one of the great things about owning a canine is taking him places. Of course, there are times when it’s good to take a getaway away from our pets, but in general, we think it’s great to bring them!
We both like to do a lot of outdoor activities with our dogs, and camping is an option a lot of dogs love! Lindsay’s old canine Ace and now her pup Remy love running, hiking and carrying a pack. Remy is also equally pleased to take a long nap inside the tent!
What to consider before taking your canine camping
1. check out during the off season.
During the off-season, you will find less expensive rates and less people. This is great when you’d choose to backpack with your canine off-leash or if your canine gets really thrilled around other people and dogs.
The “off season” will be different depending on where you live and where you are going, of course.
Lindsay has done a lot of camping in the Midwest over Easter, going to a different park each time and she rarely sees other people.
That’s just not a holiday when people are out camping in that region because it’s typically still cold. She stayed along Lake exceptional in Minnesota one fall after the top foliage season and did not have to deal with anybody else there either.
2. have your canine carry his own gear.
A canine backpack is perfect. It’s useful, gives your canine a job to do and leaves him exhausted and out of trouble. You do not want to be hauling your dog’s stuff in your pack if you don’t have to.
Give him something helpful to do and have him carry his own food, water and toys. but make sure not to put anything too important in the pack like your keys, phone or purse in case your canine runs off, rolls in something gross or chooses to go swimming!
3. Bring extra canine treats.
Treats will come in useful for calling your canine back as needed when he’s off leash or getting his attention in general.
Sometimes other campers are nearby and you may need treats to distract your dog. Your pup might also be burning much more calories if you’re doing a lot of hiking or backpacking.
4. consider the weather.
Lindsay grew up with golden retrievers that could tolerate the cold pretty well, but when she took her lab mix Ace on his first winter season camping trip, he was cold and had to sit in her lap by the fire! A 65-pound canine is no lap dog!
After that, Lindsay always remembered to bring Ace’s vest along, and also an extra blanket for him if it was extra cold. It’s either that or Ace would be trying to crawl into the sleeping bag too!
5. know the park guidelines and why they exist.
Almost all parks will require dogs to be on a leash, and that’s if dogs are even allowed at all. certainly you ought to pick up after your canine and avoid him from bothering any other visitors, dogs or wildlife.
Unfortunately a lot of national Parks are pretty strict about dogs on trails and camping sites. numerous of the state and local parks are much more lenient and canine friendly. In the United States, you are usually allowed to bring dogs into national Forrest land and Public Land, but it’s best to check ahead if you’re not sure.
6. view your canine whatsoever times when he’s off-leash.
You know your own canine best, but be careful about when and where you allow him off leash.
Lindsay’s canine Ace was a sweet, calm young boy who never really wanted to wander off or bother anybody. Her young canine Remy, on the other hand, is a wild child and certainly needs to be leashed whatsoever times unless it’s a very remote campsite.
7. Don’t risk going without canine ID tags.
It’s not worth it to bring your canine without them. If he gets lost and someone finds him, there is no way for that person to contact you.
8. Be ready to deal with mud.
Your tent and gear will probably get muddier just for having your canine along! same chooses your sleeping bag, car, clothes and everything else!
Mud is probably the least of your worries when camping, but it’s something to keep in mind if you have expensive gear and a clumsy, muddy dog.
9. get your canine used to a tent at home first.
It’s a good idea to introduce your canine to your tent at home before you’re ready to call it a night on an actual campsite! That’s exactly what Barbara did with her Feist mix Wally.
She and her sweetheart chose to set up their tent for a night on their patio and see how Wally would do. Worst case scenario would be that Wally didn’t like it, and at that point he still could have slept inside.
Thankfully, Wally loved the tent/patio camping experience and slept through the night like a really good boy!
Barbara set him up in his own comfy canine bed best next to the air mattress inside the tent, and he barely moved. Wally’s one of those dogs who doesn’t care much about his surroundings as long as he’s with his people!
Barbara’s Feist mix Wally getting used to a tent at home
10. Socialization is important.
When you’re getting ready to head out on a camping adventure, you’re bound to make a lot of new experiences. You’re likely to run into:
Other people, including kids
A good amount of dogs
That being said, plan ahed and try to expose your canine to new experiences as well as people, kids, and dogs regularly before you leave on your camping trip. It’ll make him much much more unwinded on the actual trip, and in return you’ll be able to delight in it much more as well.
You can socialize your pup to nature and other people/kids by taking him hiking at local or state parks.
It’ll also pay off to take him into dog-friendly stores like pet sellers and any others that allow dogs. For example, numerous home improvement stores likes Lowe’s, home Depot, and Tractor supply allow friendly, leashed dogs. Bring high-value treats along and reward your pup for polite behavior with a bite of tasty goodness.
You could also plan doggie playdates with your friends’ or neighbors’ dogs. Alternatively, see about dropping your pup off at a doggie daycare facility once or twice per week.
Wally on a playdate with puppy Rory
See ThatMutt’s article: Is canine Daycare a good Idea? In this article, you’ll find suggestions to figure out if a particular daycare is the best one for you and your dog.
11. Bring or have access to lots of water!
Don’t count on streams or running water at parks. depending on the time of year that you’re planning your camping trip, there may not be any running water at parks and/or campsites.
That’s why it’s essential to bring enough water along for yourself and for your pup. The good thing about backpacking with your canine is that he can carry his own water.
12. Prep your dog’s paws if you’ll be doing long hikes/backpacking.
Hiking often happens on rough and/or hot terrain which can be difficult on our dogs’ paws, especially when it happens for multiple hours. Doggie paws do much better with shoes or boots when they’re exposed to hot sand, snow, and rocks for an extended amount of time.
We recommend Ruffwear’s Grip Trex all-terrain hiking boots. We also suggest to start getting your canine used to wearing them before you hit the trails, ideally weeks before your trip. That way your pup can get used to the new feeling of covered paws. They’re available on Amazon and retail for $75.00.
Another good option is to bring canine paw cream along with you. It’s a balm that you rub on your dog’s paws before you head out on an extended outdoors adventure.
It offers a shield against hot sand, snow, ice, and rocky terrain. One good option is Musher’s secret Paw Wax. It’s available on Amazon and retails for $22.00.
13. Endurance – get your canine in shape for hiking, view for overheating.
Just like us humans need to prepare our bodies for extended outdoors adventures, so do our dogs. A canine who rarely goes on walks and/or hikes will be overwhelmed with that sudden daylong hike.
His paw pads are likely to get cracks that are incredibly painful, and he won’t have enough energy to last a full day.
What you don’t want is your pup breaking down in the middle of the woods…otherwise be prepared to carry your (potentially large!) pooch back to your campsite/car!
So in preparation of your trip, take your canine for multiple daily walks as well as at least one hike a week. If you’re planning to have him wear a backpack, get him used to that as well. You can start slowly with having him wear just the empty pack for a week or so. After that, you can add some weight like water bottles, toys, and treats.
Also consider bringing a towel along that you can use to cool your canine down with.
That’s a good service to avoid overheating if there aren’t any creeks or other bodies of water you can have him stand in or walk through. simply pour a bottle of water over the towel and use it to wrap your pup’s paws in on a break.
14. helpful products.
Consider bringing some of the following products along on your camping/hiking trip. They’ll make your life a lot easier:
That Mutt Ace!
Backpack. There are numerous brands that carry high quality doggie backpacks. Not only are they useful because your canine can carry numerous of his own things, they also offer both a physical and a mental workout. We like Ruffwear‘s and outside Hound‘s packs. Both are available on Amazon and retail between $25-$150.
Long leash/tether. long leashes > 10 ft length give your canine much more freedom in areas where he needs to be leashed, as well as if he can’t be trusted off-leash quite yet. A tether is great for keeping your pup protected and safe when you have your hands full at the campsite. We’re thinking setting up your tent, preparing food, or just unwinding without having to hold a canine leash non-stop.
Poop bags. As responsible doggie handlers, we always pick up after our pups! That’s why poop bags are a no-brainer. We love Mighty Paw’s earth-friendly, durable poop bags and their poop bag holders. The latter come with a clip that can be attached to anything with a loop – think your own or your dog’s backpack, his leash, your fanny pack, etc.
Safety belt. The last thing you want is for your canine to go flying through your car if you have to slam on the brakes for whatever reason, or someone else were to hit you. That’s why we always recommend to protected your canine on car trips. Yep, we do it too! Mighty Paw’s car safety belt is our first choice. We are, of course, biased because Mighty Paw and That Mutt are partners ?
LED light. great for low-light and nighttime visibility. Mighty Paw’s LED light easily attaches to your dog’s collar but does require batteries. That’s why it’s a good idea to bring an extra battery along on your trip.
Travel bowls. ideal for water breaks for your thirsty pup. many travel bowls are collapsible and come with a carabiner that easily clips to your dog’s harness or backpack, or your own.
Dog water bottle. Some dogs don’t like to drink out of water bowls and will much prepare to drink out of water bottle instead! Barbara’s pup Wally, for example, is one of those doggie water snobs. They’re a bit much more cumbersome to bring along because they don’t collapse…but whatever works for the pooch, right?!
Dog sleeping bag. If your trip happens to be during wintertime and your pup has a wash-‘n-go coat, he’ll appreciate a warm sleeping spot, just like us. Ruffwear’s Highlands canine sleeping bag is a great option for that scenario, and retails on Amazon for $140. another option is to have him crawl into your own sleeping bag, but certainly that’ll depend on your own and your dog’s sleeping preferences.
Bear bell. If you’ll be hiking through bear territory, this is a great option to make yourself heard.
E-collar. A good option for off-leash hiking when you want to allow your canine to have some much more freedom. Make sure to train your canine to wear an e-collar before you’ll be using it on trips.
First aid kit. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so it’s a good idea to bring a first aid doggie kit along. Actually, we recommend two first aid kits: a larger one for your car/campsite, and a smaller one to bring along on hiking or biking and skiing excursions. See ThatMutt’s section What to put in a first aid kit for dogs in our short article supreme guide to canine Safety.
Tick removal tool. We’ll mention tick (and flea) repellents in section 17 of this article, but in some cases our pups still pick up a tick. For those times, it’s convenient to have a tick removal tool on you like the Tick Twister, Tick Key, or at least some tweezers.
Extra collars. Nylon collars and even leather ones CAN break or tear, so it’s a good idea to have an extra one handy, such as a chain slip collar.
15. pack minimal gear if this is a remote backpacking trip.
If you’ll be heading out on a remote backpacking trip, keep the gear you’re taking along minimal. You’ll want water, a tent, a small first aid kit, an extra collar, and food.
16. If you feed raw: dehydrated food for backpacking or a cooler for car camping.
Speaking of food – if you’re a raw feeder, you have two options. Either feed dehydrated, freeze-dried or air-dried raw, or bring a cooler along that holds your pup’s actual raw food. A Yeti cooler has the supreme cooling power that outlasts all other coolers. However, it does come at a higher price and ranges between $200-$500.
We’re both raw feeders and choose to b