Advice for managing dogs in the campground

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
O

oldryder

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 8, 2017
Posts
547
Location
Avon MN
1st big roadtrip for us with a 5th wheel. 2 little dogs and a german shepherd. All are well behaved and we are not concerned about leaving them in the camper while we are gone EXCEPT for the possibility they might bark and disturb others. They don't normally bark much but the shepherd takes her "bark if someones at the front door" duty seriously. They are used to being home alone for hours at a time. We've been advised to leave a TV on and will do that.

I'm thinking it might be possible to use a camera that will send data via the campgrounds wifi to a cell phone. If the dogs are making too much noise we'd know and just return.

would also be good to have a temp reporting device so, in the event we are gone and the AC quits the dogs don't get baked.

Probably someones are already doing this or something similar.

looking for advice.
 
We were in Florida at 2 different state parks and they have a rule in their regulations that says pets can’t be left unattended for more than 30 minutes.

Our automatic generator starter has a condition you can set when the temperature is a certain degree the generator comes on, after that use the thermostat in the camper can control the AC.

Ring security cameras transmit video and audio to phones.
 
Leave the AC fan on constant ON, it will drown out outside noises that will perk them up. Keep blinds closed, maybe TV on. Last summer I had a camping neighbors dog drive us nuts barking when they were gone.
 
When our Shepherd was with us and we left the motorhome the shades were down, the tv on with sound not too loud, and his favorite chew thing. We asked the folks next to us if he made any noise when we were gone and they always said not a peep. We normally went for a walk before we left to get him somewhat tuckered out.
 
Except for extremely rare occasions, we never leave our dogs alone in the camper, they are always with us. We adjust our lifestyle to make this happen.

At home, they are never alone either. We make it work, to simply take them with us. And no, they are never left alone in an automobile, never!

What you have to do is "test" your dogs to see how they behave when you are gone. You can do that with either a camera / microphone set up, or drive away, but sneak back on foot and wait and listen what happens inside. But, you really don't know what's going on when you are gone, and the best behaved dog might appear to be wonderful when you are around and a holly terror when you are gone.

If you find out your dogs are problems, then take them with you, or leave someone with them while you go about your business. There is no other alternative.

I make it a STRONG point to approach fellow campers who leave their dogs alone, and while they are gone, the dogs are carrying on inside the camper. I even video the camper and record the barking so they can actually see. Oh, people don't like that, but no one has shot me for doing that .... yet! But I think they need to know, when they are gone, the dogs are horribly upset.
 
I agree with most of what's been posted. I had a pit bull for 10 yrs that passed away last October. I now have a Dutch Shepherd that's just as busy and even more of a barker at everything moving. A long walk and some aggressive play to tire them out (and potty) before leaving. They're good for about 3-4 hours before they get bored and destructive. Best TV distraction ever is the game show network. Game shows tend to have lots of noise that is great cover for noise outside that makes the dogs bark. In the camper and my semi, I use a SensorPush temp sensor and wifi gateway, to monitor temperature and get phone alerts on limits I set. Of course blinds shut, lights dim or off, full water dish, favorite chew toys, etc.

One other thing I discovered is that dogs really don't have a sense of time, until they get bored at around that 3-4 hour mark I mentioned. That is, it doesn't matter if you're gone 2 minutes or 2 hours, it's all the same to a dog. The point being, when you're ready to go, just go. Don't go back inside for something, especially an attempt to soothe and calm them. It will be perceived as you leaving twice, and the second time is more likely to trigger them to act up. This was an early discovery with the pit bull. I take my dog out on a semi truck for 3-5 day trips. On a break, I used to go inside and shower, then bring my shower bag back to the truck and return to the restaurant a little later. That second departure would set the dog off to either bark or chew up something she shouldn't. Just staying inside to eat right after showering solved that, she remained well behaved while I was gone.
 
For 7 years we've used our old iPhones and iPads as security cameras and to keep an eye on our pets. Free for 1 camera. No phone plan required unless you want cell coverage if the wifi goes out. But it tells you if you lose power or wifi.

I have 3 phones as cameras. One inside with the best view, one at the side door, and one at another door. I leave the 2 phones pointed outdoors through a window on all the time so the phone lets me know if someone is outside. And I wanted cloud recording if I need to call the police. So I pay $15/month for multiple cameras.

Most people who have tried using a phone as a security camera make 2 mistakes.
1. They don't wipe the phone completely except for the email and messaging. Other apps interfere with the phone security app and take up memory and CPU time.
2. They don't use Manything which is the app that actually works.

Lots of features and controls you don't get with most security cameras. They send a text and/or an email with a 10 second picture and sound recording at any noise, movement, or loss of power, wifi, or cell coverage if you opt for that. We can then go to a live feed to see what is currently happening. You can talk to the pets (or to someone who broke in) thru the phone. It is very sensitive but you can adjust the sensitivity and block out areas where the pets or wind blowing a tree would set it off. I can remotely control all the features from another phone or computer.

I mounted one phone right under a smoke alarm so if it goes off we'll know and can see if a fire broke out. I mounted a thermometer where I can see the temperature if the heat or A/C goes off. I put their food and water bowls where the camera can see them if we are gone for a long time. So it's the next best thing to being there.
 
Judging by what I saw at the Q show, most people just get little foo-foo dogs and push them around in baby strollers.
You lose your man-card immediately but no barking camper to bother the neighbors!
 
We use a wyze cam and she has an e collar on. We check on the camera and make sure she's calm . A touch on the vibrate button will tell her to settle down.
We also leave TV on, ac set ,and fan on

Our little foo foo dog
 

Attachments

  • 20210927_184208.jpg
    20210927_184208.jpg
    209.5 KB · Views: 2
A camera with 2 way audio may help. The dogs can hear your voice when you tell them to settle down.
 
We crate our dogs whenever we leave them in the RV. They're used to being crated at night and it just eliminates a lot of variables we don't have to think about while we're gone. Their crates fit in the space between the side of the bed and the wall, and we put a cushion on the top so even if they bark the sound comes out of just the end, which faces another wall. So they're pretty well muffled if they do let loose. We'll leave the A/C fan running which will cycle cooling as needed, and I'll play the radio as there's bedroom speakers. With the RV closed up and them in their boxes, it's worked out OK so far. Last year we made a lunch stop and parked the RV at the back end of a parking lot with no one else around, so we left the windows open and the fantastic fan running. "Be good boys, we'll be right back". We had our lunch and were heading back to the RV and we could hear our beagle from 100 yards away. That just reinforced that especially in a campground or park, any time we leave them they need to be in their box and the RV closed up. It's worked out on most trips we just take them with us wherever we go, the exceptions being sit down meals or shopping and those are well under 4 hours, so traveling with the monsters has been generally positive, especially compared to years past traveling with dogs in a car and staying at hotels.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
Rene T said:
How does a E collar work when you are a mile away?
Click to expand...
It does work up to 1/2 mile
We watch her and make sure she is calm before we get to far away.
We check her periodically and make sure she is OK.
We don't leave her for more than 3-4 hrs and not often.
 
Your first issue is probably going to be 3 dogs. Most parks have a 2 pet limit. It's hard to hide an extra pet...

It's hard to predict how domestic pets will react to being left alone in a "new" restrictive environment like an RV. Most of the issues stem from anxiety.

My kid borrowed my RV to live in for about 8 months. He left 3 cats in the RV daily while working. The cat scratched the heck outta things.

I would definitely do some driveway camping tests before the first time on the road.
 
Ohiosnowbird said:
We were in Florida at 2 different state parks and they have a rule in their regulations that says pets can’t be left unattended for more than 30 minutes.
Click to expand...
That sort of rule has become more common and the reason is that unattended dogs tend to bark, causing complaints to the office. So many house & lap pets these days suffer from separation anxiety and are easily upset. Sometimes from shear loneliness and sometimes when they sense other people and animals nearby.

You are wise to be concerned about the bark potential. And even if the park doesn't have an unattended pet rule, there can still be complaints. One never knows what may annoy another camper - we once had a complaint about our small wind chime, and the camper wasn't even on an adjacent site!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 654 (members: 35, guests: 619)

Forum statistics

Threads
132,024
Posts
1,389,270
Members
137,762
Latest member
Hofty
Back
Top Bottom