Photo credit: Allan Clark
Let’s face it: Americans are enamored with their dogs. We dress them in raincoats at the first drop of rain, and contort our bodies so Fido has room on our bed. It makes sense that we want to take our dog on vacation with the family. Traveling with an RV allows you to bring the kids, all their paraphanlia and still have room to bring the dog on an RV vacation. (We once met a couple traveling in a small motor home with two St. Bernards!)
No RV? Calculate the cost of renting an RV from a company such as El Monte RV. You won’t have to pay for a boarding kennel or pet sitter. It might be cost effective to vacation at a public or private campground where you can cook your own meals, hike, swim and walk the dog.
In the event you decide to travel with your dog, keep these factors in mind:
- RVs get hot in the sun, just like cars. Make sure not to leave your pet unattended in the RV on a hot day. Even with windows open, dogs quickly get overheated.
- Call campgrounds ahead of time to check their pet policy. Some campgrounds have restrictions about certain breeds or even size of dogs.
- Your kids stay secured with seatbelts and your dog needs to be secured also. Keep your dog in a crate while driving to avoid injury to the dog and passengers.
Check Pet Policies at Your Destination
Some national and state parks allow dogs only on certain trails. Read signs carefully because those fines can be costly! Hike With Your Dog gives practical trails where dogs are welcome.
The same goes for beaches. Some beaches allow dogs to roam off-leash at certain hours. Others require dogs to be on-leash at all times. Check sites like Pet Friendly Travel to find beaches that welcome dogs. Then enjoy the fun of having your dog shake off the sand inside the RV!
Those bright yellow KOA Kampground signs along the freeway point the way to fun…for your family and your dog. Many KOA Kampgrounds offer special K-9 dog playgrounds. Your dog can frolic inside a fenced area complete with ramps, tunnels and other devices for exercise. Download the KOA app to find campgrounds offering the Kamp K-9.
For additional information on RV’ing with your pet, check out Go RV’ing. This website offers pet safety tips as well as general information on campgrounds actross the country. Go RV’ing will make your RV trip a pleasant experince…with or without your St. Bernards!
Taking your dog can add fun and exercise to your vacation. Plus you’ll avoid the agony of seeing his sorrowful eyes when you leave him at the kennel!
We traveled with our dog in our RV. He got a bit nervous when the engine started or when the generator was running so I kept calming tabs on hand for those occasions. We once met a family that was traveling with their pot belly pigs- not just one or two- they had a whole litter of them!