Taking your pet with you on a camping trip can be challenging, but, on the other hand, it can also be very rewarding and pleasurable.
The experience can be even more pleasurable if you prepare, in advance, to properly care for your pet when you get to your campsite.
Following is a basic checklist that you might find helpful: Collar and leash Pet food Drinking water Food and water dishes - for both indoors and outdoors Treats Bone Favorite toys Favorite blanket Gloves and bags for clean-up - they don't always go in the bushes-Ha-ha! Pet carrier, if needed.
Remember, your pet will be happy to be with you wherever you are, but providing safety and security for it will give you peace of mind.
Always be aware of where your pet is when it is off the leash.
It is easy to become distracted for a few minutes, talking to other campers, etc.
, and then suddenly realize that your pet has wandered off.
I am going to share a horror story with you, not to scare or shock you, but to explain the importance of being aware of your pet's safety.
My husband and I had a truck camper for many years.
Our children were in the habit of climbing back and forth between the camper and the cab of the truck through the sliding windows in both the truck cab and the camper.
These windows also enabled us to communicate while travelling.
This worked well until we took our pet with us on a camping trip.
We had acquired the cutest little fluffy white kitten about a month before this trip.
My daughter loved cats and named this one Fluffy.
She insisted that we bring Fluffy with us.
Everything was great for the first two hours of driving.
The kids and Fluffy were having a ball.
Then, they all fell asleep.
When we got to the campsite, we woke the kids and then we started searching for Fluffy.
We couldn't find her anywhere.
We finally came to the conclusion that she must have gotten out the window and fallen into the small open space between the truck and the camper.
The children were devastated and we all learned a valuable lesson.
My grandchildren now have a Pomeranian that they call Rascal.
The name suits him to a tee.
He is so full of life and vigor.
He's always getting into trouble, and then looks up at us with his big black eyes, as if to say, "I didn't mean it, the devil made me do it.
" Anyway, we took Rascal camping with us this summer, for the first time.
He absolutely loved the beach.
He rolled and rolled in the sand, and would then jump into the lake.
He would do this over, and over again.
He was definitely the entertainment of the afternoon.
And, at night he loved to sit with us around the campfire.
A word of caution here; Rascal liked to chew on a stick of split wood that he found on the wood pile.
He could have gotten a splinter in his mouth.
We had to watch him very closely.
So, beware of that problem.
A chewing bone would have helped to solve that problem, but, we didn't have one with us.
I do hope this has been helpful.
Now, go out and enjoy yourself, and enjoy the love of your pets