To take a 12 week old puppy camping

[Inatent]

Hi, hoping to get some insight on this. Our pup will be 12 weeks old by the time we have booked to go camping. She has just been born today! So she would be fully vaccinated but not toilet trained. I would need to carry her pretty much everywhere, that's fine. We can easily fit a crate in our huge tent. We are camping in the countryside and will spend days just admiring nature basically. Would it be ok to take her along or would it be too unsettling for her? We have waited a very long time to get a pup and don't want to do anything wrong! We can cancel the camping if needed despite paying but family would be disappointed. Any thoughts on this? Thank you in advance!

I got my (older) pup at just over 9 months & ended up taking him camping three weeks later. In one sense, he was ‘fine’, obviously he was toilet trained & vaccinated, he was friendly with people (slightly less so with other dogs, but it was manageable. For various reasons, I had to go - at the last minute - and I’d say it was better than leaving him with anyone else. But it did unsettle him & it nearly broke me (& my arms - strong, excited, adolescent Staffy who couldn’t go off lead). I would have & have been happier with him in a static caravan.

That said, he was well outside the 16 week window & had never done anything like it & had only been home 3 weeks. In your case, I’d say it’s certainly viable, just might be harder work than you anticipated.

Of course you can. It’s a lovely age as they still want to follow you everywhere and you can really work nicely on recall. Don’t go hiking for hours obviously but I’m confused about the carrying? Would you start carrying her mid afternoon at home? She will just be pottering around after you. Toilet training wise our dog was totally trained by 11 weeks so I’ve no idea why that would be a problem. Go for it and enjoy, she’ll love it.

We took our puppy camping at 16 weeks. She was fine- even when the tent collapsed in the middle of the night.

We never crated her. We used a stake and harness when outside. Just zipped up the tent when inside.

We carried her round a lot

It will be fine - good to expose puppies to lots esp if you plan to do lots of camping.

Enjoy your new puppy

Are people seriously concerned about a dog being cold at night? I presume the OP is taking human children who have managed to survive camping in the past without freezing to death. And also human children who have managed to have a week out of ‘routine’ without having a mental breakdown. This is a very funny thread. It’s a bloody dog. Take the dog. Have fun. I love a smoosh of a floppy lab puppy face. PM me where you’re going and I’ll come and have a squidge!

I did - our lab was 15 weeks when we first took him camping. We had no problems at all, it was very good for him from a socialising point of view - he met lots of other people and dogs. He was toilet trained by then, and slept in his crate at night. I’d do it again .

The best training you can give your new puppy is socialisation. You will be her whole world. I would ABSOLUTELY take her camping, (but agree you should take her crate). You will both get relaxed time together abc she will get to bond with you even more. Both my dogs love camping. Just sitting by the fire, watching the world go by, the new smells and sounds wear them both out. Also take; a screw in stake in the ground for dog lead and a proper lead that goes on the stake. (They are longer, don't twist etc). Your puppy will want to explore, and you don't want her in other peoples pitches)... congratulations and enjoy your new pup! https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CBQY1DX/ref=cmswwrcppapiii_oczrCbC1FAGMR

We got our new puppy and went camping straight away for a long time (over a month)
No emotional problems I could discern! She stuck with us but could spend more time outside that would have been possible at home.
For some reason (probably because she was outside all the time) when we went home we never needed to toilet train her. She always went outside and would never mess in the house. (Just a possible positive side effect!)

Of course you can take her. No idea why people are saying not to!

As long as she doesn't walk too far (and you have said you can carry her) is warm/cool enough depending on weather and has lots of opportunity to sleep (again you have said you like to sit and read a book) then no problem at all.

Enjoy your puppy and your holiday :-)

Nothing to add other than I read this as AIBU to take a 12 year old (DC), puppy camping. Disappointed now that puppy camping isn't a new thing

Thanks very much everyone, really appreciate the comments / sharing your experiences! Certainly seems doable then. Will update with pic of said pup when shes a bit older! Thanks again!

Absolutely take your pup. I think I read you’ll be getting her at eight weeks so by week 15 she’ll know you very well and had her vaccs. I guess it’s been said but have a crate for her to sleep in while in the tent. I work with dogs and lots of neurotic and nervous pups that have seen nothing but their own home and the local park, getting your pup out into the world is the best thing you can do for them. Have a great time!

Re puppy being cold, you are aware they don't have their adult coats at that age? fine to go in a tent as long as there's a warm blanket if they need it, camping can be chilly at night in spring and early summer - below 10C isn't unusual and this will be colder than what pup is used to and could make it hard to settle. Different if they are brought up outdoors but most well bred pups aren't.

Kids are fine because they're sleeping in a sleeping bag, not just in their pyjamas!

I agree with ferretface about the puppy being cold. Even as an adult dog, if it's used to being in a centrally heated home at night time, camping will feel cold. There's nothing more likely to disturb your sleep than a whining cold puppy.

FWIW, my dog sleeps on my campbed with me. It's a labrador-sized dog and my campbed is only 2ft wide so it is a little cramped to say the least, but it keeps us both warm at night.

Our pup slept in a jumper and snuggled on our sleeping bag with a blanket