Overlanding with k-9 companions.

Ruined Adventures

Brenton Cooper
When we camp with the dogs, I usually have a few hundred feet of cheap rope that I use to make a "dog run". Just tie one end thru a wheel, and the other end to a tree or ground stake and make sure it's tight enough so it's a straight shot, but loose enough that it's not a trip hazard. Then I take a 99 cent carabiner and clip the dog's leash onto the rope. If you've done it right, the dog's leash can slide along the length of the rope. If you set up everything in the right places, the dog can go from one end of camp to the other and not trip up on camp chairs and other obstacles. I only clip the dog to it if there's a leash policy or if she's wandering too far from camp.

Another trick I've learned is to hook a keychain flashlight to her collar so at night I can see where she is at. While sitting around the campfire, I'll scan the dark to see where she's exploring and if she roams too far away I just call her name and she'll return. She's a good dog. Occasionally I put a bear bell on her so I can hear her moving about.

x2 on the Z-lite thermarest as a dog bed. I bought a couple of them for the girlfriend and I. They were $25 each for the "short" size, but found they're a little less comfy than the 2.5" Big Agnes pads so the dogs use the the Z-lite now. They're very lightweight and compact and I've found them very useful when lying on my back, doing vehicle repairs. http://www.rei.com/product/781084

Just keep in mind, no matter how well behaved your 4-legged friend may be, not everywhere you'll go will be dog friendly...there's always a chance you'll have to skip certain destinations. It's a shame since my dog's better behaved than most people :sombrero:
 

bob91yj

Resident **************
We've got two Boxers that pout for days if they don't get to go with us on trips. I'm not always certain they are having a good time when we are pounding across trails in the Jeep.

We take one of our Costco dog beds with us when tent camping. It is added padding on the floor of the Jeep, and a decent ground pad for inside/outside the tent. I love the Costco dog blankets too, use them for the dogs, groundcloth when working on things, etc.

I don't have an issue with letting my dogs run loose around camp when primitive camping, they never go far, it drives my wife crazy. Ground anchor and 30ft cloth training leads work great for us.

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Notice the patch on the BRAND NEW tent. Mac, (black harness) decided to chew through the box, storage bag, and tent wall.

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It's a rare occasion that my dogs don't find a way to be comfortable.

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Under some illusion that they are sleeping in the bed in our camper.
 

john101477

Photographer in the Wild
Rowdy almost always goes with me/us. He gets upset if it looks like I am gonna leave him. He has a very strong sense of herding although he has never been trained for it. I have to watch him around cows and even deer. Ironically he leaves horses alone. He has jumped out of the 4runner 2 times while I am driving at a low speed to chase cows. both timers bruised him and he has been a good boy since.
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Ray Hyland

Expedition Leader
We have two shepherds, they love camping. They sleep in the tent with us because sometimes when we camp it can be very cold at night (-15 or so) so we wouldn't want them outside.

They do get wet and muddy of course, so we put a couple of rubber floor mats from the truck down inside the tent door, and some old blankets on top of the mats. This gives them insulation from the cold ground, and protects the tent floor.

Ours don't get along well with other dogs, so we do need to be careful if there are other dogs around. Basically we keep them on a long leash in our campsite if there are other dogs around, and let the other campers with dogs know not to let their dogs enter our camp. If, after the warning, their dog ends up eviscerated, well, we warned em...

Just kidding, we are very careful. But it is a good thing to remember. The greatest danger to your pup when you are camping may be other dogs.

Ray
 

JMichaelsJeep

GaiaExplorer
First off - AWESOME BOXERS bobs91yj! We have two of those four legged humans ourselves :)
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I think everyone has mentioned it already but here is my list of things to consider:
1) Our dogs do really well in vehicle travel, we could go all day without "having" to let them out, but generally, if we stop and do any of the following, they do too; eat, drink, potty, sleep, etc.
2) Make sure they are getting plenty of fresh air in the vehicle while traveling, both because we all need the oxygen AND doggy bad breath trapped in a vehicle is no fun for anyone, trust me :)
3) If they are being particularly active, just like us, they need extra food to recoup the energy. Keep that in mind when packing their food along.
4) Bring plenty of water, our dogs will drink out of a water bottle, so generally if we can't find fresh water where we are, they drink at the same times as us. This means that if you are away from sources of water for extended periods of time, you need to make sure you pack enough for extra water for everyone along.
5) As someone mentioned; get them on heart worm meds, and some sort of flea/ tick meds before you go out in the wilderness. We use Heartguard and frontline for ours and have never had any unwanted bug issue.
6) If you/they are out hiking on rough surfaces a lot, bring some sort of pad cream, while our dogs aren't wusses, if their pads start getting cracked it's as painful for them as split lips and cracked skin is for us.
7) First aid, bring any relavent first aid you think your dog might need. Believe it or not, ours have allergies, if our older boxer was to get hives in the middle of nowhere and we didn't have benedryl with us, he'd be dead in 24hrs. He almost got knocked out from a peanut his first night with us.

In addition to letting them out to stretch their legs adequately, remember to pay attention to your wilderness predators. If your dog hasn't been close to a snake, scorpion, mountain lion, or something of the sort before, you'll want to keep them close, if any of these could be an issue, don't leave your dog outside by themselves at night or while you're away from camp. This may seem like extreme caution, but with a puppy, your dog may think everything is a friend and won't know to either 1) run or 2) give you a warning that it's in trouble, it will just want to play with said predator.

Oh, and make sure you know where they are if you have to do a trail repair on the vehicle, last thing you need is your 4 legged friend knocking over your hi-lift and pinning you under your vehicle or doing serious harm or fatally wounding you. This is obviously way worse if you are by yourself (which we know we shouldn't be).

Pets are great fun to enjoy the outdoors with, just like us, we need to know their limitations and know what to expect from them. If you know they will always stay close, you may not need to worry about them as much.

Just use your common sense, and stay alert for warning signs of dehydration, soreness, need to relieve themselves, etc. and you'll be fine and will have a great time!
 

bob91yj

Resident **************
Thanks, I like your brindle. My first male Boxer was a big brindle, he was 105 pounds in his prime, stomped when he walked like he owned everything!

Another thing, if your pet gets sick at any time, make sure your vet knows where the animal has been in the last year or so.

We almost lost our female last October. Vet initially thought she had bone cancer, did some tests on a Friday, she told us to go home and spoil her over the weekend, she'd have the results on Tues. We got lucky, turned out Tassie had Valley Fever, still serious, but treatable. Valley Fever is not common in our area, but apparently is seen in AZ and NV, both states that my dogs have visited.

Agree with the doggy first aid kit too, we carry Benadryl and canine aspirin along with any prescription meds.
 

1speedlos

Observer
How about international travel with an older dog? We're planning a trip down to South America next year, and our Australian Cattle dog will be 12 or 13. Anyone had that experience?

Los
 

JMichaelsJeep

GaiaExplorer
1speedlos - Good question and frankly, one I don't have a lot of experience with. Here is what I can tell you though. My sister had to have her dog "quarantined" on the mainland for 2 months (just staying with family) before her dog could go to HI with her. I suspect you'll have prep like that.

I also believe you'll have to check with the country's you're traveling to as to whether they have any restrictions. Other than that, similar rules apply.
 

CalgaryMcLean

Well-known member
How about international travel with an older dog? We're planning a trip down to South America next year, and our Australian Cattle dog will be 12 or 13. Anyone had that experience?

Los

Our family, including our 2 year old Ridgeback, spent last year travelling through Central and South America:

http://mungoeatsla.ca/2009/06/01/

So, no older dog experience, but there are lots of vet clinics along the way if you need to get a health certificate prior to a border crossing, but the standard of care is often not what you would expect at home.

As long as the 12-year is healthy it shouldn't be a problem, but expertise might be lacking if a serious problem develops along the way.

Kevin
 

1speedlos

Observer
Thanks for the responses, everybody. We're not so sure it's going to be a good thing for Zeke to do this trip. He truly is a member of our family, and we don't want to put him at risk, or lock him in some kennel while we kayak, or mountain bike, or explore ruins. He's not excited to be in a vehicle either.
It may have to wait until he moves on.

Los
 

Greggk

ZombieSoldier
both of our dogs are crate trained. my boxer and my wifes weiner dog. they both hve collapsable crates so we pack them up and take them with us. they dont sleep well witout their crates, but they love car rides....

as far as the car ride an stopping for potty breaks , i generally go 2 hours or so between stops with no issues.. our dogs will let us know if they have to go early!
 
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jeffjeeptj

Adventurer
Have had a Golden for 9 years. In 2004 I retired the first time and wife, I, and Heidi the Golden went full time RVing. She had the backseat of an F550 Crew Cab. Went from East Coast to West coast and back twice, kayaked on Russian River, on Glacier lake, cactus spine in nose at Big Bend, sniffing in Quartzite, and many other adventures. Now she is in the Jeep, doing off road duty. If the keys rattle, or if wife and I put on shoes at the same time, Heidi is at the Jeep assuring she is not left behind. The advice in prior posts is right on.
A leash, plenty of food/water, and proper training is necessary. Be careful of in car temps when parked. Gets hot in a hurry, even with windows open. Be aware of pet freindly places. Nothing is better than an "active" alarm for intruders. Keep in mind, a dog is a lot like a kid, needs attention, care, loving, etc. Make it a fun adventure. I suggest some sort of snake training if in that environment. When we went into Canada for a work permit stint, 4 hours was spent getting the work permit, customs took 30 seconds including asking if they wanterd to see the papers for Heidi. Keep copies of the shot/vet records when traveling, right next to the Passport for you and mates. "Wet dog smell" can be an acquired taste!
HTH
 

Seiko

New member
He's not excited to be in a vehicle either.
Los


Make car rides fun.

2-3 trips a week to a dog park if you have them near, or just a regular park for a 10-15 min walk will greatly improve his wanting to be in the car. (unless he gets car sick, then its not going to help)



As a lot of people said, stop every 3-4 hours and take a short 10 min walk with the dog. Its actually improved how I travel, that 10 min stretch and break lets me drive a bunch more relaxed. Plus you get to see a heck of a lot more.

For water while driving [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Road-Refresher-Spill-Portable-Bowl/dp/B001L4M214"]http://www.amazon.com/Road-Refresher-Spill-Portable-Bowl/dp/B001L4M214[/ame]

Works well on the highway and in town, and even on mildly bumpy dirt roads.
 

Gooseberry

Explorer
For a normal dog this will work but and this is a big but they a have a 12 -13 year old cattle dog and once they get it in there mind it takes a army to change it.

I have worked for 5 years to get my acd to not freak at the vet and she still does. I can take her running biking and head to the vet 100 different ways and she still knows when we are close. Yes I have done flybys to ice cream from the vet techs. nada nothing worked.

Love Cattle dogs

Make car rides fun.

2-3 trips a week to a dog park if you have them near, or just a regular park for a 10-15 min walk will greatly improve his wanting to be in the car. (unless he gets car sick, then its not going to help)



As a lot of people said, stop every 3-4 hours and take a short 10 min walk with the dog. Its actually improved how I travel, that 10 min stretch and break lets me drive a bunch more relaxed. Plus you get to see a heck of a lot more.

For water while driving http://www.amazon.com/Road-Refresher-Spill-Portable-Bowl/dp/B001L4M214

Works well on the highway and in town, and even on mildly bumpy dirt roads.
 

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