Lessons Learned on the Why You Should Keep Your Windows and Doors Closed When You Travel With Your Pets. Top 7 Recommendations for Safe Travels with your pets.
Imagine this: you're leaving your campsite or even just going outside and your dog displays that normal behavior of barking, scratching, destroying or lounging in places you know they shouldn't be.
Well, the good and short of it, it that your pet's behavior may or may not change while you're on your camping trips. If your pet is like most pets, if you go somewhere without them they'll be looking for you. We've found that many travelers opt to keep their windows and doors (screen doors) open so you're pets can be at ease while you're traveling and not reeking havoc.
Almost all campsites allow pets, but there are rules and regulations that you are a camper normally must agree to in order to bring your little ones alone with you. The biggest one that usually you'll find in almost all of the campsite agreements, is that you should never leave your campsite without securing your pooch.
Story time: a few summers back in the middle of Georgia, I was at a campground that I and several friends frequented on the weekends to get away from the city. Of course, many of us had brought our littles ones along for the weekend excursion as well. No one wants to leave their pets behind at home if they can avoid it.
On one Saturday morning, I had heard of someone that was mauled by a dog from the campsite and taken to the ER. This frightened me not only for the safety of the camper but also for the dog and owner that many have been involved in the incident. After personally hearing the stories, I found out that the owner was in their RV and the dog simply pushed the screen door open and took itself on a walk that turned into a rampage. No one could have expected this but the screen doors in your rig are not normally sturdy enough to support the continued weight of a larger pet attempting to open the door. And this occasion that proved true.
Luckily the camper that was attacked the dog only had minor injuries but did require stiches. As an owner myself, I was horrified that this happened to one of my friends but I would feel the same way about anyone. I learned many lessons that weekend and I'll share my thoughts and recommendations below.
We all think that we have the perfect pooch, but I personally have noticed, sometimes they can have a completely different personality when you're not around.
You see a cute little baby, and then when you leave, their inner demon may appear and sometimes they just can't help themselves.
But there are certain things you can do as a pet owner at your campsite to reduce your concerns over a bad pet experience.
Recommendation #1: When you leave, close all your doors and window shades if you're not taking your pet with you. You might find yourself wanting to provide your pet with similar comforts they have at home but we always fail to remember when we're out camping that this is a new environment for them and all the noise and movement outside might scare them and cause them to act out.
Recommendation #2: Play comforting music or TV. I have found that drowning out any background noise from outside helps my pets remain calm as they are not distracted by any movement or noise from outside. I tend to play music or TV shows they hear at home all the time.
Recommendation #3: Confine your pet to a regular location. Camping with your pets can be challenging for them with the environment is unfamiliar from their perspective. It helps to find a location in your camper that your pets can call their home and make it safe and comfortable for their needs. Whether that is dog beds, extra water, or possibly one of the sofas in your camper that they can lay one, it helps to keep them calm when they know they are in a safe location. Strongly recommend not granting your pet access to roam your entire rig unless it's very small. The bigger space available for them to roam may be a distraction neither of you want to experience on your return.
Recommendation #4: Keep your garbage and valuables out of reach. One of the best lessons I have learned is to keep anything that is not normally within my pets reach out of their reach. If you're safe location for your pet is near the garbage and it is something they can easily access or knock over, I would recommend either moving their space or moving the garbage. Pets can be like children and anything at their level goes in their mouths and not everything is something your pet should or can eat.
Recommendation #5: Lease your pet in your camper. Many times I have seen pets get out of campers for walks only to see them immediately off leash and coming for me or my pet straight away. Leash your pet inside your camper if you can before you open the door and always keep this as pattern so your pet knows that the leash is required if they want to go outside.
Recommendation #6: Purchase a dog fence. A new trend with many campers is to purchase a dog fence that can be places at the bottom of the stairs to outside and can prevent your pet from running off. These fences are popular and can be purchased and configured to fit around larger areas so pets can have a bigger and dedicated outside space if necessary.
Recommendation #7: Keep your pets vaccinations and other paperwork with your in case of emergencies. You never know what can occur when you're out on the road, so it's always good to be prepared and carry your pets paperwork with you in case of any unexpected emergency.
There are many other great recommendations to keeping your pets safe while you're camping and we'd love to hear and share them with the RV community.
Lesson Learned: Close Your Doors and Windows
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