RVing With Dogs: Top Items & Tips for a Happy Pup
Ready to hit the road with your furry friends? Check out our top items & tips for RVing with dogs.
Should you RV with your dog? The short answer, YES ABSOLUTELY!
It’s estimated that about 65% of RVers have a furry companion traveling the country with them and we can definitely attest to that. We see dogs everywhere we go and they are LOVING life.
However, just like there are several toys & gadgets to make RV life more enjoyable for us, there are a handful of items to create happy and safe experience for our pups as well.
In this post we are sharing our favorite RV dog gear and tips for a happy adventure pup.
This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
MEET OUR PUPS, GRIFFIN & LUCY
Griffin is a 13 year old, 65 pound Golden Doodle. He started RVing when he was 10 years old and has adapted to RV life like a champ. He loves food, naps, sitting outside, and car rides.
Lucy is a 4 year old, 30 pound Terrier Mix. She’s been RVing since she was 2 years old and thrives on the adventure. She loves going for walks and exploring new towns.
Both of our pups have been living and traveling with us in our RV for the past 2.5 years and I will say they experience a lot more now than they ever did while we lived in our apartment. They started with weekend camping trips around Central Florida so they were pretty comfortable with the RV by the time we decided to go full time.
Now they are professional RVers.
#1. OUTSIDE DOG BED
While Griffin & Lucy love to sit in our camping chairs, they also love their collapsible outside cot. This cot is great at any campsite for keeping your dog from laying on the ground while also providing a smooth comfortable surface for them. It’s portable, folds up, and stores easily away in our bay. It’s also great for taking to the beach or the park.
TIP | CHECK CAMPGROUNDS WEBSITE FOR PET POLICY. SOME HAVE A FEE, RESTRICTIONS ON WEIGHT, BREED, & HOW MANY PETS ARE ALLOWED PER SITE.
#2. DOG BOOTIES
Dog booties are really nice to have on your pup for trails that are rocky or sandy, especially if you have hairy dogs where they can easily get rocks and sticky’s stuck in their paws.
We use these on Griffin because he has big hairy paws. It took him some time to get used to the feel of them on but once he did he turned into super dog and now runs around like he’s invincible. I think he especially enjoyed them while hanging out in Idaho’s Goldbug Hot Spring because it protected his paws from the tiny rocks in the springs.
TIP | MAKE SURE THEY ARE TIGHT OR THEY WILL FALL OFF EASILY.
#3. INSIDE CAMERA
For a long time we used the Alfred app on our iPad to watch the dogs while we were away but it eventually became an annoyance with software updates and the app randomly cutting off. So we recently upgraded to a inside plug in camera and it’s been the best. We set it on our counter and we are able to see the dogs from wherever we are.
It senses motion and sends an alert on our phone so we are able to see live footage of what’s going on in our RV with sound. We use it in addition to our outside doorbell camera. Having this set up provides such a piece of mind. I can’t believe we waited so long to get this.
TIP | INTERNET SIGNAL IS REQUIRED.
#4. SENSOR PUSH TEMPERATURE MONITOR
If you’re heading out for the day and your furry friends are staying behind it provides great piece of mind to know the temperature inside of your RV while you are away. You can set the sensor push to a maximum or minimum temperature and if it starts to rise in your RV it will send a signal to your phone alerting you.
Internet signal is required for the sensor push as well as your location while you are away.
TIP | NEVER LEAVE YOUR DOG INSIDE YOUR RV WITH NO AC WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE OVER 65 DEGREES OUTSIDE.
#5. POP UP BOWLS
These are awesome for taking on trails or just out on the town for the day. They collapse easily and clip to the dogs harness or our backpack for easy transport. A must have in our opinion.
#6. LONG LEADS
Long leads are a great option to have for your dog when you’re hanging out at the campsite. We loop them through our stairs and it gives the dogs plenty of space to roam around without going too far.
It’s also nice to be able to have them set up so when you want to sit outside you just clip them to their collar and you're ready to go. This has become a must have for us.
#7. GATES
Gates can be really nice to have to set up an enclosed space at your campsite. We had 3 sets and created a large outside area for us to hangout in. We stored them in our bay and pulled them out at almost every campsite. We used these for about a year and a half and loved them.
#8. CAR SEAT BUCKLES
This is a nice safety feature to have for your pup to give you a peace of mind while you’re driving. They clip into the seatbelt and attach to your dog via their harness and that way if you need to make a quick stop or an accident happens they won’t get tossed around the car.
TIP | THIS CAN BE ESPECIALLY NICE IF YOUR DOG TENDS TO PACE A LOT IN THE CAR.
#9. HARNESS
If your pup gets really excited about exploring a town or a trail a harness is a great option to have. Instead of them pulling on the leash from their neck from excitement you can clip their leash to the front or back of their harness and it gives you more control as well as stability for them.
This is especially nice if you have a strong or bigger dog. Our 30 pound Lucy has some serious muscle and a harness has been a game changer for her.
TIP | IF YOUR PUP PULLS A LOT, TRY CLIPPING THEIR LEASH TO THE FRONT LOOP. THIS CREATES MORE RESISTANCE FOR THEM AND AN EASIER WALK FOR YOU.
#10. EXTRA POOP BAGS
Doggie bags are essential to have because you never know what place might have them or not. Most RV parks and campgrounds that allow pets do have a doggie station of poop bags and trash but it’s nice to not fully rely on them in case they are out.
There’s nothing worse then when your pup has to go and you don’t have a bag. We keep these in several spots, in the car, our backpack and in the RV. We never walk our dogs without one.
Let us know in the comments your dogs favorite RV items!
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HEY THERE!
WE’RE MIKE & DEANDRA.
Two adventure seekers traveling the U.S in our 37 FT. travel trailer with our two companions, Griffin & Lucy. We share our life on the road and travel guides to our favorite destinations.
This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
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