UKH

Some of you may remember my thread a while back about getting a dog. Well our wee Benji is a very energetic 7 and half month old now, and we introduced him to his first hill yesterday. We realise that he still can't go too far, only did a small loop on Dumyat (small lump at the end of the Ochils), but we haven't seen him so excited before! Now looking forward very much to the summer when he will be able to start proper hill walking and thinking about how you deal with wet, smelly and bouncy dogs around tents and bothies? A bothy will clearly be much easier, as long as he doesn't bother other users etc, but I can imagine tents might need some training and planning?

I had hoped I could convince him to sleep in the porch so keeping the interior of my tent and my sleeping bag clean and dry, but when I mentioned this to someone they just laughed at me! Am I deluded in thinking this might work? (He is a very warm dog - seeks out cooler places to lie down most of the time, so won't need to be inside although he might want to be!)

Other suggestions I had received were using a bivi bag keeps your sleeping bag clean, and someone yesterday told me that he gaffer tapes socks onto his dog's paws to stop them ripping the groundsheet! (Benji would chew the socks off in a matter of seconds!! There is no way this would work for us, but he is a smaller dog than this other chap's dog, so hopefully less destructive)

Do you generally take a dog bed or some spare roll mat for the dog?
Dog towel so that he is less wet and smelly in the tent?
maybe your dog sleeps outside the tent with a stake in the ground to keep in close?
There are bound to be loads of little tips and tricks that people do, and I would love to hear them. Things like the socks above are something I would never have thought of.

Thanks

In reply to girlymonkey:

Mine slept fine in the porch on his bed with a stake (no groundsheet and I didn't want him escaping under the sides) when I was in a trailer tent, another time he was in the tent with me, no real issues either way. Old towels are useful for cleaning paws.

In reply to marsbar:

Did your tent and kit get filthy when he was inside with you?
What tent did you have where he slept in the porch?

In reply to girlymonkey:

I've never tented with my dogs (but it is something I feel I have/are missing out on) but I can't imagine mine accepting the porch over the inner.

How about a Trailstar, a Mid or something similar ?? No worries about damaging the tent floor then. A cut down roll mat and a kiddies sleeping bag for the dog ??

With my pair being Lurchers, any night time sound would probably have them exciting the tent sharpish. Not good!!

In reply to girlymonkey:

could you get one of those beach / fishermans shelter type tents for the dog and kit it out with a bit of old carry mat and a dog bed and stake a leash to keep him "local"?

make sure he can't pee on your tent in the night though

In reply to rallymania:

That might add a bit more weight than I would want to carry if I was on my own with him, but I like the idea. Maybe a small tarp for him would do similar.

I think at this stage a stake and leash (metal leash!!) will definitely be necessary unless he is inside the inner. Maybe less necessary as he gets older

In reply to girlymonkey:

Small cut down mat for him to sleep on and one of those lightweight travel towels to dry him off. Have him in the tent with me and chuck a jacket over him if it gets cold. He loves it, never took any training and doesn't cause any issues other than one time when he was sick.

In reply to girlymonkey:
There's no way my dog could be persuaded to sleep in the porch, he likes to be tucked in the tent with me I use a lightweight bivvy bag to keep my sleeping bag clean and take a blanket for him to curl up on.

As long as kit is packed away there's no real issue with stuff getting in a mess as long as the dog is cleanish and dryish when we get in the tent. He is short haired, which helps a lot with that.

Food needs to be carefully packed though if you want it to still be there in the morning!

In reply to Andypeak:

hmm, dog sick in the tent sounds highly unpleasant!! lol

In reply to shuffle:

I am wondering if he would sleep on the bottom of my sleeping bag (it's miles too long for me) to save me carrying anything else for him if I have him inside. Obviously, sleeping bag would need to be in bivi bag for this.

His hair looks short, but is immensely thick. It takes AGES to dry! I think this will serve him well on the hill as he will rarely be cold, but it could be very unpleasant in the tent over night!!

In reply to girlymonkey:

Mine would be happy to sleep like that, but I'm tall and there's no spare fabric at the bottom of the bag for him to curl up on.

You could try one of these to keep the wet/mud of Benji's fur

https://www.equafleece.co.uk/dogs/fleece/dog-jumper

My dog has got a couple. They seem expensive, but last ages and keep him really warm and dry.

In reply to girlymonkey:

You need to think about cooking arrangements too. Dog + stove + food = potential disaster. If the weather's nice, take the dog out of the tent and tie him up a safe distance from the catering arrangements.

In reply to girlymonkey:

I would think that at home he should have his own bit of blanket/fleece that is always in his bed where he sleeps - that is his bed and comfort, his very own place. When you camp just take the piece of lightweight fleece with you and that is then "his spot" in the tent or porch, you may have to train him to this.

In reply to girlymonkey:


I'd also make sure that you can deal with him around people!

I've spent a number of hours on each of the last 4 days walking on Ashdown Forest, with a large pack, training for a load-carrying race next week, and the percentage of "wet smelly and bouncy" dogs that have come running up to me, leaped up at me or tried to tangle themselves in my feet was very high. I'd say over 70% of the dogs out their with their owners who came within 50-60 yards of me did this. One (of a pack of 3 with one owner) actually knocked me over. Everyone was saying "sorry", "he's only playing", "don't worry, she just wants to be friends" etc....Mostly I just smiled and said "it's OK" while thinking inside "No, it's not OK, if you want to bring your dogs into interesting wild spaces you should be able to control them". A couple of times I did say that, on both occasions getting a mouthful of abuse from the owners.

So great to take him out, but if he *is* as excitable as you imply, please train him to behave around people, as well as around tents and bothies!

In reply to Andy2:

Good tip! I hadn't considered that

In reply to Rob Naylor:
I'm with you Rob , I don't have a dog, not because I don't like them, I just don't like them enough to offset the negative aspects of owning one.

So when I'm at times forced to deal with the negative aspects of other's dogs ( as you describe) caused by irresponsible owners not keeping their 'playful' dogs under close control ( including controlling their barking ) I'm, like you , very unhappy when this happens , and I will (politely ) say so. But instead of apologies, am often met with a mouthful from said irresponsible dog owners.

In reply to Moley:

He actually isn't that attached to a bed. He sometimes lies on one, but often chooses not to. I think he gets too warm for a bed much of the time. It might be easier to get him to use a 'bed' (fleece) when we are out camping as it will likely be cooler than the house. (Our house is never that warm really, but still too warm for him at times)

In reply to Rob Naylor:

absolutely, this is one reason I wouldn't take him to a bothy yet! When we pass people in the park etc, I put him back on the lead and make him sit. He's not delighted with the concept and if he wasn't on lead he would be bothering them. Indeed, he would only be playing and wanting to say hello, but he has to learn that not everyone wants that!! I make him sit before I let him go and play with other dogs too as I need to be sure that the other owners get a chance to let us know if playing with their dog is not ok. As yet, all of this has to happen on the lead as he won't do it off lead yet. We are very strict with him on manners - he's not allowed to jump up to greet people coming into the house either, he is kept out of the hallway when we open the door and when he is allowed to meet them (after we have fully greeted them and welcomed them) we ask people to turn their backs on him if he jumps up and not talk to him until he sits. Hopefully he will eventually settle enough that he will do these things more naturally!!

In reply to girlymonkey:

Done plenty of bothying and camping with my border collie, 18 years and now retired.

Did many a trip with him carrying his own kit and food in panniers.

http://www.ruffwear.co.uk/dog-gear/packs/palisades-pack

In reply to girlymonkey:


It mainly went on the wife

In reply to girlymonkey:

Our dogs have always slept at the foot of the tent but we are not tall. I wouldn't want them outside and they wouldn't tolerate it either. It's hard for a dog to sleep alone in a strange place. Ours are much more alert camping than at home.

In reply to girlymonkey:

No matter what you take, you're dog will find the comfiest, warmest place he can once you're asleep.
My old Border Terrier always ended up at the bottom of the sleeping bag with her nose sticking out of the zip.
Old collie always ended up on the thermarest and shunned the karrimat I had for her.
The only steps that I took were to dry them with a light fleece/per tex towel and to use a sleeping bag cover.
They're good company in a tent and soon settle once fed if properly knackered.
Enjoy. Mine will be off camping in the spring too and can't wait!

In reply to girlymonkey:
For my dog I've bought one of these:

https://www.hurtta.com/global_en/slush-combat-suit

They're not particularly cheap, especially in the larger sizes - so could be worth holding off until your dog is fully grown. But it could be perfect for your needs: it fully covers all four limbs and the chest, and is waterproof - a massive bonus if the weather turns British and you're out unexpectedly long. You can just strip it off him, wipe down his paws (and the undercarriage ) and your dog's clean and dry to go into the tent.

He also has one of these:

https://www.hurtta.com/global_en/frost-jacket

The frost jacket offers less coverage and is less waterproof, but it's a bit less of a faff to get it on.

Luke

In reply to girlymonkey:

Because you'll be out with him overnight, I'd also massively recommend getting plenty of reflective stuff for him to wear - and consider attaching a light or two around dusk.

You could also consider training him to recall to a specific whistle, which you carry with you when you're out and about. He'll be able to hear that over longer distances than your voice.

In reply to girlymonkey:

Or more fun (and always there when you need it), you could get him to recall to a yodel

In reply to girlymonkey:


That's brilliant. Sounds like you're one of the minority (from recent encounters) of people who are taking the trouble (and I realise it is a lot of trouble) to train their dog properly!

In reply to girlymonkey:

Dogs and camping mix very well.

However, I'd wait till they had finished teething and eating all your favourite shoes, boots and under-garments before venturing out in an expensive tent. This could be anywhere from 18 months to a couple of years.

With my Ben, I first used a cheap £20 tent and kipped in the garden with him for a few nights to acclimatise to the strange environment. After that then you and the dog will sort of muddle through somehow. But by that stage you won't care too much about how he smells or how messy he gets out and about, especially when you are cold and he's a portable hot-water bottle.

Only once did Ben tell me that he was not a happy bunny but then he had good reason to be. One night a couple of mates and a dog slept in a Macpak Minaret on the summit of Ingleborough, while Ben and I slept in a bivi bag under a tarp at the sumit shelter. As the wind and unexpected rain picked up, Ben got upset and told me in no uncirtain terms that he was not happy with me.

Moments later I shoved my head into an already full two man tent, comprising of two adults and a dog, and said "We're coming in". Who'd have thought a two-man tent would hold three men and two medium sized dogs?

I, surprisingly, slept well.

When I took Ben camping, I brought an extra ground mat for him with some blankets. However he mostly slept inside my down jacket or curled up around the bottom of my sleeping bag. I never once thought to put him in the porch. Its cold out there and very easy to escape from.

I would leave a metal spike outside and have the cable inside the tent. When ever Ben wanted out for a call of nature, I would clip the cable to him before letting him out into the night.

In reply to girlymonkey:

Great thread this. Loads of great input.

Remember that if you take your dog for a long hill day and a night out bring more dog food than normal. They'll use more fuel (probably a lot more than you when they run twice the distance finding smells!)

Have fun.

In reply to bouldery bits:

Indeed, some great ideas here.

For the immediate future he will be on a lead until we are absolutely sure of regaining control of him with so much space and so many smells around, so this will limit his running a bit. We have a long lead though, so still run lots.
How would you judge how much extra to take?

In reply to The Lemming:

I think he'd be ok on the chewing front as long as he is sufficiently tired. He mostly doesn't chew stuff that he's not meant to and when he does it is usually because he is bored and wants your attention. Even at that, he is getting much better at using other methods to get our attention.

I like the idea of using a festival tent in the garden first!

In reply to Rob Naylor:

It is so much work! We are even insisting that he sits and waits at doors and gates for us to go through first before he does - this was hugely frustrating for all of us for a while but he is much better at it now.
I come from a non doggy family, I think this helps my perspective on how some people view dogs. If I can train my dog to be acceptable to my mother (not quite there yet!) then he will be acceptable to everyone!

In reply to girlymonkey:

Interesting comments all round.

I have a working-strain black Lab (they're quite a bit smaller than the show type) and she sleeps on a piece of bedding next to my bag. In terms of when I'm on the hill she's usually on a lead, but when I do let her off, she's well-enough trained to sit and stay beside me when there's other people of dogs. I was out in the Peak District recently and each time I encountered someone, that's what I did and several people thanked me: I'm a real dog person, but I understand that some people are not.

In reply to girlymonkey:




Personally, I wouldn't have a long lead for him to run around on; I've trained mine so that the lead means she walks to heel, and which helps with training to walk to heel off the lead. My Lab's from highly-trained working gundog stock and is pretty well trained, but the only time I can't get her to recall is when there's something disgusting to smell, eat or roll in (usually some kind of poo). She's perfect when there's animals / other dogs or people around and comes to heel straight away, but a bit of wild excrement and she regresses a few thousand years!

In reply to poppydog:

I think it was TallClaire on this very site who once suggested an old fleece with the bottom sewn up as a sort of inside tent dressing gown. With a bit of creative sewing it would be easy enough to adapt a fleece to fit and it would allow the dog to dry off in the tent without getting mud everywhere.

In reply to girlymonkey:

Biggest mistakes i have made are - 1. Wild camping with dog in winter - Even after a towel dry, pupper just wouldnt dry out and warm up with the low temperatures and damp conditions regardless of how much stolen body heat & layers she was given.

Had to bail on that trip and accept a 3 hour walk to the car. The dog enjoyed the walk home.

2. Thinking a 2 man tent is big enough for me, my rucksack and an antsy doberman who is a madam and wont settle.

Most of the time its a blast though. full cheapo foam roll mat to protect the tent a bit, light fleece blanket for drying/keeping warm/tent protecting and get a dog rucksack so they can carry their own food/blanket/roll mat.

In reply to poppydog:

He was 6 months when we got him. He had no recall and pulled like a train on the lead. In order to relieve frustrations on both sides we needed to let him run, so long lead comes into play (10m long). We also have a short lead for teaching him to walk nicely on lead and are starting to get walking to heel. Slow process but we are getting there

In reply to girlymonkey:
Haven't camped with my dog for a little while now, but I use a mountain laurel designs supermid (a previous version) when I do. It's a floorless pyramid shelter and he's happy enough in that. I tie him round my waist on a loose line in case something happens and he wants to make a break for it. He didn't settle well when I used a tarp, was constantly on edge, almost like the walls of a tent or shelter help enclose him. Having no floor means I'm not worried about him being wet or muddy, which he usually is. He loves a swim

I take a bit of cut down reflectex for him and a thin fleece blanket but usually he sleeps straight on the grass. No extra stuff for him, he doesn't want it so it saves me the weight. I take extra food for him though, no clothes etc. Only once has he used the mat and blanket, it was bloody cold on that trip though, all bottles froze etc.

He's a working black lab, but a big one. He's about 35kg and in good shape, I've never put a little harness or pack on him as it's easier to just carry the minimal stuff if needs. He's a house dog / family pet, but he loves being outdoors

In reply to benp1:

It has yet to be seen, but I think Benji might be a bit like yours and not want any bedding. He sometimes lies on the coldest bit of our house that he can find (and we don't keep our house warm), and has never yet complained about the cold and rain. I can't imagine him wanting or even tolerating any coats etc. I think we will probably take one incase, but can't see him using it often

In reply to girlymonkey:




Have fun when he goes through his rebellious phase.

In reply to girlymonkey:

Our overbearing pointer sleeps in the tent with us (it's why we have a super quasar, not exactly the most compact backpacking option...) and if we're not on a campsite (where she sleeps cocooned in one of those old oblong sleeping bags), she sleeps on my husband's old belay jacket. We're considering doctoring a more technical sleeping bag so she can come winter backpacking more easily. As for keeping things clean, my only (rather unhelpful) tip is to have a dog with short fur, which can be easily cleaned/dried with a lightweight travel towel...

In reply to girlymonkey:
Some sort of enormous trailer tent when he was in the porch/awning. Not mine so I don't know. Something like this http://www.camperlands.co.uk/images/T/concorde_main-01-01.jpg It was summer and he wasn't cold. He was quite happy because he was in a prime spot to keep an eye on all the humans in all the different compartments and none of them could escape without him knowing.

In with me in a variety of ordinary tents from 1 man backpacking to massive car camping tent. I don't recall anything being a lot muddier than usual, but it probably was. A bit like at home, try to get them trained to have paws wiped and be rubbed down after walks if it's wet. Mostly car camping so lots of extra towels weren't a problem.

The dog didn't really care where he was, tent or house, as long as he was fed and walked he was quite happy.

In reply to Tall Clare:

Schnauzers have fur which is more like wool, I met one over Christmas and it was very engaging.

In reply to Timmd:

You gotta love dogs that need shaving.



My chap looks like an old man till he's been shaved.

In reply to The Lemming:

It was only a young one, I didn't quite picture it as an old man.

It spent the time playing with the cat it's grown up with, having play fights and following it around.