Does anyone have a med-large dog in your Van?

[JeffJones]

I want to get a dog, have for some time. I have always had a dog, usually medium to large dogs. I have a opportunity to adopt a Boarder Collie German Shepherd mix 8 month old female. She is extremely smart and active.
I have a Ford E250 hightop, not an extended version.
I am outside most of the day at camp, so she would be outside w me and then inside at night, unless it rains then we both are inside. I stay in the warmer areas on the west.

Do you have a large dog in your van? Is it comfortable?

 

[MrNoodly]

I know at least a dozen vandwellers who have medium-large dogs. Bob, for example. Some have two. I have heard no complaints about lack of comfort. But, of course, each person's idea of comfort is different.

 

[AMGS3]

Aww she's so cute. I used to have a border collie, and man you aren't kidding, they are active. I used to bike with her running next to me at full speed for 14 -18 miles with only a short 3 minute break so she could pee and get a quick drink out of the lake. On days that I couldn't ride with her (I'd just bring her for a walk, instead) she was agitated and would pace non-stop and chew on everything. I asked the vet about it and he said it was normal for that breed to require excessive amounts of daily exercise. Lol.

I hope everything works out.

~angie

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

 

[JeffJones]

Thank you both. if I get her I will have to step up my walking game and play allot off ball with her. It's better than sitting on my butt all day.

 

[MichaelVan2Go]

One thing to consider about having a dog in the van, esp. a collie...hair...lots of it!! Even more so during the warmer months. Be prepared to invest in a handheld vacuum or 12 volt shop vac. We have taken our small Rat Terrier camping in the old van, and this was in Georgia. He sheds like crazy. And he is a small breed dog. Hair on clothes, on the bed, rugs, etc.. Just a word of warning before you decide to adopt a dog for van life.

 

[JeffJones]

Thanks for the advise, I have had a Boarder Collie before, I know shedding lol.

 

[makenmend]

View attachment 21107
View attachment 21107
German Shepard/Labrador mix 82 lb, sheds constantly, loves to travel, having to walk her a lot is good for me.

 

[bigsallysmom]

An 80 pound mix in a 17 foot van is very tough even if I don't full time. I'm sure that first rainy or too cold day will be quite the experience. I've ordered a hitch cargo carrier to put some of the stuff outside. Building cabinets specific for what I'm carrying to get stuff off the floor. I use plastic gloves and drag my fingers across the carpet to pick up dog hair. If van continues to run well I'll replace with linoleum. Lotta work and expense but my buddette comes with me unless it's too hot.

 

[makenmend]

Yes it's more work but the companionship is worth it. To make life easier I put in a hardwood floor with a couple of non slip mats that make clean up quick and easy. Swore I wouldn't get another dog after my lab/blue heeler past on 2014, then this stray turns up,after seeing her demeanor around kids and other animals, when Animal Control said they would take her to the pound I offered to keep her until any one claimed her, been with me 3 years now done last 2 RTRs and her behavior is exemplary. Well worth the vets bills ect.

 

[Almost There]

I travelled for  years full-time with a Collie - well, 2 of them, but only one at a time.

When I had a full sized RV with onboard generator and a/c it was no problem at all.

When I downsized to a van sized camper there was a big difference  - hair notwithstanding!... We managed to get along in the van, mostly because he learned when to stand up and when to go sit on the passenger seat or lay on the bed. It WAS tight quarters with a full-sized dog, especially on rainy days - wet dog on my bed was NOT a good thing!!

With the van I had to be extremely conscious of what I could do when - shopping, laundry, errands all had to be timed for when I could leave him in the van. That meant shopping at 11 PM a lot of the time. That meant not being able to use the deli/butcher/bakery counters and having very limited access to staff if I couldn't find or reach something. Choosing a laundromat where I could either bring him inside with me or see the washers from the van/see the van from the washers. I would have to sit outside someplace cool with the dog while the wash was done. 

Sightseeing was another logistical problem - National Parks and a lot of other tourist venues don't allow dogs at all or severely restrict where they can go. I like to visit national historic sites and parks as much as I can.

Truthfully, even though I'd love to have a dog in my life again, I  have chosen not to. My choice was lifestyle and size of vehicle or dog. Not saying it can't work but you have to be prepared to deal with the logistics of the dogs needs versus what you want to do.

I make do with having a bunch of 'niece and nephew' pets that I can get my petting/walking time in with!

 

[B and C]

A friend couple has a dog in a trailer. Someone has to stay with the dog while the other shops, eats at a restaurant or whatever. They can't do stuff together when the dog is with.

We have had our dogs and it is so hard when they leave us. Never want to go through that again.

For all these reasons (including Almost There), livestock will not be a part of our lives. Now that my wife can't travel, the couple of longer trips I have been on would have been tough with an animal. The company would have been nice but not worth the hassle in the long run.

 

[steamjam1]

I want to get a dog, have for some time. I have always had a dog, usually medium to large dogs. I have a opportunity to adopt a Boarder Collie German Shepherd mix 8 month old female. She is extremely smart and active.
I have a Ford E250 hightop, not an extended version.
I am outside most of the day at camp, so she would be outside w me and then inside at night, unless it rains then we both are inside. I stay in the warmer areas on the west.

Do you have a large dog in your van? Is it comfortable?

I have a Ford extended RV with a 24" hightop. and two border collies. One full breed, and one half Aussie... Perfectly cozy.. Its just that rain or shine.. You gotta run em... Let em run..

 

[MrNoodly]

<a href="https://imgbb.com/"><img src="https://image.ibb.co/eUhXB9/dog1.png" alt="dog1" border="0" /></a>

 

[JeffJones]

Looks like. New door time and a pup that wants out. I had to take a couple looks, almost looks like a Photoshop.

 

[JeffJones]

When I was in kindergarten our Somoyed chewed the glass window that was rolled down a bit. Not enough for the dog, we took him to the vet, he was ok after a few days. I still remember that like it was yesterday, not a good site to see of your best buddy in world at 5 years old!

I will get a dog, eventually. When I find the right dog and right time.
I enjoy hearing about all the dogs you folks have. Thank you. It's achalle get but a worth while one. Like I said before, seems like I have always had a large dog

 

[vanlifeadventures21]

I have a 60lb german shepard. I LOVE having her along! I boondock on BLM for the most part so she's pretty easy to take care of. She's outside nearly the entire day. We go on walks together everywhere and I think she's kept me more active.

The biggest challenge with a dog is heat. You really can't leave them in the car long especially if it's hot out. I keep a note on my windshield with a phone number for people to call/text if they get concerned and it explains that she has water and a vent fan. That said, she's only left alone when I hop in the store for a few minutes to grab groceries and I try to do that at night when it's not as hot out.

A big downside is you can't bring them on any National Park trails if that's something you want to visit. There are some logistical complications but nothing too difficult. I would say overall it's been a positive experience for me.

 

[JD GUMBEE]

We have had our dogs and it is so hard when they leave us. Never want to go through that again.

Robbing yourself of joy to avoid the grief? Lobotomies do something similar.
I feel sorry for you.

Grief comes at the end of every relationship. (Everything dies, Mr Mulder.)

"...accept the things I cannot control."


On ones death bed, I have never heard anyone say, "I'm glad I avoided emotional attachments so I felt no pain."

...and right now, somewhere...another shelter dog is getting the needle through no fault of his/her own.

 

[B and C]

When we traveled with a dog it was so much more limiting. Couldn't take them in anywhere. We got to the point when we went on vacation, we boarded them with a neighbor. Are they a joy? Are they a pain? Yes! Which outweighs which? Pets are very limiting on freedom and I value my freedom more. A pet makes you make decisions you would not ordinarily make if they weren't there.

Choose your poison wisely and to each their own. Peace out.

 

[WanderingRose]

We found our dog while traveling, abandoned at a state park, and she changed our travel but we never regretted it.

She’s 55lbs or so, in a 22’ class B, where there also used to be two adults.

We loved her, we worked around her needs and we managed just fine.

 

[maki2]

When I was in kindergarten our Somoyed chewed the glass window that was rolled down a bit. Not enough for the dog, we took him to the vet, he was ok after a few days. I still remember that like it was yesterday, not a good site to see of your best buddy in world at 5 years old!

I will get a dog, eventually. When I find the right dog and right time.
I enjoy hearing about all the dogs you folks have. Thank you. It's achalle get but a worth while one. Like I said before, seems like I have always had a large dog

We have a standard poodle. After he turned 2.5 years he has become very mellow. Before that age, well puppies just have lots of energy but that it true of many breeds. He was not bad, just needed plenty of exercise to wear him out. He lives happily on a sail boat. But he does get to run alongside a bicycle once a day or so as well as the normal potty walks.  He has become an excellent dog for travel in the van for road trip camping. Never makes a fuss in the car, just waits quietly unless someone gets too close to the vehicle. Excellent guard dog but also a good people dog, not aggressive but he does get mildly protective of me at times, does not do that stuff with his male owner. I don't mind his protective warnings when people approach close to us on night time walks. He just barks at them but not at everyone all the time. Not sure what sets his warning system off. Of course he is large enough that it stops the person from trying to come any closer. They regular grooming to cut their hair to prevent matting but poodles do not shed and don't create allergy issues either so that labor trade off is OK. The size of standard poodles does vary from being a medium large dog at 15" shoulder height. But they are not heavily muscled dogs, they have a slimmer build than many larger breeds and are lighter in structure than many of the poodle crossbreeds such as the labradoodles. They are in a tie with the border collies for most intelligent but they are not manic in behavior like the collies. Of course you do want to give them good training right from the time they are young puppies so that they don't fall into bad habits.  Fortunately they are intelligent and are easy to train.