Dogs overnight in the bush?

JGON

JGON

Joined
Mar 12, 2010
Messages
975
Hi all,

I love hiking, backpacking, camping, fishing, etc, and I just recently got my first dog and he seems to share my passion for the outdoors. I would really like to take him on an overnight with me sometime soon, but I want to make sure he's got what he needs to stay with me safely and comfortably in the Wisconsin wilderness. Anyone got any thoughts?

Do you tie him up at night or keep him in your tent? If you aren't using a tent and are making a brush shelter, hammock camping, or tarp camping, what would you recommend? Do you bring anything for him to lay on at night?

My dog is a lab mix, and he likes to explore. He also jumps at any sounds that he hears at night, even in the house, so I'm concerned it might be sensory overload for him to be outside overnight.

Any suggestions you have would be great.

Thanks,

JGON
 
I've done both, with varied success. I've camped with my Pitbull up at a friends, so she was off leash. Throughout the night she would get up bark and come back.
In a tent, she would just want out, still would bark at noises.
She is a quiet dog otherwise, they all bark at strange noises in strange places.
I'll be trying a tarp shelter this weekend. She will be tied up, but able to lie next to me, as usual.

Have fun, I'd try tying your dog up at night. He'll be safer.
 
medically,please
make sure your dog has tick stuff
I dont know if its a repellent,something from the vet or what
but the dogs need something to prevent the ticks (and other bugs) from
eating them alive and giving them diseases.
Your vet could advise you on what your dog would need for such outings

Im sure the dog would love trips with you. :thumbup:
 
I've got a couple of great leashes (Ruffwear "Roamer") that are designed to buckle around you waist while you jog with your dog. They have bungee cords sewn within so they can stretch and extra 4 feet or so. I mostly hammock-camp, so before I sleep I'll hook each dog's leash around the base of each of the two trees from which my hammock is suspended. I lay an old fleece blanket under the hammock - for me to stand on when I'm getting in and out, and for the dogs to sleep on if they wish - the bungess stretch to allow them access. Works out well - and as a bonus, they serve as an early-warning system should the critters try to get me. If they jump up or move suddenly, they shake me awake in my hammock and I leap up, six-guns a'blazin'. lol
 
Try to "campout" at home outside first to see how he reacts. Then you can judge from there. As far as shelter goes, if your really cold the he is too.
 
Good advice so far. Mine would be to ease the dog into it and allow it a little more leeway as far as discipline is concerned. Don't be a push over but allow the dog to bark a little. Instead of getting on her right away, stand near her and comfort her. She'll bark out of the fear of being in a strange place and your comfort and calmness will do more to get rid of the barking then yelling. Also, go to a place you know well the first few times so that you'll be calm the whole time. If she reads you that this is routine for you it'll help calm her nerves as well. Take it slow and realize dogs have their own personalities. There's a chance, slim but there, that she'll never get used to it. It's your job to know if you're dog is okay with it or not no matter how bad you want her there. Give it a good go though.
 
It just depends on the dog and of course it will take some time and experience before you know how yours reacts. I don't bring anything for them to lay on but it is nice to have a hand towel to wipe of paws before they come in the tent. If I'm tarp camping I just let mine curl up next to us and they stay put usually until early morning when they'll get up and wander around the site a bit. Rarely do they bark so if they do, out comes the flashlight.

A lab mix will handle the elements just fine but I've known quite a few that had minds of their own so stay disciplined with the training.
 
Shotgun said:
Good advice so far. Mine would be to ease the dog into it and allow it a little more leeway as far as discipline is concerned. Don't be a push over but allow the dog to bark a little. Instead of getting on her right away, stand near her and comfort her. She'll bark out of the fear of being in a strange place and your comfort and calmness will do more to get rid of the barking then yelling. Also, go to a place you know well the first few times so that you'll be calm the whole time. If she reads you that this is routine for you it'll help calm her nerves as well. Take it slow and realize dogs have their own personalities. There's a chance, slim but there, that she'll never get used to it. It's your job to know if you're dog is okay with it or not no matter how bad you want her there. Give it a good go though.
Click to expand...

Good info.^
I've taken three different dogs camping with me. My Lab and German Sheppard and then My German Sheppard and Siberian Husky. I tent camp and they were most comfortable in the tent. I tried the leash outside and they were jumpy and barking a lot.
 
I have taken my Dog with me before. I pick a spot with a large enough clearing (no trees) and put her on a 30ft leash. Gives her a big circle to run/play in and then I sleep on the ground within that circle and have my fire just outside of her area. Keep a close eye on your dog if you do. Night sounds/smells reek havoc with their senses. Mine doesnt sleep very well and is very tired when we get home. Bring lots of water for your dog and check it often. Training on a leash at home before is important if you go this way. My dog does pretty well when tied out but for some reason Dogs always want something 3 inches farther away than the leash is long. As suggested, if possible, try it in your backyard or somewhere close to home first . Good Luck!
 
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I have a Golden Retriever that accompanies me on most of my outings. When tent camping he sleeps in the tent. If we are hammock camping i use 15ft leash that i loosely breaded out of 550 cord so it has a little give to it. I don't feel like i need to use it with him but better safe then sorry. As for medication he is up to date on all of his shots and i use a topo-spray (Advantix) and hes good to go. In reference to barking and anxious behavior, I have no real problems. He may pop his head up at night and listen to something but he doesn't bark. As mentioned before, it really depends on the dog temperament and disposition. I've taken my dog on many multiple nighters where we were backpacking and on the move. He was fine off leash the whole time. But i have friends who have a dog and its a total nightmare to have him along. so just test the waters and go from their. If your interested in some functional gear for your dog check out what Ruff Wear has to offer. i have several of their products that make camping easier. For instance when backpacking he carries his own food, treats and poop bags as well as some other random things for him in his own pack. I also found that the dog booties that they have are really beneficial in snow or hot conditions to protect his feet on long trips. Hope this provides some ideas, best of luck to you my friend
Troy
 
Out current yellow lab mix loves the outdoors as most do. I try and let him off the leash as much as possible, but his exploration often gets beyond line of sight. We mostly do hammock camping, so I just use a piece of 550-cord and tie up a short runner near the hammock as he will sleep under my hammock or my sons. I do recommend getting them a dog pack if they're big enough and you can find one that fits well. He carries his own food, small bowl, runner line, treats and a small plastic trowel I'll use to bury up his dookies.

A dog is a great companion and early-warning device. It usually takes him an hour or so to calm down at bed time, but unless the ratcoons or possums mess with our camp, he adjusts. If you do tent camping and decide not to have him inside with you, make sure he has rain cover.

ROCK6
 
I just googled "dog camping tent", and I found a lot of stuff like this...

pet_tent2.jpg


Probably not necessary, but definitely worth looking into. I do a mixture of tent camping and hammock camping. I will set something up in the ravine near my house and see if he is ok in the tent with me. If he is nervous and trying to get out, then I will consider a leash outside. I will test both before I try an overnight.

Thanks for all the advice so far!

JGON
 
JGON said:
I just googled "dog camping tent", and I found a lot of stuff like this...

pet_tent2.jpg


Probably not necessary, but definitely worth looking into. I do a mixture of tent camping and hammock camping. I will set something up in the ravine near my house and see if he is ok in the tent with me. If he is nervous and trying to get out, then I will consider a leash outside. I will test both before I try an overnight.

Thanks for all the advice so far!

JGON
Click to expand...

If I got one of those for Zeus--He would call room service and request a steak

I think that it would be a GREAT idea if there were a lot of biting insects out--but I think keeping the Dog in it would be the problem

:)
 
My dog cisco just about took out the screen door on my outback tent one night trying to get a coon or what ever but I would rather be with him than without. At 106 lbs and half wolf he keeps the 2 legged varmits at a distance.
 
If its wet out, I'll make a tarp shelter for her to sleep under and store my gear under. It works the same way when I use a hammock.

DSC03580.jpg
 
I am no dog expert, but if he spends time with you in the woods, say, all day, and then you guys bed down...he might growl at some stuff, but I bet he just lays down near you and hangs out...after dark, he wont go to far from you, unless he is just wild and young...(sometimes dogs can be knuckle heads, just like humans)
I used to camp with my Greyhound/ Lab mix all the time when I was a kid, in the winter he would sleep on my legs, over my bag, or next to me...I loved having him with me...I always had someone to listen to my bull shit, and he never interrupted with a story of his own.
 
Joezilla said:
If its wet out, I'll make a tarp shelter for her to sleep under and store my gear under. It works the same way when I use a hammock.

DSC03580.jpg
Click to expand...

Nice looking Pup Joe!
 
I started my pup out in the wild at a very early age of 8 weeks. Just started with day hikes that eventually evolved into late evenings. I wanted to get him acclimated to the smells, sounds, sights, texture of the ground, water, snow etc. Now that he is 10 months old he lives with me in the wild where I spend a significant amount of time. As a young pup we spend out first night out together in the back yard of my home to get him used to not sleeping in the house and being used to the cold.

The key is acclimation - gradual acclimation. If the dog is used to the wild then no problem..if not then you need to take some time to get him/her adjusted. They will run off after critters or if scared if they are not properly adjusted.

Next is obedience training. I've started mine and we've been through 9 weeks of puppy obedience, 9 weeks of intermedate obedience, and now we're at week number six in Advanced training with a blend of Schutzhund and Agility. The advanced course is all off leash with tons of distractions which is helpful in the wild. Also the Agility helps them learn to jump, crawl and work in other than flat environments. This has helped him work with me in dense timber down environments. He can crawl over things...but to go through things (trees down and crawl through an opening) used to make nervious. He'll crawl through a drain culvert now on command!

Finally I'm working with an instructor and we're doing tracking and searching training weekly which requires more time in the wild including overnight training sessions and working in pitch dark.

The bottom line is I'm basically living with this dog and our bond is solid. It sometimes takes time and you got to take it one step at a time. So at night when camping/training in the wild it is no big deal to bed down for the night regardless if it is a Wall Tent with wood stove (dog's fav), a tarp shelter, or under the stars. The dog is driven to be comply with my commands and to stay with me to protect me (Schutzhund) and the rest of the pack.

The only thing I do differently is at night I have a Photon Red LED I attach to his color and turn onto the lowest setting (very dim) so when he is out for a tinkle or whatever I can see where he is at and keep track of him.
 
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