Originally this chapter was to be entitled "Pets and Camping". Realistically though, the only pet that you might bring is a dog or two. A cat may be appropriate for an R.V. situation but we are not delving into R.V. camping here because it is a entirely different way to camp than either tent or trailer camping.
Dogs. There could be an entire book written about dogs and camping, but we value your time and so will boil down the subject into valuable tips and hints. Hopefully this will ensure that you and your dogs have a great camping experience. Many of these tips just require using your common sense.
FOOD:
Dogs are very social animals and love being part of our dinner experience in the great outdoors, so you might consider feeding them at the same time that you eat. Bringing enough food for your dogs just requires a little planning. We use plastic zip bags for the kibble because it's easier to fit into odd places when packing but securely covered plastic containers could work just as well. I always bring a measuring cup and extra food because ,like us, dogs often have a better appetite in the outdoors and often burn off extra calories. You may be stricter than we are but we often bring an extra hot dog or ground beef for the dogs. It is totally at your discretion. Remember that onions and garlic are highly toxic to dogs.
We have mentioned that bears and other creatures can smell food so don't leave the dog dishes out overnight or stow them in your tent or camper. In the summer and fall, flies, wasps. bees, ants and other insects would love to feast on your dog's food. Therefore it makes sense to cover their unfinished food or put it away until their next meal. You DO NOT want to attract any more insects than need be.
WATER:
Precious water. We like to do jack camping and so we have to bring our own water. Even if only going for a couple of days this means bringing quite a bit of water from home. It is extremely inportant that your dogs stay hydrated especially in the summmer. They don't perspire. The only ways that they can stay cool enough to not suffer heat sickness are to keep them in the shade, don't put them in a vehicle and give them plenty of cool water. They get rid of heat by panting. We also have a battery operated fan to help cool them down. I bring 2 gallons of water per dog per day and more if the dogs are large.
CAMPGROUND CAMPING WITH PETS
If you are camping at a campground the added responsibility is respect. Most campgrounds require that you leash and tether your dogs at all times. Campground hosts are usually quite strict about pet rules and expect to hear from them if your dogs are running at large. It is one reason we prefer dispersed camping to staying at a campgrounds. But, there almost always a source of water at official campgrounds. Please don't allow your dogs to bark for long periods of time. Take them for a walk instead. You, the dogs and your fellow campground neighbors will be grateful and feel respected.
PETS AND WILD ANIMALS
Even in the forest and at water venues it is a very good idea to keep a close eye on your dogs. If your dog(s) is small it could be just a snack for a mountain lion, bear, coyote, fox and other predators. Porcupines can cause a lot of pain and distress to a pet. The quills normally go in and around the snout. The quills have hooked barbs on the ends of the quills that go into the snout. Please, no matter how far you are from civilization, make the effort to get to a Veterinarian ASAP. This is very important.