| Man's best friend your dog
, and you, can go camping and
have lots of fun. Look at it
as a walk that doesn't end,
during which he gets to spend
all his time with you. For us
campers, it can give us another
means of security and another
way of bonding.
For those of you who are
wanting to get involved in
this great adventure with
their pet, there are some
things you need to do to make
this as fun as possible for
both of you.
First time camping pooches
should be shown the wonders
of nature slowly. City or
urban dogs need to be brought
along slow because of their
tender pads on their paws,
and they need to get used
to all open spaces and wonders
of nature. Start with taking
them on some day trips to
state, county and conservation
parks.
The wide open spaces will
help your dog get used to
unpopulated areas. He will
also find new odours and sights
in this stress free environment.
Going on nature and hiking
trails will also help your
dog gain muscle strength and
fitness before you go camping.
As we enjoy the companionship
of our dogs, they become a
member of our families. Going
with us on family outings,
walks, trips around town,
just about everywhere we go
they tag along with us. Thats
fine because we care about
them so much. Its not always
the same with camp owners
who feel dogs are not man's
best friend in their camping
area. They have good reason
to be. A lot of dog owners
are not very good in keeping
their pets leashed or cleaning
up after them. They also don't
abide by the camp rules the
way they should, but many
irresponsible dog owners feel
the rules don't apply to them
and their dogs. Of course
because of these pet owners
, we all suffer, thus there
are now many campgrounds not
allowing dogs. Check ahead
to see if the campground you'
re going to allows dogs, and
if so, are they allowed on
the trails, or have special
trails set aside for dogs.
Also some campgrounds charge
two dollars a night for dogs
as well.
As loving, caring, pet owners,
we need to find a way to take
care of our dogs while we
go out on the trails with
our other family members.
We could take turns dog sitting
with family, friends, other
campers with dogs. One thing
we need to do is make sure
we are good responsible pet
owners. Check ahead before
you go camping with man's
best friend.
Here are some pre-camping
tips:
- Try to take your dog for
a pre-camping visit for
possible needed shots, and
a Rabies shot tag for his
collar.
- Look at a possible Lyme
disease vaccine.
- Take with you a current
copy of his records and
his vet's phone number.
- Pick up a proper dog license
& ID tags for your dog
with their name, your name,
ect.
- Microchips, tattoos and
pet registries can be used.
- Bring medications and
a copy of prescriptions.
- Try to get a site with
some shade for your dog.
- Supervise your dog closely
around children, other visitors
and other dogs.
- Keep your dog quiet. Frequent
and continued barking disturbs
the wildlife and other campers.
- Let your dog have time
to adjust to his new surroundings.
Give him time to rest
- Try to use ziplock bags
to pick up after him and
properly dispose of it in
appropriate trash containers.
- Keep an eye on how weather
conditions affect your dog,
heat, cold, rain etc.
- Consider use of a crate
for travel and short term
restraint, while you are
near. Your pet could be
stolen if not watched carefully.
- You should be aware that
your dog will have increased
exposure to ticks and fleas.
Take the proper tick/flea
collars, repellants or use
Frontline applications.
Other diseases can also
be transmitted by wild animals
and insects.
About the Author
Robin Shortt is a father of
five children and five step
children and thoroughly enjoys
the outdoors. He is also a
Cub Scout leader,who sees
the big picture when it comes
to helping our children to
love and explore the great
outdoors. Visit: http://www.goodnightcampingequipment.com
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