Dog security on site.

[JackSpaniel]

We caravan and camp with our two cockapoos. One of the things that has long been a problem is their escape antics when we are not watching. In the past we have used one of those wind into the ground stakes with longish wire traces attached. These are OK up to a point but the dogs usually wind themselves in and under every available obstacle and have to be untangled every so often.
Our recent and very successful solution has been to buy wire pens which consist of wire panels that can be fitted together using wire skewers that are pushed into the ground. We are able to build a pen very quickly, put in a couple of blankets or dog beds and a bowl of water and the dogs happily watch us set up. We also use the side of the van as one of the walls to increase pen size although steps need to be taken to restrict under the van escapes with smaller dogs.
We got ours from
www.doghealth.co.uk
They do two heights of panel and our mistake was to buy the lower height panel not taking into account the bounceability of cockapoos. We bought two sets of panels which allowed a larger pen but cost around £85 but the success has been worth it. Many other campers have taken details from us on where to buy so the problem is obviously very common.

 

[emmerson]

Well done Jack in considering other people when your dogs are on site.Some dog owners don't appear to realise that not everyone likes their dog!
I have a new-to-me two year old collie *****, as my old sheepdog died last week.The new dog is part-trained, but as yet I've only let her loose at home. She will be caravanning for the first time next week, and I had thought of these panels, but today Lucy cleared a six foot wall as I had gone out of her sight!
Short lead on screw pegs for a couple of weeks yet, I think.

 

[Chalky9]

Our recent and very successful solution has been to buy wire pens which consist of wire panels that can be fitted together using wire skewers that are pushed into the ground. We are able to build a pen very quickly, put in a couple of blankets or dog beds and a bowl of water and the dogs happily watch us set up. We also use the side of the van as one of the walls to increase pen size although steps need to be taken to restrict under the van escapes with smaller dogs.
We got ours from
www.doghealth.co.uk
They do two heights of panel and our mistake was to buy the lower height panel not taking into account the bounceability of cockapoos. We bought two sets of panels which allowed a larger pen but cost around £85 but the success has been worth it. Many other campers have taken details from us on where to buy so the problem is obviously very common.

Which particular product from their range did you buy?

 

[Sproket]

We have been using this system since 2009 for our dogs, it seemed to cost a lot of money at the time, but it has been well worth the initial expense ...

 

[JackSpaniel]

The one we bought is listed as 'separate puppy pen'. We bought the pp24 but in retrospect should have bought the pp30 which is higher.
We ended up buying two sets which gives the dogs more room.

If you have a dog that clears six foot walls you clearly need to build a seven foot wall.
Not popular with site owners!

 

[paws]

So sorry emmerson to hear of the loss of your old sheepdog... its a horrible thing and there will be many caring people who will feel your pain.

On the question of the screw pegs that are sold in petshops as dog anchors we used to buy several every year...( the sort that look like a big corkscrew with a swivel tethering point at the top)

All the ones that we bought proved definitely not to be German Shepherd proof.... Our GSD with one strong lunge on a shortish lead could break the metal anchor ( not out of the ground but actually break the metal!)..and this was only when she tried to greet me on my return from getting something out of the car!

At first we put it down to a faulty piece of metal, around the tether point...but the same thing happened when we bought a new one.... on the replacement a weld had sheered...so to save some cash.. I welded it properly.... the next time we used it... guess what... the weld held just fine but the metal broke elsewhere.

Not being a quick learner I bought another 2 anchors and inspected them minutely, even using a lens and crack detector!.... their fate alas was the same as their predecessors... :evil:

I'm sure these anchors usually do a good job ( I have seen lots in use and folks seems very happy with them)... but I was forced to adopt a temporary solution...

I use plastic "tent pegs" for pegging out the bottom of the awning and the guy ropes etc, thinking when I got them some 8 or 9 years ago that they might do for a trip or two before I could get some "proper" steel ones....

Well I'm still using them..... and
I put one well into the ground with a twist or two or three! of bailer twine around the top ( for attaching the GSD's lead) and it has proved faultless.

It has been proof tested many times, by a very strong 4 year old GSD and is up to job!
(even when I return from getting something from the car!)

I thought that the plastic pegs would only last for a few trips, but I have been very impressed with them (they are the fluted, grey sort, as cheap as chips and light as a feather... I've no idea what they are called... but we now call them the GSD pegs!

All good wishes and of course
Happy Caravanning
paws

 

[Chalky9]

The one we bought is listed as 'separate puppy pen'. We bought the pp24 but in retrospect should have bought the pp30 which is higher.
We ended up buying two sets which gives the dogs more room.

If you have a dog that clears six foot walls you clearly need to build a seven foot wall.
Not popular with site owners!

Thanks for that info. The only snag that I can envisage is the weight - two sets amounts to 30 kg.