Camping With Your Dog – 5 Things to Know

Many people, upon bringing a new puppy into their homes, eagerly anticipate engaging in fun outdoor activities. Is there anything better than the incredible experience of going camping with your dog?

A camping vacation in the great outdoors is a pretty much fail-safe bonding experience for you and your puppy. And it’s also a great chance for you to mix up a bit of gaming and training!

Too much? Well, maybe…

A camping trip should just be mostly fun unless you can find some fun ways to sneak in a bit of training!

But how do you prepare for camping with your dog?? Are there any things in particular one needs to keep in mind while packing for a doggy camping trip?

Of course, there are!

But first, here are some things you should consider before beginning to plan a camping trip with your dog…

Is My Puppy Really Ready to Go Out on a Camping Trip?

The pretty basic question, right? But one you need to think about nonetheless. Especially if you’re a relatively new owner.

Not all dogs handle big, exciting trips outdoors very well. Especially if they lack basic leash and command training.

If your pup isn’t disciplined enough that you’re confident about handling her in tricky or emergency situations, you really should think long and hard whether you want to risk camping with your dog.

Also things like:

• Being overly excitable, aggressive or fearful going to new places or encountering new people or animals
• A medical condition that is hard to handle outside of the home
• Whining or barking too much – you don’t want to disturb other campers on their vacation, do you?

These are just some basic things to think about before really planning for camping with your dog.

5 Great Tips for Camping With Your Dog

Now if you ARE sure that your puppy is more than ready for a trip outdoors, here are some great tips and suggestions to make your doggy camping trip more safe and fun…

1. Make Sure Your Puppy Has All His Shots

Ensuring that your pup has all his vaccination shots is really crucial, lest he picks up something at camp. Then it’ll be too late! Also, make sure you have enough of any other medication he needs in case he’s prescribed something.

Having flea and tick medication is also a good idea since you’re going to stay outdoors!

2. Don’t Forget to Plan for the Ride!

You really want to make sure your trip to camp is as smooth as possible.

Don’t you? Gotta make a good start for it to be a fun vacation!

Preparing for the car ride means:

• Making sure your puppy has had all the bathroom breaks she needs, including pit-stops in between.
• Stocking up on light treats for hunger pangs during the ride
• Preparing in advance for any messes by using quality seat covers for your car

For more pointers on how to travel smart with your dog, head on to our post on dog travel tips!

3. It’s Always Better to Pack the Crate

In case you need to leave your dog at camp for short durations or have her sleep outside the tent, crating is safe.

It’s definitely safer than just leashing when camping with your dog. And not just in terms of safety. The crate keeps her warm and sheltered, too, and also provides comfort if needed.

4. Make Sure the Camp Has All Your Dog Needs

That doesn’t just mean the exciting stuff for you your pup to run and around and enjoy…

It also means stuff like clean freshwater sources, if there’s water in the camping grounds. Your dog may not just drink from his bowl all the time.

Also, make sure that the camp’s rules and facilities accommodate dogs! No point in complaining about it after you get there…

5. Camp is Still Outdoors – Take Measures for Safety

Even though the camp has staff and supervision to some extent, you are still responsible for your dog’s safety. As we said before, having the crate handy is always good when camping with your dog.

But it’s also a good idea to have a microchip implanted on your pup, just in case he wanders off. And it’s not that hard to lose a collar outdoors.

Also, always be mindful that you need to keep a general eye on your dog, even if he’s well trained. Camping can throw the unexpected at you.

You need to be there for your dog, for instance, if he encounters a wild animal. Or gets in trouble with other camping parties.

We hope you found our tips for camping with your dog useful! If you have any tips or suggestions of your own, please tell us in the comments section below!

Featured image by Brina Blum on Unsplash