Best Dog Breed for RV'ing

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00RoadKing

Active member
Joined
Apr 7, 2010
Posts
29
Location
Dexter, NY
My Wife and I recently upgraded our 2000 American Eagle to a 2007 American Eagle and expect to begin traveling more and more. We currently have two pets, a 6 year old cat and a 11 year old Yellow Lab. Unfortunately our beloved Lab, Zoe, has had many knee and hip issues and is becoming less and less mobile. My question is, we are looking to get another dog that will travel well with us in the MH. We really prefer  the Lab type of dog over the smaller breeds and are looking for suggestions for different breeds that might be good for us.
 
You have already decided on a Lab. Go get one. One big dog is as good as another in an RV.
 
Why not visit a local animal shelter and see if there's a mid-size or larger dog that "feels right" to you?  A good shelter will screen the animals and be able to tell you which ones would suit your lifestyle.  Also, Labs are an extremely popular breed in the U.S., so chances are you'll find one there.  And I'm sure if you look online you'll find Lab rescue societies that take care of abandoned Labs until they find a home.

Whoever the dog is, he or she is going to be very lucky to find a home with you :)
 
Check my avatar - that's Gordon our yellow lab adoptee. Picked him up at the Las Vegas Humane Society and he has been a wonderful traveler for the last 2+ years. (You can see that he has trouble relaxing.) Does Zoe still enjoy traveling? If she has trouble getting in and out of the coach, I've seen a lot of people with pet ramps so the kids doen't have to climb the steps. When you're ready for a new kid, the shelters are full of labradors and lab mixes and almost every state and big city has a lab rescue organization. Unfortunately, the country's most popular dog is also one of the country's most abandoned dogs. And check out petfinder.com - you enter your zip code and the breed, color, sex, etc. of the dog your looking for and you will get more listings and more pictures of orphans than you can stand looking at.

Enjoy Zoe while you can. We lost our black lab at 12 and our chocolate lab at 10. They still travel with us and Gordon in our hearts.

Wendy
 
Boy is this a loaded question..... ;D (just kidding)  Everyone will tell you their breed or their dog is the best to have.  However, as Tom says, sounds like you really like Labs, so that is probably your best choice since you know the breed. 

I used to help people choose a horse for themselves and the thing I found out, and the same is true with dogs, is that most people often don't match their life style or personalities with a dog or horse choice.  There are standard characteristics with breeds (horses and dogs) so if you match your life style with a breed that meets the same needs that will be the most successful.  We have a standard poodle that weights 75 lb and will be 3 in November.  Our granddaughter has allergies and "Charlie" is non-allergic and doesn't shed; but he has to be groomed on a regular basis.  So there are pluses and minuses for each breed, but I love the fact that he doesn't shed.

Have fun!

Marsha~
 
I would suggest getting a young pup. It will be easier to get him used to driving in an RV. I got my kitty at 6 weeks and she is now 6 months. She is so used to traveling (since she lives here) that on the trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon he slept on the passenger seat almost the whole way.
 
Once you've had a terrific Yellow Lab, it's hard to consider anything else.  (I know  ;)  --- I'll readily admit to being prejudiced.)  Our lab, Dusty, traveled with us for the last 7 of her 12 1/2 years.  I would hesitate to get a lab puppy, though, unless you're sure you'll be in places where there is lots of room to run.  They're such strong, muscular dogs.  After about 3 years, they settle down a lot.  Wonderful dogs!  They do shed, though.  I often said Dusty stayed so clean because her hair fell out before it could get dirty.  :D

Margi
 
Tom and Margi said:
I often said Dusty stayed so clean because her hair fell out before it could get dirty.  :D

I love it. Gordon is taking his afternoon nap and I can see the hair drifting off while he sleeps :)

 
We own two Australian Shepherds better known as Aussies. We have had very good luck camping with them, and as long as they get a chance to exercise (run) and chase Frisbees,etc. daily, they're fine. They are the perfect size (50-52 lbs.) to qualify as real dogs vs. some of the teeney tiny ones so popular with some RV'rs, and I can't tell you how many compliments we've had about their looks, personality, and good behaviour at the campsite. So, like someone said, everyone thinks their breed is the best, we thought we'd chime in. Good luck with your search for the perfect travel companion
 
It seems to me that the best breed/type of dog for rv'ing would be a smaller dog, and one that doesnt shed hair.  With that said, get whatever you want.
 
A year or so ago Chris and I house sat for some friends who own 40 acres, 17 horses, and 4 beautiful Australian shepherds (moma and 3 pups). Wish I'd taken more pics of the dogs. Not sure I'd want to take 4, or even 2 in the coach though.
 

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what ever breed you do decide on, I'd definitely recommend
a rescue or adopted, and there are many websites that
give you the pro's and con's of each breed. So just do your
research. Personally, my favorite is a good whippet, minimal
shedding, quiet, active when you want and otherwise couch
potatoes, not real big but big enough to be considered big.
Very loving. But they are not for just anybody, cause you
have to keep them on a lead cause they love to run.
Definitely a loaded questions is right cause everyone
has their favorites.
 
We have a choclate chihuahua.  I never would have said I would ever have a chihuahua, but we rescued him sort of, he was our daughters and she moved to aplace she couln't keep him.  Daddy to the rescue.  I was a bigger dog guy till we got Koda.  Of course your new RV is a lot bigger than mine, so a Lab may be just the thing.  For us, nothning bigger than about 15 lbs. 

 
I am not a fan at all (brother wife has one, brother doesn't claim the dog as his) but a toy poodle.  Eats probably 10 pieces of food a day, when/if it does pee in the house it's about a tablespoon of liquid, they take up no space (her's is 3.5lbs) & they do not shed.

It's definantly not a dog I will ever own, but I could see how it would work really well in a RV.  There are also the larger 50-75lb versions.... suppose to be some of the smartest dogs around..... not my thing though

I personally have 2 britney spaniels 1 of which was a rescue dog & my fiance has 2 border collies......  both have their plus/minuses.... grew up with boxers, labs, malamutes & britney's.... I prefer the britney spaniels but at 12yrs old, they have the energy of a 1-2yr old lab thus not for everyone.  Fiance's broders are fetching machines.... I think they have OCD since they are so obsessed.  They just bark a LOT.... getting better (3yrs old soon)

 
 
But I'm curious what are you going to do with your current dog?

I can't take a dog with us, Sue Anne does ok with a cat but a dog in the house for very long would get her allergies going.  She gets 3 shots a month and takes pills, we do pretty good now but I think that would be a big problem for her.

Our dog is about 4 or 5 I think, the cat is 14 years old soon.  I love these animals but I'm not sure I will have anymore.  If I do I will limit it to 1 that can go with us, likely another cat , we shall see.
 
Whatever dog becomes your dog will be the best one for camping, of course.  ;)  We adopted our dog Domino (half black lab, half blue heeler) from another family who couldn't keep her a few years ago.  She had just turned 4, now is 6 1/2 or so, and basically looks like a small black lab with a few white accents and pointy (instead of floppy) ears.  Weighs about 35 lbs, perfect blend of smaller size and watchdog effectiveness.  Domino went from being terrified of the RV initially, to now being a full-fledged camping dog.  LOVES the camper and gets so excited whenever we are loading it, usually wants to go jump in and just sit around in there until it's time to leave.
 
We have 2 Belgian Sheepdogs (Groenendaels) and I would heartily recommend against that breed as a good RV dog.  They're high energy.  Our boys are coming up on 10 and 11 so they're settling down a little.  They love the trailer and adopted it as their own immediately upon recognizing a bed, a sofa and a water bowl. 

I saw a dog the other day that was a first for me.  An Aussi-doodle.  I can't imagine one for the RV lifestyle as the combination of energy and intelligence would have me afraid it would drive off without me but it was an amazingly beautiful and soulful dog.  I was never a fan of little dogs but our friends have a mini-pin and she's a hoot.  She would be awesome for travel as we could put her in a travel bag on the back of the motorcycle and not have to worry about petsitters on long trips. 

Not sure what our next dogs will be but luckily nothing will ever happen to our boys so it's not an issue.  Can you tell we have no kids?  ::)
 
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