CAMPING WITH DOGS

Camping with dogs is not welcomed by all campers, but it is a fast-growing phenomenon.

As children leave the house, parents who remain behind quickly experience loneliness. They soon start longing for companionship and a pet fills the void quite easily.

The Covid lockdowns of 2019 and 2020 had pet owners spend time in the house with their pets. This led to a change in the relationship many people have with their dogs. People want to take their pets with them to continue the relationship they built during the lockdown.

Although many people object to the presence of dogs at camping grounds, it is not something that is going to go away.

What do you need to know about camping with a pet?

• Plan ahead so you will be prepared for all events.
• When booking, confirm with the resort whether they are dog friendly. Some resorts welcome dogs, others don’t and some campgrounds only accept dogs in low season. Here is a list of pet friendly campgrounds and here . (Correct at the time of writing). When booking, confirm that their rules have not changed.
• Find out what the campground’s requirements are about leashes and barking rules (most dog-friendly campgrounds are tolerant of this).
• Do you have the type of dog that requires little effort or are you prepared to manage your dog’s activities? People are intolerant of dogs that leave messages on their tents or enter their caravans without invitation.
• Is your dog well-trained so it will behave well at any camp and not make a nuisance of itself?
• Can you keep your dog quiet while camping? Other campers may not welcome a barking dog next door.
• Keep a picture of your dog. It may help if your dog goes exploring in the campgrounds and can’t find the way back. The same applies if your dog gets scared and flees while you are in a foreign parking lot.
• Do not leave your dog unattended.
• Be aware of any allergies in your dog.
• Make sure your pet’s vaccintaions are up-to-date.
• Ensure your pet is microchipped. It may be costly, but it is totally worth it.
• Keep enough toys to keep your pet from becoming bored.
• Have food and water bowls at hand.
• You may be within your rights or the rules of the campground to have your pet around, but it benefits all concerned if you communicate with your camping neighbours about the presence of your pets. Most campers are tolerant of pets (and neighbours) as long as it does not encroach on their camping enjoyment. If you have special reasons for having a pet, tell your neighbours. Mutual understanding works better than insisting on your rights.
• It may also help to introduce your pet to the neighbours to make the surrounding less threatening to your pet. Not all campers are pet lovers, but most will welcome an introduction if it means that your dog won’t bark every time it sees them near your campsite.
• If your pet reacts negatively to new surroundings, people, or other pets, you may reconsider whether taking your pet along is a good idea.

What does your pet want?

As humans, we are so focused on what we want and what we think other people and our pets want, that we sometimes do not serve them well.

What does your pet like doing at home or when you go out with it? List what you observe your pet like, and try and incorporate it into your camping trip. Also, keep in mind what type of dog you have.

Most campers who take pets on their camping trips, keep dogs or birds and most dog-lover campers have a dog from the Toy Group. These include Chihuahuas, Maltese poodles, or a small type mix-breed lap dog.

These pets mostly do not require long-distance walking or other demanding activities. Most dogs enjoy a splash, so a dam is an advantage. Most campers will not be very happy if they must swim with your dog.

Generally, most campgrounds in South Africa have adequate space for lap dogs to get enough exercise.

What does the campground allow?

At the time of writing, most campgrounds in South Africa do not allow dogs.

Many are however accepting small dogs as long as the rules for camping with dogs are adhered to. Camping with dogs is still in its infancy so there are no uniform or generally accepted rules yet.

Most resorts that allow dogs have basic rules such as only small dogs are allowed, dogs must be well behaved and other campers must not have complaints about the dogs being a nuisance.

Generally, lapdogs such as Pugs, Yorkshire Terriers, Shih Tzu, French Bulldogs, and Miniature Pinschers are allowed. In contrast, dogs such as Mastiffs, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Wolf-hybrids, and Chow Chows are “perdoga non-grata”.

Other animals such as cats and birds are often a question of asking because many campgrounds have never received a request to allow them. Birds have been allowed for many years, mostly because they do not intrude on other people’s campsites. We have experienced a camper who camps with a domesticated Indian Mynah, as well as numerous campers with parrots – some quite noisy and rude! There are already cat owners who camp and hike with their cats.

Whether campers with pets will experience discrimination depends on two factors:

• How the pet owners approach their and their pets’ presence at campgrounds. Do they approach campground owners and other campers with an attitude of enforcing their rights, or do they approach it with an attitude of mutual consideration, fairness, and respect?
• How other campers approach pet lover campers. Do they approach people who camp with their pets as a burden or threat who must be stopped, or do they consider pet owners as campers with other interests and needs?

Much depends on the individual camper. Most campers do not have a problem with music as long as it is the type they like. All campers we know of, dislike too loud music. In the same vein, campers who are pet lovers or have no problem with pets will be more tolerant towards pet owners and their pets, while people who do not have or like pets and who do not want pets to encroach on their campsite, will be intolerant towards pets and their owners.

Naturally, campers who are allergic to animals as in the case of animal hair allergies will be opposed to camping with animals in their vicinity. The potential conflict arising from that can be dealt with by people communicating and finding workable solutions.

Camping should not be any different from life at home when it comes to potential conflict situations.

Pet Health

Camping with a pet demands that you are even more vigilant about your pet’s health than when you are at home.

Dogs do not have the ability to self-diagnose, so they won’t know when they suffer from heat exhaustion. They also do not sweat like humans, so they lose heat by panting and sweating through their footpads and noses. But if panting and sweating do not reduce their temperature, it may be time for the owner to intervene. Overheating can quickly become a heatstroke.

Signs of heat exhaustion:

• Increased panting,
• Heavier breathing than usual,
• Restlessness,
• Unexpected weakness and loss of balance,
• Disorientation,
• Increased or unusual agitation,
• Dry gums,
• An unusually bright red tongue and gums,
• Excessive drooling with thick saliva,
• Vomiting or diarrhea,
• Temperature over 40°,
• Increased heart rate.

If your dog overheats, move it into the shade, bathe it in cool water, and apply cloth-covered ice packs to the groin area.

Signs of heat stroke

• White or blue gums,
• Laboured or noisy breathing,
• Uncontrollable urination and or defecation,
• Lethargy or unwillingness to move,
• The dog becomes unconscious.

What does your pet need?

Your dog knows that flies is a great irritation and the only solution he knows is to scratch, flap ears, and move around irritated.

But you know that flies may cause disease especially if your dog’s coat is not clean. Diarrhea causes dirt around the perineum which attracts flies. They lay their eggs in the dirt and the next thing you know, you are at the vet. The same goes for any dirt that accumulates on the dog’s coat. As long as it is disgusting and foul-smelling, the flies will come!

Of course, you want to keep your dog clean and healthy and a pleasure to have around. There are many products on the market and each pet owner has their own likes and dislikes, but you can’t go wrong with professionally tested and natural products. Both are available online and can be ordered and delivered to most camping resorts in South Africa, with the exclusion of the most distant areas.

Things to remember – quick checklist (some optional)

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• Pet food and a bowl
• A bowl for water
• A leash
• Dog treats
• Prescription medication, if necessary
• A peg to tie your dog to or know how you will keep your dog from running around the camp unecessarily.
• Extra towels
• Dog first-aid kit
• Outdoor-safe toys
• A current photo
• Vet records and medical information
• An ID tag on the collar
• Dog waste bags
• Dog brush
• Harness
• Pet bed
• Pet rain jacket
• Paw protectors

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A sure way of increasing everybody’s joy of camping with a dog is to make sure that your dog is well-trained.

An obedient dog can save itself, and you, a lot of pain and trouble if it reacts well to instructions. (Especially commands that keep it away from snakes and wild animals). Constantly check for ticks and fleas, especially after walks in the long grass.

Don’t forget to take the dog food and bowl inside when leaving the campsite because you may receive visits from monkeys, baboons or birds who could quite easily dispose of all your pet food or damage your tent.

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