Hi

We have just bought a tent, gulp, after swearing that I would never go camping again years ago, my kids have convinced me that it is a good idea!

We are going in September for a long weekend and taking Ruby, our 8 month old Staff. I am worried that its going to be cold at night though, does anyone know if its possible to get a really warm sleeping bag type thingy for dogs?

Also as some of you may know, Ruby is'nt too great with other dogs, do campsites usually have a fair bit of space around each tent or are we likely to be like sardines with dogs everywhere? She'll be kept on her lead but Im worried if there is a dog near that she may bark.

Beginning to fret incase I've been talked into a dumb idea! Do any of you go camping much with your dog in a tent, any advice and tips would be really welcome. Thanks :)

Helen

Hi

Never been camping with or without the dog but don't stress out all it will do is stress Ruby out more.

Hard to do I know but I'm sure Ruby and the family will become "Happy Campers"

Karen

Hi, you could buy her her own "flectabed" or a vet bed to lie on. I am sure she will be fine in the summer/autumn and will snuggle up inbetween you if she feels at all chilly.

Hello, we've had some super holidays camping with dogs!
Firstly, I would strongly recommend Camping & Caravanning sites, as they have a very strict rule of 20 feet between units. It's also a good idea to take a windbreak, so you can create a "fence" to avoid your dog seeing and barking at every passing dog. You also need one of those spiral spike things in order to tether the dog safely.

It does get very cold at night. We once camped in the Peak District in August. Our dog got cold and got in between us on our double sleeping bag. He was fine but we couldn't move!!!lol.

Enjoy your trip - it'll be fine! :) :) :)
Cathy.

That is great! Many thanks! Not sure I relish the idea of Ruby, hubby and I all in one sleeping bag though!! Lol :D

At least its only a weekend I guess, so we shall see how she does :)

Thanks everyone.

Helen

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We camped for the first time back in July. It was great - we were at a campsite but at a special dog event.

I have to say that although it was very warm during the day, i got a bit chillly at night even with my other half next to me! Dog was OK as she has a very thick coat.

There was plenty of space between tents and we all really enjoyed it. We took the dogs Winna bed which is like a very thick duvet, she was very happy on that.

Have fun !!!

Lindsay

we've got the camping bug too.we bought a caravan last night.its a used one but from a man who really looked after it and he showed us how everything worked!!!We are now looking for a second hand volvo estate in good cond to tow it, then we are going away with two of the labs, and leaving two at home with madam (my daughter lucy whos 16)even though i know the dogs will be hard work in the awning I cant leave them at home, it should be a laugh anyway:)

Just a thought, do all campsites let dogs on these days? Never having taken a dog camping it's not something I've looked for (haven't been for years) but you might want to check with the campsite before you go. :)

Most of the caravan club sites do, but private sites often have lots of rules about the number of dogs etc, they also charge extra for them :(

We are going to Kelling Heath in Norfolk which was recomended to us, it does take dogs but only 2 and you have to put your tent in the 'red' dogs area. You have to keep it on a lead in the main area but theres tonnes of great walks in the woods near by Im told :)

I will try the fleece coat for her, as she is a Staff so short haired, she is also a bit of a wimp when it comes to the cold :)

I dare say hubby and I will have a furry hotwater bottle in with us! :D

Helen

Just a word of warning. We camped at the CLA Game Fair this year and took our one year old cocker. She started off the night in my tent, as I thought she would enjoy bunking down with us. She usually sleeps in a kennel. In the middle of the night I awoke and she was gone!! After several moments (which seemed like an age) of panic I found her in a security patrol van. She had just gone for a wander and found some fun!! She spend the rest of the break in the car during the night in her Lintran Dog Box on vet bed. I slept soundly for the rest of our stay.

I took my affie camping last summer, and great fun was had by all. :) the thing to check,above all, is if the dog can sneak out under the tent walls . Delilah soon pointed this out to me. if she hadn't been so big, she would have been gone! You firstly need to decide where the dog will be in the tent when awake, and where it will sleep. I would suggest tying it on a long line when you are up and about.....a line that will allow it to get in and out of the tent. I secured my line to the tailgate of my car, which was parked right next to the tent door. I find that if you are camping, it is necessary to secure the dog often, as you get busy and forget to keep an eye on them! At night, I would recommend either zipping the dog into a tent bedroom, (if you have that kind of tent.) failing that, take a crate. at least you can sleep soundly knowing that the little devil can't run away!

Hi all

Well, we had a test run last night, all of us slept in the tent in our garden, including Ruby. We had her in the bedroom section with hubby and me, needless to say she was cold so she joined us in the sleeping bag!

All went well untill it came to us trying to go to sleep :( Everynoise Ruby heard set her off barking and growling. In the end we had had to put her back in the house so we could all get some sleep. If she is like this in her own garden I dont know WHAT she'll be like at a campsite where there will be more noises and other dogs about :(
She is in season at the moment so I guess she may not be so bad when her season is finished, but I dont know whether or not to put her in Kennels for the weekend to be on the safe side. Only thing is I feel like a bad mum abandoning her, but we cant have her barking all night or we'll get complaints.

Think I will have to add another post about kennels now, as Ive never used them before.

Thanks to all for your advice :)

Helen

We started camping this year, because we thought it would be a good way to get a break, and still be able to take Charlie with us :)

We found that the first night he was a bit restless with the noises, but he soon settled down. We took several windbreaks, as these gave us a screened off area, and we bought a stake that twists into the ground and attached charlie to that with his old training line so he could wander about our pitch. He slept in the bed part with us (its a tent with zip-up compartments), because on the first night he pointed out to us that we'd forgotten to realise that he can sneak out under the sides :) On the last ngith though, we did leave him in the main part of the then, but tethered to his stake.

It does get pretty chilly in the evenings, so we bought a cheap plastic basket, and lined it with vet bed so he was nice and snug :) We also found out on the first night that things seem to get damp once the sun goes down (although, im not sure how much of that was just cold), so we covered his basket with a bin bag when he wasn't in it :)

If you do buy a stake and line for rosy though, jsut remeber to watch she doesn't get tangled in the guy ropes when shes wandering - we had a near disaster with Charlie and his line :)

Were planning a weekend of 'wild' camping in december, not sure where yet but its going to be in the middle of nowhere and not a campsite, just to get away from it all really :) Going with 2 friends and taking Teddy with us, you can buy emergency blankets made from a sort of foil that will keep you realy warm, going to get a few of those and Teddy will probably sleep in the sleeping bag with us anyway :)
Will have to take him shopping for a nice coat.

Don't forget the thermals & strong tent pegs lol Actually vet bed inside the sleeping bags feet area & woolly socks make a world of difference

Oh Yes & hot water bottles LOL

Hi all
What a brave bunch of people going camping!!! The one time I went I absolutly hated it and said never again.
This year for our holidays and honeymoon we stayed in a wonderful cottage just outside York and the best think about it was you could take 2 dogs with you.
A lovely holiday with all the home comforts and my 2 fav boxer boys (and new hubby!!!) What more could you ask for!

As a lone parent we decided camping (after the initial outlay) was a good way to have frequent and cheap holidays. Our first time away was at the Forest of Dean and we had a marvellous time and truly got bitten by the camping bug. There were lots of dogs on site and all seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves too. We plan to take Sam along with us next year after a few trial runs in the garden. I expect the new unfamiliar outside night sounds will initially be unsettling for a dog, but maybe with more trial runs in the garden Ruby will get used to them. It's well worth a few more tries

When i eventually get a dog (i am searching for a gsd pup) me and my girlfriend will definately be going camping and taking the dog with us. I had no intention of letting the dog sleep in tent but leaving him in the car in a cage all wrapped up and cosy. Is this irresponsible?

Cars can get extremely cold at night so I think the dog would be better off in the sleeping bag with you so he/she can keep warm from your body heat and also you will keep warm from the dog :)
Also keeping the dog in the car if hes not used to it could stress him.

Have you tried sharing a sleeping bag with a GSD :D ?

When I went camping my dogs were either in the car in their travelling crates with extra vetbed(long coated breed) or in the tent in a crate again with extra bedding. My old dog did share bed(not sleeping bag), but she shared my bed normally at home.

I must add my dogs were used to being in the car/crates before I went camping & I felt safe knowing they were not likely to go walkies on their own whilst I slept:D

we too took the plunge and bought a tent this year the first time the dogs slept with my 15 year old son but alas my son got about 2hrs sleep so we looked into other ideas, we knew if we left them in the main part of the tent then we would hgave either a ripped inner tent or escaped dogs to look forward to in the morning.We then invested in two dog-bags(www.dog.bag.co) they are folding or should i say colaspable pop up kennels that zip up at the front my two labs snuggle up inside during the night in each of thei ;beds'with onle a small bean bag to lay onand they were fine, also during the very hot parts of the day they also provide some shade, all in all we were very impressed even if it did take three of us to get the m back into there rucksack that comes with it, burt isuspect it will become easier wen we used them a bit more