Branson and our dog

[345bill]

Hi- Our family is considering meeting up in Branson, August 2009, to celebrate Moms 80th. birthday. We will be traveling with our dog (in his MH) and he has been known to bark whenever we leave him alone,even at home. There will be times while at Branson when he will be in the motorhome alone, going to dinner ect.. Of course he will have all the comforts of home available, I'm concerned with his barking being a disturbance to others. This will be daytime hours only and hopefully not more than two occasions. So what I'm asking those of you that have stayed in Branson area is there a prefered campground/park where his barking will be accepted? Or any other suggestions? Thanks!

[vswingfield]

I appreciate your concern for others.

Apology ahead of time, but if you have a nuisance dog, and having lived next door to an all night barking cocker; barkers are nuisance dogs, consider boarding it somewhere at home. Traveling doesn’t fit everyone’s (your dog’s) needs sometimes.

With luck, you can find somewhere where it will have company, other dogs and human caregivers, and you won’t have to worry about leaving him/her alone while you celebrate Mom’s 80th.

Congratulations and happy birthday to Mom!

[Lumatic]

My dogs aren't barkers but have ripped up a bunch of screens when they get excited to see us returning. If your dog is not used to traveling he may do similar damage. Have you considered a crate? It might solve both problems.

[clancy_boy]

Talk to your vet - there are meds that can calm your dog without totally turning him into a fur blob passed out on the floor.

Another alternative is to board your dog those times you are away - check with the local vets on who will board overnight - with minimal care (late drop off and early pickup) they may not charge that much.

We once boarded our labs in TN for a day - 8am to 5pm - to sight-see and it only cost $20 and we brought our own food. They even were willing to leave the place unlocked so we could come in after hours to get our dogs. Now this was rural TN and not Branson but I am sure you can work something out if you ask.


BTW - Disney is the best for dog boarding - the current rates may have changed but 2 years ago it was $9 all day and if you did not make it back in time it only went up $2 extra for overnight in an air conditioned kennel with food and walks.......... Best deal there.

[centennialman]

Dog Sitter? Doggie Day Care Center? Try something like that.

Have a great trip....wish I could go

[345bill]

I should of described him a little better. He is not a constant barker but when left alone he definately makes his presence known. He is 12 yrs. old and nearly blind so any type of outside noise gets him going but as far as I can tell when the noises stop so does he. I was kind of hopeing some of available campgrounds in that area would have section for people traveling with pets and some noise would be expected. As you can probably tell RV'ing is new to us. Boarding a few hrs. a day is great suggestion. Thanks

[SteSpot]

Your concerns are appreciated. As dogs get older, they become increasingly dependent upon us for their care and experience a great deal of anxiety when left alone.....please consider carefully leaving your dog alone in the rv where others will have to listen to his/her distress.

Yesterday, we listened to our next door neighbor's dog howl inconsolably for 6 hours while he was away--and this was not an rv. It was not fun for the dog or us. My husband began to think maybe something had happened to the owner but then he returned and was not happy with the destruction he found. I am sure you can find a happy solution for all. pj

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by 345bill

I should of described him a little better. He is not a constant barker but when left alone he definately makes his presence known. He is 12 yrs. old and nearly blind so any type of outside noise gets him going but as far as I can tell when the noises stop so does he. I was kind of hopeing some of available campgrounds in that area would have section for people traveling with pets and some noise would be expected. As you can probably tell RV'ing is new to us. Boarding a few hrs. a day is great suggestion. Thanks

I personally am not bothered by a dog that lets others know the RV is his territory and barks at passers by. The ones who don't stop or are overly aggressive are a horse of a different color.

[TBRich]

If we have to leave the Girls alone in the Bambi for a while, we always leave the TV or the stereo playing so that they have that to occupy their good hearing and not what's going on outside...they would bark if someone came to the door, but other than that they seem content to just lay down and go to sleep and wait for us to come back, like they do at home. We also leave the fantastic fan on and the AC thermostat set so that if it gets too warm unecpectedly, it cranks up. We also leave a note near the door with our cell phone number on it saying that there are 2 dogs inside, should there be an emergency reason to get them out.