thanks to all of you who have responded to my concerns. i appreciate all of your feedback. one more question....are there restrictions in yellowstone regarding leaving dogs in car, when the weather is not hot, and with windows open, while visiting sites along the loops. not talking about all day hikes. looking forward to your experienced advice. thanks.
molly loves to sit in the driver's seat .......while parked.
That's what we did when we were there in September. No one said anything. I imagine some ranger must of been aware of them being in the truck while we were at Old Faithful. They had their beds,food, water, fresh air and were taken for frequent walks. They quickly learned the drill and most of the time were asleep when we would get back to the truck. I wouldn't of changed our schedule or the care they had even if someone did complain.
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We have friends who volunteered at Yellowstone all of last summer. They said every year there are dogs that get killed when they get loose from parked cars - some end up in the hot springs/sulpher pits and some are taken by wild animals.
Not saying don't leave them in the car but just make sure that not only won't they get out but something else can't get in.
Dave & Kathy
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Two cats - Kitty & Casey (18 & 15 years old)
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Before you give someone a piece of your mind, make sure you can get by with what's left.
One trip to Yellowstone there was a couple with a dog in the back of the car and window partly open. They decided (despite signs to the contrary) to look at a bison closely. The dog got aggravated and started barking loudly at the bison. The couple still approached the bison until the snorting and pawing up dust caused the couple to realize they were in danger and they ran back to the car and high tailed it out of the area. Dogs even in cars can cause problems if you take your head out of gear.
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DaveG39 wrote: One trip to Yellowstone there was a couple with a dog in the back of the car and window partly open. They decided (despite signs to the contrary) to look at a bison closely. The dog got aggravated and started barking loudly at the bison. The couple still approached the bison until the snorting and pawing up dust caused the couple to realize they were in danger and they ran back to the car and high tailed it out of the area. Dogs even in cars can cause problems if you take your head out of gear.
I would put the blame sqaurely on the people that approached the Bison. What did the dog have to do with it? That Bison would have gotten upset even if the dog didn't bark, it is a WILD animal, not a petting zoo animal!!
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That's why i said: "...if you take your head out of gear." people were the problem.Message is that if you take a dog into that environment you have to exercise prudent control of ALL actions. Even though the people were responsible it was the dog barking that aggravated the bison.
If I remember correctly you in Yellowstone you must be a minimum of 25 yards from all animals with the exception of Bears and Wolves which is 100 yards. I went there with my 2 dogs at the end of September last year, didn't have any issues, but also didn't let the dogs out of the truck, and we didn't get to close. If your dog barks at other animals, don't get to close, observe at a distance.
We went to Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Devils Tower last year with our GSD and Aussie and never had a problem. We kept them in their kennels in the bed of the truck, no topper. We parked in the shade where possible, but they had a few days in the sun and it was in the 80-90s. We took 5 gallons of water and made sure their water dishes were full before we left them. We never had a problem and didn't have any complaints from Rangers, strangers, or the dogs.
We left their food and food dishes locked up at the camp ground so we wouldn't attract bears, as if two dogs wouldn't smell good to a bear.
We had bison walk within 2 feet of the truck several times and none of them got upset about the dogs. You will find yourself surround by idiots while you are there, don't follow their example. I remember reading that 35-50 people a year get gored by a bison. Stay in your car! If you want to get close to one, just drive around long enough and you will find one walking right down the middle of the road. When you find him pull to the side and kill your engine. They will mosey right on bye.
If you have time go to Glacier its better in my opinion. Its more rugged and less people to deal with.
All the big national parks have kennels around them. The towns surrounding them have doggie day care facilities (as well as more traditional kennels) as well. Let your dog rest and relax in nice air conditioned facilities supervised by staff while you go off and have fun.
That said, WELL BEHAVED dogs (that is, dog that know how to walk in a heel, don't bark AT ALL, don't sniff others, don't jump on others, don't engage in marking behavior, etc) are allowed in what we call Front Country areas. If you want to walk out and watch Old Faithful erupt, you may bring your dog. Don't mash in with the crowds. Stand back, and you, your family and Fido can watch it all together. Your dog should be on a maximum 6-foot long lead (not a flexi). Four-foot leads are better. You want your dog very close to you.
Leave Fido in your RV *for a few minutes*, to into the Visitor Center, and ask a ranger where, exactly, your dog CAN go. They will give you a map and they will circle the areas that are considered Front Country. If you're not in great shape, or you have bad knees, or it's just really hot anyhow, and you don't intend to descend into the gorges, you may find that Fido can accompany you a lot of the places you would want to go anyhow.
BUT you dog must be a model citizen. If your dog is a small dog, he can't get away with bad behavior just because he's little and "cute." Some of us find little poorly behaved dogs simply obnoxious. And others WILL complain to the Rangers.
I've travelled all around the country visiting NPS parks and monuments doing the car/tent thing. My dogs have been to more NPS sites than most Americans. There is a way to do it right, and a way to do it wrong (and mess it up for the rest of us). And there are times that the dogs are happiest hanging out in a kennel. Your job is ALWAYS to PROTECT your dog first and foremost, even if it's inconvenient or it intrudes on your vacation, or it costs extra.
The ranger's job is not to worry about dogs in cars. They have varied and complex duties, and with budget cuts, they're already understaffed. So just because someone wasn't bothered by a ranger doesn't mean that NPS is fine with leaving animals in cars on hot days. They will act if another visitor complains (and there are plenty of animal lovers who will complain), or if they happen to notice your animal in your car. They will cite you if they think your actions are egregious enough. Just because you think it's safe doesn't mean it's safe. Please don't give the rangers extra work. If it's hot, don't leave your animals in the vehicle.
So those are a couple options to leaving your dog in a hot RV/car in the middle of summer.
BTW, a high-energy dog may break through glass to get at a bison, elk or other critter. If you have one of these dogs and you choose to leave him in the RV/car, he better be in a crate as well.
Dh, our 2 year old German Shepherd, 15 yr old Beagle/Spaniel and me.
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