Camping is a great way to de-stress and relax in the great outdoors. And what better way to spend it than with your best fur friend by your side? But while some dogs may thrive in a tent or RV in a public campground, camping with a reactive dog can cause extra anxiety for your dog, yourself, and other campers around you without some extra preparation. From our own experience, here are our tips to reduce anxiety when camping with a reactive dog.
WHY ARE SOME DOGS ANXIOUS AND REACTIVE?
While reactivity can lead to aggressive behavior, reactivity is not the same as aggression. Reactivity is merely overreacting to certain stimuli or situations (such as by barking excessively, lunging or growling), and most often stems from fear. Triggers can include a strange person or dog, being in certain environments, or being on a leash.
A reactive dog isn’t necessarily trying to cause harm; rather, they are so stressed or overstimulated they can’t control themselves. Managing the environment for your dog and avoiding triggering stimuli can help reduce your dog’s anxiety and make camping a pleasurable experience for both you and your dog.
PREPARING AHEAD OF TIME
The best shot at a successful camping trip with an anxious and reactive dog is to prepare beforehand. This includes both packing everything you will need as well as making strategic choices before you leave your home.
Conduct Basic Training
For any dog, not just reactive dogs, it’s important to have some basic training before venturing into the woods. One of the most important skills is basic recall, even if your dog is never off leash. On our most recent camping trip, Nico burst through the window of the tent when the campfire wood popped. If he hadn’t been hooked up to the long lead still, he could have been long gone in the dark. Dogs can slip out of collars and leashes can break, so having the ability to call back your dog who got scared and ran away or chased after an animal can be life-saving.
Another command we work on all the time is the “look” or “watch me” command. Having your dog make eye contact with you is a great way to get their attention away from a distraction or possible trigger. If I see another dog approaching and about to pass our site, I immediately use this command to shift Nico’s attention away from potential distractions.
Familiarize Your Dog With The Tent
Some dogs thrive camping in a tent and some don’t. If it’s your dog’s first time in a tent and you’re not sure how they’ll react sleeping in a new environment, pitch it beforehand! Try it out in your backyard or living room and slowly introduce your dog. Walk through these steps to help your dog get used to the tent and reduce anxiety. Feeling comfortable and secure in the tent can provide a safe haven for an anxious dog when camping.
Scope Out The Right Campground And Site
A busy family campground with kids running around and sites on top of each other can definitely make for a stressful camping trip with a reactive dog. Look at descriptions, reviews and pictures of campgrounds when choosing.
Look at campground maps when booking to choose a site farther spaced from others. Avoid areas of high traffic, such as by restrooms or public beach areas, and look for wooded areas or those with vegetation that help block the view.
If public campgrounds might be too much stimulation for your dog, consider booking a site through Hipcamp, which allows you to book campsites on private property in a manner similar to Airbnb. Most of our stays have been completely private and out of site from any other humans or animals. Because some Hipcamp sites are on farmland, be sure to read the descriptions as to whether there are other animals that will be within view of your site.
MANAGING THE ENVIRONMENT
Once at your site, it’s important to create a safe and secure environment for your dog to reduce anxiety and stress.
Find The Right Set Up And Put Up Barriers
Removing visual stimulation wherever possible can help to greatly reduce your dog’s anxiety. Remove the view of passersby or neighbors if you can, such by using a privacy wall or hanging a tarp, bedsheets or blankets on rope. Park your vehicle or place your tent in a way that obstructs views of nearby people or pets.
Secure Your Dog
Whether it’s gates, a long lead or a tie-out, make sure your dog is secure, for both your dog’s and others’ safety. I use two 20 foot leashes that I tie to the picnic table so that they still have freedom to sniff and roam within our site. They are always tied in until we are all in the tent together. If being on a lead or tie-out is stressful for your dog, consider bringing a portable dog pen. Even if your dog is secure, make sure to never leave your dog unattended when camping.
Provide Positive Distractions
Puzzle toys or Kongs filled with treats are great tools to help your dog focus on something positive. Toys help shift their attention away from distracting sights and sounds that might cause anxiety while at the campsite. If you have a cooler or fridge, my dogs love Kongs filled with peanut butter and Greek yogurt, as well as puzzle balls filled with treats or small bits of kibble.
Familiar toys, blankets, etc. from home can also have a calming effect by providing familiarity to what is otherwise a new and unfamiliar environment. My dogs love to curl up and completely relax in their dog blankets in the tent.
SET YOUR DOG UP FOR SUCCESS
Provide Positive Reinforcement
Your dog might bark and lunge at passersby in a new camping environment because he/she is anxious and doesn’t know how to act. Implementing positive reinforcement techniques can help your dog learn how to appropriately react to all the new sights and sounds. Positive reinforcement uses whatever your dog values as a reward (such as treats or praise) to reinforce desired behaviors. Those desired behaviors are likely to be repeated as your dog learns he or she is rewarded for them.
Are you able to gain your dog’s attention with the “look” command as people are about to pass by? Give a small treat! The more you use opportunities to reward your dog for good behavior, the more your dog will understand the expectations. Then the less effort you will have to put into managing your dog’s behavior.
Advocate For Your Dog
Does another camper keep letting their off-leash dog run past your site in a leash-required campground? Do little kids keep trying to come over and pet your clearly anxious dog? Dogs aren’t able to speak up, so it’s our responsibility as owners to be their voice. Speak up and remind others of the rules or just politely let them know your dog needs space.
We always bring a muzzle, just in case. A muzzles let others immediately know your dog needs space and prevents the chance of something serious happening. Unfortunately, we can’t control the actions of other people. So if someone nearby doesn’t have control of their dogs, a muzzle can provide some safety and peace of mind.
Be Prepared To Ditch
Nobody wants to turn around and go home, but be prepared in the event things don’t work out. We once grabbed the last spot at a first-come, first-served campground only to find ourselves right next to the bathroom and a dog who was practically in our site. Knowing the level of anxiety and stress it would bring to all of us if we stayed, we drove back to cell service and immediately booked an amazing Hipcamp for a small cost. While you may go into a trip with specific plans, be prepared for them to change.