Camping with dogs (and cats!) — The Missing Leash

There is little I enjoy more than loading up the camping gear and heading off into the wilderness to enjoy a camping adventure with our dogs. I've compiled a list of suggestions and helpful tips I have picked up in our years of enjoying the great outdoors with dogs.

Sleeping & campsite time restraint:

One of the most important considerations is how to contain and restrain your dogs to your campsite. Most all campgrounds require dogs be leashed. I have always found a cable tie-out to be an essential, they have clips at both ends so you can wrap it around a tree or picnic table leg, etc. Think about length, you need one long enough to wrap it around a big tree, but not too long as you don't want your dog roaming all around the campsite tangling around chairs and tents, usually 15ft is the length I use. Do not leave tethered dogs unattended!

For dogs who may not be predictable with young children, wildlife or other pets you may consider using a crate or exercise pen to restrain them, but again do not leave them unattended! Emily is an easy peasy always at my feet kind of pup, so I just use a regular leash for her and tie it to my chair or my belt loop. Sam our kitty wears a harness with a lightweight long leash made out of paracord tied to the picnic table. He also has a travel pop up nylon dog crate that acts as his napping tent that he can tuck into when he's cold or needs a safe cave to hide in.

Think about where your pup is going to sleep at night. Keep in mind a dog's first time sleeping in a tent may turn out to be quite the adventure. Our first campout with Butters the campsite was visited by raccoons throughout the night and let's just say, there was not much sleeping happening! Emily our border collie is a small dog that likes to be warm so she is happiest just tucking between our feet snuggled into the extra bits of our sleeping bags, when I am camping on my own I toss in her travel bed. Most dogs are likely going to be the most content snuggled up with you in the tent but for those dogs that run hot that maybe too warm so consider where you will have them sleep if they are not comfortable or are very restless in your tent. Butters runs hot and with all our stuff and us there is little extra room for getting away from our hot bodies, so on warmer nights he sleeps on his dog bed in the back of the car. When he was younger he slept in his travel crate in the back of the car. I never have my dogs sleep outside alone whether tethered or crated as it's too risky to me, wildlife can enter camp at night, and who wants to deal with a skunked dog camping!

Vittles!

For us, space is always an issue as fitting all the gear in for two people, two dogs and a cat into a small toyota matrix is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle so I am always looking for ways to save space. I have purchased over the years various kinds of collapsible bowls and my favorite are the Prima Pets Collapsible Silicone Bowls, they are lightweight, fold down flat and my pups like them better than all the fabric bowls that don't hold their shape as well. The dogs have the large size and Sam uses the small one.

When car camping I always try to pack along water from home or bottled jugs for the dogs to minimize the risk of tummy upsets. It's also good to resist the urge to share too many camp snacks with your pups, already being in an exciting environment, add a change of food and you are asking for digestive upset and it's not easy to camp, travel & sleep with pups with upset stomachs, so do your best to keep their diet regular.

Food raiding & manners! Camping trips are a great opportunity for dogs to push the boundaries and steal goodies from your plate or table. Most camping tables are lower, the benches make great step stools for the dogs and folks forget and set food plates down on chairs, etc well within reach of dog noses. Before you head out, work on "leave it" commands and self control exercises. When preparing food be on the lookout for wet noses cruising your table & chairs.

Feet!

Probably one of the most common camping injuries our dogs have had over the years are ripped pads. We almost always camp near water we can all swim in, and the constant in and out of the water softens their pads, then running around on the shore, especially if it's rocky at all creates blisters and torn pads so quickly. I check their pads often to make sure they are not starting to blister, and try to limit fetching if the shore is rocky, this is often a challenge when camping with friends as they just give in to the dog's request for a tossed stick, and the dogs will never stop asking even long after their paws are injured.

I pack along little rubber booties, you can buy packs of I think like 6-10 pairs of various sizes. They look like balloons, but I have found them the easiest to keep on in water, and they are much less expensive than dog boots that don't hold up to swimming. They are also great to put on to give your pup a little relief if they do injure their pads.

Misc...

Pack along some butter or crisco when camping in the forest, it works well for removing the pitch your dog may pick up on the bottoms of their feet or between their toes.
Know the environmental concerns when traveling to new areas- are their diseases/pests you don't have at home? Ticks? Leptospirosis? Rattlesnakes? Foxtail weeds, poison oak? Check with your vet before you go to see if your dog needs any additional vaccines or preventatives for the area you are heading to.
Just like young kids some dogs get over tired and cranky when traveling and/or being away from their normal routine and environment, so be ready to help them rest, to provide them sanctuary from kids, animals, etc so they can rest their minds and bodies.

I could probably write all day about the subject and come up with many more tips and ideas but I'll save those for another post. The companionship of well mannered dogs in nature is hard to beat, so do your dog a favor and work hard on those manners and come commands so you can enjoy a peaceful lovely campout together!!!!