Dog Questions

[3caninekids]

I think I'm a little late to the conversation, but will put my 2 cents in anyway. LISTEN TO YOUR GUT. If you prefer cats, not dogs, don't get a dog. If you only want a dog for protection, don't get one. You cannot always rely on a dog to protect you. If someone wanted to attack you and had a gun, they could just shoot your dog. TRY living without one first (like for several months), THEN see how you feel. I bet the more time you spend on the road alone, the more comfortable you will feel. I'm sure you wouldn't want to adopt a dog, realize you really don't want to be a dog owner, then have to find a new home for him or take him to a shelter.

Being a caretaker of a dog is a big, big, BIG responsibility. They will limit what you can do in many ways. They need daily exercise, they may need to out to potty in the middle of the night, they bark when you don't want them to, they are an extra expense (regular vet care, vaccinations, food, etc), they may have diarrhea accidents or throw up (usually on carpet or some other type of upholstery when there is a vinyl floor 2 feet away), etc, etc.

I have 3 dogs & wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. I love them to pieces, and they have a wonderful life. But sometimes, they're a hassle and an inconvience.

Only get a dog because you love dogs and want their companionship, and you can give them a good life & a good home. I'm all done now.

 

[akrvbob]

Extremely well said 3caninekids!
Bob

 

[gcal]

My 2 cents. We have a dog because we already had him when we decided to full time. I would not have chosen to rv with a dog. As much of a pleasure as he can be, he can be even more of a pain.

Without a dog door and a fenced yard, there is no sleeping in or letting him take himself out in bad weather.

Dogs smell and shed. The more confined the space, the more you notice it.

We can't take him a lot of places we want to go. If we can't arrange a safe place for him, we can't go. Work, shopping, doctor apps could be a hassle for one person.

We are frequently over 100 miles from the nearest vet, dogs can't talk, and he likes to get into mischief. He often doesn't show distress until something is very wrong. If we are near a vet, we have to take him at the slightest sniffle or twitch because we may have to travel for hours in a hurry if we wait to see if something will pass.

While we have no trouble with rv parks with a 23# yapper, he's not much good for protection. If we had chosen a breed or size for protection, we would have been banned from a growing number of parks. If we had chosen a pit bull, popular for protection, we'd have been banned from some whole towns and cities.

So, while we have a dog and we cope alright, we would not have chosen to rv with a dog. When he goes, we will not replace him.

 

[Vantastic]

SO, did you get a dog? Can't start this thread and just disappear...

 

[Ella1]

Another possibility is getting the dog designated a service animal. Service animals can go where pets cannot, and a service animal can be for anything, even anxiety, and no one can ask what service the dog provides. I have heard of people doing this to avoid having to leave their animals at home. You would of course have to have a well trained and well behaved dog for that to work.

Really bad idea is right! It's fraud.
If YOU are not disabled, the service dog, no matter how well trained, is not for YOU, so would be legally rejected/ejected from the business.
Because of all the liars and cheats, disabled people have an even harder time.

If you do get a dog, be honest with it. Train it well, care for it well.