Camping with your dog – relaxed travel for people and pets alike

Leaving Rex or Rover behind for a vacation is unthinkable for many campers – and camping is the perfect vacation for many of our four-legged friends, especially dogs, as it goes hand in hand with plenty of nature, freedom and time with the family. However, travel stress can be an issue! What is the best way to prepare for a camping vacation with your dog? We have put together some helpful tips for you.

The most important points in brief

Taking dogs with you on vacation: Camping is one of the best options
From packing to picking your pitch – key things to consider for a successful trip
Tips for a well-stocked first-aid kit for your dog

Tips for a successful vacation with the “(bow-)wow factor”

Camping is a wonderful way to spend a relaxing and adventure-filled vacation with woman’s and man’s best friend. From walks on the beach to sightseeing to swimming in the sea: Enjoy the best time of the year with your dog, away from hotel stress and strict vacation apartment rules! Although cats, budgies and the like can also accompany us on our trips, statistically dogs are the number one companion when camping.

This includes two Boston Terriers called Sirius and Osito who, together with their owners Andrea and Dieter, enjoy traveling to the seaside as well as hiking and sightseeing. In this blog post, the family shares tips from their experience of camping with dogs.

What changes when you bring your dog on vacation? “The level of organization! It all starts with thoroughly researching the destination, i.e., are animals – dogs, in our case – allowed there, is the campsite dog-friendly, what activities are there to do in the surrounding area,” Dieter reports from many years of experience. After all, it can only be a relaxing vacation for everyone if you and your furry friend feel equally at ease.

Below you will find numerous practical tips – from planning your trip and getting your dog used to the camper, through to campsite codes of conduct for people and their pets.

Finding suitable campsites

Dog-friendly campsites are characterized by doggie showers, free-range areas, dog beaches or agility courses. Campsites that only allow dogs may not necessarily provide these special facilities for dogs.

Online you will find numerous websites for campsites with various facilities for dogs, for example at https://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/campsites/dog-friendly/. Camping portals such as Pincamp or camping.info also offer information and search options for campsites for dogs. The online magazine Camperstyle’s article about dog-friendly campsites provides a selection of campsites in various European countries.

Start preparations early

Travel preparations include checking in good time whether your dog needs any entry papers, whether its vaccinations are up to date, and which health risks could be an issue at your vacation destination. It is best to discuss with your vet several weeks before you travel whether any precautions or medication are necessary for your chosen destination.

Caution: Both when traveling outside the EU and when re-entering the EU, special health documents are often required, which must be issued within certain time limits. This is also true for parasite treatments. The best way to find out more is to visit the respective countries’ websites. An overview of important documents and treatments when traveling within the European Union can be found here: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/carry/pets-and-other-animals/index_en.htm.

Packing properly for your pet

Food, toys, crate, blankets, stroller: If you haven’t noticed before, you’ll notice it while packing – dogs need a lot of luggage. Are you a bit of a packing novice? Perhaps you are traveling with a dog for the first time? In that case, a detailed travel planning overview, including a packing checklist, can be helpful. Always pack a first-aid kit for humans and dogs!

Dog first-aid kit

Gabriela Schmid is an alternative animal health practitioner in Augsburg, Germany, and enjoys traveling with dogs herself. She recommends the following essentials for the first-aid kit – to be adjusted to your dog’s preferences and tolerances!

Gauze bandages
Tick tweezers
Healing clay (for vomiting and diarrhea)
Deer tallow (for dry, cracked paws)
Traumeel* ointment for dogs (for joint pain, sprains)
Valerian tea (for restlessness) – NB: Prepare a weak infusion, leave to cool, and offer alongside the dog’s water bowl!
Onion juice (against mosquito bites): Do not apply onion juice near the eyes, nose or in the inner ear!
Olive oil (for ear mites): Olive oil is best dripped into the ear with a pipette.
Aloe vera (for sunburn): A fresh plant that you can use to apply the gel from the leaf directly to the affected area is wonderful. Otherwise, ointment can be used. Collies and white cats are particularly at risk of sunburn.
Table salt (for conjunctivitis): Add one tablespoon of table salt to one liter of lukewarm water and mix well. Then use this to rinse the eye carefully. Avoid draughts and cold air at all costs (especially in the sleeping area and while driving).

Get used to longer drives with travel training

If your four-legged friend is not a keen passenger, it is best to let them gradually get used to being driven around. After all, the noise level alone when a motorhome’s engine starts up is considerably louder than that of a car. Test drives should begin a few weeks before the trip so that there is enough time for a possible training session (with a dog trainer if necessary). It is important that your dog has a safe place in the car or motorhome – somewhere they’ll be comfortable and secure with a seatbelt restraint or fixed crate.

Appropriate motorhome and caravan equipment

Space requirements and comfort are always an issue for campers. Depending on your destination, travelling time, the size and number of your dogs, as well as your individual requirements, the following (additional) equipment for your motorhome or caravan is worth considering:

Air conditioning system
Additional suspension system for improved driving comfort
Hydraulic levelling system to give vans, motorhomes and caravans a safe and stable stance
Anti-snaking system for safe driving with the caravan
Maneuvering system for comfortable caravan parking
Additional anti-theft protection, like a wheel claw

Dieter has also upgraded his caravan for extra comfort when traveling with Sirius and Osito: “Without our mover, the Mammut from AL-KO, we would have been in a fix plenty of times – whether on extremely narrow campsite plots or particularly tough gradients that were impossible to get around manually. One time a campsite’s access road was so narrow that we had to unhitch and use the Mammut to drive around the corner!” He also packs a PROSAFE wheel clamp: “The PROSAFE gives us a feeling of security, especially when our house on wheels is all alone on a campsite, as happens from time to time.”

Safety while driving

The law requires your dog to be suitably restrained in the car like any other load. Where your dog sits in your car, van or motorhome is up to you, although it basically comes down to the following options:

Transport crate in the car or rear garage
Dog crate in the motorhome (caution: projectile, make sure it is secure!)
Strapped in with a harness and seat belt.

And don’t forget: Plan enough breaks for both you and your four-legged friend!

Vacation at last! How to camp right at the campsite

Once you arrive at your destination, choosing the perfect pitch is crucial for a relaxing and restful vacation for people and pets alike. Ideally, you should choose a plot where your dog can decide for itself whether it wants to find a cool spot in the shade or bask in the sunshine. If the pitch is at the edge of the site with a bit more peace and quiet and less through traffic, this is an extra bonus.

For a secure and stable stance, level out your camper. Depending on the conditions, you may need auxiliary systems, such as a hydraulic levelling system for your motorhome or caravan. A safe and stable camper ensures relaxed sleep and pleasant rest breaks for and with your four-legged friend.

In most European countries, it is compulsory to keep your dog on a lead or tethered up on the pitch – out of consideration for other campers. First and foremost, you should always check the campsite rules to see what is and isn’t allowed. Tethering posts that are screwed into the ground using a spiral ground spike are recommended to anchor the leash. Or a mobile anchor stake, or even a suitable tree – the main thing is having a fixed counterpart for the leash. On hard ground, you can get a bracket with an eyelet that slides under one of your camper’s tires. If the dog is allowed to run off the lead, campers often like to use a dog fence so that it can move freely around your plot without getting near your neighbor’s picnic table.

Rover will certainly appreciate a warm spot in the evening or an air-conditioned motorhome on a hot day: Our electronics portfolio (https://www.cbe.it/en) offers numerous products from control panels to solar regulators – for smart, networked technology you can control via app.

Is your little vacation home on wheels all set up? Then you are ready to enjoy plenty of family time with your four-legged friend. How can you consciously pay even more attention to it on vacation? Alternative animal health practitioner Gabriela Schmid has put together some mindful care tips – for even more “(bow-)wow” on vacation!

Side note: Mindful care for your canine companion

Give your four-legged friend an extra dose of attention every day. Make a note of any abnormalities and take photos if necessary – your notes could provide important clues for a diagnosis at a later visit to the vet or alternative animal health practitioner.

Coat: Take a close look at your dog’s coat: Are there any bald patches? Is the coat dull? Does more hair fall out than usual in certain places when combing? If the coat is dull, try adding two or three drops of olive oil to your dog’s food. This should make its coat shiny again.
Paws: Before you let your four-legged friend out of the camper on arrival, check the ground’s temperature with the palm of your hand – especially on hot days. Dogs have a lot of nerve endings in their paws. Temperatures can feel a lot hotter for dogs than for humans. If your four-legged friend has dry, cracked paws, it is best to treat the pads in the evening with a deer tallow stick. They will be supple again in a few days.
Claws: Dogs’ claws trim themselves when they run properly on the ground. Regularly check that their claws are evenly worn. Irregularities when putting their paw down can indicate problems in the musculoskeletal system.
Ears: Lift your dog’s ears and check inside them. Do you notice any unevenness? Lumps or abscesses? If you see any small black dots, these could be ear mite droppings. This is especially likely if you also catch your dog shaking its head due to itching. Use a pipette to drip one or two drops of lukewarm olive oil into their ear. The olive oil kills the mites in a few days. Caution: Never scrape encrusted debris off your dog’s ears! Do not put cotton ear buds or your finger into your dog’s ear canal!
Teeth: Take a look at the mucous membranes of your dog’s mouth. Can you see any irregularities or skin abscesses? Lumps? Reddened areas? Most four-legged friends develop tartar. You can carefully scrape tartar off with your fingernail. Cleaning your dog’s teeth with special dog toothpaste and a soft toothbrush can also work wonders. For bad breath, add freshly chopped parsley to their food.

Business graduate Gabriela Schmid is an alternative animal health practitioner in Augsburg, Germany. Contact: fellnasana@e-mail.de