Those of you who know us, know how much we love adventure and camping. We will take every chance we can to go camping and see new places. When you have dogs though this can prove to be a challenge sometimes. Dogs aren’t always allowed in camp grounds and state and national parks often have restrictions on when and where dogs can be present on the trails. Some National Parks even go as far as not to allow your furry companion at all outside of the vehicle. This can create a challenge when it comes to adventuring with your furry friends.
Over the past couple of years we have learned a few tricks along the way and want to share them with you.
- Create Learning Moments
- Training will be a huge key to the success and fun you have when traveling with your golden. Crate training, leash training, potty training, and off lead training will be critical when it comes to adventuring outside of your back yard. Having a well mannered puppy or dog will not only make your trip more enjoyable and fun but will also allow you to do more on your outings.
- Teaching your golden to get along with other dogs as well as ignore other dogs is also important. Most of the time teaching your golden to get along with other dogs is not a challenge but teaching them to ignore other dogs can sometimes be a challenge. The thing is you can’t control how well trained other dogs are but you can control how well trained your dog is.
- Create new experiences for your golden. Find new terrain for them to experience. Find water for them to play in. Teach them how to pack. (This is something Gus is currently learning how to do.)
- Create an emergency plan for your golden
- When traveling do you carry a first aid kit and plan what you would do if you broke down or something happened? During this planning process are you thinking about a plan for your pup as well?
- Have a pet first aid kit.
- Have extra water/food on hand.
- Evaluate the outdoor conditions you will be taking your dogs too. Do you have everything you need to keep them safe and comfortable? This summer some of our travels will take us to Arizona and Utah which will have high temperature levels. We are having to evaluate how we will keep our dogs cool, booties for their feet so their soles don’t burn while we are out walking the trails, shade options when there is none, and making sure we know the warning signs of overheating since dogs don’t sweat.
- When traveling do you carry a first aid kit and plan what you would do if you broke down or something happened? During this planning process are you thinking about a plan for your pup as well?
- Research your route
- Know the rules and regulations related to dogs when you are traveling.
- Check the pet rules for campgrounds you plan to stay at.
- Check the pet rules for the national parks and hikes you plan on going on. There are places that dogs are not allowed.
- Map out and know the rest stops along the way where you can stop and stretch your furry friends legs.
- Know the rules and regulations related to dogs when you are traveling.
These are just a few of our quick travel tips for you as you begin adventuring with our pups. What tips and tricks have you found are helpful when traveling with dogs? We would love to hear your experience.
