Dogs and Internet

I did some searching on here and found that some of you travel with dogs.

I have a Chihuahua (4#) and  Doberman (70#)  I know that some campgrounds do not accept pets.  Do those that do, have any breed restrictions?  The Chihuahua is more dangerous than Ava, my Doberman. 

I am aware of having shots utd and proof of that. Also microchips and leashes. I know all of that.  But... not sure about breed restrictions..... I also think some campgrounds will only accept small dogs, which would out Ava.  I plan on being one of those good pet RV pet owners. It is the bad ones that ruin it for the rest of us. 

What about state parks or forests etc? 

I know one of you uses an aircard (with the cell phone). Is this how most of you do it? I maintain several websites for people. I MUST have regular access to the www.

Thanks in advance!

I have been using a Verizon air card for the last few years. I just upgraded to 4G a few months ago. I get reception almost everywhere I go. When I can't get signal from Verizon I can usually switch to WiFi. The 4G really screams here in Vegas. I get 25 to 35 mbps.

WHOA! That is fast. Do you think that it works outside big cities?

gottabemore said:

I did some searching on here and found that some of you travel with dogs.

I have a Chihuahua (4#) and  Doberman (70#)  I know that some campgrounds do not accept pets.  Do those that do, have any breed restrictions?  The Chihuahua is more dangerous than Ava, my Doberman. 

I am aware of having shots utd and proof of that. Also microchips and leashes. I know all of that.  But... not sure about breed restrictions..... I also think some campgrounds will only accept small dogs, which would out Ava.  I plan on being one of those good pet RV pet owners. It is the bad ones that ruin it for the rest of us. 

What about state parks or forests etc? 

...

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Generally, commercial RV campgrounds will admit dogs.  Breed restrictions do exist as do size restrictions, but both vary by campground and I cannot offer any general rules.  The only recommendation that I can make is to keep a current  copy of either Trailer Life's or Woodall's Campground Directory.  They usually list any breed restrictions.

State parks vary widely, no generalizations either.

gottabemore said:

WHOA! That is fast. Do you think that it works outside big cities?

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4G won't work on the road just yet. It is only available in major cities. Within two years Verizon promises it will be nationwide. It defaults to 3G when no 4G is available.

Like many others we too use an air-card.  We recently switched from Sprint to Verizon....... little difference in service, it is 3G and not a screamer.  But it seems to work about everywhere.

DW sets on the internet playing games all day.  We have a 3gig plan and she has over run it for the two months we have had it.  with the over run we ended up with a $45 bill each time.  Seems reasonable. 

We have been full time with three dogs but they're two Westies and a Sheltie so they're small.  We have found that it is rare for a CG not to accept pets at all.  It's more common (~25%?) will accept only two dogs.  It's fairly common for there to be breed restrictions... I'd guess ~75% restrict breeds and I'd further guess that most of those prohibit Dobies.  Some also restrict pets by size which would also leave the Dobie out.  Maybe not fair but the way it is.  I think insurance companies have a lot to do with it.

We've used our Verizon air card for internet access all over the country and are very happy with it.

Good luck.

Rick

We travel with a 75# standard poodle and have never been turned away; that's not to say we won't be in the future.

The reason campgrounds restrict: dobermans, german shepherds, pit bulls and rottweilers is due to insurance.  Insurance companies can refuse to provide coverage if these breeds are on the property.  This is not only a commercial issue; but sometimes homeowners policies as well.

Like mentiioned before, carry a Trailer Life or Woodalls camping book and you can call ahead and ask.  Usually I call, tell them I need a camping site for the size motor home we have, then also tell them I have a  standard poodle dog and 2 cats.  I've not been asked what size.

Marsha~

Well that stinks. Ava is my best friend and I don't think I would ever get rid of her. I know how insurance companies can be.  It makes me angry that some stupid owners destroy it for all. So I wil paste a tail on her and tell them she is a black and tan coonhound? :-\

gottabemore said:

Well that stinks. Ava is my best friend and I don't think I would ever get rid of her. I know how insurance companies can be.  It makes me angry that some stupid owners destroy it for all. So I wil paste a tail on her and tell them she is a black and tan coonhound? :-\

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Don't sweat it.  There are plenty of RV campgrounds out there.  Just use your Campground Guide --  and a bit of discreation.  : 

Thanks Carl. I was seriously upset there for a moment.  Ima get me one of the books mentioned.  Or both.

At one campground I stay at the taco puppy would not be a problem

The Dobbie however would require you have something like a half million in liability insurance.

Frankly... I'd worry more about the Taco puppy than the dobbie (I know how to handle big dogs, it's the little ones that can get past my defenses)  But the campground requires the insurance on Dobbies, and Terriers, and Rotweillers, and Huskies, and "Wolf Hybrids" and such. OH, they say Wolf Hybrid at least 3 times in the rules.

According to the studies listed at DogBiteLaw.com Dobies are fairly well down the list of dangerous dogs, but the perception many people have of them probably accounts for more prohibitions of the breed than is justified. Rotties and pitts on the other hand... 

Our toy poodle turns on so much charm we have had pet fees waived. ;D

My parents had a Doberman-Pit Bull mix. Their home owners insurance went up but they were never turned away from an RV park. FWIW, Cocoa had been raised with Labradors and she thought she was a labrador. It's not the breed, it's the dog. But that won't help you when the insurance companies get involved. If you go to a campground that won't take your Ava, find another one that will then give her an extra kiss and tell her how special she is.

Enjoy your travels
Wendy

it is not even the dog, it is the owner(s).  If you are going to own a large breed, protective dog, you should have to pass some test to be sure you can handle it.  I am not saying that everyone who owns one teaches it to be "mean" either.  People do not not understand that a dog is not going to respect you if you baby talk it or treat it like an infant human. 

20 years ago, I bred and showed Rotts.  Great dogs. My girls (toddlers then)learned to walk by pulling on any part they could reach and hanging on. They adored my children and all good people.  However, they were good dogs and they knew that those children were to be treated very gently. Now, when my ex broke into my home? I was young, I made bad choices what can I say? ??? He was intent on being not nice.  He did not get far. I am grateful for those Rotts. They did not maim him. However they would not let him leave. They made it very clear he was caught and was going to stay right there or there would be a high price.  That is what Rotties do. They let you in and sneak up behind you and keep you there until the police come or the good owner says stop it.  I got out of Rotts becaue they suddenly became wildly popular and everyone wanted one. From the clueless to the thugs.  I will not be responsible for that kind of nonsense. 

I used to groom dogs.  The #1 biter? Cocker Spaniel. A cocker will take you before many of the larger breeds. Chow Chows too are very unpredictable and will nail you with very little warning.  Akita's as well.

I chose a Dobie this time because they are not as sharp as a Rottie.  They do not require the 110% constant vigilance 110% of the time.  They do require training and they do require a leader or alpha, which is me. But all dogs do.  I have 2 of them.  I will be re-homing the boy.  He is too alert and too active.  Althought he too is under my control, he would be nuts in an RV.  We have 5 acres fenced now. He runs it about 8 hours a day, non stop. He would give the wrong impression and without this daily tearing around, would probably eat his way thru the RV or pick fights with other dogs.  It is not fair to him or to other campers and their dogs.  So I will be finding him a great home. He has a different temperament and it would not be compatible with this way of life. 

But Ava is quiet and gentle. That is not to say that if you broke in my home, she would not go after you.  But she is a very discerning girl.  My 4# Chihuahua can kick her out of her bed usually.  And yes, he would bite you before she would.  Ava has no interest in harming anything.  If I am at ease, she is very friendly with anyone we meet. 

Regarding aircards, we have a Verizon aircard and get 3g service in most of the country. In some places it will default to 1X which is a little faster than 56 K dialup. That happens in "extended network" areas where the towers do not belong to Verizon but another carrier they have an agreement with.

There are sections of the country where you won't have any service. For example we have seen that in eastern Utah (Monument Valley) and the parts of the highway north and south of there.

If you have to have internet everywhere you go, satellite is the only way I know to do it. As long as you have a clear view of the southern sky you can get an internet connection.
Many people have been dropping satellite in favor of air cards and I see the satellite equipment for sale pretty cheaply.

A guy in the AZ RV park we spent the winter  sold his entire satellite set up for  $250.

Clay L - Do you know whether there's Verizon air card service in northeastern Utah, up by Dinosaur Nat'l Monument? We have VZW and are thinking of going there.

NY_Dutch said:

According to the studies listed at DogBiteLaw.com Dobies are fairly well down the list of dangerous dogs, but the perception many people have of them probably accounts for more prohibitions of the breed than is justified. Rotties and pitts on the other hand... 

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I still have scars visible on my forehead, nose and upper lip... left by my parents Dobie.  Our family knew big dogs... having raised Great Danes... and this one never showed any signs of inappropriate aggression before or after he tried to eat my face while I was petting him.  It does happen.

Rick

I have owned dogs all of my life, as I do now. Cow Dogs, house dogs, and before retiring from the Sheriff's Dept Blood Hounds used to trail and find lost people.
Over the years I have been involved with many other dogs, of many breeds, both as an LEO and personal.
I have noticed that any dog can under certain situations be dangerous. I also noticed that the larger dogs can cause more harm when dangerous than can smaller dogs. In fact the only two times that I was called involving the death of a person caused by a dog it was a large dog (St Bernard once and Shepard once).
I believe that all dogs tend to be teritorial and any stranger to the dog may not understand what the dog is thinking.
One other thing, almost every time I was called about dog bite or dog attack, the owner always stated that their dog was gentle and would never do what it did. They didn't believe it would do what it did.