RVing with pets

[steph]

We actually started Rving so we could take our yellow lab with us.  She LOVES to go.  If she even sees you go near the motorhome she is barking letting you know not to forget her.  It is a real joy to take her.  We have another dog but he is a homebody.  Doesn't like to travel at all.  So my parents take care of him. 
Nothing like the love of a dog or a cat. (we had two kitties but have lost them both this year, one to cancer, he was almost 13 and the other to a stroke, he was just over 15 1/2 we miss them terribly) It is really hard when you lose them but I wouldn't trade a minute.  They give you unconditional love and just ask that you take care of them and love them.  Some people will say they don't want them because pets just don't live long enough.  That is true and I wish they could live longer, but they deserve to have a good life for the time they have. 

I forgot to add that we do carry a record of her shots with us.  I have only been asked once to see it.  We also go to a state park with her and they never ask.

We do leave her in the rv for a little bit but not too long.  We make sure the tv or radio are on and most of the time we have the shades drawn just to keep her from hearing or seeing something to bark at.  She is really good about not barking.  Wish she was that good about it at home.  lol 

Good luck with your decision Tom!

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

Grandpa,

In addition to taking the cats for rides, if the popup is there at the house, I would also open it up and let Luci and Desi explore. It would get them used to being in the popup before the trip. Decided where you will put the litter box and have it in the popup so that they already know where it is before the trip starts. Anything you can do to make the cats comfortable with their surroundings so that there are no surprises for them when the trip starts will help.

 

[Grandpa]

Thanks for that tip, Alaskansnowbirds.  The trailer has been prepared for winter storage and is parked across town at my parents' house---they used to have a motor home and have a large gravel pad next to the garage.  This saves space in our meager garage for our other wheels beside the pickup--an Inferno Red PT Cruiser.  However, now that both my folks are gone, and my stepmom, who lives in that house, will probably be moving out next Spring, I'll bring that rascal over here probably next February, set it up in the driveway, and let Desi and Luci check it out.  The only time it's been set up here before this was at the curb, and the cats were spooked by all the car and foot traffic and wouldn't go near it.

At the house we lived in up to three years ago, we had a small gravel pad next to the garage for the popup (1989 Coleman Chesapeake) and would, from time to time, set it up to air out.  Our kids, when younger (they're now mostly on the high side of 30), used to like to "camp out" overnight in the Coleman.  To my point:  Our then cats Buckwheat and Tabitha really dug that trailer, and would each pick an end and curl up on the bed, master or mistress of all they surveyed.  We never took them traveling, however, since my wife's mom lived only about three blocks away and was happy to come over and see to their, ahem, needs.  She's gone now, too, so leaving Desi and Luci (they were her cats and we sort of inherited them) home for any lengthy period has become somewhat problematic.

Hmmmm.  The new Sun Valley has a big U-shaped lounge in its front end.  Probably have one claiming each corner.  ;-)

And for Ron, from Big D (we have a little "d" here in Oregon), well geewhiz, my wife is nigh on to crazy about Corgis.  Her mom had four in succession, all of them real characters.  We never had a dog of our own, since one of our daughters is allergic to same.  SHE now has a Labradoodle (a Poobrador?), which bothers her very little allergy-wise.  However, Charlie the Labradoodle is close to 100 lbs and still acts like a puppy (he's four years old).  When she took Charlie to church for the annual blessing of the animals, the priest offered a free exorcism for Charlie.  That oughta give you some idea of just how hyper he is.  ;-)  As for Corgis, I have only two reservations about them:  (1) all that underfur that they shed in fistfuls, no matter how often we brush them, and (2) they're too short legged to jump into the pickup, and a bit too heavy (not to mention that shedding) for me to want to lift repeatedly in and out of the truck.  But they have to be just about the cutest dogs around, methinks, and smart as a whip, too.  And yeah, they don't get along with other dogs, period.  Something like a "small dog" complex--they're particularly hostile toward any dog larger than they are.

Anyway, thanks to y'all for your ideas and tips!  I just joined this bbs and I really like it!

Grandpa

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

We used to bring our cat (a silver-tipped Persian) when we had a fifth wheel and truck.  I can't say he was real fond of the long car rides and often complained for the first 5-30 minutes of travel, which can get old in a hurry. After that, he would lie down for awhile in the back seat, coming to the front occasionally to be reassured. We kept a small litter pan in the back for emergencies (rarely actually used, but always checked out when he got in the truck).  He never wanted to go for a walk (he is comfortable in a harness & leash and gos for stroll with us in the parks) until we arrived at a destination. Rest areas and such were simply too hectic to venture out. He traveled coast to coast with us on a 5 month journey, though, and managed OK.

When we bought our first motorhome, Blacky was overjoyed. He has places to hide out and feel secure and opportunities to walk around in familiar environs when we stop somewhere. He is now a seasoned traveler, with more than 80k miles in his trip log. He is well known at RV Forum gatherings and considers several forum members to be old friends to be greeted whenever they appear.

 

[glen54737]

I have 2 yorkies now they like the camper too i think it's the new places they have a lot of curiosity and have to smell everything.

I read a article on woodalls by a woman who took 2 dogs with her, another woman ( not an rver) asked how she could do that to the dogs i think she would be uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings and thought the dogs would be too. but it seems just the opposite was true they appeared happier on the road and when they got home it was new and interesting too.

 

[papahog]

I agree with that lady.  My yorkie is way more happy on the road than stuck in one place.  Frequent stops with long walks for him to do his job, which is to see who has been here before and how many have been here and make sure the ones following knows he was there.  He is really good at his job.

 

[WilleyB]

Well we already had the dog (Lady) long before we got the RV.  Lady was a Shepherd/Husky mix and weighed about 76lb. Now Lady wasn't very happy with being in the rig, but then again with her previous history we couldn't leave her anywhere but with us. Our rig is small and the only place where she wouldn't be in DW's way at night was the kitchen area, which also had DW's wheel chair.  Amid some objections I moved the w-chair to the cab area for bed time. The Lady settled in and seemed to be more comfortable but it wasn't home for her (traumatized shelter dog)
Now with Gabby it's a new deal, she's quite happy to be in the RV but then again since last year she has grown (abt 85lb now) and a lot bigger.
So no matter where we go as a family our pet goes with us, she's part of the family.

Cheers
Willis

 

[rmw1990]

We have a Mini-Dachshund who travels with us and 3 other dogs who stay at home.  We have to have a caretaker for the other animals we have at home so they just check on the other dogs also.

We leave the A/C or heater on for her while we are away. We also close the blinds and leave the TV on for background noise. She is not really a barker but I like to make sure our neighbors are not disturbed.  I have asked to make sure she is not barking when we are in places that our neighbors are close.  We take plastic bags with us to clean up after her also. I have had traveling companions who just left the "business" on the ground around the campground. YUK! 

I can't imagine traveling without her!!

 

[SNOWDOGSX2]

We used to travel by plane or cruise ship frequently but got to the point where we just couldn't stand to leave the pets behind and had seen alot of the world but not much of this country. Last November we purchased our class A so we could travel with the "kids", a 110 lb Bernese Mountain Dog and a 17 year old 2 lb cat, what a great decision ! Lucas, our Bernese absolutely loves to go, if I even carry 1 item in or out of the coach and he sees me he goes nuts. We always keep him on a leash and always clean up after him, it's funny, our last trip was in late September and we are still finding empty bags in our jacket pockets. Whenever we leave him inside we always leave the AC on. The litter box for the cat stays in the bedroom along one side of the bed (wife's side, it's her cat) protected from the dog and we close the cat in the bedroom when we are not there. The only problem we ever had was on our first trip, after the first night out in a campground we couldn't find the cat in the morning, we searched everywhere and even walked the campground looking for her as we were certain she had gotten out, wife in tears and 6 hours later as well as 6 hours behind schedule the cat comes from who knows where in the bedroom and the disaster is averted. To make a long winded post short, I can't imagine traveling without them ever again.  ONE IMPORTANT NOTE; if you have slide outs, always see your animals visually BEFORE operating the slides !  Mark