How many of you with reactive dogs, still go camping with them? How many find their behavior is different while camping, or perhaps avoid it because they’re scared their dog won’t enjoy it?
In August, we went camping, my partner and I, along with my Trouble Trio and some family(in another site but nearby) with their dog as well. I knew Charlie, my Beagle, would handle it well. He enjoys the outdoors, as many scenthounds do, and I knew he would not be a problem. Ria, being as well mannered as she is, and being as non-reactive as she is, we knew she would do well. She and Charlie had been camping many times in their lifetimes, respectively. Boone, however, is a fear reactive boy who is scared of strangers(especially men), and new dogs. We knew he would meet at least one new person, another dog, and who knows how many would be at the camp ground at the time we went, so we packed prepared.
Along with all of our general camping gear, I included: first aid products(especially dog safe necessities), extra dog bedding, an xpen, extra leashes/harnesses, dog booties(Ria has a tendency to hurt her paws often when hiking), lots of treats, tons of toys and enrichment stuff, chews, and crates. We opted to crate in the car, both for travel and to give breaks. Boone was basically raised riding in a car, so between that and his crate, we knew that would be an excellent “safe place” for him to be able to be. We stuffed Kongs(which seemed to actually be our best activity for the dogs without attracting a ton of wasps or other critters – we did bring raw bones and what a mistake that was with the wasps!) and stuck them in our cooler, individually wrapped. We brought puzzle toys and food dispensing toys. We brought and used long lines so the dogs could have enriching sniffy hikes with us along the creek and have the ability to go further from us while still being attached to us safely. We brought extra tarps/sheets/rope as well, for visual barriers.
Our camping trip was a success! Upon arrival, we let the dogs out to pee, then put them away and began to figure out how best to set up our campsite to create any potential visual barriers for the pups. To our surprise, Boone was more comfortable out of the city camping, than he is in the city. Less people per square foot anyone? In fact, he barked less than any of the three, only barking at some giant scary horse-beasts because “What the HECK is THAT!?” and once at a person because Ria barked first. Children cut through our campsite, other dogs went by on leash with their owners, numerous people came and went, kids on bikes, etc and you wouldn’t be able to tell Boone was reactive! I would argue to say that Boone was absolutely in his element out there.
As you can see in this photo, we put tarps up behind any “open” spaces to create visual barriers, but also to prevent children from cutting through our campsite, as we discovered the first night that they had ZERO issue with doing. I don’t know when children became so bold as to cut through a strangers campsite, and approach strange dogs, but many of the children here had no issue with either of these things. Please, parents, remind your children that they are not to be approaching strange dogs without asking permission first! Not all dogs are good with kids(luckily mine are, but all the same).
In this photo, you can see how we used an old xpen and sheets/tarps to create another “visual barrier” of some open space, and create more barriers to prevent children cutting through our site. You can even see the “zipline tether” we created for one of our pups. We adjusted things though as we discovered the dogs were actually creating more hyperarousal and stress amongst one another, so we attached one dog to the car, another to this “zipline” and another dog in another corner to prevent them from stressing one another out. This worked extremely well!
Remember that our furry friends can often trigger one another’s stress and hyperarousal, which can create quite the mess when they all feed off each other. Ria and Boone fed off each other, which created a high stress environment, and Charlie and Boone’s interactions are quite controlled, so we strategically separated them. This helped to calm the environment. It also helped that we brought so many enriching toys/chews, and that we took them on regular sniffy walks, often only two or one at a time. We also gave lots of breaks in the crate or car(it was not hot and our campsite was well shaded) to help keep the dogs settled and feeling comfortable/safe. Boone needed the breaks mentally, and Ria needed the breaks when she began to wear herself out after over-exerting herself on the rocky ground, to give her joints a break. Charlie occasionally got breaks too. Between the breaks in their safe place, and the stuffed Kongs, our pups were set!
As you can see, the pups had quite the fun time!
All in all, I would call our camping trip a success. Everyone had fun, and Boone even felt safe!
The biggest essentials I would recommend when taking reactive dogs camping: stuffed/individually wrapped Kongs, puzzle toys/food dispensing toys/chews, crates/safe space, visual barriers such as extra tarps. These were all paramount to creating a fun, safe, comfortable environment for our pups!
Most of all, have fun! We did lots of training games and tricks too, making sure the pups got lots of good mental stimulation.
