The reason that dogs bark and behave aggressively toward other dogs or people, is not because they are a this or a that, or they came from that background or this, or this happened when they were so old or blah blah blah. The reason dogs behave badly is because their humans haven't taught them how to behave properly. It is your job to teach your little dog how to go about in public, just as you taught your children.
And the sooner that you come to understand and accept that fact, the sooner you will have a mannerly dog that you can take anywhere. If you refuse to accept it, you will continue to live with the sort of obnoxious (and what ought to be embarrassing) little monster that makes people groan about "little dogs" and "little dog people" and is a danger to himself and to the humans with him who might well be injured in the fight that his alligator mouth starts and his canary hiney can't finish.
Let me put it another way.... what would you do if one of your two-legger kids was out and about with you and started screaming obscenities and threats at people on the street? Would you post about it as if "this is what this kid does?" Or would you address that issue with that child and ensure that the child learns the proper way to act in public?
I realize that sounds harsh, and I'm sorry for that... but it is also true. I hope you do take your little dog camping, but I hope that you train him first so that he can be an enjoyable part of the trip and ambassador for his breed, not a nuisance to you and to everyone he meets. If you have any doubts that chis can have manners, spend a few hours watching Dog Whisperer on National Geographic Channel this evening... Cesar Millan has a pack of pits, rotts, and chis, all of which came to him with behavioral issues, and all of which are now civilized members of society.
I do favor a harness for dogs of that size... I just got my mom's chi a "Gooby" harness. You might do a google on that, it is a better deal I think than a lot of the skinny little harnesses one sees offered for dogs and small animals.
And as for "OMG, we might have to pick up DOG POO"... Get Over It. Its a 3 second task, and that's with dogs much much bigger than yours. Honestly... if you have two children, you should have dealt with much messier solid waste issues than a chihuahua ever thought about creating. Do take bottled water for the dog, or water from home, to reduce the chances of an upset stomach.
susan
What I want to know is, when are they going to start selling Comfort Zone for HUMANS????? 'Cause some days...
Read about dogs on the internet. Usually under crate training or housebreaking. Dogs are naturally den animals. They equate their crate with a "den" and feel very secure in them. If they are placed in their crate often it feels like a security blanket to them. A lot of dogs will go lay down in their crate on their own if they have free access to it. The dog would probably be more comfortable left in its crate than the bathroom because it is more familiar and secure to it. We have always brought our pets camping with us. It would just not be fun without them. Also, a great way to make friends, because someone will always walk over to meet the dog! I guarantee before long you will love that dog almost as much as your family.
OP--I'm sorry that you had to experience the nastiness of a couple of posters. Please consider that the majority of posters to this question were actually nice and helpful. Don't let the bad guys win by driving you away to another forum.
On the original subject of your Chihuahua--please consider taking him/her camping with you. DH and I have two terriers (a Cairn and a Westie) that LOVE to go camping with us. We are very lucky as both of them travel well in the back of the truck and never get motion sickness. Once we get to our destination, they enjoy exploring their new surroundings with us. We have never had a problem with barking with either dog. We have left and snuck back to listen to them and we have never had any complaints from our neighbors at home or in the TT. When we are gone from the trailer, we put down the night shades and turn on the TV to help drown out the outside noise. We also give them a treat as we go out the door to help ease their anxiety of us leaving them behind. They sleep in their favorite spots-Izzy on the top of the couch and Nellie on the chair. We hear their little paws thump on the floor when we open the door.
Both of our dogs are crate trained and one of them (Izzy) still chooses to sleep in her crate at night (both of them are loose in the house all day). She takes herself off to bed in the crate. It is her "den" and she feels secure in there. We don't take it with us when we camp because we really don't need to do it. We do take their various pillows and blankets with us so it smells like home to them. DH and I are picking up our new 5er tomorrow and will use the dog's blankets to make it smell right to them.
If you are concerned about your new dog and barking, then I would recommend that you go to your local library and check out any of Cesar Millan's books. They will teach you to be a good "pack leader" and how to help train your dog to stop barking and being aggressive.
Both DH and I have had dogs in our lives since we were children and neither of us could imagine life witout them. One of the reasons that we actually decided to buy a trailer was the ability to take them with us when we travel.
DH and I hope that you have many happy memories with all of your furry friends and your family.
You should bring your dog on your camping trip, especially for the kids. With us it's no different than being at home with Charlie except he gets a few more walks on a camping trip. We did things different than most people. Some say they got their RV for their pets. We didn't get a dog until we started RVing. We notice a lot of people really enjoyed having their pets with them.
Hahaha, I've been 'round these forums for a while (since 2002), long enough to be used to the nastiness and not let it drive me away. I'm not being 'driven away', never have (although I did post the question in a different forum as well like I said I would).
I've seen this for years and years on RV.net. No matter what kind of advice is asked for, you can bet someone will find a way to twist it into a way to be ugly. Its one of the downsides to public forums: Put people behind a wall of anonymity, and some will use it to post hateful stuff, that they'd probably never say in person. Got to filter out those types, in order to enjoy all the great advice you can get here.
Anyway, back to the subject: Everything you've said pretty much follows what I've read about on this subject, in various books, etc. What I was looking for was specific experience of those who have camped with smaller dogs, and your words, as well as several others (with 2 exceptions) here provide plenty of that. Thanks so much.
Hi, we have to Chihuhuas..one is 5 and one is 1...both girls..we take them everytime we go camping and everywhere else they can go..we pick up after them, their poo is just little small things..i keep small cheap plastic sandwich bags just for that purpose. They don't bark unless someone comes into our space of the campground. Then i tell them to hush and they do. If we have to leave them in the RV we shut the blinds where they can not see out and you never hear from them ( i asked people next to us while we were gone and they said they didn't even know they were in there) They love to go camping, neither one is crate trained, they both sleep with us too LOL Dixie and Dakota are their names. If you have any questions email me. We have not had any problems with them camping anywhere.
We have a Yorkie and she is a wonderful camper. When we go to the beach or on outings we put her in a crate inside the camper. She always naps because she is so stimulated while we are there due to all the activities and smells and such. We also use a harness and a leash that reaches from the camper to the fire pit area so she can walk around at will without running off. At night she likes to snuggle up with us on our chairs and watch the fire and have a lick of marshmallow. We walk her around the whole camp ground to meet other dogs and mostly she does great. If she barks we just give her a little correction and she is fine. We love camping with our dog. The nice thing is the size. If they get dirty they are no trouble to give a bath which we usually do right before going home. She rides with us wrapped up in a towel until she dries off. Besides her water and food and making sure she is caught up on shots, that's about it. She even sleeps in the bed with us. We check her over every night for ticks first. Have fun and good luck!
Deb
Steve and myself
our 4 kidlets, Justin-15, Rachel-12, Michelle-10, Kellie-8 yrs old and
our Yorkie Tiffany-3
2002 Black 1500 Avalanche 4X4
2007 Sun Valley Road Runner 210 bunkhouse
After reading these posts, I figured I'd chime in too. As far as your little Chihuahua barking, you may want to leave a TV or radio on, when you leave him. The noise might distract it enough to keep it from barking. I've also read that some people give their dogs a toy bone with peanut butter, to occupy it for about 5-10 minutes after they leave....since that is when the dogs usually bark the most (wanting you to come back!!).
I would take an overnight trip...somewhere local, so that if things don't work out, you aren't tempted to toss the pup out the window.
Only kidding!! Work your way into this with the dog....remember, you are both learning something here!
The crate training is a great idea, and usually works. It sounds as if your pup is trained, though not really happy with the idea. Oh well, guess who's boss!! You will find, that with a little treat every time it's put in the crate, that after awhile, it's going in as soon as it sees you head towards the door.
Also, I'm not sure if anyone mentioned it, but you would do really well with 2-3 of the 8-panel X-Pens. You can clip them together, and give the pup some room to run around when you are busy doing things around the campsite. This may be tempered based on the amount of barking the dog does, but you may be able to modify that behavior too.
We talk with the trainers at PetSmart, when we go into the store, and they are usually very willing to give advice on how to help change behavior problems. It's free, and worth the visit!! The suggestion to watch "The Dog Whisperer", or read his books, is also good.
Take your dog with you....it's part of the family. You sound like a good Dad, so I'd guess you are probably a pretty good "Dad" to the pup too.....after all, you're asking the questions that a lot of people don't bother with. Bring the dog along, have fun with it. Enjoy your family!!
Good Luck.
P.S.: Don't take offense in what others have said. They are making valid points, based on dog behavior and owner behavior. More often than not, it is the owner/trainer, who is wrong, and if you are having problems with the dog, YOU are the one who needs to make the corrections. It sounds like pointing fingers, but it's just taking responsibility. And, you sound like the kind of guy who is willing to do just that. Have fun!!
Bill, Claudia, and the Paps
DH Bill / DW Claudia / DD Jenn / DS Chris The Paps! Sophie, Abby, Brandy, Kahlie and Annie
2000 Winnebago "Minnie" 31C, Ford V-10
Purchased April Fools Day, 2008 The Pets
One of my 3 rescue dogs is a chihuahua. She was trained to the crate when I got her and she loves to have her treats and her food in the crate. She sleeps in the crate all night. I keep crates in the TV and the TT for my dogs. I got my 3 dogs last winter and took them camping in the early spring when there weren't many campers there so if they acted up they wouldn't disturb many. I'm cheap....I use Wal-mart bags and a pooper scooper when I walk them. I walk them in the direction of the dumpsters so it's convenient to toss the bag in there. If we go shopping or to eat I take these dogs with us and they stay in their crates in the TV with the windows open.
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With us it's no different than being at home with Charlie except he gets a few more walks on a camping trip. We did things different than most people. Some say they got their RV for their pets. We didn't get a dog until we started RVing. We notice a lot of people really enjoyed having their pets with them.
You will find, that with a little treat every time it's put in the crate, that after awhile, it's going in as soon as it sees you head towards the door.
