When we decided to go full-time on the road one of the things on our to do list was to get our dog ready for camper living. We were fortunate in that we were able to buy our 5th wheel and park it for a few months while we got our house ready to rent. For our thoughts on having a rental house click here. So how did we get our dog acclimated to full-time RV living? Here are the steps we took:
We took her to the camper and let her sniff around and explore the place for an hour one evening. The hubs and I had already come to an agreement on where our pup was allowed. Our dog is used to being allowed on the furniture in our sticks and bricks home and we didn’t want to confuse the eight year old dog with new rules. So instead I bought covers for the new furniture. We also chose a place for her food and water and brought those with us every time we came to the camper.
Over the next few weeks we brought her to the camper for short periods of time while we got ourselves organized.
We were concerned with interactions with other dogs in the RV parks so we began a treat program at our sticks and bricks home. As we took her for walks we brought a little bag of tiny “leave it treats”. When we passed another dog on our walk we would distract her with a treat associated with the command “leave it” to teach her to ignore the other dogs. This doesn't mean we don't want her socalized. We believe socialization should primairly take place in fenced dog park where they can be off leash and run and play.
We were also concerned with the noise level in RV Parks and that the outdoor activities nearby campers might cause our dog to bark. The last thing we wanted was for our dog to be the annoying barking dog. We decided to turn on a radio or the TV for our pooch when we leave the camper in order to keep her company and to help drown out any ambient noise. We started this for short periods of time and worked up to leaving her for longer.
Some people are concerned with leaving their pet in the camper and we suggest a Waggle as a way to monitor temperatures if you need to be away. Also, if you don't have your dog chipped, you might consider a Tractive GPS Collar just in case they get loose.
The next thing we did before we left town was to make sure her shots were completely up-to-date. Having your dogs records available is important for some RV Parks as well as potential crossings into Canada or Mexico. We even took pictures of her records and added them to the notes on our phone.
We also started bringing her with us in the truck more often. We wanted her to become acclimated to riding along with us full time. We have a Tervis cup and lid that we use for travel days and at every stop, we open it up for her to drink. We also bought a collapsible dog bowl with a clip to attach to my back pack to use for food and water when we take her hiking.
Our pup loves travel days and especially loves when we land in a new camping spot. My usual routine is to walk the area around the picnic table (if there is one) and make sure it’s clean of trash or other nasty things (don't let your dog eat camp scraps from previous campers!). Then I wrap her dog lead around the table legs and give her food and water while we are setting up camp. This gives her an opportunity to sniff out and become comfortable in her new surroundings.
Once the camper is set up and the slides are out, she loves to come in and re-explore the camper. I think she’s making sure all her favorite toys made it from our last destination to the new one! She immediately goes to the bucket where we keep her toys and insists that we pulled them all out. Her Muppet Lamb Chop and her dog bones have always been her favorites! She loves for me to throw her ball from the living room up to the bedroom and back again about five or 10 times every time we get to a new place.
In the evenings when the hubs and I are watching TV we often put her up on the couch with us and give her lots of snuggles just like we would in our sticks and bricks house.
So far our pup has acclimated well to full time RV traveling. I hope these tips are helpful for you and your furry friends!
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