 Tigger's arrogant look |
Tigger
Chapter 1
|
Tigger's arrogant look |
Great traveling companions aren't born. They're made. Especially if they are
pets. Different pets will have different affinities for motor travel and different breeds
will react to new experiences according to their temperament. Some pets may require
more training for a longer trip. Although we offer many tips for training
"traveling" dogs in this chapter, please check with your veterinarian for advice
on how to train your pet.
If you haven't acquired
a dog yet and are considering getting one, plan on at least a year or two of training
before taking your new friend with you on trips. Basic house training and obedience
training must be completed before introducing your dog to new and changing environments
every day. It takes several months to get puppies attitudes sublimated to the desire
to please and even longer for them to obey commands consistently.
When we decided
to get Tigger we were almost two years away from retirement and we planned on 15 years or
so of good health to care for a dog. We had long been considering getting a pet, but
never got to the "lets look for one" stage. One weekend, while we were
going to a local boat show with my daughter and her husband, my daughter suggested we stop
by the Humane Society and look at the puppies. We decided to go, even though my wife
hesitated for fear she would end up bringing home all the dogs instead of just one.
My son-in-law went into the puppy yard and walked out with a four-pound bundle of fur and
handed it to my wife. Tip#1. If you put a puppy in your wife's arms and it
starts to lick her face and whimper, she is not going to leave it there. Tigger's
feet didn't seem all that big at the time and he had bright eyes and nice markings.
It was either leave my wife or take them both home. That little four-pound bundle of
fur is now 90 pounds and races my wife to the front seat of the RV as soon as I turn the
key.
 Our 1st picture of Tigger |
Libraries and pet stores have books on how to select pets and I recommend you ask a
veterinarian to guide you in making your selection. The choice of a pet is very
personal, but I like to think that the dog picks you. Even if breeding is important,
a trip to the local Humane Society may produce some favorable surprises. A small dog
is easier to care for in small quarters and takes up less space. I feel a larger
dog, though, offers a better sense of security and protection than a smaller dog. On
many moonlit night walks through the woods or in towns in remote areas, I never became
worried for safety with Tigger. His bark commands attention and his warning growl
rumbles half a football field and would give a linebacker reason to pause.
Obedience training is
important. It has to be in place before you leave and reinforced before each trip.
When we are home we live a different life style and we tend to be more lenient with
Tigger. What occurs at home on our block and in the neighborhood with friends that
are acceptable and even liked may not be at all acceptable behavior while in a campground
and around strangers. Your dog must consistently obey "Sit",
"Stay", and "Come." Tigger also obeys an "On Guard"
command as well as "OK", which calms him down after being on guard. You
may also want to train your dog to "Go Potty." It is helpful to know that
a dog requires exercise to stay regular and to move the bowels. Realize that while
traveling, your pet has been sitting or lying down for several hours and needs to run a
little before he will "Go Potty." Frequent stops about every 2 or 3 hours
is necessary for dog walks. We usually stop at a rest area where my wife prepares
lunch or a quick snack while Tigger & I take a walk.
In addition to
training your pet, let your pet train you or rather teach you a few things about him.
Your dog talks to you in many ways. He talks by sound, body language and eye
contact. Start with the premise that a good dog is always trying to please you.
When he wants to bring something to your attention he does it in the language of
sounds. A quick sharp bark can be saying"pay attention to me" or
"let's go now". When the bark is repetitive it may mean "someone's
coming." When the bark becomes loud and angry he may be saying, "someone's
coming that I don't know and that I am unfamiliar with." My wife plays
"hide & seek" with Tigger. Sometimes he comes up behind her and when
she pretends not to see him he will give one "woof" very quietly to get her
attention. The recognition of what your pet is telling you is important for your pet
to continue to communicate with you. Learn to listen to your pet and to acknowledge
understanding of what your pet has told you.
Body language also
plays an important role in how your dog communicates with you. Of course, the
wagging of the tail tells you "I'm happy." When your pet wants you to play he
will bow down on his forefeet. When your pet senses danger his ears will straighten,
his hair will stand up, and he may seem to not pay attention to your voice for several
seconds. When Tigger and I were walking one morning, he stopped in the middle of the
path and refused to go any further. I could have forced him to continue by command,
but he was happy walking the other direction so I chose to listen to him. When we
returned to the RV, other campers had spotted a grizzly bear in the direction that we had
originally headed towards.
click on picture to enlarge to return click on back
Your strong insistent command to "walk" with a tug on the leash or pulling him
up tight on a short leash and turning him in the direction you want to go will override
his reluctance, but it is not always wise to do so.
Everyone is
familiar with the point of a bird dog. Your pet's stance, along with the position of his
ears and the fur on his coat will help communicate what your dog is pointing at.
Tigger points, but not usually at birds. He points at something he
smells, hears, or senses. He lets us know when an animal is close by, often wanting
to chase it. We don't let him of course, especially after we saw him pointing at two
skunks on one of our morning walks. If your pet is quivering and his ears are flat,
your pet might be frightened of what he sees, hears, or senses. Petting and stroking
your dog and keeping him close to your body will help calm him. Tigger is afraid of
thunder and lightning. A bolt of lightning struck six feet away from the RV with an
explosive sound and a fireball of light. Fortunately, Tigger was in my wife's lap
and she covered his ears with her hands. We found that music will relax Tigger.
Have you heard the saying, "music soothes the savage beast"? We also
cheerfully tell him that "everything's all right." If you are cheerful and
confident, then your pet will be too.
We started getting
Tigger ready for traveling with our car and short trips to a Pet Mart store. Tigger
is such a worldly dog that when he sees a sliding glass door it is an invitation to enter.
Pets can get motion sickness just like humans. We found that a small amount
of VANILLA ice cream (never, never chocolate) settles Tigger's stomach and prevents motion
sickness. Two tablespoons of ice cream is enough to settle digestive enzymes in a
large dog. While on the road, soft-serve ice cream from fast food restaurants works
very well. As the trips became longer, Tigger began to be at home in the car and
looked forward to going for a ride.
Enjoying his vanilla
ice-cream |
As experience in the car and motor home grows, you can gradually introduce outside noise to your pet by opening windows. Care should be taken to keep forceful wind out of your dog's nose and ears. We are glad to have the old wing windows in our Class C just for this reason. Be careful to secure loose items in the RV before leaving to prevent falling objects and loud noises that might frighten your pet. On one of our first long trips with Tigger, we forgot to secure a mini television set. As soon as we pulled out of the driveway the television set came crashing down next to Tigger as he was lying on the floor. To this day, Tigger always sits in the front passenger seat until we are moving for a few minutes before lying down.
 Sharing the front seat |
When you leave your dog in your RV for a while, ventilation must be adequate even in
moderate temperatures. We highly recommend an automatic vent fan sold in most RV
supply stores. This vent opens automatically at a temperature you choose, turns on
the fan upon opening and closes automatically when it rains. This fan, together with
the top vent cracked and the side windows slightly open will assure an adequate flow of
fresh air for your pet. We also leave the generator running and the air conditioning
on low-cool in hot weather; with the automatic vent on a preset temperature, as a backup
to open and go on should the generator stall and the A/C shut off. We usually leave the
blinds on the sidewalk side of the RV drawn when in town. This prevents anyone
loitering nearby from looking in as well as keeping the sun out. Anyone looking in
would have to do it from the traffic lane or through the front window where Tigger will
let anyone know not to get too close. Always be sure to return in a reasonable
amount of time to care for your dog's needs. We recommend leaving your pet alone for
no longer than four hours at a time.
We've missed very
little and gained much by having Tigger on our trips. He requires as much
preparation as we do. Humans need passports and proof of citizenship to travel and
your dog will need his papers to travel. Your veterinarian can provide you with
proof of shots and good health. These are required to cross borders and, if
necessary, to board your pet in a kennel in an emergency. We have never boarded
Tigger. The license is both a identification tag and proof that your pet's rabies
vaccinations are up to date. However, we suggest you attach an additional tag to
your pet's collar with your name, your telephone number, and if you have the service, your
number to leave a voice-mail message.
 Tigger stalks his 1st "wildlife" |
On excursions in isolated areas it may be tempting to let your dog out on his own,
especially if it's early in the morning. Don't ever do this without his collar with
his identification. Without you nearby he can wander and explore. His
senses may be good, but in strange surroundings he may not be able to find his way back to
you. On our last trip we camped in an isolated area by a river. I walked
upstream one day and ran into a man looking for his dog. He had camped at the same
location two weeks before and was stopping periodically to see if his dog had been
found. It is best not to let your pet out of your range of vision and voice in
unfamiliar territory, but if your pet has identification tags you have a good chance of
getting your pet back if he is lost.
How Much is That Doggie MIDI
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