New AS Owner: advice on traveling w/ dogs

[TinCanDogs]

Hi! My husband and I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream of being AS owners. We bought a 2014 barely used Flying Cloud.

We also have 4 dogs (3 lab-ish mixes and a pug). (Pict, from L-R, is Dean 6yrs, Frank 5years, Bogart 1.5yrs). I am a dog trainer (owner of Dog Training, Clicker Training - Masters of Mischief Dog Training - Denver, Co), so, message me all of your dog behavior questions!

I was wondering, what dog you wish you had known about traveling with yours pups before their maiden trip?

[silverlabs]

Make them sit before you exit the trailer and make sure you always exit first. We had a couple of anxious moments when they saw the squirrel first! We've been on the road 5 weeks now and have a routine down now. It's a blast. You will be glad you took them. Also, be sure to alternate days where there are off leash areas with days that don't have them. And they learn to appreciate grass when we find it. Lots of campgrounds have gravel only. We just had a lovely afternoon sitting outside the camper with my pooches laying in the grass and just enjoying it!

[Howard L.]

Being the trainer you are, you will have most problems solved before they pop up. I train my own hunting dogs, flushing spaniels, Boykins to be specific, and well behaved dogs will be a joy to travel with. At present, we have my two Boykins and a Springer rescue. The springer is just starting training so she stays in a kennel inside when we leave them alone. We also close up the trailer and turn on radio and AC units with fans on high. All this to just insulate them from outside strange noises. They just go to sleep. Maybe the most important advice I can give is to beware of trash and bits of garbage in RV parks. I'm still amazed at how so many campers throw their chicken and pork chop bones, plus other leftovers, in the grass around campsites. After a couple of camping experiences at parks your dogs will be on the hunt for such as they will learn quickly what pigs some campers are. You will know as soon as the dogs discover this new source of treats. Your head up healing companion will become a nose to the ground sniffer. Keep them healthy, just keep a close eye on them as you walk them for exercise.
Welcome to Airstream life.
Howard


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[Nuvite-F]

Welcome to the forums!

All I can do is tell you some of our experience in Airstreaming for the last 10 years with our 3 dogs. Our current pack consists of one Cocker Spaniel, one Schnauzer, and one Schnoodle (supposedly). All rescues, the Cocker Spaniel from an abuse situation.

Use common sense, and just DO it!

Our dogs love to travel! They can sense preparations for a trip (stocking the trailer, etc.) and by departure morning we usually just let them into the truck so they can relax, even if we aren't going to leave for another hour!

We and the dogs have worked out patterns of getting along on the road. Each has their favorite spots in the truck and in the trailer. Daisy, our Cocker Spaniel, is our "cave dog". We have an extended-cab pickup truck and her favorite spot is the floor of the back seat, passenger side. So we pad that with cushions and blankets to give her a comfortable spot to sleep. The Schnoodle sprawls in the back seat except for occasional visits to the "flight deck" to see what's going on, and the Schnauzer has laid claim to Mom's lap.

As soon as we are under way they usually go to their favorite spots and go to sleep. We make frequent rest stops and at each stop we let them out on leash to "stretch their legs" (and use the "bathroom" facilities as necessary) with us. We also offer them a drink at each rest stop. (Any dog knows that a drink is better if your human holds the water bowl for you.)

The dogs quickly recognize the trailer as "home" and them have their favorite spots. We have a narrow-body (7 1/2 foot) trailer and we did have to learn to negotiate the occasional "dog jam" in the narrow aisle.

As pointed out previously, develop good situation awareness before opening the tow vehicle or trailer door. Once at a rest stop in the New Mexico desert, Daisy spotted a jack rabbit and went out the door after him. We mounted a search operation but Daisy beat us back to the trailer after about 20 really anxious minutes.

Take a supply of dog meds with you. We have had a couple of memorable bouts of dog diarrhea and so always take some Pepto Bismol and a supply of rice and chicken soup. Our vet also prescribed us a supply of Flagyl to have on hand if needed.

I don't know if there is any scientific basis for this claim, but dogs' stomachs seem to be more sensitive to drinking water than humans. We have never had any trouble drinking the local water but our vet suggested taking along a plentiful supply of water from home for the dogs to drink. Then when we get to a destination where we're going to be for a while, we switch them over to the local water and let them acclimate to it. I don't remember a bout of doggie diarrhea on the road since we started doing that.

Most campgrounds are dog friendly, although the campground guides sometimes list breed or number restrictions. We have seldom had a problem with our three. But some campgrounds don't allow dogs at all. Check the policy where you plan to stop for the night.

Take the pack on the road and enjoy! Your dogs will be experienced Airstreamers in no time!

[TinCanDogs]

Thanks guys! I never would have thought of that campground stuff initially......and the idea of having to use my Doggy first aid skills to free a loose chicken bone makes me shudder!!!!!
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I also didn't think about breed restrictions and # of dog restrictions......now I'll have something else to take into consideration.


My one concern is my Youngest, bogart, who is hyper worried. He's really nice with a new dog, but he barks his face off and goes nuts if he's held back by a leash or fence (I plan on traveling with xpens). I noticed there are rules about aggressive dogs which he isn't, but, a layman to dog behavior could easily mistake Bo's reactivity for aggression......I'll have to travel with a lot of baby food .

[Rocinante]

Make sure your xpens will actually contain an excited dog (or dogs) who see a deer or other wildlife in the meadow across from your campsite. Otherwise, some pretty serious hilarity will ensue, though I daresay you wouldn't be the one laughing.

[Phoenix]

It sounds like a lot of people travel with dogs. We have one, too; a small "lap dog" who won't sit on your lap.

Last spring, we took a 5,000 mile roadtrip that made a big loop from Phoenix to San Francisco, up the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway; a.k.a., Hwy-1) to Seattle, then back to Phoenix via Salt Lake City, Moab and Durango. It rained nearly every day that we were in California, Oregon and Washington; so we had to contend with a wet dog and wet coats, clothes and shoes for about eight of the 11 weeks.

We followed approximately the same route that some camping friends had taken a couple of weeks before us, with their three medium-sized dogs. However, their experience was drastically different from ours.

While we were only slightly inconvenienced by dealing with one small wet dog for the first few days, until we worked out a routine for getting everyone dry after each dog walk; their roadtrip was the vacation from hell.

Most of the time, while inside their small SOB, they had to keep three large wet dogs in pet carriers. And, they ended up bagging the wet towels and buying more, several times; because they couldn't get all of their towels dry while on the road. After the first couple of weeks of rain and wet dogs, they ended up staying in hotels for the remainder of the trip; and in frustration, they cut their trip short and headed home early.

When we met to compare roadtrip stories, they were so disillusioned with camping in the rain, traveling with wet dogs and unplanned hotel expenses (with pet surcharges), that they were seriously talking about selling their SOB and giving up camping.

I am pretty sure that the memories of this bad experience will fade with time, and they will most likely continue camping. However, they have already stated that in the future, they will leave their dogs at home with a dog sitter, or pay to board them; especially, if the trip is in poor weather.

Hopefully, your Airstream is large enough for three dogs; and they are better trained for travel. However, I suggest you take a few short weekend trips to see how things go before heading out on an extended roadtrip.

[Wayne&Sam]

A minor detail: put the water dish on the hinge side of the front door. Fewer feet hit it that way.


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[Howard L.]

Re, on Phoenix's wet dog story: take old towels, LOTS of towels for the dry-off and the floor at the entry door.


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[interstateflyer]

Decide where everyone will sleep.....and stick to your guns.

Don't use odiferous treats.

Cover everything that you might sit on.

If you can....I know it's a big job with these big guys...clean their feet with sensitive baby wipes when they come in at night.

[Goal15]

How soon did anyone take their puppy camping?


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[cwf]

Maybe you can hold trailer training days as you go along. Imagine your next book...The Aluminum Kennel

[Rocinante]

If you can keep your aluminum tube liveable with 4 active dogs on board (3 of them pretty big!), you'll be heroes in my book.

[Rjpuckett]

Watch out for grass burrs when you take them outside for their 'walks'. Might need doggie boots for some parts of the country.

[SeeMore]

We have not made a trip without our two Danes along and they enjoy the adventure stress free. So far, they have seen 41 states, around 25,000 miles of travel, and miles of hiking through remote territories.

I am lucky to be able to park our trailer curbside at the house before trips without the neighbors fussing. Since I do a thorough systems check of everything before hitting the road, the dogs always get to lounge in the trailer while I do my prepatory routine. They seem to use this time to reclaim the trailer as their kennel and settle in. The day of departure is always high spirits and wagging tails when we lock the house up.

Take along as full a canine medical kit as possible, plus all your paperwork of shots and recent vet visits. Many places require proof of vaccinations yet may not ask unless there is an issue. I second the issue of campers throwing bones, etc., near camp sites. Be sure to inspect your spot upon arrival, preferably with your most sensitive muzzle along to point out those items hidden at the edge of cut grass areas.

I carry a very large plastic food storage bin in my truck bed that has a 10" screw cap, with gasket, for sealing dog food odors away from wildlife noses. It is especially necessary in bear country. It holds about 50 pounds of dry food.

I've trained dogs for almost forty years and mine have been specifically trained to NOT chase anything (rodents included). However, one has a penchant for bringing me possums (six to date without harm) to fix since they are clearly broken. Possums must truly have bad eyesight as they wander into camp and then drop 'dead' when confronted with two inquisitive muzzles. That particular dog is also capable of fetching a loaf of fresh bread in a plastic sleeve without crushing it in the slightest way.

My dogs are off-leash extensively in their home environment (GA forests) to reinforce their training. When the urge to investigate has arisen by newly discovered species (examples: elk/moose in the Rockies, alligators on the SC coast) they are easily called off the lunge/point vocally. They are happy to sit and watch deer wander through nearby areas without excitement. I think they view deer as other Danes, just brown.

Despite good training and generally leashed while traveling, my dogs always wear electronic collars (range 1+ mile) with LED lights (for night walks) and engraved brass tags with my name, cell number, and home town.

When it comes to baths, mine prefer to be hosed off like horses so doing feet and legs is a simple rinse campside. Quick dry towels are a must. Likewise, rain coats so wet dog odors don't permeate the interior.

[silverlabs]

Oh, I forgot to add a couple of things. We bought leashes at a festival in Vail but they are all over. They have hooks at both ends with rings spaced about every foot. They work great to add to our existing leashes to make tie outs. Sham wows work great to dry wet dogs off with. Take complete vet records with you just in case. I agree with the water comment above. It can be hard on them to switch water. I also agree with deciding where everyone sleeps and stick to it. We bought waffle beds from Groupon and they work perfectly between our twin beds and move easily to the floor board of the truck for extra padding. These girls don't share the seat space very well.

Our black lab is not real friendly to folks, skittish and barks like crazy at home. In the past we have left her at home and taken the yellow one because of all of those behaviors. Turns out we underestimated her BIG TIME and she has been fantastic. She is just nervous when men walk up to her but we have learned to let the yellow friendly one lead the way and show her it is okay. That is working much better. I have also thought about getting one of those vests that says "in training" or something. We saw a shiva inu at the space needle in Seattle with a vest on and it seemed to help him. They also make some color coded harnesses that gauge accessibility but I think people would have to know what the colors mean. For the most part, we walk them well and then they are tired if we leave them for a bit. The AC and music helps a lot also.

Our outdoor water bowl has worked the best for indoors as well. Our two labs will splatter and splash when they drink. We use a small hard sided six-pack cooler filled with water as the water bowl. It fits two heads and contains the splashing. Well, unless they drop the ball in there! Hope this helps!!

[TinCanDogs]

CWF: LOL! So, true story, I do plan on taking the dogs out every day to where we are storing the AS and just hanging out in it and treating them for desired behavior.

SeeMore: wow! Thanks for all the great insight. I had been thinking about LED tags for them. The medical kit for the dogs is a great idea and had totally escaped my list of things we might need.

Goal15: I'd think that at least when potty trained. Remember, dogs don't generalize well, so, you might have to do potty training for the youngster in the AS.

We picked our Stream up today and the parts guy recommended an outdoor loving space thing which attatches off the warning and goes all the way to the ground. Might be good to prevent Bo from seeing incoming dogs or at least give me a chance to work behavior with him also would keep the kids dry if it rained.

You all rock by the way! Thanks for sharing all this insight. NONE of it is going to waste.....I might have to test it and write a book after all

[TinCanDogs]

Silverlabs: I'm glad shamwows worked. I bought like 10 today for the boys.

I have a special bandana made for Bo to let people know he needs a little space. I give them to all my clients and they seem to work. Here's a picture of an early version when he was just a babe.

[SeeMore]

Another thought - Get a few moving blankets for the floor and couch (if they are allowed up). They are padded and can be used on the ground outside the trailer if necessary,too. We travel with three. Two are for inside only. They can be taken out daily for a shake and sand/dirt/fur removal, can be washed each outting easier than cleaning carpets & fabrics, and they catch drool + wet paw tracks!

Thoughts on a basic canine first aid kit:

My vet gave me a refillable script for 300 cephalexin 500mg for bacterial infections. Dosage = body weight divided by 50 and round up to whole number, given twice daily. That will solve big scrapes, deeper skin cuts, mouth sores, and when you find swollen lymph glands.

Spray Hydrocortisone for various skin irritations and topical fungi's.

Optibiotic ointment for ear infections; usually from swimming in bad water or ear mites off the ground when laying around dirty spots at camp.

Tramadol without aspirin for pain management. Aspirin is deadly for canines! They can have Ibuprofin if needed for sore muscles after high activity like arduous hikes.

Triple Antibiotic ointment for small scratches and nicks.

Lots of gauze patches and elastic, self sticking 2" wide or larger rippled tape for bandaging legs, necks, tails, trunk, etc. You can find the tape in Rx stores or athletic/sports supply stores.

We travel for weeks at a time, and more frequently than you as new owners may do, so first aid is very important to us.

[TinCanDogs]

First aid is SUPER important to me too. I have an epileptic pup...

That's an awesome first aid list. I wrote it all down and am assembling a kit...... I adore the moving blanket idea.......I'm stealing it.