Dogs are man’s best friend, and a common camping companion. These hacks help your buddy stay on everyone’s good side, from the park ranger to the squirrels.
Barking
Almost all dogs bark some, but the key in a campground is to not annoy everyone within hearing distance or keep them awake at night. If your dog is prone to barking at everything, blocking their vision of other campers and activities may help keep the barking to a minimum.
Some people may choose to use a crate that has had three sides covered to give the dog a view to the front only (wire crates have better ventilation for summer use). Others may opt to keep the pet inside the tent much of the time. If your dog absolutely will not stop barking, especially at night, it may be best to board them with a kennel, veterinarian, or a friend while you are camping.
Campsite
Almost all campgrounds require someone to be with the pet at all times in the campground. While I have never had a problem with leaving them alone while using the showers or toilet, that should be kept to a minimum as well.
In addition, pets are usually not allowed inside of any park building. Follow the rules and if you are uncertain, ask the rangers.
Crates
Crates can make a dog feel that they have a safe haven, especially if they use a crate at home. Wire crates offer better ventilation, helping keep them cooler. To increase the cooling power, draping the crate with wet towels (squeeze out excess water so they don’t drip) to allow the natural evaporation process to help cool the crate.
Make sure your pet is in the shade to prevent heat stroke. Keep their water dish or bottle full as well, to help them to stay hydrated. In very hot weather, some dogs may need more help to stay comfortable, using a fan blowing over a pan of ice, cold packs in their crate, or even air conditioning.
Short faced dogs such as bulldogs, pugs, boxers, etc., are often prone to distress quickly in hot weather, as are older dogs, heavy coated dogs, and dogs that are recovering from an illness.
Crates are also a great way to safely secure your pet at night in the tent while you are sleeping.
Dishes
If you are being weight and space conscious, you may wish to consider the collapsible dishes made from coated canvas for your pet. They fold up, hold water or food reliably, and weigh very little.
While many people bring along the same dishes that they use for Fido or Fluffy at home, others prefer something less expensive to take along in case of loss or damage. It’s a great way to reuse the plastic containers that things such as margarine, sour cream, yogurt, or frozen whipped topping come in.
Food
Bringing along the big bag of kibble may be fine if you are feeding a giant dog on a two week camp out, but most of us have smaller dogs and shorter stays while camping.
Prepackage their food into recycled containers or a plastic bag for easy single meal dispensing. This also makes it easy if you have multiple dogs along that eat different food. The prepackaged food can then be put into a larger container—my favorite is an ice cream bucket, which has a handle as well as a lid.
Most people use kibble, of one brand or another, to feed their dog. While your dog may be picky, as well as messy about his or her eating habits, this can lead to unwanted visitors, often of the black and white type.
Skunks and raccoons are both highly attracted to spilled or discarded dog food, and will come calling to dine if you leave it where they can find it. That means picking up every single tidbit that Fido or Fluffy spills!
It may be advisable to feed a smaller portion that has been “doctored” with something yummy, which can be chicken broth from a can, canned food, bacon grease, or some of your own dinner leftovers, to get your pet to eat all of their food relatively quickly. Don’t leave the dish out for snacking or the local raccoons or skunks are apt to come to dinner too.
ID Tags
Nobody likes to lose their pet, but every year, hundreds if not thousands, of pets disappear during camping trips and vacations, often in an entirely different state than the one they live in.
Make sure that your dog has an ID tag attached to their collar with a phone number that is good while you are on vacation or your camping trip, not your home or office number for when you are at home.
Leashes
Dogs are typically required to remain on leash at all time in almost all campgrounds, state parks, national parks, etc. They also often restrict the length of the leash to 6’ or 10’. Know the rules and abide by them, as frequent violations from pet owners leads to banning dogs from parks.
My boxer has a reflective leash, highly visible even in the pitch dark as it reflects even small amounts of light. The round shape is also more difficult for persistent leash biters to chew through. For the truly devout leash biters, a chain or coated cable lead may be necessary.
This dog of mine, a devout destroyer of leashes, is fastened to a short cable (like is used to secure trailers and bicycles) that then slides along a longer cable that is run between trees at ground level.
A carbiner provides the slide with minimal friction. She also happens to be a very old dog, so she is not as active as she once was. This arrangement keeps her safely restrained, while allowing her to move in and out of the shade as she likes.
Muzzle
Just because a dog wears a muzzle does not mean it is “mean”! It means that they may be a bit nervous around strangers, and their owners are making sure a bite or nip does not happen.
For those who have nervous dogs, remember that children are not leashed and can appear out of seemingly nowhere to grab your dog, and your dog will think it is under attack and respond accordingly.
The muzzle is to protect your dog, not the stranger or child, from accusations of biting. Most muzzles will allow your dog to drink while muzzled, something that can be important on a hot summer day.
People Food
Some people never give their dogs “people food”, while others do occasionally. Some feed it daily. Whichever category you fall in, the time to change categories may not be on your camping trip.
Sudden changes in diet can result in diarrhea and vomiting, which is never appreciated on your sleeping bag at 3 a.m. while it is raining. Nearly equal in noxious factor is an attack of gas resulting from suddenly receiving meat scraps that the dog is not accustomed to eating.
“Green clouds from the bog of eternal stench” may dissipate quickly outdoors, but your tent is technically indoors, and it won’t vanish that quickly! Keep treats from your steak to a minimum and everyone will win in the long run.
Treats
We all tend to indulge in more snack foods and treats when we are camping than we do at home. It’s part of the whole escaping from the normal routine and reality of our daily lives, it seems.
Your pet will want treats too. While you may opt to give them more liberally than you do at home, it is best to stick to the same type that is used at home. Many dogs are happy receiving pieces of kibble as a treat through the day.
Vaccination Records
Some parks and campgrounds require you to physically bring a vaccination record with you to show that your pet is fully vaccinated. Keeping a copy of your pet’s records in your car is a very good idea.
Waste
Okay, nobody LIKES doing it, but it still has to be done. Pick up the waste from your dog doing “thing”, whether it’s in the campground or on the trail.
For big dogs, it’s a great way to re-use grocery bags. There are also handy dispensers that can attach to your leash and hold disposal bags for collecting waste. This keeps it off of everyone’s shoes as well as helps control the spread of diseases and parasites. Besides, who wants to see a bunch of ancient dog doo littering the area?
Water
Some pets have touchy stomachs. If your dog has an easily upset one, bringing water from home for them to drink while on your camping trip may prevent bouts of vomiting or diarrhea.
Don’t forget to make sure Fido or Fluffy have a ready supply of fresh, clean water while camping. Check their water or offer them water every time you get thirsty to make sure your buddy stays hydrated.
Never leave your dog inside of a vehicle unattended. Temperatures rapidly soar inside of a vehicle and can result in death very soon.
Do not let your dog chase wildlife. It’s often illegal. It’s not a good habit to encourage, either. Pets can quickly chase an animal far enough away that they become disoriented and lost.
Remember, your dog lives in a house with you. When in the great outdoors, your dog may need a coat just as much as you do. You can purchase these at most stores selling pet supplies or easily made at home by the average home sewer.