My little Max isn't just a pet. He's a fully fledged member of my family and I always try to keep him as involved in my day to day life as I can. Restaurants, shops, beaches, hairdressers..even my local bank - I always aim to take him where I can. It's no surprise then that this also includes holidays!
One of the things I'm enjoying doing more than ever is exploring more of the UK. We have such an amazing and vast country, with different terrains, cities, and land to explore, and I believe that we don't make enough of it. Camping is an amazing way to do this and is something that I have been really getting into over the past few years. Of course, this includes taking Max with me. The great news is that camping is an incredibly dog friendly holiday. It's a great feeling being out in the open, with fresh air and campfire cooking, and I guarantee that your dog will love this too. Most campsites will either allow dogs or have a pet friendly zone, meaning that you can take your pooch with you for the occasion.
With this in mind, here are a couple of my camping tips for dog owners:
1.) When selecting a pitch to set up your tent, try and go for an area that's set back from the busier tent areas or possibly near a dog exercising section. This gives you a little more space and will eliminate any issues you may have if your dog was to bark. A little bit of shade from trees is also good for the Summer, as this means your dog can sit outside of the tent without getting too hot.
2.) Keep your dog on a lead whilst in the campsite. Most campsites will enforce this rule, and it's best to follow it too. Many camping areas have wild animals that roam around (eg. The New Forest) and it's a lot safer to have your dog secure so that they don't run off or get hurt by a wild horse. We tie Max onto a spiral stake that goes into the grass, and this means they can sniff around without being completely restricted.
3.) Take plenty of towels for muddy paws. Lets face it, the English weather can sometimes let us down, and there may be the possibility of muddy paws after a long afternoon walk through the fields. The last thing you want is excess mud in the tent, so trust me on this one. Take lots and lots of towels.
4.) Plan your dogs sleeping arrangements. Max is only small so he usually sleeps with me in one of the pods (extra warmth too..like a furry living hot water bottle!) but I always take his collapsible crate so that he can sleep in there safely if he wishes.
5.) Health wise, make sure your dog is up to date with vaccinations and flea and tick treatments. Being out in the open is an amazing feeling, but there are quite a few little creepy crawlies that you can find in campsite areas, and they would love to feed off your animal! I always give Max an updated flea and tick treatment before heading on any camping trip, and I've never had a problem with bugs. I always keep Max's vets certificates in the car in case of an emergency too. It's better to be safe than sorry.
6.) Sounds obvious, but don't forget your dogs food and bowls to feed them from. Some of the best campsites are in the middle of nowhere, and the last thing you want to be doing is driving around late at night trying to find a shop open that sells dog food.
7.) There are tons of dog friendly pubs and cafes near camping areas. I usually look these up in advance so that I have a list of places we can eat. I'd recommend Dog Friendly Britain when looking up good places to eat.
In short, if you organise what your dog will need in advance and camping with them won't be a difficult task. Remember, camping with your dog is meant to be fun. It may take a while for your dog to adapt to the whole 'sleeping in a tent' scenario if they've never done it before, but I guarantee that they will love the holiday as much as you do. Sitting in the great outdoors, watching the sun going down and having your dog fall asleep by your feet - there's nothing much like it.
'Seven Tips On Camping With Dogs' is written by Tamsin from littleglitter.org / Twitter: @titchtamsin
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