Multiple Dogs

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.

Stonesriver

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 5, 2012
Posts
45
Location
La Vergne, TN
We travel with a Shih Tzu (14 pounds) and a Pointer (45 pounds). I would like another Shih Tzu (who will be about 10 pounds) but DH seems to think we'd have a hard time finding places which would allow three dogs. Do any of you with more than two dogs have any difficulties? I did contact one place with a two-dog limit but they said it applied to full-time residents and those with large dogs.

Thank you,

Linda
 
I have seen many RV parks with a two pet limit and many with a 20 pound limit. You can call prospective RV parks and inquire as to their rules.
 
I am trying to decide if DH has a point and three dogs would present future RVing problems; that way I know whether to continue pushing for a playmate for Russell and that's why I asked the question of people who RV with more than two dogs. Of course, I have argued that one Shih Tzu looks like another to many people.  ;)

Linda

PS: We four dogs but leave our two elderly German Shorthaired Pointers at home with a dog sitter as traveling is getting difficult for them.
 
You will really eliminate issues with not having 3.  We travel with 1 and have considered a second, but reality is less dogs, easier travel.

 
We recently adopted a second dog, a 12 year old toy poodle. We could not ask for a better traveling companion, both mutts get along very well and she is very clean and laid back. So far nobody at a cg has asked about them. Walks can be a challenge, neither are leash trained but we are working on it. Three might be a handful in our short fiver though.
 
Thanks to those of you who have given advice. I've seen photos in the galleries of people RVing with three dogs. I hope they will let me know of their experiences.  I did call several RV parks just to see and all said as long as the dogs were quiet there wasn't a problem; but I don't know if this is the norm.

Off topic: For your poodles you might try the smallest Flexi-Lead and walk one at a time while training. And make sure the snap bolt on any leash isn't too big. Big snap bolts can pop uncomfortably against a small dog or puppy's jaw, are heavy and can pull their necks down. Also use a buckle and not a chain collar. I start all puppies (no matter their size) with the smallest Flexi-Lead and the transition to a straight lead or show lead is smooth. I also trained lots of rescue dogs that had never seen the inside of a house let alone a leash using the small Flexi.

Good luck and if you have any questions about helping your poodles with leash training, please feel free to email privately. I admire anyone who takes on the challenge of a rescue dog. I think you will enjoy having more than one. Watching them interact teaches you a lot about behavior and how *you* can better communicate with your dog(s); a subject I find fascinating.

Linda

PS: I've owned, trained and shown dogs for 40+ years and did Shorthair Rescue for 20+. I believe dogs live longer, healthier lives with playmates and our Shorthairs ignore poor Russell and his overtures.  :(



 
We traveled with two dogs for years.  They are Gus Gus and Finnie, two papilons (sp).  They weigh about ten pounds soaking wet.  We discussed another dog but most campgrounds limit dogs to two. 
Willa was going to the store one day and came upon a ''throw away''.  It was a Tee cup Yorkie that someone had literally thrown away.  Willa brought her home and we had her checked for a ''chip'' and she had none.  We gave her a good bath and named her Gypsy.
To resolve the Two dog limit Willa registered Gus Gus and Finnie as hearing dogs.  We have the registration cards in their little vests and they are registered with the ACLU.  We could legally do this because I am deaf in my right ear from gunfire in the Navy a looooooooooong time ago.

Down in Florida we were registering in a County Campground,  The ''guys'' were up in the window and the lady at registration insisted on seeing Gypsy up close.  We did not know she was also a T cup Yorkie lover.  I brought Gypsy in, expecting a confontation ...... Gypsy had the ''cute dog'' personality turned wide open and the lady fell in love with her.  She registered Gus Gus and Finnie as hearing dogs and Gypsy as a ''kitten''............ problem solved...
We always pick up after our dogs.  At night we carry a flash lite and ''pick up poop'' as necessary. 
I will try to -post a pix of them on here ....

 

Attachments

  • imported march 2012 055 (800x600).jpg
    imported march 2012 055 (800x600).jpg
    346.4 KB · Views: 65
Thank you, Seajay. And thanks for the photo, too.

We bought those hands-free flashlights/spotlights that you wear on your head. Made night "poop patrol" much easier. I felt a bit silly wearing it at first but it made the task so much easier than when I was holding a flashlight, a leash and a doggy bag. We, too, are fanatics about cleaning up and it irks the you-know-what out of me to see people just walk away from their dogs' messes. It's one of the reasons so many places limit dogs and/or size, charge a fee or are no longer pet-friendly. My soapbox; I'll step down now.  ;D

Linda
 
I ended up picking up after previous dog this morning, just so it wasn't there.  Yes, irks me.  Then again, the bison go anywhere and there is no poop ranger in the park.
 
I traveled with 3 dogs for about 8 months - a border collie, a blue heeler, and a chihuahua.  Most of the places I stayed had the 2 dog rule and all were willing to bend it when I described and/or showed them the dogs.  One place that I didn't ask (I just forgot) said "Hey, you said you had 2 dogs!" when I got out with all 3.  I pointed to the chihuahua and said "that's not a dog, that's an ornament."  They asked me why, I told them that no matter how often I took him out he did all his business on pee pads in the RV.  They thought it was funny and let it go.  It helps that my dogs were very quiet & I was religious about cleaning up after them.  I no longer have the chihuahua.

Anyway, the whole point is, if your dogs are really good and you ask nicely and promise a willingness to leave if it becomes a problem, rules are often bent.

Susan
 
In my travels I have seen folks with multiple dogs and many parks that had no dog limit.  The big issue is to train your dogs not to be yappers and to train their pet parents to pick up after them. It also helps to seriously socialize your dogs, which if they are already 2 or more, then chances are they might be social.

I was totally amused at one RV park when a 3 generation family of 6 showed up with 6 dogs in 6 different sizes and breeds (some were mixed up for sure). Each family member walked a dog and we called it the pet parade when they all went by. Other dog owners (me included) would join the pack of dog walkers and soon we had a pretty funny pet parade walking around the park of big and small dogs. The manager thought it was hilariously good entertainment.  She said she was going to add a pet parade as part of their future holiday events.
 
I don't remember the impetus for it, but we had an annual pet parade back in FL in the park we lived at.  Many dressed the pets up for it, and had 'foars'.  Nothing like a bunch of seniors acting juniors!  Great fun and we all thought, 'if our kids could see us now'.

More than 2 just seems logistically difficult for RV travel.  More than 2 just doesn't compute for us.
We have resisted going to 2 from 1.
 
We have 3 chihuahua's.  We have traveled with them for about 5 years.  We have never been turned away.  Most places ask "do you have a pet"?  They are looking to collect the pet fee if they have one.  Rarely have they actually asked how many and when they have it hasn't been a problem. Maybe because my 3 don't even equal 1 of most others.  I think it would only be an issue if the pets were noisy or a hazard. JM2C

Steve
 
Pierat said:
DearMissM - I'm all ears: How do you train the dogs not to be yappers? I could really use that right now!
A couple of years ago Willa was in the Wal Mart and she bought a ''Bark Box'' to keep our dogs from barking and  IT WORKS .    It is a box that looks like a birdhouse, it has batteries and a led light so you can tell that it is working.  We can turn it on and the dogs immediatly stop barking.  Their bark excites a devise inside the box and it sends out a sound that is above our hearing range but the dogs hear it very well and they do not bark.  Mostly, they will leave the room and go hide in the closet.  We do not leave it on very long because they get the idea that if they can ''see the box'' they think it on and they shut up.  Most of the time now if they start barking I can simply ask Willa ''Where is the BOX'' and they shut up.  We seldom have to turn it on now.  another great advantage we have is that our dogs are small and we have ''double payne windows'' on the coach so it is difficult to hear the dogs from outside anyhow.
Do as you wish concerning this but I would strongly advise you to buy a Bark Box if you see one.   
This advise will cost you ten cents and you must pay me the next time you see me if you use it........  On the other hand, I strongly advise you NOT TO TAKE MY ADVISE because I am sometimes wrong................cj

 
My wife and I camped all over the  USA in parks and state parks with our two goldens and a flat coat. We have never had any problems with camping. We clean up after them  and  they love to travel. Thank god for dyson! They just got back from Yellowstone and they had a blast!



 
Hi,
We have found the best way to bark train is a muzzle used consistently each time the dog barks. Worked on our papillion quite well until we backslid.
Ernie
 
PancakeBill said:
  Some triggers are all but impossible to distract,
I had a dog one time that, when she hear the paper girl she went nuts. (that was the morning paper)
 

Forum statistics

Threads
131,749
Posts
1,384,216
Members
137,520
Latest member
jeep3501
Back
Top Bottom