Caravanning doggy !

[Tina3]

Hi All

We have a new addition to the family in the form of a cocker spaniel pup ! (sacha!) Would like tips and hints for when we take her caravanning with us !! All advice welcome as never done this before, ! Thanks

Tina x

 

[AnnM1]

Hello Tina

Congratulations! I am sure you will have some wonderful holidays with Sasha and your family.

You don't say how old she is or if she has has all her injections.

Taking a puppy on holiday is very much like being at home, training wise. Introduce her to the caravan whilst at home if this is at all possible and she will then be used to her holiday surroundings. Take along her own bed so she will have somewhere to go when she feels sleepy - alas Maisie, my dog, opts for the caravan seats all the time!

It is a good idea to have her travel in a specially made cage. Much safer for her and she will stay cooler. Make sure she has water available at all times. You can buy a bracket and water bowl that fits to the inside of the cage so there will be no spillage.

Take enough food and titbits with you to ensure you are able to keep to her normal diet until you can get to the local shops. Nothing worse than puppy trots in a caravan. Take along some of her toys and an extending lead. Secure the lead outdoors whenever possible, but you will have to keep an eye open and make sure she doesn't get tangled up and damage herself in any way.

On site try to keep her as calm as possible. Children and adults alike love puppies and you may have to make sure that they don't excite her too much. Walk her regularly and take along poop bags (I use nappy bags from the local supermarket which are very cheap).

If your children take her out alone emphasise to them that they should not go too close to other units. Last year I saw a dog attacked because it was too close to a unit with a larger dog in residence. The children hadn't seen the problem beforehand and it really scared them.

There is nothing more really except the use of common sense. Don't leave Sacha alone in the car take her with you whenever you can. It is not a good idea either to leave her alone in the caravan, even for a short period.

Finally, have a great time.

Ann

 

[cris_408518]

Tina.

You have seen one of ours when he was a baby (3 now). We have come across some that are unhappy to see dogs on site. My Spaniel family get a least a five mile run every day, that's five for us and probably ten to 15 miles for them.

The photo you saw is in our old van and we often put them in there from when they were a few weeks old, I put the Awning up a few times and we would work in the garden around the van so they got used to people around it.

They gaurd our cars like crazy when in them and bark at anybody who comes near, but in the van they do not really bother about other people or kids passing.

They travel in Harnesses and in the van I have some anchor points that they can briefly be clipped to if we need the van door open and them not to get out. Mind you one should be quite easy, ours are quite ateam act. One distracts whilst the others go on a seek and find mission!

I guess reflecting on it, familiar bedding and surroundings and somewhere that you can anchor the dogs lead and harness to will make things go well. If you have kids going one way and dig another and then you're in trouble. Last year we had numerous dogs visit us on sites and our dogs are not happy about that. So make sure you have good anchor points and leads at hand unless your pooch is a 100% saint who ALWAYS stays where you say and is not ever tempted to move!

 

[Viking1]

hi tina,

congratulations on your new addition, we are like you we have a new pup she is 10 weeks old.

l will be watching this thread to see if l can pick up any hints and tips, our pup is going on her first holiday next week.

will sacha be joining us at easter.

sharon.x

 

[cris_408518]

ps.

REMEMBER - A dog is not a subsitute for a motor mover ;-)

 

[Tony A.]

Tina,

I would first of all buy a screw in restrainer, these screw into the ground and give a good anchor point. I put a permanent one in the awning,(which is where my dogs sleep, not in the caravan on the seats) I have another outside for daytime use, you can move the dogs bed to either, when it suits you.

START AS YOU MEAN TO CARRY ON, dont give a dog human attributes, it is the biggest mistake new owners make, an 8 week old puppy is fine on your lap in the van, but when she gets to be a boisterous teenager at around 6 months, and starts trying out her new teeth on the cushions/furnishings while you sleep, its going to be a pain trying to stop her,but if she has been taught that the van is your domain, and she sleeps in the awning, then you wont finish up with a wrecked van while you sleep,shes going to cry for a couple of nights and its really going to tug your heart strings, but persevere and she will treat the awning as hers and be quite happy,it can help if you put a warm hotwater bottle in the bed and also a clock, the ticking feels like a heart beat and can help to settle pups at bed time.

I dont know where you got your pup and what instructions you were given, but an 8week old puppy should have four meals a day two milk and rusk or ready brek, and two meat, at twelve weeks this is reduced to three, one milky two meat, at 6months you feed twice a day one milk and one meat until twelve months when she will get one a day. I would advise that you feed a calcium supplement on meals until about two years this will aid with the incredibaly fast bone growth.

Sorry for wafling on and good luck with the pup.

TONY A

 

[cris_408518]

Tony A.

Is Correct we also have the screw in retainers. V Good.

Two of our pups live near by one now owned by my wifes friend.

It still chews everything and has other annoying habits, when it has been out with our dogs a couple of times it sleeps and does not chew up the kitchen.

Take note of the excersize our dogs get, they chew nothing apart from their food and have not an ounce of fat on them but eat for England for their size!

We have a big Senator so they have room for their beds and I think the Awning may be a little tempting for them to have a woof at passers by.

A walk around the block is not what most Spaniels need, they need to run off the lead and for a long way sniffing and thinking to keep them fit. Train the pup to come to you in the house and make a fuss ofher, do not take her out on a lead for months and then expect her to come back. They need to learn from an early age that a good dog comes back when called.

 

[Tina3]

Hi All

Thanks that is all very useful,

She is Twelve weeks old and I am dertermined she will be well trained,she will have to be as we have small children, ! Cant take her out yet apparently as she is to have a booster injection first but then she will get lots of regular walks ! She is doing really well with her house training, lots of praise and a little treat go a long way !!! MY little boy and her have particualrly bonded well, but also I am teaching the children to respect her as I feel it is a learning curve for them too, yes hopefully she will be with us at easter, what do you all feel are limits on travelling time for her ! ??Have to have regular pitstops anyway !!

Thanks Tina x

 

[BeatBeat]

Tina

She can go out, BUT you can not put her down on the floor until hse has had all her injections.

When I get a new pup I always carry it where ever I can. If I walk the other dogs the pup comes too. It makes your arm ache but it means they can start seeing, smelling and hearing all the sounds of their new world asap.

Enjoy! ;-)

Trisha

 

[AnnM1]

I would think that with such a young pup it would be adviseable for pit stops to take place each hour-ish. Sounds boring, I know, but her bladder will need emptying often and she will need to have a stretch.

One thing I did forget to mention previously:

Don't take Sasha anywhere near sheep or where they might have been. I'm not suggesting this because I think she would cause them a problem, but sheep ticks are the most horrible thing you can ever see and need to be taken out of the skin very carefully due to the fact that they have 'claws' which hook on so they can feed from Sasha's blood! Keep a good supply of Front Line (available from your vet) to hand. We put Front Line on our little dog every month during the late spring/summer/autumn months on our vets advice.

If I think of anything else I will get back to you.

Good luck again.

Ann

 

[AnnM1]

Tina,

I would first of all buy a screw in restrainer, these screw into the ground and give a good anchor point. I put a permanent one in the awning,(which is where my dogs sleep, not in the caravan on the seats) I have another outside for daytime use, you can move the dogs bed to either, when it suits you.

START AS YOU MEAN TO CARRY ON, dont give a dog human attributes, it is the biggest mistake new owners make, an 8 week old puppy is fine on your lap in the van, but when she gets to be a boisterous teenager at around 6 months, and starts trying out her new teeth on the cushions/furnishings while you sleep, its going to be a pain trying to stop her,but if she has been taught that the van is your domain, and she sleeps in the awning, then you wont finish up with a wrecked van while you sleep,shes going to cry for a couple of nights and its really going to tug your heart strings, but persevere and she will treat the awning as hers and be quite happy,it can help if you put a warm hotwater bottle in the bed and also a clock, the ticking feels like a heart beat and can help to settle pups at bed time.

I dont know where you got your pup and what instructions you were given, but an 8week old puppy should have four meals a day two milk and rusk or ready brek, and two meat, at twelve weeks this is reduced to three, one milky two meat, at 6months you feed twice a day one milk and one meat until twelve months when she will get one a day. I would advise that you feed a calcium supplement on meals until about two years this will aid with the incredibaly fast bone growth.

Sorry for wafling on and good luck with the pup.

TONY A

Our vet advises that every dog, whatever age it is, be fed twice daily (morning and evening). After being used to GSD's for many years we found that any temperamental tummy problems subsided. Often people take their dog(s) out walking after their meals! This should never happen. They should be fed on returning home. Running around on a full tummy can cause severe gut problems.

 

[Tina3]

I would think that with such a young pup it would be adviseable for pit stops to take place each hour-ish. Sounds boring, I know, but her bladder will need emptying often and she will need to have a stretch.

One thing I did forget to mention previously:

Don't take Sasha anywhere near sheep or where they might have been. I'm not suggesting this because I think she would cause them a problem, but sheep ticks are the most horrible thing you can ever see and need to be taken out of the skin very carefully due to the fact that they have 'claws' which hook on so they can feed from Sasha's blood! Keep a good supply of Front Line (available from your vet) to hand. We put Front Line on our little dog every month during the late spring/summer/autumn months on our vets advice.

If I think of anything else I will get back to you.

Good luck again.

Ann

UUrrgh sounds horrendous, thanks for your help Ann ! Any thing else you can think of please let me know !!!!

 

[Tina3]

Tina

She can go out, BUT you can not put her down on the floor until hse has had all her injections.

When I get a new pup I always carry it where ever I can. If I walk the other dogs the pup comes too. It makes your arm ache but it means they can start seeing, smelling and hearing all the sounds of their new world asap.

Enjoy! ;-)

Trisha

Thanks Trisha hadnt thought of that !!!

 

[Tony A.]

Tina ,

I`m not a great lover of chemicals for anything,let alone spraying my dogs, I have two small plastic fork type tools( different sizes) for removing ticks it works a treat, I bought them from the pet shop, the dogs love the tick hunt they think Im massaging them all over.

Tony A.

 

[Tina3]

Thanks Tony for your advice, really appreciate it, as for the ticks well that is going to be a job for the better half I think !! uurrrggghhh !I've seen them on the telly and that was bad enough !!

Tina x

 

[Royston]

Hi Tina,

Its not only sheep , found a big juicy tick on our Kerry Blue Terrier after walking through a field of cattle. easy to get out just twist them round as you pull them out. Another tip for harmony within the household is for both of you to feed your pup I our feed our Kerry in the morning and my wife feeds her in the evening.

Having a dog I have found on club sites you soon makes new friends, If you happen to pass our van you would reckonise her she adopts a winny the poo tigger stance bouncing all over the place with a friendly bark, held back i might add with one of the screw in lead adaptors you can buy from any caravan shop.

As a add on item are there any other Kerry owners out there as we have yet to meet one.

Roy

 

[AnnM1]

I agree with Tony A. I am not in favour of sprays. Front Line is not a spray but is placed on two spots: one between the ears about 2" down the neck, the second on the back around the shoulder area. All explained on the packet. It keeps all sorts of other nasties away.

In former times we had to use Surgical Spirit to get the sheet ticks off. However, like Tony A, we now use the special tools which are excellent. Maisie also loves the 'search' and thinks its playtime!

Hope to see you on a site sometime. Will wait to hear the call of "Sacha!!!" on the doggy walk.

 

[Julie_5040500]

Hi

I wouldn't advise you to take you puppy out of your garden even if you are carrying it, some animal ailments can be airborne. Even if you let it out in the garden watch out for puddles etc if they lap from a puddle that a rat as urinated in it can pass on disease. It's not worth any risk till you puppy is fully vaccinated.

 

[AnnM1]

Julie

Airborne diseases don't just happen outside the garden!!! Airborne is airborne so, by your reckoning, no dog with insufficient vaccination should be allowed outdoors at all.

I took my Cairn Terrier out (albeit under my arm) so that she could socialise with other people, not dogs. Socialising is a very important part of puppy training.

 

[Tina3]

I agree with Tony A. I am not in favour of sprays. Front Line is not a spray but is placed on two spots: one between the ears about 2" down the neck, the second on the back around the shoulder area. All explained on the packet. It keeps all sorts of other nasties away.

In former times we had to use Surgical Spirit to get the sheet ticks off. However, like Tony A, we now use the special tools which are excellent. Maisie also loves the 'search' and thinks its playtime!

Hope to see you on a site sometime. Will wait to hear the call of "Sacha!!!" on the doggy walk.

Hi Ann

Am familiar with frontline ,used it on my cats,as you say two drops ! very effective ,also "vetchem" to treat bedding furniture etc... I found very good, as I react quite badly to fleabites (seem worse with cats...is thier a difference ?) !!

Tina x

 

[Tony A.]

Our vet advises that every dog, whatever age it is, be fed twice daily (morning and evening). After being used to GSD's for many years we found that any temperamental tummy problems subsided. Often people take their dog(s) out walking after their meals! This should never happen. They should be fed on returning home. Running around on a full tummy can cause severe gut problems.

I cant argue with you Ann, what suites your dog has to be right. I bred, showed and worked Labs for years, the advice I gave Tina was given to me about 30yrs ago by a lady who`d bred them for thirty years, Roslin Williams, it worked for her and I never had a stomach problem.the rapid growth of young dogs calls for regular intake of good food, and we never gave them exercise off the lead( except at home in the paddock)until they were 12 months old, young joints easily get damaged if jarred on rough unknown ground,an adult dogs gut is designed to gorge then rest, I know breeders who feed six days a week and starve the seventh, you might think it sounds cruel but look at nature, wild dogs dont kill every day.

Tony A.

 

[RichardS1]

Tina

First thing I would say is get her use to travelling in the car, this way she won't be stressed out when you first take her away in the van. Like Ann has mentioned ticks are a particular problem these days but you don't just find them near sheep. Long grass and woods can both be areas where dogs can pick up ticks, I also agree that frontline is the best treatment. I have always found that getting the dog toilet trained before you take them away in the van helps, the caravans not the ideal place is she has a little accident overnight. Our lab is now eighteen month old and loves the caravan. Its a great life for dogs walking, sleeping and eating!!! RichardS

 

[Brian-Bear_5094910]

Get it used to travelling, nothing worse than 30-40 min into your journey the dog pukes all over your nice clean boot well or back seat. As for the rest when it has had all its injections let it have fun and don't molly coddle it, otherwise it will not build up its own natural defences to the outside world

 

[gypsy]

Hi, can I just ask that if you use a screw in the ground hook, that you make sure the triangle piece at the top is cloed tight, my dog somehow got his collar through the little gap and nearly choked, thank goodness I was with him when it happened, he just seemed to bend his head over the triangle piece, and the next thing his collar had hooked inside it so please check and hammer it tight to close.

Shiba.

 

[Heather_5101678]

Hi Tina,we got ourselves a Retreiver pup and an Adult Labrador this time last year and have to admit it was a bit of a nightmare on the first couple of breaks away,particulary on caravan club sites,the dogs could'nt bark,how do you stop a dark barking at another dog for example or when another person aproaches your pitch,we were admitidly on pins at one site in mid wales, each time the pup barked,the other dog does'nt bark atall you see,i would say good luck,they are lots of fun,but beware of the "oldies"who complain of your "vocal"dog and the "stroppy" non dog loving warden,we now use a CL that's on a working farm so we can't go wrong on that one.