How many of you take your dog/dogs along with you when you go places with your horses?  Do you have any tips for making the trip easier for both dog and owner? Do you let your dogs loose in your trailer, or do they stay outside?  My little dog loves to go in the truck with me, and I always feel so bad leaving him home when I go away for the weekend.  I know he will need the usual supplies, but have any of you found some tips or tricks to make camping with your canine easier? 

   Have any of you felt resentment from other campers over bringing dogs?

Amanda

  (QUOTE) I know he will need the usual supplies, but have any of you found some tips or tricks to make camping with your canine easier? 

        My answer is to.... "leave them at home!"

We got three Schipperke's. They don't go with us to the horse shows, and we don't take five horses and four donkey's to the dog shows! If you are trail riding for a weekend, then may be a little different. Just remember, If you got to take your dog with you.....Then keep him with you. I don't want him jumping on the side of my truck, trailer, cooler, grill, food..... ME!

  So don't you have any ill feelings against me, if I were to kick him up side the head for attempting to piss on my wheelchair tire!!

  Some folks look as though they have stopped by and cleaned out the dog pound. They spend more time looking for the dogs (and their kids, don't know which is worse) than they do riding. My dogs don't belong at a horse event and neither do yours.... That's just my hard a$$, selfish feeling.

We have two Jacks that go everywhere with us. The biggest problem with dogs at any event, is the owners. There are those who don't clean up the messes, who allow their animals to roam freely, and do nothing to prevent their dogs from barking all night.

If the dogs are too large to stay in the LQ at night, a kennel placed inside the stall area works quite well. A tie long enough to allow the dog(s) freedom to move about and seek shade under the trailer is handy. Heavy water dishes that won't be overturned easily are helpful. Plastic containers with snap lids keep their food and treats readily accessible.

Water, food, shade and containment are the main prerequisites for our dogs' welfare. Our dogs are let loose in the trailer, and we fight over who gets the couch first. A throw is necessary to keep the upholstery relatively clean, and a removable throw rug helps to alleviate the muddy paw prints on the carpeting. Whenever we are gone any length of time for classes, it's imperative that the air be left on. Just as with parked cars, the trailer will quickly heat up in warm weather.

We enjoy our dogs and are much more comfortable having them with us, rather than left in the custody of other people.

Gard

Never knew people could be so bitter towards dogs.  Evidentally someone does not know how to control them when they are camping.  I take my aussie everywhere with me.  I used to take 2, but my old girl has had to retire from riding.  My aussie girl never leaves my side and I never have to wonder where she is.  She does not poop in camp nor does she jump on anyone.  Everyone loves her and she even rides on with me when we have to ride down a highway or somewhere dangerous.  She sleeps in the LQ with me on the floor, I stay with friends and they welcome her.  However, they make their lab sleep in the horse compartment or outside.  I usually just take food for her as far as supplies.  She does not require to be tied or caged.  I do have a jack that will be going with me this year and I am sure she will have to have a cage to stay in at times. 

I am totally with icepony, Bring the dogs, leave the kids.  I want the no barking dog/no screaming kid section of the campgrounds!!

I hate it when people drag their dogs to a show. Dogs are dogs- they like to bark, run around and poop. While most people will say- my dogs never do that ( run around, bark and poop all over the place) THEY DO. I was at a show where the dog in front of my stalls barked and the dogs behind my stalls barked. Then there are the dogs on a long leashed tied to a stall that you have to navigate over and around while trying to get by with your horse. Or the kids that are assigned dog duty, they travel all over the place with fido,being dragged about,getting in the way..please leave the dogs at home.

I have hauled a 130 lb GSD with me to shows and trail rides.  There were no problems. For his sake this was my handling method.

He was a qualified obedience dog, first.

If he was outside of the horse trailer, he was with me on a leash.

If I had to be elsewhere, he was in the horse trailer, wearing a no-bark collar for insurance.  They have em at Wal-mart. (How would I know if he was yapping his head off if I was not there, some people are too polite to tell you) His bathroom was the rear of the horse trailer, bedded in shavings, for his and my convenience for clean-up. 

At no time ever was he off-lead, or left to potentially get loose, or yap.  He had his own fan, water, etc for when I was not there, with his bed,  a couple of toys.  He was a dignified and patient dog who traveled well.

I was at a ride where, a horse was tied at the hitching rail, and some folks pulled up and let their dog out.  For reasons unknown to this day, the dog immediately attacked a mare tied there, she required 1000+ stitches after he was finally beaten off by a passerby.  The dog owner was in tears, the dog had never done anything like that before, (I believed her) AND she offered and did pay for all the vet care for that mare. The owner was very traumatized, had the dog euthanized the next day.

I have been at many rides where dogs were let run loose.  This is bad management.  The trail ride management needs to make it clear that is a zero tolerance mistake, and the owners need to take responsibility and care of their animals by keeping them leashed.  I have cautioned owners about their big doberman pup, friendly enough, that he really was in danger running around loose, running up at the heels of the mule tied at the trailer.  Their response was, he's ok, he is just learning.  He learned alright.  No, the mule did not kick him in the head, I scared him away to save his life.

So, some ideas for polite dog stewardship are:

Never turned loose, only out on a leash with people.

Do bathroom breaks outside of campground, pick up after the dog, or use the trailer for same.

Invest in a no-bark collar, it can save you from the resentment of a lot of people.

Leave the dog at the trailer when you ride.  In the trailer is best, but if not feasible, a crate in the shade is the next best thing.  I have seen dogs careen through camp dragging their chain and tie out stake, causing horses to booger and at least one child get dumped and med-flighted out.  The owners of the dog received multiple lawsuits.

I have dogs, like dogs, enjoy them.  But real management is the key, and people have a hard time believing their dog could upset anyone.  Take the time to be a good dog owner for the dogs' safety and every one's sanity, including your own. 

Roaming children should be sent home after receiving a double espresso and a free cat.

Restaurants should have now, instead of smoking or non-smoking, adults solo, or adults with children!

No kiddin, love your dog enough to be a very good safe owner, most people are.  It is the few that are ignorant or non-caring that give dogs and their owners a horrible reputation in general.

I'm an animal lover,and I love dogs,cats,horses,ect.We don't have any dogs currently,we have not had good luck with dogs where we live.But I love a good dog!

Most people that bring their dogs to shows and on camp/trail rides have pretty good obedient dogs.My only issue is those that DON'T.The campground that we go to twice a year has the rule that if the dog isn't on a leash,it will be caught and then the owner asked to leave with their dog.They announce this at a meeting the night before the ride begins,and everyone that I've seen complies with it.

I don't trail ride with folks that bring a dog along on the trail anymore.We were riding with some people that brought along their dog,and hey,a dog's a dog,so,it was running around in/out of the woods doing a dog thing,hunting.Some horses don't tolerate this very well,and when the dog ran out suddenly chasing something a lady was nearly thrown when her horse bolted,and then,the rest of us almost had a rodeo because of it.

I was at the above mentioned camp last year,and our friends were camped next to some people that had a large aggressive dog tied on our friends' side of the trailer.This was where they had to tie their horses to saddle them.Every time they were there,this dog would growl,bark,and run to the end of his leash at the horses.My friends' husband finally made the remark (apparently within earshot of dog's owner) that he was going to adjust the dog's attitude.They moved the dog to the other side of the trailer (on their camper door side where he should have been in the first place.) For the duration of the ride,the dog ran to the end of the leash on THAT side at horses that came by.

That dog had NO business being on the ride with the owners. That all being said,most of the time I've been around people camped with good dogs that don't bother anyone,but it is because their owners don't allow them to bother anyone.

I see people carrying their dogs into Lowe's,Tractor Supply on a leash (NOT a service dog,either) and that's where I start to think they need their head examined,however.

Our two dogs, (a cattle dog/aussie and a border collie/kelpie) go everywhere with us, and always make our trips more enjoyable.  They usually go to ropings with us, but we have camped with them too.  We don't let them go into other people's campsites, they stay with us in our campsite.  We don't take them with us on trail rides, so we leave them in the back of the trailer when we are out riding.  We put the drop down doors down and open all the windows so it stays cool.   I also lock the back doors of the trailer, so that someone couldn't let them out or take them.   I had someone see me let me dogs out of the back of the trailer one time, at a roping, who told me he really liked my cattle dog and if he had known he was back there he said would have taken him.   

Edited to add:  In our travels, I find there are more unrully children, who's parents let them run wild than people who have unrully dogs.  

Hot topic as always...  The trail riding/camping club I'm in has grappled with this issue for years.  There are many places that allow dogs and some that don't due to the issues already mentioned above.  Any Fla state park, state forest, WMA area, etc that does allow dogs requires them to be on leashes, but only about 1/2 of the members comply. 

I happen to love dogs (don't own any) but I don't appreciate stepping in their messes and especially hate it when they pees on my stuff!  But when discussions occur, feelings get hurt, people get mad, etc  .  I do enjoy petting my friends dogs to get my "dog fix" in and I do find I miss them at places that don't allow them.

But I've also found it's just not worth it to complain as some of the hardest working members of the club have dogs and no one is going to stop them from bringing them on campouts....    sigh... if all dog owners were responsible, there wouldn't be an issue about bringing them...  utopia is far far away

I won't argue that at all, but I have dang sure seen more dogs fighting than kids fighting at show. And while kids will make a mess of a bathroom, they don't poop right by the truck door where I drag it in with me and have to smell it all the way home.

Now that being said, a well trained dog is no different than a well behaved kid. The dog will sit when told, stay when told, and heel when told. Dog owners are no different than parents. There are responsible ones, and not so responsible ones. Just use common sense. If your (dogs or kids) has ever taken off when you called to you, or has no manners (kids or dogs) and just relieves itself anytime (hopefully just dogs on this one, but NOTHING would surprise me), and if you have to keep it in a cage or on a leash to keep it within 10' of you for extended periods of time (dogs or kids once again), then you probably should figure out other arrangements while you are camping or at a show.

Originally written by HaulinHorses on 2008-04-23 11:00 AM

My little Jack Russell has me well trained.  She can sit wherever she wants in the truck, and she can sleep wherever she wants in the trailer.  I feel priviledged that she allows me to drive her around and share the truck and trailer with her.

As the servant of two Jacks, I was amused at a bumper sticker that read "Jack Russels are shaped like a football for a reason...."

At a restaurant I frequented was a sign, "unattended children will be rounded up and sold for slaves."

As I was walking through the airport after my shift, several children were seen running about screaming, and behaving badly with their parents oblivious to it all. One of my fellow co-workers observed the melee and made the comment, "Now I know why some wild animals eat their children"

Gard

If you visit Big Creek Trail Ride in MO,you'll see them on a leash,or you won't see them at all.Brent will make sure of that.

I have one of the most well behaved, gentle labs you could ever be around. The dog is walked on a leash and we try to be responsible dog owners. A few months ago we went on a "work the trails" weekend. Hubby, who is always in camp as he doesn't ride, got to go out on a truck and do some trail work. For the first time, Dusty got put in the rear of the horse trailer with food and water. It was Feb and a nice day. When we got back about four hours later, we were horrified to find out our perfect dog had turned into a monster. He tore the rubber off the wall of the trailer and the handles off of two hay bags. And he barked all the time we were gone. Needless to say, we felt bad.  Now, he is not allowed to go unless Hubby is going to be in camp.

This reminds me of a friend who used to tell me that her dog "knows to stay home and never leaves the place and doesn't get into trouble" even though he was never kept in a yard or on a line.  Came home one day to find him shot after he was getting into a neighbors yard doing mischief.  She was surprised to think that he was bad when she wasn't watching.  You never really know what they're up or what they are capable of when you aren't supervising.

Sadly it's the "bad parenting" of a few that allow pets (and children) to become nuisances for others.  Then they wonder why others harbor such resentment.  It's like the neighbor that has the dog that barks all night long (or the screaming kid in a public place).  The "owners" become immune to the bad behavior and it's the rest of us being driven crazy. 

We used to go riding at Bandera State park in south/central Tx and the park rangers would take any dog off leash.  The owners had to pay a fine to get them back.  If the owners wanted to stay at the park a few more days the dog had to remain in the parks kennels and the owners had to pay for that as well.  They watched the trails on dirt bikes with binos and would go get dogs that people let go out on the trail. 

My horses aren't afraid of dogs, we have 2 english mastiffs and had 2 muts who have since been put down due to old age and the horses just don't like them.  My 2yr old was attacked as a week old filly and since then none of my horses want dogs near them.  They will go out of their way to stomp any dog that gets in their pen/field.   If we come across a dog while riding if it gets close they will kick at them.  When ever I see a dog loose we will ride on the opposite side of the road from its home and if it crosses the road I will keep my horse moving forward but will not punish them if they kick the dog.  They are off their property. 

Sadly, we did not. It was totally our fault and luckily he forgave us for our stupidity. 

Placing a dog inside a kennel, within your trailer, will alleviate some of these problems. If a dog is kennel trained, he will be more secure in an unfamiliar situation and place.

We place our dog's pillow, blanket and toy in the kennel, and he is very content to sleep in there with the kennel door open all night. We often do this in hotel rooms when we travel by car.

Gard

Not so much the thought of theft, but we worry about the loose dogs that roam about and even other owners walking their dogs on a long leash. We put the dogs in the LQ while we are at the classes. While we are at the trailer, the dogs are either tied outside or inside the LQ.

Gard

And that's why we go through the efforts of bringing them with us when we travel.

Gard

That's great, but what if you don't have someone at home to watch the dogs or someone where to leave them other than a kennel. My dog travels with me all year long and she is better behaved than most children.

I won't leave my dog tied to the trailer because I'm afraid of her getting tangled up and choking or something, but if I leave (to show or ride) she goes in the trailer or the tack stall.

We have very large dogs and don't usually take them when we travel.  My dogs are on a self feeder and waterer.  When we go out of town we simply make sure the feeder is full (we have 2 and they hold 50 lbs each and will last two weeks) and that the waterer is in good shape and working properly.  Of course they prefer to drink out of the horse water trough, but they have to watch for the horses.  They don't like sharing it. 

For the horses when we travel we put out a round bale of hay, make sure the float is working in the trough and they are good to go.  We have a neighbour that will look over the wall and check that everyone is up, accounted for and moving right.   

I haven't heard of any rules prohibiting pigs from a horse show.

While I sympathize with you, you could easily substitute "friend's well mannered child" or "friend's well mannered gelding".  If a horse is startled by anything an accident can happen.  It is a good point that dogs, pigs, people or other horses should ALWAYS remain a horse's length distance away from a horse-I've been preaching THAT for as long as I've been teaching and riding.