we have dogs when making reservations just to ensure that there won't be any last minute hunts for another campground. Love our Welshies and wouldn't dream of going without them. Clark
 

Larryheadhunter

X-Rookies Still Luving it
We have 2 female beagles that like to bark on occaision and will lick you to death if they get the chance. If we take them on a trip, I will certainly do 5 things first.
1. Get my interior scotchguarded for little doggie accidents.
2. Get cetranilla collars to stop them from barking. It sprays a mist in their face that they don't like when they bark. i would never get the electric shockers, although I might get one for Cranky Bob at our rally to keep him in line. LOL
3. Get a fence to put around the RV so I don't have to chase them down all the time.
4. Make sure they get micro chipped in case they get lost following their nose.
5. Carry pictures and medical records including vaccines in case of problems.
If I left something off let me know please.
 

JER-1

Active Member
Dog Door For Camper Setup Pics

We take ours every time we go. Here's a few pics of there dog door and setup pened in area, it works great they can stay in or out AC OR HEAT up to them.
JER-1
 

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Corin1110

Member
We have an ACD (Australian Cattle Dog or Queensland Heeler) who loves to camp with us. She's still learning manners but stays on a lead when she's outside with us. We're still working on the barking thing. She barks when someone walks by but she will hush when we tell her to. Unfortunately she often have to tell her more than once. Any suggestions on that would be appreciated.

She isn't very social with larger dogs but will play with smaller dogs. Larger dogs she tries to herd (I guess she figures they're cattle).
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
Keith and Kathy;

A friend of mine solved the barking problem with a muzzle. It only took about three weeks. Everytime he put him outside, the muzzle would go on. After two weeks he would put him out without the muzzle. If he barked, the muzzle would go on. In another week, no more barking. They remember. It's humane and painless.

John
 
3670RL perfect for cat travel

Two new kitties, a new 3670 Bighorn and no problems. I admit it... we shopped for our new 5er with our cats in mind. The litter box has always rated high :eek: on our list of problems. It needs to be either out of site or at least blended into the decor. We were forced to put it in the bedroom in our last 5er almost under out noses...ugh! The 3670 has the perfect spot.. between the steps and the kitchen cabinet. We even found a decorator wicker cat box cover that has a top which was meant for a cushion, but we use it for storing leashes disposal baggies and other odds and sods. It's attractive, looks like a hall table and keeps the smell in a neutral area. And as a bonus, the cupboard right beside it is perfect for food, spare litter etc. Their food dish tucks nicely under the counter overhang on the other kitchen cupboard. Outdoors we have a little pop up screen room that they spend a good part of the warm days sleeping and playing and watching the world go by. They love it and cry to go out. At our stick house we have an attached sun room with fold down windows. So it works out well.
The screen room folds down into a little circle that is easily stored in it's carrying case. And it would work well for small puppies. It's only 6' x 6' so doesn't take up much space outdoors. It's made in Canada by Frikon Industries in Mississauga Ontario. Don't know if there is a counterpart in the US.
Our girls travel in the back of the truck. They seem to go into a hibernation mode sleeping most of the day, tucked up tight on a special cushion on the consul between us. When they're not sleeping they sit on top of their carry cage looking out the window. Their litter and food and water is on the floor behind our seats. But they seem to prefer to hold it until they go into the RV for lunch or overnight. The breed of cat, Bengal, loves travel and behave more like dogs when it comes to cars or water. We have to provide them a pan full of water in their outdoor screen room to play in. Also bought them a drinking fountain so they would keep their little paws out of their water dish. We were flooded for the first few months until we found the pet water fountain. Plugs in and the water is filtered and runs over a dome. They love it, and no longer agitate the water with their paws before drinking. Now if we could just keep them from launching themselves from the backs of our upholstered furniture!!!!
The whole RV is slipcovered:D

Cheers
Bob and Gail
'n' Kiya and Zahra
3670RL Bighorn
GMC Sierra 2500 Duramax 4x4
 
We are fulltimers with three dogs. Two scotties and one old sheltie. We have the two boys in the garage with a doggie gate in the door into the livingroom. That way they get a/c or heater but we also have them an electric heater for the very cold days. We don't use the electric heater if we're not in the RV for safety. The fantastic fan is a great idea and we do use that if we're away from the RV to circulate the air for the boys. The girl is a puppy and has been trained to stay in the rest of the house. She uses the newspaper in the kitchen floor if she can't wait until we return. The longest we've been away from them was one day and night and they did great going on the newspaper in the garage and the kitchen. They also bark at people walking by but when we're away, we leave all the shades and blinds down so they can't look out and that seems to help. We also have a fence from Petsmart that works great. We have it setup so they can go out the back door in the garage and right into their fenced area. We don't leave the door open or have a dog door for them to go out whenever they want because of the barking so they are stuck inside when we're away which they don't mind because they don't really like the heat in Texas that much and they like their own comfy beds. The fence works great for them because they aren't very tall but I'd be leary of using it for taller dogs unless they're well trained or maybe a fence with a top on it. Another suggestion is if they stay outside some, try a childs play tent that just pops up when you twist it as an outside dog house for shade and shelter. They're made just like the fold up pet shelters but bigger. We'd had no problems at the parks since they're all under 20 pounds and if you tell them up front that you have a dog fence that you put up, they usually don't have a problem. We did stay at one place where the manager said we couldn't put it up but the owner said no problem. It sure is handy for me since I have a bad back and some days can't hardly walk to walk the dogs so I can just let them out the back door for a while. The toyhauler is truly the way to go with dogs, I think.
 

Campdmg

Member
The BH3670RL that we have on order included a specification of the installation of a pet door in the spot that "twokittykats" mentioned. We're seasonal, but take our two cats with us all the time, so we, too, kept them in mind when shopping. The placement of a pet door here allow the cats access to the "garage" area, which is HUGE on this rig. We'll be putting the cat box down there, as well as putting in screens so the access doors can be propped open and the boys can bird watch.

Glad we're not the only ones who completely spoil our pets!
 

OwensMom

Member
What to do with dogs

Jim and I just began rving(took or first trip in Aug) and find that most campsites respect well trained and courteous dogs. We have 2 Border Collies who are herding dogs. They are very high energy but also well trained. When we are in camp the dogs are tied outside on wire cables(available at Petsmart or petco). They people watch & sleep. They are used to being tied out and don't bark. When we leave and do not take them(rarely) they are crate trained and spend their time in crates with their favorite toys. If you need advice on crate training, I'd be happy to help. They have a large enough crate that they can stand and turn around. We also leave the air conditioning on for them . When we return, they are ready for a long walk. All of our animals love to rv and we love having them with us. Happy Trails!!
 

porthole

Retired
2 Golden's & 1 large parrot and the best thing we did was the toy hauler. They even leave me enough room to take the motorcycle on occasion.
 

Jean1861

Member
I have an Airedale (60lbs) and a Rottweiler (80lbs.) They've been travelin' since they were babies and I think that is why they travel so well. When they were really little they traveled in a crate in my back seat. Now they are just in the back seat and figure out who sleeps on the floor and who sleeps on the seat. I make sure to take lots of breaks when driving so they can stretch their legs, get a drink and do "whatever." As far as being in the trailer, again, I think they are so good because they don't know any other way of life. I've found that they are highly adaptable. If you have a young dog that gives you some concerns about tearing the trailer apart when you are not there, I highly suggest you take some time for crate training...and make sure the pup has had a good walk before you have to leave them. Don't crate them with a collar on or any type of toy they could chew up and choke on. House, hotel, camper, car, truck....my buddies are professional travelers. The most important thing is that I have let them train me to understand what they need to be comfortable. I also have a Guide to Emergency Veterinarians for the entire country. I highly recommend that you go to a book store or search on-line for this type of directory. Accidents happen. I have not been RVing for very long. Most of my traveling has been in a horse trailer so I haven't run into the "no big dogs allowed" problem yet.
 

wdk450

Well-known member
Cat NOT a Good Traveller

Everybody else seems to have animals that take well to travelling. Not so my wife's 11 year old cat.
We went on on trip early in the summer, but had to limit it to 11 days as that was as long as we could leave the cat at home by itself. She is antisocial and wouldn't tolerate being in a kennel.
When we made reservations for an 8 week trip to Oregon/Washington my wife sorrowfully started looking into a cat shelter to give her to. We finally decided to try her in the truck in a cage, but she meowed loudly the whole time. I read on one of these forums about animal tranquilzers for travel, so we went to the Vet, paid the bill, and got some of them (along with a special syringe to put them down her throat). We took a "test" drive in the truck and the cat meowed LOUDLY the forst 30 minutes. My wife was fed up by then and we decided to give her the tranquilizer. It was a good fight, my wife ended up with a good bite on her finger (that later got infected). By the time we made it to the coast the cat had gotten 3 doses of the tranquilizer which she resisted valliantly. You could see that she wan unsteady on her feet and nearly falling asleep, but she kept loudly meowing. Finally, we gave up and released her from her cage and let her roam the truck (except the driver's area). After a half hour or so out of her cage she shut up and went to sleep. We thought we had come up with the solution - She hates the cage!!!
So we start off on the first day's travel of our Oregon adventure, and she won't shut up, in or out of the cage. Finally, we pull over to side of the road, put her in the cage (wife was concerned about her bing crushed by a slide when we set up camp), and put the noisemaker in the trailer. Deb was also concerned about it being too hot for her, so we opened all of the windows we could. When we would stop for meal breaks we would hear the cat mewing away through the closed door.
The good news is when we finally got to our destination, she settled in to living in the Bighorn like she was born there.
When we moved on to Seattle and then back to Sacramento I rigged up a wireless indoor-outdoor thermometer I already had by attaching the outdoor sensor to her cage in the trailer, and taking the readout into the cab of the truck. Then we knew that the temperature in the trailer at her cage was OK.
So I guess now Lass still isn't a good traveller, but she is a good camper.
 

porthole

Retired
Everybody else seems to have animals that take well to travelling. Not so my wife's 11 year old cat.

At 11 years old your trying to teach an "old dog new tricks".

Short rides at first to get them used to the vehicle followed by some type of "reward".
Much easier said then done with cats. But, special food treat, playtime, even catnip.

We take 2 dogs (and they are dogs #3 & 4) and a parrot and that is how we broke them in to the rides. You haven't heard obnoxious until you've heard a Blue & Gold macaw screech :eek:

Our cat doesn't come with us yet, as one is an "escape artist" but have gone for rides. I think it helps that our pets are not traveling "alone".
 
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rvdogs

Member
Anyone travel with cats? Looking for tips on traveling with cats safely in the trailer. I have a generator.
 

Delaine and Lindy

Well-known member
"Montana" .......

Gotcha, we travel with our furr kid "Montana" his weight is 88 lbs, he is well mannered and will bark when you come into his area. I am glad he does bark it let the person know he is there. He is lease trained and reacts well to voice commands. If it weren't for RV parks rules and if other dogs were as well mannered as "Montana" we wouldn't have to have a lease. I keep him on a lease to protect him from other dogs. Most parks don't allow a pet to be tied and left alone. It really bothers me when I see a dog tied up and outside in the sun and can't get to a shaded area or water. Montana has been bitten 4 times now the last time was Monday. He as all know most dogs like to visit each other. Well this want happen again, I just don't trust other dogs and they all have been very small dogs. And you never know how well others keep their dogs healthy, and when they last had them checked by a Vet. We we leave Montana he has no restricted areas he looks out the rear window most of the time when he isn't sleeping and he knows he isn't allowed on the funiture or on our bed. We do leave the music on the 60's or 70's channel for him to listen to. And never stay over 6 hours when we do go away from him. As for barking unless someone comes inside his comfort zone he want bark if they do he will and should. The only problem is Montana doesn't recognize daylight saving time because he knows the Sun comes every morning at the same time and he will come to the bedroom area and let me know its time to get up. Its so bad when we buy Trucks and Cars Montana is involved it has to have 4 doors and if its a car it has to have room for him to ride. What we do for our pets. We are so thankful for Montana being in our life. We thank God for him. GBY......
 
Compared to everyone else so far our pets are "pocket size" companions. Our two yorkshire terriers travel with us. We love having them around and they are a great conversation starter when we meet people.

Larry and Joanna Smith
and our yorkies Lizzie and Molly
2008 3/4 ton Dodge Ram "Big Horn" Edition
2010 3055 Big Horn
 

mnbstack

Member
We're looking into getting a collar for our Dachshund that will train him not to bark. I've looked on a petsmart website to check prices and items for sale. One reviewer said she had two Dachshunds that she used the collar on and that it worked well. My only concern is if his weight (about 8 lbs.) would be an issue with using one of these bark collars.
 
Re: Hey - a new forum to discuss traveling with your pets

Glad I found this thread! Just bought a new M21 Edge and am new to Rving. Have tent camped for years, and never had a problem with our four-legged kids...but never traveled with all three of them either! Will be doing an extended trip across country this summer to take my son to college and plan to take all 3 dogs on the Grand Tour! The cat gets to stay home and house-sit, but YIKES...the dogsitting costs another mortgage payment for 3 weeks of sitting, plus my German Shorthair would be bored out of her mind without us there to entertain her! Great information and THANKS in advance for posting about taking a copy of the vaccination and microchip papers along. Hadn't EVEN thought about that, or about camps not allowing my kids to stay there! I will also be taking along a copy of their AKC Good Citizenship papers. I doubt that I will have any trouble with my older English Setter or my German Shorthair Pointer, but unfortunately some places may have issues with my German Shepherd, even though he is a sweetie pie. Hopefully the Good Citizen papers will help! Please let me know if any of you have any other tips for traveling with multiple larger dogs. We are big dog people...although they are all good travelers, it's a lot different than traveling with 3 small pooches!
 

kaxel

Member
Re: Hey - a new forum to discuss traveling with your pets

We travel with a Yellow Lab and a Tabby kitty. The Yellow Lab, Sophia, just turned a year old so she is a "typical" puppy still, and the Tabby, Pickles, is only 3 years old and an inside cat. They get along great both riding in the back seat of the crew cab with our boys, and living in the Cyclone. In fact, sometimes I think Sophia and Pickles are better/easier to travel with than our 10 and 12 year old boys! Would not leave home without them!
 

Larryheadhunter

X-Rookies Still Luving it
Re: Hey - a new forum to discuss traveling with your pets

We're looking into getting a collar for our Dachshund that will train him not to bark. I've looked on a petsmart website to check prices and items for sale. One reviewer said she had two Dachshunds that she used the collar on and that it worked well. My only concern is if his weight (about 8 lbs.) would be an issue with using one of these bark collars.

There are 2 type bark collars. One is an electric shock, that according to friends who use them, don't really hurt the dogs, however, I don't have the heart to shock my 2 sweet beagles, Lucy and Stella, also known as Stellaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. The best answer was buying a citronella spray collar, that has a microphone in it. When the dogs bark, off goes the citronella, and they stop barking immediately. Some larger, dumb but not so dumb dogs, will bark until the citronella is empty and then can bark all they want, a shock collar may be more appropriate for those type situations. We, got lucky and the female beagles, stopped and whimpered or whispered at most. After it nails the dog a few times, you can leave the collar on, and turn off the spray. The dogs don't know the difference. LOL

Now the question is where do you buy the collar, battery, and extra spray? Answer is incredibly wonderful. At Petsmart or other large chain pet stores, you will pay $99 plus tax, and then much more for extra batteries and spray. However, I have found a gold mine using amazon.com. The whole kit was $36.99 and very inexpensive for the extra spray and batteries. We met several pet owners in Lodi, CA at Flag City RV Park, that got on their computers and bought the package I recommended to them. They were having so much barking trouble with their doggies, they were very excited to hear about the inexpensive way of buying the exact same product for 2/3 less. Hope this helps you. Try it!
 
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