Dogs What do you do with yours at night?

[deste]

We have a motorhome that we are taking out for the first time this year at the end of the month. My son and his fiance are coming with us but they have two dogs. They are taking their cages but we dont really have room in the van for the cages. I have suggested they take a tent to put the dogs in at night to sleep. If they were left in the tent without the cages they would rip it to shreds and escape. What do dog owners do when camping. My Dh and I have allergies to dog hair so having them in the van is a no no. Would it be cruel to leave them in a tent at this time of year.

It depends how cold it is and how used to being on their own they are but I'm always worried that mine will bark if they hear someone walking past and wake everyone up.
Ours sleep on the floor of the caravan, but they did used to sleep out in the main area of the tent before we got the caravan. They were on a tether to stop them squeezing out the tent and going for a moonlight wander!
My spaniel slept in the car in his cage a few times as he hated being in the tent if it was windy, so maybe that would be an option.

ours always sleep on the bed. when we camped last year they were in with us. not nuch fun on an airbed in a four man tent!! Will be getting a bigger tent this year!!!

Ours pile on the beds with us - last year I would have serously died by freezing one night had it not been for one of my dogs to cuddle up to!
I would leave the dogs in the car with plenty of blankets to make beds on, rather than alone in a cage in a tent.Are they used to the car?

There will be no car as we will all travel in the van. My worry is that they will bark if someone comes near.

So you will have them in the van to travel there? I don't understand...if you can do that, why can't they also sleep in the van?

If they travel in the van it wont be for that long and they will be in their cages. As anyone who has an allergic reaction to dogs will know that the longer you are in contact with them the worse it gets. We will maybe persuade them to take their car so that they can sleep in the car.

Yes, I would - they will be used to the car but not alone in the tent. If the dogs aren't used to being left in the car they could start taking the dogs on short trips now before your trip, to the shops etc and leaving them in the car, to get them used to being left there.

I can also recommend (if they have not already got them) they buy the dogs a Kong toy each...you stuff them with dog biscuits and peanut butter or special Kong paste and they keep dogs occupied. They spend ages licking all the stuff out of them and are a lifesaver for dogs that pine for their owner. You can buy them in Pets at Home or online at any pet store.

That sounds like a good idea I will see if I could get them that. Its a motorhome we have so we would all be travelling together unless they took a car.