The Five Essential Tools for Camping with Dogs
We want our dogs to enjoy RV camping trips just as much as we do. Luckily, most dogs really love camping with their families.
There are some great items that will help keep your dog happy, healthy, and safe while traveling. Here are our top 5 items for camping with your dog.
1. ID tag and a tattoo or microchip
A dog ID tag and permanent ID like a tattoo or a microchip are must-haves for RV camping with your dog. Well-trained dogs in unfamiliar surroundings can stray. An ID tag with your name and phone number quickly tells anyone who finds your lost dog exactly where he belongs.
Dog tags get lost all the time. Tattoos and microchips from your veterinarian don’t. These permanent IDs never fall off. If a dog gets lost while RV camping, these permanent dog IDs expedite their family reunion.
2. Exercise pen
A portable exercise pen (sometimes called portable play yards) is the best thing for RV camping with dogs. Exercise pens are portable fencing systems that fold up easily for transportation.
Exercise pens come in different heights from 18 inches to 5 feet. Need a bigger space for your dog? Link several exercise pens together to make a big play yard for dogs.
Photo credit: Lynne Fedorick
3. Food dispensing toys
Food dispensing toys keep your dogs happy and busy when RV camping. You can fill them with your dog’s kibble meals, and your dog will have to work his brain to get the kibble out.
Good food dispensing toys for dogs range from easy (Kong toys) to more difficult (Kong Wobbler) and some like the Petsafe Treat and Train can even be used as a training aid that helps take the dog’s focus away from barking at the door, jumping on guests, and begging at the table.
4. RV temperature monitor
One day, you will need to leave your pet in the RV alone while camping with your dog. Your RV air conditioner will control your RV’s temperature on a hot day, unless power to the RV fails for some reason. If that happens, your RV will heat up really fast. This can be lethal for your beloved pet.
An RV temperature monitor will allow you to check the temperature of your RV on your mobile device while you are away doing things like sightseeing or grocery shopping.
Youtuber RV S.W.A.T. shares a great review of the pet temperature monitor in this video:
5. A portable dog cot
Dogs like to relax in comfort and style. A portable dog cot is a dog bed that is raised off the ground. The lightweight, easy to store design lets air circulate all around it, providing a comfortable, dry place where your dog can chill after a swim in the lake or a big hike. It just might become your dog’s favorite place to sleep.
These items will keep your four-legged companion safe and comfortable in the RV. Read more tips on camping and RVing with your dog here.
Lynne lives, travels, and works full-time in a Forest-River R-Pod 180 with her 2-pointers, Jolene and Annabelle. Lynne has been an enthusiastic RVer for over 35 years. And then one day in 2019, she began full-time RVing as a lifestyle experiment. She quickly fell in love with the convenience, freedom and minimalist lifestyle offered by full-time RV living. Lynne is a professional writer and has been a professional dog trainer since 1995. You can read about her travel adventures on her R-Pod Adventure blog, R-podyssey at: http://www.rpodaventure.com
Judging by your opening picture, you forgot to include a driver’s license for your pooch!
Just kidding. Great article.
A bark collar should be included. These keep other campers from being annoyed by your dogs. They beep and warn the dog not to bark. Ours has worked well for our pet.
Hi Rich!
Thanks for mentioning this. I don’t recommend bark collars for dogs because they can actually make barking worse by conditioning the dog to associate whatever it was barking about with a shock or spray. Instead, it’s a good idea to realize that dogs instinctively bark at things that are different in the environment, or if they feel insecure because they are alone. So redefining things that cause the dog to bark: turning them into cues that mean good things are coming, is very effective and can be done quickly in a series of easy steps. This method creates the conditioned response of being happy and relaxed when they see something, instead of getting nervous and then they lose the desire to bark. It’s a bit long to get into here, but very, very easy.
Well, two of these I agree with but yet to find any reliable temp monitor. Why would you need food dispensing toys? Just their regular toys is all they would need. A dog cot? Why when both of our pups have regular beds. If they are outside, one likes to ‘nest in the grass and the other stretches full length wherever she want. That dog cot is just one more thing to find a place to store while traveling
Lynne,
Thanks for the tips. They are helpful. We just started RVing last weekend and did not take our lab with us, knowing there are some things we need to learn first before we do. We look forward to having him with us from now on.
Thanks good suggestions! My dog tried one of our neighbors dog cots last trip. I got him one for our lanai at home he loves it. Do you have one that folds ?
Love this Nova Microdermabrasion RV Kennel fence! This product is working perfectly for keeping my new little pup inside the yard, especially with it getting cold outside. It’s made from sturdy metal and contains a coated black vein finish for rust-resistance. Its design features rounded edges or rubber feet to make sure any sharp edges don’t poke my dog. With versatile 16-panel design, I was also thrilled to see this model was capable of being folded for easy transport and storage.
It’s time to dive into the task at hand and locate a perfect dog fence for your favorite puppies. Let’s find a safe containment area capable of ensuring they don’t cause any mischief on the campground.