# Dogs, Shows and leaving in motorhomes



## 105579 (Jul 2, 2007)

We have recently converted from caravan to motorhome and are still feeling our way when it comes to leaving our golden retriever, Rufus, in the motorhome for any period.

When we had the caravan and took off in the car we rarely left him in it which restricted what we could do. We would anticipate that the motorhome offers more flexibility here as he has more room to move around in and less stifling. We would not leave him in it if hot weather, but when cooler would aim to leave him for relatively short periods to visit attractions, visit shops etc. First question is, from those more experienced than us, what is the maximum amount of time you find you are comfortable with leaving your dog in your motorhome? I should add that we have a Swift Lifestyle (Sundance) 590RL so reasonable enough room for him to move around in.

The second question is around how dog friendly motorhome shows are. We intend to visit our first at Shepton Mallet in Sept. Will it cause a problem if we walk him around with us (acknowledging the fact that we would not be taking him any vehicles)? 

Many thanks for any help you can offer.


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## GypsyRose (May 9, 2005)

Our "girls" (Yorkies) come everywhere with us! Firstly , shows are NO problem...my OH goes to shows for the motorhomes etc but I go for the DOGS!! Everyone seem to take their dogs!! 
Regarding leaving them in the MH .. I am the chief panicker....but I pull the blinds, put fans on etc (it's not like a car) and go wherever for a short time (depending on temp) ....just common sense really although my OH thinks I am paranoid!! :roll: Ana xx


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## LadyJ (May 9, 2005)

HI Grymauch,

Our dog is usually left in the van for about 2 hours sometimes a bit longer depends on what we are doing.

Shows
No problem with walking dogs round the shows but to be honest I don't think the dogs enjoy it they get trampled on, much better to leave them in the van and keep bobbing back. At our show rallies there is usually someone around who will keep an eye on the dogs i'm often to be found dog sitting :lol: stops me spending money :roll: :lol: 


Jacquie


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## GypsyRose (May 9, 2005)

Hey Jacquie ...you wouldn't notice two extra yorkies then??!! Will hunt you down next show!! Ana xxx
nb ...it is really common sense re leaving dogs in a motorhome...ie the size of the motorhome, the temp etc.... we just walk them around to start with, then if we want to look at anything in detail (like buying another MH at a show ...yeah, in our dreams....!!) then we pop them back in mh!!


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## Snelly (Aug 20, 2005)

Ollie comes with us most the time, but if we leave him in the rv alone, I make sure the heatings on if its cold out or the air conditionings on auto if its hot. I also make sure he has plenty of water and has a good walk before we go out. Longest we left him alone so far is around 6 hours... he just lays on the sofa or my seat to be nosey out the window. He's used to being left for up to 8 hours at home.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

They have stayed in the van on a ferry for 12 hours without a problem. I wouldn't say we were comfortable with that but it seemed abetter option than the on board kennels which were sqaulid (Cork Swansea) 

In the day time I would say about 2 hrs in the evening about 5 hours, if there is a chance of fireworks 5 seconds is too long  . In the summer I put on the outside covers and rely on the thermostatically controlled roof vent fan. My side windows and front windows are metallised. We have a relative who we go and see that can't abide dogs in the house or garden so we leave them in the van all day with visits and walks.


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

A lot of members will know Byn our barking doorbell, he is quite happy to be left for a couple of hours as long as the temperature is reasonable. We were a bit nervous with the new 'van but he generally ends up in the driver's seat pretending he's in charge, which he is!!  . He certainly makes for good security and would certainly hate being dragged around the showground.


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## 105579 (Jul 2, 2007)

Many thanks for all your helpful replies. We had considered leaving him with a dog minder for our show trip but as we intended being away for a week we would end up missing him being around. Not to mention the cost of 10 quid a night for the dog minder! (We never leave him in kennels. Tried it one and it stressed him and us out). So yes we will be taking him to the show.

I appreciate it is common sense regarding leaving him in the mh but always good to hear how others fair who have more experience. Air con ... we wish! Lucky you snelly.


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

Given that you guys are responsible and concerned dog owners I wonder what you do concerning the dogs safety (and yours) when you're on the road?
We took up showing our two bearded collies about two years ago and it's staggered us how many supposed dog people seem to have little concept of the potential for disaster that a loose dog or dogs (no matter how small) can represent in a camper/motorhome.
From what might happen in the event of an accident, sudden braking or change of direction to a dog leaping on the driver or furniture and causing a momentary distraction with disastrous consequences, all are possible.
That's what drove our search for a camper where we could crate our dogs in safety and have the crate secured, both on the move and on site when necessary. It seems most motorhome manufacturers just ignore the fact that a large proportion of motorhome owners have dogs. I would've thought it should be one of their major considerations in the design process and a real marketing tool. 
Our other major concern are the number of show dog owners who either leave dog poo lying about on showgrounds or bag it but then drop the bag on the grass in the car park - what sense is there in that?
End of soapbox.


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## johnandcharlie (May 2, 2007)

I have a harness for Charlie that attaches to the seat belt. In the car he sits on the front seat almost all the time. When I had my last dog I ran into the back of another car that pulled out of a side road right in front of me, and she was fine, just a bit mystified about what was going on. Charlie could jump on me while I'm driving, but I know him well enough to feel completely safe. I'm very safety conscious and don't take risks, and if I thought there was a danger that he would distract me from driving he wouldn't be there. I've had bigger distractions from human passengers. It makes travelling more enjoyable for both of us.

The front passenger seat in my van is very high off the floor, there is a lot of space around it, and I don't think it's safe for Charlie to sit on it in case he slips off. So I attach his harness to the passenger belt and he sits/lies on the floor between the front seats. This is a shame as he doesn't have a good view out of the windows, but it's the best I've come up with so far.

What to do with bags of dog poo is a problem. My plan at the moment is to have a small, well ventilated, box attached to the bike rack that I can put the bags in until I find a bin. If you're in an open top car behind a van and notice the scent of doggy poo, it's just me being responsible and considerate :lol:


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

Hi John and especially Charlie,
Roy Wood Transits had our dog crate made specially for our van by Barjo which was handy for them as RWT are in Winnersh and Barjo are just down the road in Wokingham. It fits perfectly and is very strong. It can be slid out from between the wheelarches if necessary and can be folded flat, although we've never needed to do it.
Reading the article in this link to the Barjo site does make you think: 
www.barjo.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=articles.3
When we had three Beardies and Jack was a pup we used to put him in a dog car harness on the van floor and clip the harness in the o/s/r safety belt catch. Chris used to sit next to him on the n/s/r seat 'just in case'. Having read the Barjo articles I'm not sure I'd do that again.
Unfortunately we too occasionally have a gentle miasma of dog poo hanging around our van. We bought a Doggie Bag whilst at Crufts http://www.paws4designs.co.uk/ and it's v handy to have poo bags on a roll and then be able to store the tied up bag in a pocket behind a zipped cover until you can safely dispose of it. I just wish the bag was in less 'girly' colours.


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## 105579 (Jul 2, 2007)

Thanks for the links Steamdriveandandy. We have our dog secured in a harness but still struggling to find the best and safest arrangement. Will take a look at the dog crates.

I agree about the dog poo. I too have seen people go to the trouble of scooping up their dogs mess and then leaving the filled bags in hedgerows etc near where I live! Does not give dog owners a good name.


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## whistlinggypsy (May 1, 2005)

slightly of topic but still concerning dogs, we have had 3 dogs in the past when m/hing (only one at a time) but now with both of us having medical problems we consider it not fair for us to have and look after a dog properly.

We where on a cl site recently were an elderly lady had 5 dogs, 2 cocker spaniels, 2 labradors and a lurcher in a N reg.swift 590, she did exercise them twice a day and in general looked after them apart from when it was raining heavily when we only saw her take them out for a very short time for you know what, so my question is she being fair to the dogs and being confined in such a small m/h would it not be quite a hygiene problem, especially after returning wet through after a very wet walk.

I have no problem with dogs and m/hs but is there a limit one should stop at in respect of how many according to the size of your m/h and the size of your dogs, i have seen on here a member with 2 very beautiful large great Danes but the size of their vehicle reflected that.

Bob


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## wobby (May 1, 2005)

We often left our westie and our yorkydoodle in our MH however never without good ventilation. We fitted in the roof of the van a Fiama thermostatic fan which blows fresh air in or will pull stale air out, it was the best purchase we ever made. So much so that we have ordered one in our new MH, most of the time we prefer using it to air conditioning more natural. 
Sadly both of our friends have past away our yorkdoodle just two weeks ago. 
Wobby


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## maddie (Jan 4, 2006)

Hi Bob,I do not think it matters to the dogs,it's what the owner can put up with ! We have a medium size dog (20ins high)and he loves the van weather left on his own or not -2 / 4 hrs-Try getting him out when it is raining,he looks at me like I am stupid ! Once out he's ok and on returning dried on paper towl then sits in front of the heater which is placed on the floor for him to get properly dry.Dogs are pack animals and do not mind there own company,they just sort out the pecking order.A bit like us
the wife the dog and then me  :wink: 
terry


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

That's a very good point Bob.
Things seemed a bit tight in our van when we had three beardies, especially when Jack got towards full size.
In our case having a 4ft 6ins by 2ft dog crate across the back of the van means that two of the dogs had their own dedicated space for travel and sleeping, but with a van just 16ft long things can get 'cosy'. When beardies get wet there's a helluva lot of coat to get dry again and 12 muddy paws to get over the furnishings.
That's why whenever we pitch up we try to extend the awning and use a puppy pen to corral the dogs outside. If we're spending more than one night on a site we'll put up the Motordome tent, which is 10ft x 10 ft and adds another dimension to our accomodation.
You see loads of motorhomes and caravans at Championship Dog Shows and often they are surrounded by colourful 4ft high windbreaks to give the dogs some space, but also keep them under control. We haven't quite been able to bring ourselves to spend the necessary £500 or so to buy a 10ft x 15ft set yet, but it's on the horizon.
Last year at Builth Wells we parked next to a 23 (or so) footer (Autocruise if I remember correctly) with a Fiat Seicento on an A frame. They had 8 beagles with them. I'm not sure how they transported them in the van, but they'd set up their corral and one wall was a row of tented dog kennels.


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## maddie (Jan 4, 2006)

Hi again, I must start to read all replys not just the last added since reading as I miss some.
May I say that the dog lays inbetween our seats on the floor usually with his head on the g/stick or handbrake.(while traveling)He has his own bed on the floor and is not allowed on the furniture under any circumstances indeed if left on his own does not dare get on the seats.One look from the boss does the trick :wink: 
terry


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## johnandcharlie (May 2, 2007)

I find my van is as small as I'd like for Charlie and me. We're still getting used to manoeuvring around each other when stationery! His hair is naturally quite long, but he's getting clipped regularly from now on as it's a nightmare trying to keep him clean and dry otherwise. I need more practise with the clippers anyway. I aim to get a driveaway awning to make things easier. I also have a tie-down stake and a rope to keep him on my pitch, and he gets a chance to say hello to passers by!

When I leave him alone in the house he howls and barks most of the time, but in the car he has always been fine. He tries it on when I leave him, but only for a very short while. Fortunately he does the same in the van. I think the van is a far better place to leave him than the car, as it's much easier to keep cool. I have a thermostatic fan in the roof so I don't need to risk leaving the windows open, can pull down the blinds when necessary, and have just got an external Solar Screen. My only concern about leaving him in the van is security, and I'm careful where I park.

I wish I could think of a way to give him a better view out of the window when we're travelling. He's used to being able to look out of the car window and think he's missing it.


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## 98064 (Mar 10, 2006)

Funny this, I was just wondering this am what peoples thought were on dogs in/traveling/being left were.

Pecking order difinatly (never could spell that word) dog, wife, me or cat then me when at home  

We have a Westie and a very spoilt one at that. She travels in a car harness attached to the seatbelt usually on 'mums' lap, likes a comfy spot to sleep and a good vantage point whenever we slow down. Sometime she will sleep on the poof (squishy foot stool thingy) between the seats again attached to the seat belt. We're in an RV so bit more space but still make sure there are no sharpe objects, specifically as I recently realised the open ask try which is not now used/kept shut on the move.
We tend to leave her in the van but max so far has been 3.5 hours and is always governed by heat, cold and or where the van is, though so far that's always been on site and I'm not sure I'd want to leave her if we were just parked up.
She has the run and likes a seat usually, and usually mine!!!! :x


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

dodgey said:


> Pecking order difinatly (never could spell that word) dog, wife, me or cat then me when at home


D...O....G
Always willing to help!! :lol: :lol: :wink:


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## 98064 (Mar 10, 2006)

Smart................................................ :lol:


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