We have our usual one week holiday in our tent booked for early June at the coast. There will be me, DH, Sky - black lab aged 10 yrs and Red - yellow lab who is now 18 weeks. She will be 6 months when we go. We have a very large tent so I know we will be able to take Red's crate. I am not unduly concerned about the actual living in the tent with a puppy (just pray it doesn't rain when we are putting tent up and down as this is always hard work although DH and I work well as a team doing this. Sky has always just watched on during this process). I think my concerns are: - what will Red be able to manage and what will be a no-no? - it will all be new to her and so how will she cope? - will all my training 'go out the window' in this new environment? - will we be able to attempt a coffee/meal out (there is one place I know where I think we will be ok)? Obviously, I accept we will not be able to do the walks we have in the past this time or for our camping holiday later in the year. I am not so sure DH is so realistic as he tends to say all will be ok. I would like us to have discussed it carefully before we go We are looking forward to going with both dogs and see this as a bonding trip for the two dogs - I have documented their difficulties in other threads but part of me is saying this needs to be well thought out. Anyone done this with their dogs including a puppy? Any tips, advice please?
Hi when Bailey was around 5 months old we were in a tent for three nights (we have an annual beer festival at the rugby club and due to hours worked over that weekend its easier to camp in the grounds). We had decorated Bailey by then and I was concerned that he would escape somehow during the night. I'm like you and I like to plan for every possibility, and my OH is more the lets do it and cope with what happens....drives me mad! However, on this occasion he was right. I know Bailey was in a familiar setting, but with a bunch of people that are not usually there, and we don't usually sleep in a tent, next to the bushes and undergrowth where all the bunnies and foxes live. We took with us his bed, all his usual bowls and blankets, toys and treats and after the first half hour settled down like a champ and slept all night. Even when I got up in the night and had to trek back to the toilets, he stayed in the tent without fussing. The only issue we had was the tent next to ours decided to light up their BBQ to breakfast...they had one unexpected guest to breakfast! Luckily they have know Bailey since he was tiny, so he just joined them for breakfast and then came back to our tent! What I learnt from this was to chill a little and trust my boy (and OH) and the training I had done to that point, but not to place unrealistic expectations on either of us. In fact we will be back doing this in July - and am in a crazy way, actually looking forward to it. Red may forget for a while a bit of the training, but it won't go out of the window completely - she will probably be excitable in new environments, but if you introduce them gently and give her time to settle I am sure all will be well. Take lots of pictures!
Do a test run. Camp out in the garden for a night and see what becomes of it. At the least it will be one less new thing to introduce later.
Thank you for replying Samantha. Think you meant decrated and not decorated Baily - LOL! It's good you are looking forward to your camping experience. Yes I think it's working out what will be realistic and maybe not trying to do too much that will be the key
Lots of towels! Aquasorb towels are great, they don't need drying - just rinsing out, wringing and keeping in the plastic container. A life saver with dogs on holiday and mud mud mud https://www.amazon.co.uk/Groomers-A...1492442912&sr=1-1&keywords=aquasorb+dog+towel ..
LOL yup decorated - autocorrect is quite amusing at times . Good luck I am sure all will be well with Red and camping - sometimes our little fur bundles do surprise us in a good way
We took our boy away at 2 years of age. Sounds quite old compared to 18 weeks! He had terrible recall and we were staying in a beach house with no fence. We were very worried! Well, it turned out to be the best bonding exercise ever! Being in such a brand new environment, he looked to us for guidance all the time. It was brilliant for training because he was very focused on us. Notwithstanding that he is very adventurous and I did need to traipse after him on a few occasions through other people's gardens as he raced off to discover new things. We have subsequently taken him on holiday several times. Each time the bond gets stronger. Enjoy your camping trip! It sounds wonderful. And yes, towels. Lots of them! And more than one collar because one is always invariably wet.
Thank you for this MF. Yes the important thing for us is the bonding. Reckon I will be buying a training lead before we go so at least Red has some freedom and a chance to get to know the beach and sea a little bit.
