Ventura, CA)
In the middle of planning our first trip in our RV, we suddenly wondered, will our dog like traveling in this thing? Will there be eating, play time, or sleeping problems? Depression or simply boredom?
We didn’t know. But we were determined to go, and the pup was going along, one way or other. We would figure it out.
Dogs on the Road
Travel was a goal of ours, particularly as we were planning our retirement. The idea of traveling in an RV popped up because we had two dogs and wanted them along with us, and were frustrated with timeshare and hotel rules and limits. We were determined to travel WITH our dogs, and an RV presented that option.
Our senior dog Indiana, a 50-lb mixed breed border collie, loved to go for rides anywhere. The other, a mixed breed lab-border collie named Bella, not so much, with a dose of anxiety. Both were rescues with endearing personalities.
Unfortunately, before we were able to find an RV, Indiana passed away after a long fight with pancreatic cancer. A few months later, we found an RV that we believed would meet our needs for our new venture – a drivable 2020 Entegra Odyssey. We would have to see how Bella would do.
Finding thevCanine Comfort Zone
As we expected, on first trip with Bella, we could see she was confused and out of sorts. Her entire routine (not to mention ours as well) was thrown out the door. We were defining new territory. RVing was definitely a learning process for all of us. It took me about a month to get used to driving the rig on the narrow back roads and truck-crowded highways. It took several weeks for Bella to calm down with the road noise and new digs.
But the rig eventually became her safe cave. We had a round dog bed that fit nicely between the driver and passenger (navigator) seats. She stayed close to us while we drove, curled up on that bed. That became her safe zone. We also had a larger bed that easily fit in the runway for stretching out and sleeping at night.
With the road noise, loud trucks and trucks, gas and bathroom stops, we needed to keep her comfortable as we drove, made stops for gas, food and targeted destinations. But how?
We kept schedules. We tried to minimize visits to the noisy cities. We also planned our day for travel time, meals, places to stretch our legs, and downtime. We also combined gas stops with food/supply shipping, such as stopping by Walmart or Sam’s Club. Wherever there were lakes or coastline, we looked for dog-friendly beaches where Bella could get some exercise. Whenever possible we also wanted to be where we would stay for the night before dark.
Dogs Like Activities
We quickly noticed how excited Bella was when we stopped and went for walks. This required some planning since there are many places that are not dog friendly, such as rest stops by noisy highways, beaches with “No Dogs Allowed” signs, and downtown areas with no grass.
Of course the ideal places were dog beaches and parks that allowed dogs on paths.
Dogs like exploring…
National, state, and county parks offerered options but were often limited, such as no dogs are trails, only roads (e.g., Pinicle National Park). But, as with everything RVing, we learned to adapt. We would find areas for all of us to enjoy excerise and companionship.
These are simply thoughts about being on the road. Please share your experiences with us. Send pictures. We will do the same. Soon we will be off to PEI and Nova Scotia with our dogs on another RV adventure. More fun!!!