I tried to take my 10 month old camping for the first time and it didn't go great. He has never slept outside of his kennel and I could tell he felt uncomfortable in the tent. He is also really reactive to sounds and will bark if he is scared or feeling protective. I wanted to go by myself to eliminate background sounds but my family insisted on going. Well, when we first go in the tent he settled down but around 12am my mother in law was talking in her sleep which made him bark a few times, then around 1am she got out of the tent to pee. This scared my little guy so much he was growling/shaking in the tent and looking over in the direction of theirs So long story short we packed up and went home that night. Last night I thought if i set the tent up inside my house he might feel more safe. He just whined in the tent and barked until I called it quits and put him back in his kennel. How do I get him adjusted to this? I have never had a dog that didn't do well camping.
Is he sleeping in his own tent? We camped a lot of times with our first lab and we let her sleep with us in the tent! She was more alert and barked sometimes. Just to let someone know she was watching us. She used to bark more in a place she wasn't used to be. When we got home she slept for days as she was very tired of guarding us!
You could try a travel crate if he'd feel more secure? Or might he be happier in the car (if he's safe in there obviously) ? I went somewhere super quiet for our first camping trip and apart from trying to steal the pillows they settled reasonably well. They're definitely fidgety when we camp though with all the unusual noise.
He was sleeping in a tent with just me, unfortunately it is a backpacking tent so not enough room for a kennel. I'm glad others dogs are a bit restless, maybe it will just take many times going until he feels safe?
I would try some back garden camping so he gets used to the tent with familiar sounds and smells. Take his bed or some vet bed that he lays on into the tent. When he can camp in the back garden happily I'd go somewhere quiet with him and see how he goes.
Last night was the first successful night sleeping in the tent in the house (the things we do for our dogs!) I might try aborting night in the house then move out the the backyard next weekend
