5 Tips For Camping With Your Dog

Dogs love to go camping, just as much as kids do, sometimes more. That being said, there are special precautions that must be made when taking a dog camping. Precautions that can make your camping trip a success and help you avoid a disaster.

Here are 5 things that you should do before taking your dog on that camping trip.

1) Apply Flea & Tick Treatment

If you are not current on your flea and tick treatment, now is the time to take care of it.

When camping in the woods, you are very likely to come across fleas and, even worse, ticks. If this happens, the best case scenario is that you find the offender or offenders quickly and will be able to take care of them as soon as you get home.

With ticks though, there is the real danger of getting sick from the bite. Ticks carry all sorts of bacteria and viruses and can make your pet very sick. Given that there are so many places on your dog’s body to hide, the best course of action is to prevent your dog from picking up one of these pests in the first place.

As far as treatment goes, you can do either a topical or an oral flea/tick medicine. Choose the one that you prefer, but know that oral routes have been shown to be more effective.

2) Get A Proper Leash

Retractable leashes are convenient, but they can be a hazard when you need to keep your dog under tight control. If you want to keep your pet under your reigns while camping and hiking, a simple 6 foot leash is the best option. Save the extra long retractable leash for your much more predictable home turf.

Besides a 6 foot leash for walking and getting around, consider picking up a short lead as well for camp. Don’t go crazy on the length, 10 to 12 feet will do. You want your pet to be comfortable and have a good time, but you need to make sure that they stay out of danger. There are many dangers that you need to keep your pet away from while camping like fires, poisonous vegetation and wildlife.

3) Research Campsite Regulations

You might think that all campsites gladly accept dogs but this is not necessarily true. Many camping grounds are in protected wildlife areas and they limit accessibility to pets. This is done in an effort to protect our impact on nature.

Before visiting a campground, make sure to define where your dog can and can not go. This is important to do on every camping trip, but it is particularly important if you will be going into an environmentally sensitive area.

4) Buy Your Dog Some Shoes

For many, this will seem silly, but a pair of shoes can make your dogs life a lot easier on the trail. Yes, your dog likely has thick pads on their feet and they may even be rather tough. This does not mean that they are ready to handle the rigors of the wild though.

Camping sites and trails are full of dangers for a dogs feet. There are sharp sticks, hot rocks that have been baking in the sun and insects ready to bite them. Your dog might seem tough, but he or she probably does not have feet that have been hardened with rough use in the wild. Like it or not, your dog has city feet and they may need to be protected.

Will your tough German Shepherd pup look a little silly in shoes? Perhaps, but shoes may prevent an injury that could cut your trip short.

5) Stock Up On Treats & Food

The last thing that you want to do is run out of food on a camping trip. With all of the excitement and the potential for hiking, your dogs metabolism will be running at a higher level. Make sure that you have enough food and treats to satisfy it.

You should also be careful to bring foods that your dog will actually eat. Since they will be out of their element, your dog might not be responsive to their normal kibble A camping trip might be a good time to bring some tastier food that you know your pet will eat, even while stressed.