Dog caravan tips

[RegandPat]

I think I have menshioned we have an addishion to our family, Lucy a puppy Springer/Collie.
We will be taking Lucy on our trips out starting March or April, we have an awning full size to add to the van.
What I would like to know about is were do we put the drinking water down, food dish and any tips for first time doggys.
Reg

 

[Chris_Hyde_Cheshire.]

Reg, we always take oue Westie away with us. We have a fold up fabric kennel for her to sleep in, and we always put her food and water in the awning. this is mainly to protect the van if one of the kids kick them whilst running in and out........

Chris.

 

[Wendy-Norfolk]

We always put food and water in the awning, saves it getting knocked over by my clumsy OH!

Our dog sleeps in his bed, on the floor, between the two front seats - no trouble.

 

[MrG]

We have two Chocolate Labradors who go everywhere with us in the caravan.
They sleep in the awning, even on the coldest nights.
We simply put up a "pup tent" up in the awning, throw in their bed, night, night doggies. In fact the best pup tent they've had is an Asda pop up type tent. Tent pegged at both front & rear.
The best tip I can give you though, is to buy cable type line-out leads, I hook mine around the caravan wheel inside the awning and that anchors them down and saves any trips out looking for them in the middle of night, or day for that matter . . . believe me, if they can escape, they will!!

 

[LMH]

Hi Reg

We put the water bowl in the awning, like others have said, if kept in the van, it gets knocked over. Same for food dishes. Mine are fed in the awning too.

I'm a great believer in crates. We have two crates which we take away with us in the van (carry them in the car). Both dogs were introduced to crates when they were youngsters. If you start now, by the time you go away, it'll see the crate as its den. You can buy clip on metal water bowls, quite useful in the summer.

Also, I'm not sure if you've had dogs before but may I suggest you enrol on some dog training classes? They are great for puppy socilisation and a good trainer will always be there to advise and assist with any queries you have on dog behaviour etc. (and of course, your own behaviour).

Just my tip, up to you to consider it. I'm not a fan of staking a dog and leaving it unattended. There is a possibility it could get caught up causing injury and possibly even strangulation.

Make sure your dog is wearing a comfortable collar with a name tag, and put your mobile number on the tag, incase it escapes and someone tries to contact you to.

Depending on the dog, in some circumstances some are escape artists and will find a way to get out, so just watch out for that, particularly around the caravan wheel arch, under the caravan door, that sort of thing.

Lisa

 

[Paulpro]

I'm afraid our 14 year old Cocker (Ella) is a bit delicate these days but she is still pretty fit and acts like a puppy at times ! She has her own half of the side dinette turned into a bed, onto which we put her own doggie fleece blanket. She likes to be covered up with her own blankets from her basket at home so that her head just peeps out. She soon goes to sleep but should she wake in the night and the blankets are off her, she quietly lets us know with some little sighs that she is a bit cold and needs her covers again. Early morning, this usually ends up with her coming to join us on the double bed at the front ! All protected with blankets etc. to avoid any marks or accidents etc. This way we get some extra peace & quiet until we are ready to get up and I go through the "pack away the bed routine" ! She also has her own little area between the dinette seats where we keep her water and this is where she eats as well. It doesn't get kicked over there - very often. At our mealtimes, she usually has to come up on the seats with us to make sure she's not missing out on anything nice. Sometimes she will lie draped across a cushion so that she can look out of the window at what's going on. She loves caravanning ! and loves us all being together and generally she can go on some lovely walks to do what she has always done so well - as Cockers do . From what I've seen over the years, we are not unique in looking after our dog in this way.

 

[DerektheSecond]

I'm afraid our 14 year old Cocker (Ella) is a bit delicate these days but she is still pretty fit and acts like a puppy at times ! She has her own half of the side dinette turned into a bed, onto which we put her own doggie fleece blanket. She likes to be covered up with her own blankets from her basket at home so that her head just peeps out. She soon goes to sleep but should she wake in the night and the blankets are off her, she quietly lets us know with some little sighs that she is a bit cold and needs her covers again. Early morning, this usually ends up with her coming to join us on the double bed at the front ! All protected with blankets etc. to avoid any marks or accidents etc. This way we get some extra peace & quiet until we are ready to get up and I go through the "pack away the bed routine" ! She also has her own little area between the dinette seats where we keep her water and this is where she eats as well. It doesn't get kicked over there - very often. At our mealtimes, she usually has to come up on the seats with us to make sure she's not missing out on anything nice. Sometimes she will lie draped across a cushion so that she can look out of the window at what's going on. She loves caravanning ! and loves us all being together and generally she can go on some lovely walks to do what she has always done so well - as Cockers do . From what I've seen over the years, we are not unique in looking after our dog in this way.

Yes its funny how "its just a dog" takes over

 

[erica11]

We have 4 dogs a new labrador puppy being the newest to join our family, Jenny is only 9weeks old but already we have introduced her to a crate. She will go into it no problem it took one or two days before she took to it but as she will be accompanying us in our caravan in March she will have to sleep in the crate in the awning along with the other bigger dogs, 2 border collies, the smaller dog a King Charles gets to sleep in the caravan , yes you,ve guessed it on our bed all nicely snuggled up and warm. We never go away without our dogs and we feed them all in the awning and of course we leave water down all day also in the awning, we sit in our awning during the day, we put a heater on. We then go into the caravan at tea time and to watch the tv, taking all 4 dogs with us. They are fastened down in the awning to save on escapees . This season though the older dogs are also going to sleep in their crates so we know they are safe during the middle of the night. We love our caravanning and our dogs love it to.

 

[RegandPat]

Thanks for all the replys, I have just read them all out to Pat and Lucy.
So have I got this right, Lucy sleeps in the double bed and Pat and I sleep in the awning ( only joking).
I think the water and food out side will be a good idea as she sloshes it all over the kitchen.
We will try as many suggestions as possible as looking after a dog is very new to both of us.
If anyone sees us putting up the awning with a dog tugging at it please come and help as we struggled on our own with out help from Lucy.
Looks like fun and games are in-store for us.
Who said retirement is a good thing.
Thanks again, Reg Pat and Lucy

 

[OmOnWeelz]

Our 3 are Cocker cross workers, still think they are puppies. No worries at home, as soon as they get to a site that all changes. Country smells and lots of strange voices and they love children. Then there are things like rabbits and birds and more in hedgerows or hopping aroud near by. So the escapologist skills come out, we have the awing and caravan escape routes dog proofed, we've even got window tethers as they can pop the blinds or nets and give an open window a nose to try and get out. Caravan skirt well attached to wheel arch and the awnining sides and the ground sheet also attaches to the awning flaps or they will try and crawl out as far as their leashes will extend.
Ours sleep on a dog quilt and a couple of redundant candlewick bedspreads on the caravan floor and pat at the bedroom door in the morning when they want us to take them out

they've trained us well

 

[JohnnyV]

We have two Border Collies - 'Fin' & 'Skye' they come with us everywhere - The awning is their territory - have two 'doggy tents' that we pop up and put their 'quilts' in as beds.
We never tether them at night (I would be worried that they could get tied up in knots or even strangle themselves) - when we set up the awning it is with the flaps (mudwalls) inward, the 'carpet' then gets pegged down over the flaps with the pegs going through both, so that a) It is more draft proof, & b) Dog escape proof - we do the same with the darft skirt - so far have never had a night escapee !
Have had them in the Van - usually if we have taken the Awning down the night before so that we can get away reasonably eraly - Skye no problem crawls under the bed and you never hear a cheep - Fin wanders about all night, occasionally throwing himself down (shaking the whole van), or alternatively consuming vast quantities of water in the most noisy fashion imaginable, to be followed up usually by giving himself a good licking all over - this is why they sleep in the awning.
Good luck - they are the best companions ever

 

[LMH]

Thanks for all the replys, I have just read them all out to Pat and Lucy.
So have I got this right, Lucy sleeps in the double bed and Pat and I sleep in the awning ( only joking).
I think the water and food out side will be a good idea as she sloshes it all over the kitchen.
We will try as many suggestions as possible as looking after a dog is very new to both of us.
If anyone sees us putting up the awning with a dog tugging at it please come and help as we struggled on our own with out help from Lucy.
Looks like fun and games are in-store for us.
Who said retirement is a good thing.
Thanks again, Reg Pat and Lucy

If you really are new to dog owning, take yourselves and the dog along to dog training. It will benefit the dog and you and Pat.

You'll get some great advice from training to feeding.

Lisa

 

[forestgump]

we dont leave food down at night dont want to feed the rats or fox ect .

 

[otherclive]

We take our two Spingers in UK and abraod, and I agree with the previous posts and water, food etc. They sleep in the front of the van and we keep the bedroom door shut. We always take the van's own carpets up when touring and use loose chaep machine washable rugs from B&Q/Ikea etc. Also on the van's seats we place mattress protectors and then cover them with large loose throws. This works well if you have underseat lockers with acess from the fronts, but some modern vans have done away with that and you have to lift the seats to get at the underseat lockers.

 

[PaulRT]

Hi
Having caravanned for 10 years, we acquired a Springer (crossed with Allsorts) 6 month old puppy (Stella) in November 2009. She adapted immediately to the caravan (a two berth end bathroom). We do not have an awning. She sleeps in front of the Truma heater. She has her own space on one of the side cushions (with a throw over it) during the day and her water is kept in the shower compartment. The changes to our caravanning lifestyle are:

1. We go for longer walks as she has boundless energy.
2. We have to get up a little earlier in the morning for her essential walk.

Our trips in this last year included a week in the snow in Derbyshire last January and swimming with seals in Norfolk in July. Stella enjoyed it all.
Have fun.
Cheers
Paul

 

[Mel]

Our mutt (border collie cross) gives us no trouble when we go caravanning. Principally because she has been left at the kennels.
(running and hiding icon thingy)

mel