Where does your dog sleep?

[JoannaLesley]

We are about to set off for the first time with our dog - only a couple of days to see how it goes. As it's such a short time, we won't be putting up an awning. I wonder where people's dogs sleep when they are away with the 'van? We think we will probably put her in the car over night, but it's very much "suck it and see". We don't really want her getting up all bright eyed and bushy tailed every time one of us goes to the loo in the night.
If all goes well, we will be taking her to France this summer. Again, we think we will put her in the car over night (plenty of air, of course) as she may be disturbed by beasties in the night if we put her in the awning and then go on to disturb our neighbours.

So what do you do?
Jo

 

[otherclive]

Ours sleep in the van front lounge as if they were outside in the awning or car they let rip if anything or anyone comes by. We have mattress protectors and close weave throws on the seats and we have always taken the van carpets out and use washable lose carpets/mats. The dogs never disturb us at night and even if we move around they just stay where they are.

 

[JohnGriffiths]

We do the same as Otherclive, disturbing your neighbours could be a serious problem in the car. The only thing that bothers ours in the night is other dogs barking close by, when they feel they have to join in. Surely you would have to turn off the car alarms as well.

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Jo
We do the same as Clive.
We sleep on the double fixed bed. This is partitioned off so the dogs can't get through.
The original carpets are in the loft and every year I buy a piece of offcut and make up my own . Doesn't matter if we or the dogs spill anything.

We made our own removable seat covers which are additionally protected with easily washable throws. Thus each dog sleeps on their own comfy seat. They think we think they sleep on the floor

.

In the unlikely event someone tried braking into the caravan whilst we sleep the dogs will give a good bark.
If they slept in the awning there are two problems. Barking ,as people with torches walk by or foxes etc visiting . This will upset your neighbours.
Secondly there have been a number of dog thefts by unscrupulous persons.

What caravan and type of dogs do you have?

 

[JoannaLesley]

Hi all,

My guess is that some of you have several dogs and very pampered pooches they sound too! Our van has a double dinnette at the rear which we leave made up as a double bed. It can be closed off, but the loo is in the main part of the caravan. In August, my daughter will be with us and will be using one of the benches as a bed, so won't appreciate her face being washed during the night!
Our dog is a whippet, very gentle and not given to barking. However, I couldn't be sure in the awning, as I expect the night is filled with scamperings and rustlings which would, at very least, make her get up and move about. Hence the thought of the car, but it seems from what you are all saying that this could be just as unsettling. We will have to try it all out.
Do you use those spiral pegs to tether your dogs when on site? Are they any good, or do you have some other solution?

Jo

 

[otherclive]

The pegs are okay but as our two are lively they can get tangled. We use the cars towball, caravan tow hitch, leg steadies or basically anything suitable to where we might be sitting. In hot weather they tend to go under the van or back inside and lay on the floor.

 

[Surfer]

We have 4 Yorkshire Terriers. 2 sleep on the front bunk which is partioned from the rest of the carav n and they other two sleep on the bed with us. The cat used to sleep on the other front bunk.

 

[Surfer]

Duplicate

 

[paws]

We have a very small 2 berth caravan and we make up the double bed each evening from the 2 single seats/beds at the front.
There is just room for our dog to wriggle underneath the double bed where she is quite happy all night!
This has the added advantage of leaving the floor space (which is a bit limited anyway) clear for "bathroom" visits....
It's fortunate that she's only small (ish)..... A beautiful German Shepherd.... I don't think a bigger dog would be able to wriggle under....

Once she has wriggled under the bed she turns herself around (still underneath) so her nose is just poking out ...she can then keep a watchful eye on everything...as German Shepherds do.
Regards
paws.

 

[woodsieboy]

Our dog sleeps in the car,and we have never heard him bark at other dogs or animals, even when we were woken by the Royal Agricultural College Beagles running loose through the CC site at Cirencester at 7am, he has the same bed as at home and if it is winter he has an extra blanket.We do use the screw in stakes if the weather is good and as long as the screw goes into the ground fully we have not had a problem.

 

[Mel]

Our border collie cross sleeps in a dog crate (canvas type, not a cage) in the awning. She is not a barky dog anyway but we have never heard a peep out of her. Over the easter hols we were concerned she would be cold, (brass monkeys were looking anxious) but we put a feather mattress topper in her crate and she was toasy warm. She is not allowed in the van at all, never mind on the beds.
mel

 

[GrahamDerby]

ive got a whipet and would never put her in the car, do you know how cold it can get in a car at night ?, you try it in a tee shirt and shorts first to see how it is, they have no hair to keep them warm, mine has a traveling box , this is a colapsable unit that the ends zip round and it folds flat for storage during the day.

 

[GrahamDerby]

forgot to say the traveling box is made of nylon with role up sides .

 

[GrahamDerby]

look at UK DOG PRODUCTS , dog soft crates

 

[Gagakev]

Ours sleeps in the van on the floor next to the dinette on his bedding taken from his bed from home,
not allowed on furniture.

 

[Ginab]

We have two whippets and previously all 4 of us slept on the front double bed ( to be more accurate, all 4 of us slept under the duvet on the front double bed).
however, we're collecting a new van on Friday with a rear fixed bed so there's going to be a change of regime. Although the older one will have to continue to be in bed with us, as she has for the past 12 years, ( she now has heart failure and is down to 6kg) the younger one is going to be treated more like a dog. We shall make up one of the front settees as a bed for him and close the bedroom door. At home he sleeps downstairs and we did try a basket in the van but it was too draughty low down for a dog with no fat and very little fur.
I would advise strongly against keeping a whippet in the car overnight as you will not be able to monitor the temperature while you are asleep. This time of year it could freeze to death and in France it could die from the heat, particularly if you have a lie following an evening of sampling the ares's wine!

 

[Surfer]

so there's going to be a change of regime. Although the older one will have to continue to be in bed with us, as she has for the past 12 years, ( she now has heart failure and is down to 6kg) the younger one is going to be treated more like a dog. We shall make up one of the front settees as a bed for him and close the bedroom door. At home he sleeps downstairs and we did try a basket in the van but it was too draughty low down for a dog with no fat and very little fur.

The other one will eb sleeping in the same bed before long especially after it gives you one of those so sad looks! LOL!

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[Ginab]

The most likely scenario is that the dogs will take over the fixed bed with lovely deep sprung mattress and we'll be sleeping on the hard settees at the front! I do hope they let us use the loo at night though.

 

[JimD1]

All 4 of our border collies sleep in the caravan with us. We have 4 pieces of vet bed which go on the floor - 2 at the front between the settees, 1 at the foot of the fixed bed & 1 close to the head end of the fixed bed. We know Alfie sneaks onto one of the settees at night, but we don't mind too much, as we keep both of them covered with throws.
When we were away at Easter, night time temperatures were getting down to -4C - wouldn't like to leave a dog in the car overnight in those temperatures.
Jim

 

[MrBell]

All 4 of our border collies sleep in the caravan with us. We have 4 pieces of vet bed which go on the floor - 2 at the front between the settees, 1 at the foot of the fixed bed & 1 close to the head end of the fixed bed. We know Alfie sneaks onto one of the settees at night, but we don't mind too much, as we keep both of them covered with throws.
When we were away at Easter, night time temperatures were getting down to -4C - wouldn't like to leave a dog in the car overnight in those temperatures.
Jim

Me and my wife have two labs and they sleep on the floor next to us, we have a two berth so if we, or should I say when we get up to go to the loo we just step over them. They never seemed to be bothered, In fact the dogs like where they sleep as its next to the fire which keeps them warm at night!

 

[Sproket]

I just drop the table & make the large double bed up, I have a large piece of leatherette that i put on first & then put a couple of large throws on for them to lay / spread about on, saves tripping over them in the night, It's a two min job to sort out in the morning.....
The floor covering is flotex,
I take that out & power wash it & then when its dry put it back in

It would not be easy stepping over them in the dark.....

 

[RayS]

Sorry to be flippant, but very rarely get a such a good feed line;

He's a big angry dog and he sleeps wherever he likes.

 

[lizzie53]

Ours (cross collie and cross lab) sleep in the front lounge area during cold weather on dog beds, and in the awning during warmer weather also on the same dog beds. I wouldn't leave them in the car during the night or day. Also wouldn't leave them in the awning during the day as it can get very warm (even though it may be cold outside) it's like a greenhouse. They don't bother when we get up during the night or noises outside, unless it was someone trying to get in. We have left them alone in the van, with the blinds down and a window (that they can't reach) open, only for a couple of hours though. The site where we have our seasonal pitch has day kennels if you want to leave them for any length of time - only a fiver too!

 

[Dan_5040593]

in our awning

 

[Arryvanpulla]

Two springers ,sleep in lounge end ,not really a good idea to put them in the car,it does get cold at night, but in the morning the sun can be strong enough to raise the temperature ( especially in foreign climates) to a dangerous level.