Dogs and Caravans.

[lesley_374563957]

Hi everyone.

I have owned a caravan for over a year and am really loving the experience. Being an experienced dog owner but never having a dog with me when in my van I would love some advice on how to go on with my dog as I want to start bringing her. I dont want her to sleep in the van as it is nearly new and I dont let the dog on beds at home etc. Do others keep the dog in the awning in a crate? etc etc. I just want to hear what everyone else does!! I would be very grateful for advice.

Regards

Lesley

 

[stephena]

Ours in only a little westie and he sleeps in the little tunnel underneath our bed when made up and loves it!

Only just started caravanning ourselves and didnt take him last time as we had planned a few non-dog friendly trips off site.

My biggest concern is leaving him in the van/awning if we needed to go out without him for any reason.

 

[Dave111]

Hi Lesley we have a cairn terrier and at first he would sleep in the little tunnel created when the bed was put up. He is crate trained and now sleeps in a travel crate as I was fed up of the pitter patter of feet at 4 in the morning when the sun came up.

Dave

 

[Heethers]

We have two Yorkies, sorry to say they are on the fixed bed has soon has the wife gets up to put her book away, then for us to get next two positions, usually the wife moves them to the bottom of the bed, where they stay until 7am when they then wake me for their early morning walk note they don't bother the wife.

I know you must think we are mad

NigelH

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Lesley

Our two Springers sleep in the caravan, separated from our bed.

No awning is totally animal proof and I'm certain if a fox or badger came prowling at night the dogs would do their defending bit. I don't want barking dogs at 2.30am!

I suppose a cage would do but that's too difficult for us with two dogs.

We made some extra seat covers for all the seats and then use throw overs just in case. The original carpets are still in the loft , we made up a new set from an offcut.

So when we sell it she' ll look like brand new on the inside.

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[Jo-AnneFairway5402010]

hi storm has always slept in her crate in the awning or if we take the annex shes in her crate sleeping with the eldest. if its sunny shes usually behind the windbreak on her lead on a twister in the ground.

jo

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Same as NGH. Our two Miniature Schnauzers sleep on the bottom of the bed and they are no problem. If I had a dog the size of a Labrador it would be different :O)

 

[Chrisbee]

My border collie sleeps in her bed in the awning. Although we leave the door to the van open so she can come in if she wants to she prefers the awning.

 

[Chops]

Our westie Hamish sleeps in the awning in his cage during the night and during the day he is on a lead fasten to a stake in the ground and lord help anyone that comes in the awning during the day they will be licked to death.

 

[Danny_374561559]

roxie (border collie) sleeps on the floor at the bottom of the bed on her bed until lights out then shes up on the bottom of the bed to snore until we wake.lol.through the day she will be in the awning on a chain staked into the ground

 

[Steve L]

Our chocolate Labrador has spent the last two years sleeping in our caravan. He usually plonks himself on the floor infront of the loo door.

We have lift out carpets which clean easily and we groom him every couple of days.

Likewise, he has control of the boot of our estate car. Tank tape gets the hairs out of the carpet and trim.

So I guess we love our dog more than most as we go where he is accepted and people have to accept that he is part of our family.

I've even put up with wet seats when we left him in the car with the rear window open and all the windows down plus the sunroof open. So what if I got a wet backside, he had plenty of cool fresh air and that take priority over wet clothes. It was a rare occassion when we stopped for a restraunt meal where dogs were excluded. Ok it got lots of comments from folks who saw the windows open in the rain.

Dogs have fun too on holidays and reward you with loyalty and good behavior.

Steve l.

 

[chelsea1]

We own German Shepherds and we make up the side dinette into a single bed and cover it with about 3-4 throws and blankets and they sleep on there. We cover everything in our van - our lounge area gets covered in throws and our carpets have the plastic runners on them. Our van is still immaculate despite having big German Shepherds in it, we valet it everytime we come home and before we go away again.

Caravanning is all about the dogs to us (we dont have kids yet) so we pick dog friendly sites and the dog goes everywhere with us.

I wouldnt leave my dog in an awning personally. How about a crate by the caravan door/bathroom door? If you cover everything it shouldnt get too bad. Do you have loose carpets you can take up?

 

[Royston]

Our Kerry Blue Terrier has always slept in our various caravans, never ever had any problems, Bonus is she does not shed any fur, we have a L shaped lounge and thats were she sleeps on her cushions.

You sound as if you intend to make your dog sleep in the awning, never been happy with that , as one of our favourite sites has rabbits , none of us would be able to sleep if she could hear and smell them outside the awning. The only safe way to do that is in a sleeping cage , Drawback is that they are quite a heavy item to lug around.

 

[Sproket]

We drop the table down to make the bed up & cover it with a couple of throws, the removable carpets have be remade out of flotex, its easy to clean & it can even be power washed....

I took this when i was laying it.

 

[Gary-Yorks]

We always take our two labs with us,our choccie girl sleeps on her bed in the washroom and our black lab starts off on his bed between the beds but usually likes to sneak up and lay on top of me good job he,s only light:0)

would not dare leave them in the awning they would be off chasing bunny,s.

We always have plenty of throws over the seats,and a quick hoover of a morning and also groom them every day

 

[Paul_5099000]

smiles

2 black labs !

stay in the van with us..sleep on the bed with us (yeah i know horrid isnt it...) but they are part of our family and we love it

 

[Wendy-Norfolk]

Our springer always stays in the caravan with us, we have removed the drop in carpets, and put throws over the seats. He brings his own bed from home, and sleeps between the two front seats in the lounge area.

Being an older dog, I wouldn't leave him in the awning at night, at this time of year, it's too cold - anyway he'd be off playing with the rabbits!!

 

[Martin24]

when we had the greyhound, cavvie and poodle they used to sleep in the bathroom at night, with the door open, now it's just the poodle left she sleeps under the side dinette some of the time, and on me the rest of the time, with the main carpets up and throws over the furnishings it really doesn't make much difference where she goes

 

[Donna6]

Our boxer sleeps on the bottom bunk, we have a 3 bunk set up in the back, ours is brand new too so we've left the plastic on the matress.... I have fleece blankets over all the setees for his hair, but all the couchions are scotch guarded so the wipe clean anyhoo..

 

[Gareth9495]

Hi.

I've got a doberman cross collie.He is not allowed in the van as i don't want it covered in fur as my son has asthma.The dog sleeps in the awning in his basket attached to a long chain on a dog ground spike.We've stayed on sites with loads of rabbits and he doesn't bother with them,although it would be a different story if he saw them in the day.I don't fancy them crates anyway.

 

[Gareth9495]

Hi.

I've got a doberman cross collie.He is not allowed in the van as i don't want it covered in fur as my son has asthma.The dog sleeps in the awning in his basket attached to a long chain on a dog ground spike.We've stayed on sites with loads of rabbits and he doesn't bother with them,although it would be a different story if he saw them in the day.I don't fancy them crates anyway.

 

[Gareth9495]

Whoops.Entered it twice.

 

[Douglas_374404558]

HI! Lesley we have a rescue golden lab he sleeps on our fixed bed on a blanket at the botton of the bed . we have 2 large double sheets (tesco

 

[lesley_374563957]

Hi.

I've got a doberman cross collie.He is not allowed in the van as i don't want it covered in fur as my son has asthma.The dog sleeps in the awning in his basket attached to a long chain on a dog ground spike.We've stayed on sites with loads of rabbits and he doesn't bother with them,although it would be a different story if he saw them in the day.I don't fancy them crates anyway.

My dog is a greyhound, she is used to sleeping in the crate with her own covers in it is big enough for her to sprawl out! I have asthma and cant sleep with dogs and cats in the room. I think on any cool nights I would bring her in the van with her cushion as greyhounds feel extremes in temperature. Im sure it will all work out great - thanks for all the replies guys!

 

[Nellie2]

Our chocolate lab has been away in the van with us since she was 8 weeks old.We keep the seating area covered with throws.she sleeps on the fixed bed with us,(spoilt I know).As for her sleeping in the awning,No,I would rather put the other half out there.