Tails from the trail and tips on training your human

If you are looking to enjoy some quality time with your four-legged companion this fall when the temperatures are cooling off and bright, sunny days are in full swing, we have got you covered! After conducting extensive research and carrying out the necessary comparisons, we have prepared a detailed guide to help you make the most of your camping trip with your furry friend.

If you love camping and the challenges that come with it, chances are that your pooch will love the entire experience too! After all, the trip is an opportunity for the canine to spend time and bond with its favorite human. While spending time with your pup can be extremely beneficial for both of you, it can also help your animal companion to trust you more and promote its mental health and overall well-being. Use the following guide to get started with the process!

Conduct a Trial Run

If your pup is new to traveling and the Great Outdoors or it has never gone camping, it is important to start small and slowly prepare your dog for what’s about to come!

Take Longer Walks

In order to make a camping trip successful, it is important to keep your pet dog safe and protected at all times. If you want to work on your pup’s on-the-leash behavior, take it for long walks every morning and practice all your leash commands. This will make the trip much easier on you and much safer for your precious pooch.

Relax Outdoors

If you own a dog that has little to no interest in the outdoors, it doesn’t mean that you need to leave them behind at home while you go on a fun camping trip. Spend a little extra time on your porch or in your backyard every day with your dog to help it acclimate to the world outside. You can also take some of your pal’s favorite treats or toys with you and create a rewarding system to make the experience enjoyable for your pet.

Work On Your Dog’s Socializing Skills

When taking your canine friend along with you on a camping trip, you need to make sure that the campsite is pet-friendly. However, pet-friendly campgrounds mean that you also need to be prepared to have several other dog owners and their pets nearby. For this purpose, it is essential that you work on your pup’s socializing skills by taking it on plenty of playdates at a local park or in your backyard. This way, you can also test how the behavior of your doggy fluctuates when it is around other people and fellow doggies.

Turn Your Backyard into a Campsite

If you are unaware of your dog’s social skills and are unsure about the way it might respond to an actual camping trip, you can easily have a trial run in your backyard. Set up a proper tent, use flashlights and other camping essentials like you would on a real trip. Moreover, keep your dog secured or leased at all times. This will help you assess your pet’s behavior in a controlled environment and help you prepare well for the real deal.

Plan Fun Camping Activities

When you take your canine partner with you on a camping trip, you need to make sure that it is equally fun for your pet! You can incorporate some dog-friendly recreational activities in your plan such as:

Playing outdoor games
Enjoying a meal at a pet-friendly café near the campsite
Exploring beautiful gardens
Going kayaking or boating
Visiting a lake nearby
Hitting the trails!

Since not all outdoor attractions are pet-friendly, you need to carefully plan your camping trip so that your four-legged pal doesn’t dread it right away!

Understand Your Pup’s Personality

Assessing your pup’s readiness is essential before you embark on an exciting, wilderness adventure. A relaxed road trip in the car at a camping site is often the best choice. However, if you own a dog that is known for its active-nature and love for the outdoors, there is a wide range of camping options for you. If you are unsure of how your dog would respond to a camping trip, take it for a small picnic or a short trip to understand how your best friend feels about it. The more comfortable and happy your dog is the more fun the trip will be for both of you!

Get the Right Tent

If you are planning to set up a tent for you and your pup instead of staying in a cozy cabin, the process can be quite challenging for both of you. However, if you get the right tent for the situation, you can easily optimize the adventure. First of all, consider the size of the tent. The standard rule regarding tents is: the bigger the better. A spacious tent will help you and your four-legged pooch feel less suffocated and more comfortable.

Next, get a tent that comes with a zip and allows you to secure it before you go to sleep. This ensures that your dog won’t escape and get lost in the dark. Lastly, some dogs tend to bark loudly if they hear unfamiliar sounds at night. Therefore, try to get a noise-proof tend or bring a battery-operated fan along that helps cut down unwanted noises to keep your pet calm before it goes to bed.

Bottom Line

Camping with your canine best friend can be a memorable and beautiful experience; one that you may look forward to over and over again. However, in order to make the entire process and experience easy and fun for your pup, it is important to follow some basic campsite rules. The aforementioned tips to enjoy camping with your animal companion can help ensure that you and your pal have the time of your life!

by Bobby J Davidson

We are in business to provide great products for the outdoorsy hikers, campers and their dogs; and to help clean our parks, rivers and oceans for a better planet earth for hikers and their dogs.

Parks Clean

Parks are high-traffic areas in most cities. This means that trash is bound to show up in and around your park and playground.

When discussing ways your family can help clean your local park, don’t overlook a literal cleanup! Picking up trash will make a huge difference in the appearance and vibe of your park. A clean area will encourage others to keep the park pristine. When picking up trash and debris, make sure to wear gloves to protect yourself, and put trash in appropriate receptacles or lawn bags. You can also contact your local trash company to schedule a pickup when you are finished.

Rivers Clean

The storm drain on your street collects the water from your roof, driveway, and sidewalk and funnels it directly in your local lake or river. Nutrients from grass and leaves, pet waste, and fertilizers “enrich” our lakes and streams — feeding algae blooms and harming fish. Chemicals from washing your car in the drive and household chemical spills add up, taking a nasty toll on our favorite swimming areas and fishing spots. Soil can also be picked up by runoff, reducing the clarity of water and hurting fish.

So as you prepare your lawn and garden, here are a few helpful tips to keep our lakes and rivers beautiful and safe for all of us.

Use mulch and vegetation to keep soil from washing away.
Sweep or rake grass and leaves away from street curbs.
Mulch and compost grass clippings and leaves.
Keep paved surfaces to a minimum.
Capture water runoff with a rain garden and rain barrels.
Wash your car on the grass, where the water will get filtered.
Keep chemicals away from storm drains.
Collect your pet’s waste.
Aim your rain-gutter downspouts onto grass.

Beaches Clean (do it for the ocean)

In 2007, the United States Senate and House of Representatives passed the National Clean Beaches Week Resolution to recognize the value of beaches to the American way of life and the important contributions of beaches to the economy, recreation, and natural environment of the United States.

Clean Beaches Week, celebrated annually July 1-7, offers the perfect opportunity to encourage stewardship and volunteerism along our coastlines. But where do you even begin? Follow these tips to get started.

Identify a clean-up site. Choose a place that needs some TLC, making sure that volunteers can safely access the site. Get permission, if needed, for your clean-up event, perhaps from the local parks agency.
Choose a site coordinator. (That might be you!) A beach clean-up takes a lot of work and needs an organized person to keep everything on track before, during, and after the event.
Visit the site in advance. The coordinator will need to know where to set up a volunteer check-in station, where to leave trash and recyclables, and what area(s) volunteers will clean.
Gather supplies. Depending on your location, you’ll need supplies such as trash bags, a first aid kit, hand sanitizer, wipes, and large coolers of water. You should also provide (or ask volunteers to bring) items such as reusable work/garden gloves, reusable water bottles, sunscreen, and bug spray.
Plan how to handle the recyclables. Reach out to recyclers in your area (and perhaps your community’s solid waste departments) to make arrangements for accepting any glass, plastic, and aluminum that you collect.
Line up event partners. Contact local businesses for donations of drinks, food, and supplies. Ask a local solid waste hauler to donate their services for trash removal.
Plan for handling hazardous waste. Determine how you’ll dispose of any medical and sewage waste you might find. One solution: A wide-mouth container with a tight-fitting lid, such as an empty laundry detergent bottle. Clearly label that it contains hazardous waste.
Get volunteers to help. Recruit friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors. Create an event on Facebook and ask volunteers to sign up online. This will give you an idea of how many people to expect and will help communicate event details.
Stay safe. Be prepared for a variety of health emergencies, from minor cuts and scrapes to heat stroke.
Take photos! Post pics online to share the success of your event and recognize volunteers for their hard work.