Camping with 3 Dogs

                                      








East Harbor State Park

CAMPSITE

Our dogs travel with us so finding a campsite that is dog-friendly is a must. Most state parks allow dogs (sometimes even in select cabins), and a growing number also allows dogs on some or all of the hiking trails. We find that private campgrounds are hit and miss with us. While some may not allow any dogs, others may allow only 1 dog. This will not work if you re planning to take along your family and you have 3 dogs. If there isn't enough information online about the campsite, we usually email the campsite.

PLANNING AHEAD

Prior to our travels, we always call the veterinarian and request an up-to-date print out of each of our dog's medical history. The dogs also all have ID tags with their name and our contact information. Many times we'll call ahead to the campground to make sure 3 dogs are welcome on the property. If not, we will not be staying there. Once we decide on a campsite we add the campsite information to their id tags

PACKING

We pack a first aid kit, food, water, bowls, leashes, lead, bedding, toys, treats, shampoo, conditioner, brush, tick key, towels and more towels, poop bags, lighted collar, jackets for cold weather and a life jacket if they'll be boating. We also check around and get the contact information for the nearest veterinarian to our location in case they're needed.

Pokagon State Park








TENTS AND LOCALES

Over the years, our dogs have camped in a variety of settings and tents. Prior to the tent with rainfly that we have now,  we had an old Camel Cabin style 8' x 10' tent. I loved this tent but found it to be too small for us and the 3 dogs to spend more than a few days in.

CAMPFIRE

Campfire time with the dogs is always fun. While Monroe and Motley lay behind Sam's chair, Buddy ventures out  - attracted to the smell of the roasted marshmallows.

Dog parks and dog beaches are becoming more common like these shown here at Hueston Woods 

\

East Harbor State Park

SECURE YOUR DOG

A while back, we did have a frightening experience with Monroe. We'd went camping up near Lake Erie and I left the 3 dogs with my husband in the tent and walked across the campground to use the bathhouse. When I came out of the bathhouse, Monroe greeted me with tail wagging- and leash trailing along behind him. He'd left without my husband even realizing he was gone.

If you are like us and have multiple dogs you will soon learn each has their own personality. While some dogs are content to lay down or sit looking out the tent window you may find another dog will be bored or frustrated doing this.

In this photo, you can see that Monroe is getting ready to sneak out of the tent. After we got over the initial shock of his cleverness in finding a way to quietly sneak out the side door, we both vowed to keep a close eye on him.

If you visit East Harbor State Park make sure and check out the cool example of glacial grooves. There is a patch in the middle of this grassy area that has scratches and grooves from the Wisconsinian Glacier. It is estimated this glacier was over 1 mile thick and could have been produced as recently as 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. 


We've tent camped for many years and then a few years back we purchased a pop-up camper. 

It gives us a place to cook and clean up and offers a little more security. 

We love it!

SUNSET AND QUIET TIME AT CAMP

Camping, particularly at sunset is a relaxing time. While a campsite may be loud during the day, once night starts to fall, it's time to settle down. Your dog will need to understand it's quiet time. A tired dog is a good dog so make sure he is getting sufficient physical and mental exercise daily.