Tent camping with a dog can be a fun and memorable experience for the whole family. If you want everyone- including the dog to have a great time check out these tips for taking your pet dog on a camping trip.
How do you tent camp with a dog?
Keep them leashed at all times
The last thing that you want to be doing is camping in an unfamiliar place and have them run away on you. It can happen even to dogs who are obedient. When in new and unfamiliar places sometimes curiosity can get the best of them. A harness can make it more comfortable for you pup to be on a leash more often than usual.
Look up the rules and regulations for the areas that you plan to travel to. Some places may not be as dog friendly as you would like, others will just require your dog to be on a leash. It’s important to know this before you travel so that you are prepared and not caught off guard.
First Aid Supplies
For both you and your pets. Supplies for a dog are similar to a human but you may want to order some products to have on hand just in case they get into something that they shouldn’t have while out and about. While camping the vet likely isn’t very nearby to get them checked out quickly. A quick video search for pet first aid might be worth the watch as well.
This one might seem like a no brainer but pack the things that you would normally need for your dog. That includes dishes, toys, food, and water. Don’t let the simple things escape you!
Bring extra water
Speaking of water, make sure that you pack extra EXTRA water. New and exciting places make dogs thirsty, add that in to more walking than usual and you could have an easily dehydrated pup on your hands!
Pack a brush
It’s not hard for a dog to get into a prickly bush or burrs, have leaves attached to them while they’re walking around, or worse, ticks. Pack a brush and comb along with tick removal supplies and frequently brush them out while checking for ticks. Also keep an eye out for small cuts that they may have acquired so that you can be sure to keep them clean and reduce infection risk.
Can a dog sleep in a tent?
Make sure that they have a comfortable spot to sleep. Both in a vehicle while driving and in a tent or camper if camping. Plenty of dog beds are transportable and fold up for packing purposes.
Be prepared for changing climates
If you are going somewhere new and the climate is different from your own make sure the dog is prepared as well. Let’s say that you are going from a neutral climate to somewhere like Arizona or Texas where it’s going to be far hotter than both you and your dog are used to. Items like foot protection are often overlooked. The ground can be very hot (or very cold) for paws that are used to a neutral climate so make sure that you protect them if your dogs paws are sensitive.
Train them beforehand if possible. There are certain commands like stay or off that will come in handy if you are at campsite. If your pup is resilient to learn them it’s good to work them as much as possible before your camping trip.
Since a lot of camping activities happen at night, you might consider buying a light up collar to keep tabs on them while it’s dark. Also make sure to have their tags updated and any microchip information updated and on you at all times just in case they do decide to go on an adventure of their own.
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