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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Original poster

are we mad to take the dog camping?

32 replies

memphis83 · 17/08/2012 16:52

Hello we go on our first camping trip as a family in 3 weeks, we have decided we are going to take the dog, we are planning a practice run next week locally to put up the new tent for the frst time and to try it out for one night with our toddler and dog to see how we fair before we make a final decision.

Are we mad? FIL is a hardened camper (but not an animal lover) and he says its not possible and we cant do it, he says people who take dogs have caravans not tents?! He caravans several times a year and says he has never seen it.
We are planning on three nights and its a walking/biking trip so we think he would love it....so have any of you taken your dogs? Im hoping he is talking out of his backside on this.

OP posts:
Caerlaverock · 17/08/2012 16:54

I have seen dogs camping. Some people put their dog in the car overnight

SirEdmundFrillary · 17/08/2012 16:55

We don't have a dog (yet!) but one of the reasons I want one is because I thought we'd be able to take him/her with us on holidays like this. I hope someone comes along and says it'll be ok, OP.

Pancakeflipper · 17/08/2012 16:55

One advantage of camping is being able to take the dog....

SirEdmundFrillary · 17/08/2012 16:57

To clarify, obviously there are many, many other reasons, I'm not regarding future-dog as a new suitcase or something, but some other pets wouldn't enjoy holidays away.

SirEdmundFrillary · 17/08/2012 16:57

Yay!

ThisIsNotHoneyDragon · 17/08/2012 16:59

Dogs LOVE camping. Mine stayed in the tent fine. We had one of those screw in stakes for her lead too.

Have seen some people use crates too.

ThisIsNotHoneyDragon · 17/08/2012 17:00

And for Edmund
Dogs also LOVE chalet holidays, boat holidays, train holidays and hotel holidays Grin

GobblersKnob · 17/08/2012 17:03

My dog loves camping, last year we took three dogs!

You need something to tie the dog up with as most sites will stipulate dogs on leads only.

Depending on the type of dog you may or may not need to think about what your dog needs to stay warm in the evenings/at night. Ours is a whippet and needs a jumper once the sun goes down and sleeps in someones sleeping bagGrin

TunaPastaBake · 17/08/2012 17:03

We've taken our lab camping she loves it - wakes us up in the morning with a nudge and tries to get on the blow up bed with us.

She had her bed and settled down at night as normal , if you do take dog make sure you have a sturdy tie out cable and tether spike

ValiumQueen · 17/08/2012 17:03

The dog will be easier than the toddler, and more appreciative too probably.

Ephiny · 17/08/2012 17:04

Of course you can take dogs camping, lots of people do. We've been with ours a few times and he loved it.

The only disadvantage is if it rains it's hard to get them dry, so you have smelly wet-dog in the tent at night. Hmm Though we have a large fluffy dog who doesn't like wearing a coat, may be different for you :)

TunaPastaBake · 17/08/2012 17:05

Oh god yes dog far easier than toddler when camping - you can tie up the dog !
Might be frowned upon to tie up the toddler Grin

moomintash · 17/08/2012 17:06

I take the dog camping with my 3 year old twins.
We let him sleep on our bed(he doesn't at home) If we don't he tends to guard the tent, he doesn't bark,but quiet persistant woofs.............VERY annoying during the night.

HildaHotPants · 17/08/2012 17:06

We took our dogs camping, just the two of us and in a small tent. We hadn't thought of what to do with 2 x wet largish dogs who could have won a gold medal for entering each stream, pond, river possible, so the evenings were a bit interesting to say the least with two cold dogs.

I'd say it's do-able as long as you don't mind doggo going with you wherever you go. Remember to take a portable drinks container for him, and be prepared that he may be very unsettled and not eat.

In later years, when we had only one dog left, we took him and he was not a happy chap, but then again it was a bit much for him to go out all day everyday. We had space for him to sleep in the storage bit of the tent and took his dogbed, but it still didn't make him settle.

I think it would be much easier with a younger dog, with the right preparation.

usualsuspect · 17/08/2012 17:06

I've seen loads of people take their dogs camping. It seems a very popular thing to do.

They seem to use those stakes and I've seen some use crates. Lots of campsites have dog walking fields too.

SirEdmundFrillary · 17/08/2012 17:07

Quadruple yay, NotHoneyDragon! That settles it Grin

Sounds like your FIL may have an Ulterior Motive, OP.

slambang · 17/08/2012 17:08

Yes! Bringing the dog is the best thing about camping.
Get one of those spiral stakes to tether dog so he/ she can't wander into other people's tents and set him/her up with a little nest of his bed and water etc so he knows where's home
We all argue about who gets dog to cuddle at night - the best form of heating.

TaffyandTeenyTaffy · 17/08/2012 17:12

You will be fine.

We take a dog and a toddler - the only problem we have is that when the dog escapes out of the tent flap the toddler follows! (Note to self next time we need one with a door that zips up all the way around)

We take our crate and pop the dog in there from time to time as he prefers that to being tethered but he mostly sits next to or in the car to make sure he is not left behind when we head off to the beach.

Our dog is a daddys dog and so DH has been known to take him to the loo with him at night as otherwise he cries and would wake the whole campsite, the big softie that he is.

We have always seen lots of dogs so FIL is talking rubbish!

D0oinMeCleanin · 17/08/2012 17:13

My mum and dad take three dogs camping. They even have their very own tent. That is madness, imo.

Although their food also has it's own tent Hmm

bumbez · 17/08/2012 17:16

We have just returned from camping, I can understand your misgivings but our 7 month old was so good.

He has a crate which helped, all though it usually stays in the car iykwim, he sleeps in the kitchen at home.

He was perfectly happy to sleep in the tent with us in his crate. He needed to be on the lead all the time, so I wish I'd got one of those stake things, - but we managed by tieing him to the car in the day unless he was on one of his numerous walks with the kids!

I was worried he'd bark a lot because he does at home- the minute anyone walks by our house a little too loudly, or the door bell goes. He didn't bark once. :)

seeker · 17/08/2012 17:20

We take our guinea pigs camping [unhelpful]

Original poster
memphis83 · 17/08/2012 17:26

Thank you everyone for your replies! Im so pleased, we picked a tent with a nice living area so will fit his bed in also dh has said he will sleep with the dog if he is unsettled, but I think he will come in with us as a treat as its his holiday too!
We have already bought a 5 meter lead and one of those spikes so think we are good to go...will also remember to take a few towels for him incase he gets wet.
edmund I think you are right about fil, he like to turn up on other family members holidays unannounced and we have always gone to Center Parcs so he can't do that, so he probably thinks he could turn up and if the dog is there then he won't want too!
I am very happy thanks again Grin

OP posts:
floranora · 17/08/2012 17:27

We always take our dogs with us. one thing we have leant is that 'all in one' tent i.e one with a sewn in ground sheet is essential!

We were awoken to the poor night security asking us to please stop our two dogs from running aound the campsite at 3am and annoying his guard dog! Blush they had snuk under the tent!

our new tent also has seperate sleeping compartments, so DH and I sleep in 4 man side and the 2 dogs sleep in the 2 man side. Also our dogs are VERY well behaved lazy , so dont need to be tied up, they just lie in or around the tent!

With a sewn in ground sheet there is no way the dog can escape, so we can go out and leave them guarding sleeping in the tent!

wadadlis · 17/08/2012 17:33

We took our mad cocker spaniel camping with our son when DS was 1 year old for a 1 night practice.

It didn't work because:
toddler had magnetism for nettles in one direction
dog sniffed the squirrels and pulled in the other, and we didn't have one of those stake things to tie her up. so when we tied her up with just her lead she got tangled round the guy ropes. and very nearly pulled the tent down
dog slept in car and barked at everyone going to loo in the night

Now we take both camping with the following improvements:

toddler now 4, and has improved each time we take him camping. still has magnetism for nettles but at least knows what they look like and enjoys running around in open grassland almost as much

dog now has a giant corkscrew stake to be tethered to on very long lead. when we are sensible we screw corkscrew well in front of tent so dog unable to get tangled up with guy ropes etc. when we are dumb we get it wrong and she knocks over table, BBQ and several people get knocked off their feet too.

we take dog's crate to sleep in in the tent - and lots of blankets for her. she doesn't bark and the crate acts as handy extra shelf in the outer tent.

the only pain is when it pours with rain, you can't go off to a museum for the day, or a theme park etc with a dog. luckily that hasn't happened ---- yet

serin · 17/08/2012 20:56

Some campsites have dog creches!!