A Big Dog in a Tiny Truck Camper

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diannenaughton

diannenaughton

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Aug 23, 2017
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I have a really big (over 100 lb) Golden Retriever. I haven't taken him camping yet because I have some logistics to work out first. He gets into the truck camper via the Brophy steps with no issue.  He even climbs up onto the dinette with no problem after I lined it with a velcro-ed down rubber mat.  He seems comfortable and I think he'd sleep there with no problem (as long as I keep it cold enough).  My issue is getting him down and out. He doesn't feel like there is enough room for him to jump off the dinette on to the floor before exiting the camper. He just pokes his head out the door from on top of the dinette!  He's adorable but it seems really dangerous. There is almost no tailgate left for him to jump to (about a foot) and he's sure to get really hurt if he tried it. In order to get him off, I've been unrolling the mat, removing the tabletop from the supports and forcing him down. It's questionable if his butt hits the corner.  He hasn't cried or been injured but I know this is not comfortable for him because he's not doing it willingly.  Does anyone have any creative ideas to solve this problem? Thanks so much for any input!
 

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That's funny and you're probably right.  He's the best judge of what he needs to do and with proper motivation he will probably figure it out.  I'm going to give that a try tonight.  I'll just throw a dehydrated chicken on the floor (his favorite), hide out on the top bunk and see what he does. Maybe if we practice everyday for a while he'll find a comfortable way.  I was thinking about maybe building out a platform and some steps that both of us can use.  As you can see, I have some plastics steps to get me up to the bunk. But anything I build is going to be chunky and take up precious floor space. It'd have to be removed to use the sink etc. etc.  I would so rather him be able to do it unassisted.  Thanks for the advice and I'll let you know what he does.
 
My son used steps for his small dog to get in and out of their bed.  Have you looked at a pet store to see what is available?  Maybe a milk crate with a solid top or large plastic bin to give him one step off and then down?
 
The floor looks like it might be slippery, so maybe a non-slip rug??  He may have slid once or twice jumping down and that scared him.
 
I tried a treat and he gets down but he's still very hesitant.  He does lots of complaining before he tries it.  I think he's hoping mom is gonna just get it for him.  He's kind of spoiled!
The milk crate and another mat on the floor are good ideas. I'm going to try that next. Thanks for the help!
 
diannenaughton said:
I tried a treat and he gets down but he's still very hesitant.  He does lots of complaining before he tries it.  I think he's hoping mom is gonna just get it for him.  He's kind of spoiled!
The milk crate and another mat on the floor are good ideas. I'm going to try that next. Thanks for the help!
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If he got down once he'll do it again. Just keep using the treats. Eventually, he's get down on his own once he knows he'll be safe and you won't do it for him.
 
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