If you are anything like me, then camping is a totally new way of life for you – especially when it comes to camping with your dog. One thing that I noticed when planning the entire trip was that I could not find your useful “do’s and don’ts” or a “take your dog camping checklist” anywhere beforehand. Luckily for us, we had some really helpful advice from our friends on the Facebook and Instagram communities.
First thing’s first, consider the space you have in your car (and/or van). It’s important to consider how close you can park to the actual campsite itself too – you don’t want to be lugging tonnes of camping gear with you if the carpark is miles away!
Find a local and emergency vet – Just a quick and simple google search will bring up plenty of vets that are local to where you are staying. This is essential! Hopefully you will not need to use them, but it’s always best to be prepared, just incase of any unexpected accidents. It’s useful to have a day time number, as well as any emergency helplines you may need to access out of hours. Jot down the vets address and postcode too, so you’ve got it to hand should you need it. Check how far away it is from your campsite.
Tent Trial – Pitch your tent in the garden first, try this out with your dog. Use treats to reward your dog so that they associate the tent as being a positive and safe place. We also found it useful to buy a windbreak. This not only protects you from excess winds and noise, it is also a good way to hide other distractions from your dog. For example, if the campers next to you have a dog with them, it could be useful to put the windbreak up in-between you and “next door” if you have a nosy pup!
Dog Bed – If your dog has a bed, blanket or crate it is particularly fond of, it is always useful to pack this along with you. Remember, your dog will be in a new environment and may feel a little anxious or unsettled. At least then, your dog will have a safe spot to retreat to and associate their bed with sleeping and settling down. The last thing you want is a noisy pup awake all night whilst you try to camp.
Dog Food and Collapsable Bowls – Pack enough dog food for however long you are going away for. I would personally stick with what your dog knows best, you don’t want to be swapping and changing foods which may lead to an upset stomach. We also found that collapsable dog bowls were super useful. Small and compact to pack, and useful to carry with you anywhere. We made sure that we had two with us – one for water and one for food. We also took an additional dog water bottle with us, so that we could carry this on our walks with us and keep Cooper hydrated along the way.
Tether – Be sure to buy a tether/stake so that you can secure your dog’s lead safely to the ground whilst on the campsite. Remember, most campsites require dogs stay on leads at all times and remain under control. The tether gives you a peace of mind that the dog is safe, but isn’t too restricted either. We also purchased a “cable” online as our Cooper can be a “chewer” and so we didn’t want to risk him chewing through his usual, rope lead and escaping! The only thing I would be mindful of, is that you don’t buy too long a cable! Ours was way too long and Cooper kept getting tangled up in the tent and on the guy lines!
Harnesses, Leads (including long leads), Collars and ID tags – We made sure that we had plenty of these. Harnesses were important to attach to the tether, just incase your dog saw something of interest and went to pull away towards it. I find that harnesses are a lot more secure and less likely to slip off, and are less likely to damage your dogs neck in these instances. We also took a couple of collars with ID tags so that your dog can be easily identified if they were to make a run for it! Remember, ID Tags are also a legal requirement here in the UK. We made sure to pack plenty of leads, including long lines. As we were unfamiliar of the area, the live stock and the walking routes, we found the long lead really useful in this instance to keep a close eye on Cooper.
Towels – Remember, you do not want a mucky pup inside of your tent!
Treats (including long lasting chews) – Take plenty of treats to keep your dog happy, focused and rewarded for their good behaviour! We also found long lasting chews like Bully or Pizzle sticks useful – especially if you need to keep your dog busy whilst going out for pub lunch or for a picnic!
Toys and Enrichment Activities – We took a variety of toys and games for Cooper. This was important so that he didn’t get bored and/or destructive around the tent and campsite! We took plenty of tennis balls and frisbees to play with. We also took a Kong, Kong Wobbler, and Licki Mat. Again, same principle here – these keep your dogs brain busy and even help tire them out!
Cooling Mat and Blankets – Consider how you are going to maintain a comfortable temperature for your dog. It may be a scorching hot day, whereby you will need to keep your dog cool. In these instances, a cooling mat may be useful. However, it is important to remember that no matter how hot it may be in the day, it is usually pretty cold by night (well, it is in Wales anyways!). We packed plenty of blankets and dog coats too, this meant that Cooper was never freezing by night. It also helps if they cwtch up to you by night – that way you can share body heat! (Here in Wales, cwtch means to cuddle!). For our next camping trip, we will probably invest in a doggy sleeping bag.
First Aid Kit and Tick Remover – These are essential. You can buy a majority of first aid essentials online. Tick remover’s are really important to ensure that any ticks are safely removed from your dog. Our first aid kit includes plenty of bits and bobs for both human and hound! Things like foil blankets, paracetamol, hay fever tablets, plasters, a small scissors, dressings, bandages, micropore tape, gloves, sterile water solutions, alcohol wipes… the list could go on forever!
Poo Bags – This goes without saying really. Clean up after your pup and you won’t go far wrong.
Dog walking bag or rucksack – When camping, there are going to be periods where you are away from your campsite and/or car for long periods. We found our rucksack useful to take with us. This kept our hands free and meant we had plenty of room for all of our dog walking equipment, camera and more!
And something worth remembering…. our clever little pup soon worked out how to open the tent from inside! Make sure that you take precautions of this whilst camping. Whether this is securing the tent differently, or securing your dog by night. Consider different solutions as you do not want your dog to escape unknowingly!
Oh and for the humans… of course, a tent is essential (along with pegs, guy lines and a mallet). Sleeping bags and some warm clothes for the night are a must have. Remember you can take layers off if you are warm but you cannot add anything that you don’t have with you. Lights are handy – unless you want to sit around the camp in the pitch black by night! Water coolers save you from going back and forth to top up your water bottles every half an hour. Cooling boxes allow you to keep foods chilled in readiness for your much anticipated BBQ’s. Disposable BBQ’s and camping stoves are really handy and useful. And don’t forget – toiletries, that is if you want to keep your teeth cleaned and your self smelling sweet!
And on that final note… remember, you cannot leave your dog unattended in the tent whilst camping. You need to plan your entire trip around your dog. Search for dog friendly locations, beaches, pubs and activities. You’ll be surprised how many places will accommodate dogs.
I hope this has been somewhat of help to you all. Happy Camping!
Say Hello To Cooper... 