Camping With Man's Best Friend
Robin Shortt
Man's Best Friend
Man's best friend your dog , and you, can go camping and have
lots of fun.
Look at it as a walk that doesn't end, during which he gets to
spend all his time with you.
For us campers, it can give us another means of security and
another way of bonding.
Things You Need To Do
For those of you who are wanting to get involved in this great
adventure with their pet, there are some things you need to do to
make this as fun as possible for both of you.
Bring Him Along Slow
First time camping pooches should be shown the wonders of nature
slowly.
City or urban dogs need to be brought along slow because of their
tender pads on their paws, and they need to get used to all open
spaces and wonders of nature.
Start with taking them on some day trips to state, county and
conservation Parks
The Great Outdoors
The wide open spaces will help your dog get used to unpopulated
areas.
He wll also find new odours and sights in this stress free
environment.
Going on nature and hiking trails will also help your dog gain
muscle strength and fitness before you go camping.
Being A Responsible Dog Owner
As we enjoy the companionship of our dogs, they become a member
of our families.
Going with us on family outings, walks, trips around town, just
about everywhere we go they tag along with us.
Thats fine because we care about them so much.
Its not always the same with camp owners who feel dogs are not
man's best friend in their camping area.
They have good reason to be.
A lot of dog owners are not very good in keeping their pets
leashed or cleaning up after them.
They also don't abide by the camp rules the way they should, but
many irresponsible dog owners feel the rules don't apply to them
and their dogs.
Of course because of these pet owners , we all suffer, thus there
are now many campgrounds not allowing dogs.
Check ahead to see if the campground you' re going to allows
dogs, and if so, are they allowed on the trails, or have special
trails set aside for dogs.
Also some campgrounds charge two dollars a night for dogs as
well.
Taking Care Of Your Dog
As loving, caring, pet owners, we need to find a way to take care
of our dogs while we go out on the trails with our other family
members.
We could take turns dog sitting with family, friends, other
campers with dogs.
One thing we need to do is make sure we are good responsible pet
owners. Check ahead before you go camping with man's best friend.
Here Are Some Pre-Camping Tips
Try to take your dog for a pre-camping visit for possible needed
shots, and a Rabies shot tag for his collar.
Look at a possible Lyme disease vaccine.
Take with you a current copy of his records and his vet's phone
number.
Pick up a proper dog license & ID tags for your dog with their
name, your name, ect.
Microchips, tattoos and pet registries can be used.
Bring medications and a copy of prescriptions.
Try to get a site with some shade for your dog.
Supervise your dog closely around children, other visitors and
other dogs.
Keep your dog quiet. Frequent and continued barking disturbs the
wildlife and other campers.
Let your dog have time to adjust to his new surroundings. Give
him time to rest.
Try to use ziplock bags to pick up after him and properly dispose
of it in appropriate trash containers.
Keep an eye on how weather conditions effect your dog, heat,
cold, rain etc.
Consider use of a crate for travel and short term restraint,
while you are near. Your pet could be stolen if not watched
carefully.
You should be aware that your dog will have increased exposure to
ticks and fleas.
Take the proper tick/flea collars, repellants or use Frontline
applications.
Other diseases can also be transmitted by wild animals and
insects.
Val and Robin Shortt are experienced campers and own three
outdoor websites For more tips like these and to register for
their Free newsletter visit:Good Night Camping Equipment
http://goodnightcampingequipment.com/CampingLinks.html
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