Dogs and Rvs

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BigDD-O

BigDD-O

Active member
Joined
Feb 14, 2010
Posts
34
Location
Schaghticoke, NY
    Our family (and German Shepherd) is new to RVing. We notice that many campgrounds allow dogs but have restrictions; and this has raised some questions. Most campgrounds stipulate that a dog may never be left alone in the RV. How strict are they about this rule? Of course, we are not leaving him to bake in the Arizona sun. But, if it is a cool spring day in Vermont and we want to go for a 1/2 bicycle ride without Spot (name changed to protect his identity), will we be greeted by the campground police upon our return? Also, many parks announce a "breed restriction". Is this code for "No Pit Bulls" or some other breed? Are German Shepherd Dogs usually permitted?
    Thank you for any input.
 
You have a large noticable critter.  Get yourself a Trailer LIfe or Woodalls directory.  They usually list if a park has dog restriction.  If they do, call ahead and ask what they are.  Since a shep is a bit hard to hide, abide by their rules.
 
First question - Is your sherpherd well behaved?

Second question - Have you left him alone in the RV and do you KNOW that he's quiet when you're gone?

Most parks are ok with leaving the dog alone so long as he/she is quiet. It's usually leaving them outside alone that is frowned upon. As for breed restrictions, I've seen bans on pit bulls and rotweillers (very common), on german shepherds (ocasionally), and "anything over xx pounds" with "xx" ranging from 10 to 40 (frequently). We've also stayed at parks that had a 30-pound (or smaller) limit with our 90 pound labrador, called first and told them we had a well-behaved labrador that we always cleaned up after and they said ok.

Wendy (and Gordon the well-behaved labrador)
Mittry Lake, Yuma
 
In the springtime, I wouldn't hesitate to leave my 60 lb dog to watch the house for a half hour.
By the same token, I wouldn't hesitate to leave her to watch the RV for a half hour in the same conditions.

I'm sure there are those who would argue, but I would need to ask how they manage shopping for food, clothes, whatever.

If you have a "good" dog (doesn't bark at the wind or anything that moves outside) I wouldn't hesitate to go for a half hour bike ride.

Suggestion:
Make friends with a neighboring campsite, and ask them to keep an eye out while you go. Get a full report as to how the dog behaved. Decide from there how you should proceed. We have left our dog for a few hours with no problems.
 
    Thank you, for your insights. They have been very helpful. Our dog is 85 pounds and well behaved.  He is very friendly with people. His only downfall is occasional barking at other dogs due to barrier frustration. If the neighbors had their dog parked right under our window while we were gone, he would have a hard time holding in his opinion. He does not bark while we are out of the house, but we will need to proof him against this in the RV.
    It sounds like if we are responsibe and thoughtful, he can keep his Possum Lodge RV Membership Card.
 
Just remember my doggie rules:

ALWAYS pick up after your dog.

If your neighbors say that your dog made noise while you were gone, believe them and ask about the noise he made....mindless, never-ending noise or short-lived barking when another dog or a person goes by. If you know what he barks at, you can deal with it.

Only leave your dog alone for as long as you are comfortable going without a potty break.

Enjoy your travels with your hairy kid.

Wendy
Mittry Lake, Yuma

p.s. Never park by a lake if you have a labrador that you don't want to be wet.
 
Although we no longer have a dog, we are dog lovers.  We are also believers that if a park owner says no pets, they mean no pets.  I for one would not enjoy a barking dog next door.  If figuring out how to handle rover while you shop or bike ride presents a problem, it may not be appropriate to take him along. 
 
How does your dog do in/around the RV now (at home)?  Ours was terrified of it at first, but now she freaks out in excitement and is the first one to jump into the rig when we are getting ready to go.  She'll bark when people walk close by the RV in a campground, but otherwise is no more disruptive than at home.  If your dog is okay in smaller spaces at home (being closed in rooms for some length of time), that's a good way to know how it may act if closed in the RV alone for a few hours.
 
We travel with a 2 year old 70lb dog as well as 2 cats.  When we first got Charlie as a puppy and introduced him to traveling, we did all the same things in the RV as we did at home.  He was crated, we left the radio or TV on regular volume and closed all the curtains.  That was what we did in the coach.

He has long since been out of the crate, but if there is a lot of activity around where we are camped, in the RV we still shut the curtains and leave the "backgound" noise on.  That way he doesn't hear all the outside activities as quickly; nor can he watch what is going on.  We leave him for several hours, but he is a quiet dog. 

You may run into a couple of campgrounds that might frown on your German shepherd.  There are several breeds that are on the list of dogs for which insurance companies will not provide coverage if you have that breed on your property.  If the campground has one of those insurance companies as coverage, they may list German Shepherds as one of those breeds.  As mentioned previously, just call ahead and talk to the campground.  Also, if you can get your dog qualified as a "CGC" (Certified Good Citizen) you could mention that to the campground.

We love traveling with our dog and wouldn't think of not doing it.

Marsha~
 
    Thank you all, again for your wonderful comments. This really is the friendliest place on the web for RVers. I have really gotten to understand the situation through your replies.
    I plan to look into Certified Good Citizen, as well. Even if it does not come in useful, Raja (his real name) will enjoy going through the paces.
    We want to present the breed well and don't want anyone walking away, shaking their heads, and saying, "That German Shepherd Dog is so annoying," or even worse, "He is so scary."
 
German Shepherds, despite their size, still seem to be very approachable and friendly dogs in most cases.  Of course they CAN be ferocious, but so can any breed if trained (or mistreated) for that purpose.  I don't think you'll have any problems as long as you plan out ahead with the CG's you plan to visit, and take some time to let your pup get used to the RV and camping.
 
People mentioned campground insurance and their dog restrictions.  May I also suggest that you check your own homeowners policy?  Ours clearly asks if we have any dogs and then, if the answer is yes, asks about specific breeds.  It then specifies which breeds are not covered.  And, of course, if you ignore their questions or don't answer truthfully and then have a problem the fine print tells you their penalty.

ArdraF
 
Well, Marsha, as you know we're not owners of any furry kids so we don't know 'bout those things.  BUT the homeowners policy certainly caught our attention!  ;D  I'll bet it's like some of those riders for extra "stuff" - you probably get charged more if you have one of the problem breeds.

By the way, our nephew just had to have plastic surgery on his eyelid from a dog bite.  He had 18 stitches.  He was at the home of his girl friend's aunt.  The aunt's dog was asleep and our nephew apparently startled him awake and the dog bit him on the eyelid.  Fortunately he had rabies shots and it was ONLY the eyelid.  I don't know the breed or any other details, but he was lucky.  Oh yes, the aunt is paying his medical bills.

ArdraF
 
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