OB Approved Overlanding/Camping with a dog

[CoreyPDX]

Maybe I missed it while scrolling, but does anyone know of a way to make a "doggie mode" for your rig? I am inspired by tesla and annoyed by Oregon.

So first off Portland is the BEST/worst place to bring your dog places. If the sun is out at all, people will make a giant fuss about you leaving your dogs in the car. My Australian Cattle Dog is perfect in the car, but our rescue Puggle is insane. Shes great while driving, but when left alone runs around the car and barks like crazy. She is a puggle too, so she is always panting and looks like she is dieing in the Sahara and may never have had water in her life. It was 60 degrees outside and partly sunny and the puggle was left in the car while I picked up a salad from New Seasons (thing whole foods but more local). The car's windows were partially down. Not cracked but partially down and we came out with our premade salads in hand to find an old woman trying to get my dog out of the car and saying that we were awful Pet Parents because it is so hot and our puggle was clearly in distress. We eventually calmed her down but if you can not leave your dog in the car when it is 55-60 degrees without someone being tempted to break your window, it is a cause for concern.

We are also planning an overland trip to the tip of Baja this winter. Now it doesn't get that hot, and we are only going to bring our Cattle Dog BUT there will most likely be moments and places that I can not bring the dog inside. Cracking the window might be ok, but that leads to some security concerns. Also although it is winter in Baja, it can obviously still get very warm and leaving our pup in anything above 70-75 for an amount of time to me is not the most ideal situation.

SO this leads me to ask if anyone here, knows of a way to recreate the Tesla dog mode in a regular rig?
I am thinking remote start with the AC left on? Does anyone know if there is a remote start that's aftermarket that will only keep the rig on but possibly not allow it to be put into drive for security reasons? Does anyone know if the aftermarket ones have range restrictions? What are your car heat-related solutions for your pets? thanks!

 

[ChepoCDT]

Maybe I missed it while scrolling, but does anyone know of a way to make a "doggie mode" for your rig? I am inspired by tesla and annoyed by Oregon.

So first off Portland is the BEST/worst place to bring your dog places. If the sun is out at all, people will make a giant fuss about you leaving your dogs in the car. My Australian Cattle Dog is perfect in the car, but our rescue Puggle is insane. Shes great while driving, but when left alone runs around the car and barks like crazy. She is a puggle too, so she is always panting and looks like she is dieing in the Sahara and may never have had water in her life. It was 60 degrees outside and partly sunny and the puggle was left in the car while I picked up a salad from New Seasons (thing whole foods but more local). The car's windows were partially down. Not cracked but partially down and we came out with our premade salads in hand to find an old woman trying to get my dog out of the car and saying that we were awful Pet Parents because it is so hot and our puggle was clearly in distress. We eventually calmed her down but if you can not leave your dog in the car when it is 55-60 degrees without someone being tempted to break your window, it is a cause for concern.

We are also planning an overland trip to the tip of Baja this winter. Now it doesn't get that hot, and we are only going to bring our Cattle Dog BUT there will most likely be moments and places that I can not bring the dog inside. Cracking the window might be ok, but that leads to some security concerns. Also although it is winter in Baja, it can obviously still get very warm and leaving our pup in anything above 70-75 for an amount of time to me is not the most ideal situation.

SO this leads me to ask if anyone here, knows of a way to recreate the Tesla dog mode in a regular rig?
I am thinking remote start with the AC left on? Does anyone know if there is a remote start that's aftermarket that will only keep the rig on but possibly not allow it to be put into drive for security reasons? Does anyone know if the aftermarket ones have range restrictions? What are your car heat-related solutions for your pets? thanks!



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Well, I know that the remote start won't let you change into drive if the key is not inside the car... other thing, most of the cars just turn on for like 15 mins!

 

[l_vandyke]

Well, I know that the remote start won't let you change into drive if the key is not inside the car... other thing, most of the cars just turn on for like 15 mins!

My remote start will kill the engine if you touch the brake pedal without the key in the ignition. It also only runs for about 20 minutes and will shut itself off

 

[ChasingOurTrunks]

Maybe I missed it while scrolling, but does anyone know of a way to make a "doggie mode" for your rig? I am inspired by tesla and annoyed by Oregon.

I know this isn't your exact situation, but I just bring a spare set of keys. Whenever I need to leave the dog in the car for any length of time, the engine stays running with the AC on.

But in my case, I'm not worried about theft of the vehicle. It takes a special kind of thief to willingly take on two German Shepherds for a car. The Puggle might not be as imposing, though!

I am of the opinion that even for short durations, we try not to leave the dog in the car, even with the two-key/Dog Mode/AC running type deal. I have several reasons for this opinion:

1) We used to have a manual transmission, it's very easy for the dog to stall out the rig (end of AC). It could also cause it to lurch forward before stalling, which if you are at a grocery store, could be an expensive lurch -- especially if it hits a pedestrian or another car.

2) People don't tend to mind their own business, and even with "Dog Mode" you run the risk of some well-intentioned fool wanting to play Hero and smash your windows.

3) It gets REALLY hot in a car, even on a cool day, due to the greenhouse effect. This happens fast and can be fatal.

4) Further to point 3), if something happens to you, your 4-legged friend will be stuck in the car indefinitely.


So my tip for Overlanding with dogs in this specific capacity:

1) Only shop at places where "Dogs Welcome" is displayed specifically for this reason, and bring your dog with you. I'm sure there's a website/database out there!

2) Have a quick and easy way to tie your dog out. Even on a hot day, tying them to the bull bar or side steps can give them sunshine, breeze, and shade, which will be way more comfortable than being inside the car.

3) Take advantage of "E-Shopping" -- places like Walmart and Superstore here in Canada allow you to shop online for curbside pickup. You can hop on your phone or tablet in your rig with the AC blasting, do your shop, and then they bring it out to you. You'll have to time it, of course, as it takes a bit for them to pick the groceries, but this can be a great way of avoiding having to leave your dog behind.

 

[7YODA5]

I know this isn't your exact situation, but I just bring a spare set of keys. Whenever I need to leave the dog in the car for any length of time, the engine stays running with the AC on.

But in my case, I'm not worried about theft of the vehicle. It takes a special kind of thief to willingly take on two German Shepherds for a car. The Puggle might not be as imposing, though!

I am of the opinion that even for short durations, we try not to leave the dog in the car, even with the two-key/Dog Mode/AC running type deal. I have several reasons for this opinion:

1) We used to have a manual transmission, it's very easy for the dog to stall out the rig (end of AC). It could also cause it to lurch forward before stalling, which if you are at a grocery store, could be an expensive lurch -- especially if it hits a pedestrian or another car.

2) People don't tend to mind their own business, and even with "Dog Mode" you run the risk of some well-intentioned fool wanting to play Hero and smash your windows.

3) It gets REALLY hot in a car, even on a cool day, due to the greenhouse effect. This happens fast and can be fatal.

4) Further to point 3), if something happens to you, your 4-legged friend will be stuck in the car indefinitely.


So my tip for Overlanding with dogs in this specific capacity:

1) Only shop at places where "Dogs Welcome" is displayed specifically for this reason, and bring your dog with you. I'm sure there's a website/database out there!

2) Have a quick and easy way to tie your dog out. Even on a hot day, tying them to the bull bar or side steps can give them sunshine, breeze, and shade, which will be way more comfortable than being inside the car.

3) Take advantage of "E-Shopping" -- places like Walmart and Superstore here in Canada allow you to shop online for curbside pickup. You can hop on your phone or tablet in your rig with the AC blasting, do your shop, and then they bring it out to you. You'll have to time it, of course, as it takes a bit for them to pick the groceries, but this can be a great way of avoiding having to leave your dog behind.

I really like your suggestion of using e-shopping/ curbside pick up as that eliminates one of the biggest hurdles in traveling with a pet due to food preparation laws and policies.

 

[adventure_is_necessary]

Maybe I missed it while scrolling, but does anyone know of a way to make a "doggie mode" for your rig? I am inspired by tesla and annoyed by Oregon.

So first off Portland is the BEST/worst place to bring your dog places. If the sun is out at all, people will make a giant fuss about you leaving your dogs in the car. My Australian Cattle Dog is perfect in the car, but our rescue Puggle is insane. Shes great while driving, but when left alone runs around the car and barks like crazy. She is a puggle too, so she is always panting and looks like she is dieing in the Sahara and may never have had water in her life. It was 60 degrees outside and partly sunny and the puggle was left in the car while I picked up a salad from New Seasons (thing whole foods but more local). The car's windows were partially down. Not cracked but partially down and we came out with our premade salads in hand to find an old woman trying to get my dog out of the car and saying that we were awful Pet Parents because it is so hot and our puggle was clearly in distress. We eventually calmed her down but if you can not leave your dog in the car when it is 55-60 degrees without someone being tempted to break your window, it is a cause for concern.

We are also planning an overland trip to the tip of Baja this winter. Now it doesn't get that hot, and we are only going to bring our Cattle Dog BUT there will most likely be moments and places that I can not bring the dog inside. Cracking the window might be ok, but that leads to some security concerns. Also although it is winter in Baja, it can obviously still get very warm and leaving our pup in anything above 70-75 for an amount of time to me is not the most ideal situation.

SO this leads me to ask if anyone here, knows of a way to recreate the Tesla dog mode in a regular rig?
I am thinking remote start with the AC left on? Does anyone know if there is a remote start that's aftermarket that will only keep the rig on but possibly not allow it to be put into drive for security reasons? Does anyone know if the aftermarket ones have range restrictions? What are your car heat-related solutions for your pets? thanks!



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Dog mode for me consists of minimal time in the rig alone, regardless of weather. One dog will find any food not in the cooler and proceed to eat it and any packaging it's in. The other is an energetic velcro dog so he doesn't like being in the rig alone for long. If it's comfortable out, I can usually park the rig in some shade with the tinted windows to the sun and leave the windows down. Otherwise I still park in the same fashion but with the windows shut and the rig on with A/C going. The flip side is in the winter where we've kept the rig running and warm depending on the length of time out of the rig. Usually the dogs will snuggle up on their bed in the back with a few blankets and be good for an hour or so. Most remote starts will kill the engine if the brake is pressed or if the car is attempted to be put in gear. Probably the best option out there IMHO over leaving the rig on and locked with a spare key or key fob. I still push to go places where your dog can go or minimize the time in the rig alone. If your dog is well-behaved like my Aussie, I wouldn't hesitate to go to a store and ask if he can come with, within reason of course as food establishments are usually a no-no.

To reiterate: I'd look into a remote start and maybe some inserts for the windows as those will allow for more flow and security. But also minimize the alone time in the rig.

 

[STRUWELJÄMP]

Out without my dog (Belgian shepperd) yes only if it is an easy trail.
For me every dog owner should sit once in the back of the car and feel how it is ...if he likes it to fly around or not.After that you know how much fun it is and if you take your dog with on hard core trails.
Have a nice day

 

[l_vandyke]

View attachment 114566
Out without my dog (Belgian shepperd) yes only if it is an easy trail.
For me every dog owner should sit once in the back of the car and feel how it is ...if he likes it to fly around or not.After that you know how much fun it is and if you take your dog with on hard core trails.
Have a nice day

Is that where your dog rides when traveling too? Or is that just it’s bed?

 

[CoreyPDX]

I know this isn't your exact situation, but I just bring a spare set of keys. Whenever I need to leave the dog in the car for any length of time, the engine stays running with the AC on.

But in my case, I'm not worried about theft of the vehicle. It takes a special kind of thief to willingly take on two German Shepherds for a car. The Puggle might not be as imposing, though!

I am of the opinion that even for short durations, we try not to leave the dog in the car, even with the two-key/Dog Mode/AC running type deal. I have several reasons for this opinion:

1) We used to have a manual transmission, it's very easy for the dog to stall out the rig (end of AC). It could also cause it to lurch forward before stalling, which if you are at a grocery store, could be an expensive lurch -- especially if it hits a pedestrian or another car.

2) People don't tend to mind their own business, and even with "Dog Mode" you run the risk of some well-intentioned fool wanting to play Hero and smash your windows.

3) It gets REALLY hot in a car, even on a cool day, due to the greenhouse effect. This happens fast and can be fatal.

4) Further to point 3), if something happens to you, your 4-legged friend will be stuck in the car indefinitely.


So my tip for Overlanding with dogs in this specific capacity:

1) Only shop at places where "Dogs Welcome" is displayed specifically for this reason, and bring your dog with you. I'm sure there's a website/database out there!

2) Have a quick and easy way to tie your dog out. Even on a hot day, tying them to the bull bar or side steps can give them sunshine, breeze, and shade, which will be way more comfortable than being inside the car.

3) Take advantage of "E-Shopping" -- places like Walmart and Superstore here in Canada allow you to shop online for curbside pickup. You can hop on your phone or tablet in your rig with the AC blasting, do your shop, and then they bring it out to you. You'll have to time it, of course, as it takes a bit for them to pick the groceries, but this can be a great way of avoiding having to leave your dog behind.

Those are all super fair points. When we go down to mexico I am sure we accommodate all those ideas and just run spare keys as back up. I really forgot to consider if something happens to us!

 

[STRUWELJÄMP]

Is that where your dog rides when traveling too? Or is that just it’s bed?

Yes that's his place on our rides

 

[l_vandyke]

Yes that's his place on our rides

I wished my German Shepherd would lay down in the back seat and go to sleep. We drive about 3 hours to go to a campground we’ve went to since I was a kid and she HAS to have the windows rolled down.

 

[STRUWELJÄMP]

I wished my German Shepherd would lay down in the back seat and go to sleep. We drive about 3 hours to go to a campground we’ve went to since I was a kid and she HAS to have the windows rolled down.

Is she to scared to drive?Else try and move her to an other place in the car....take shorter runs and extend them slowly.
My mali is hard to get out of the car ...it's HIS car ...hehe

 

[kbryan1022]

I've been wanting to have a dog for the longest time when I go camping and fishing. Then one day my wife's cousin whom trains Border Collies for cattle hoarding in Colorado heard that I've been wanting a dog. She called and said I have a perfect 9 month old I will give you. Drove up from Tucson to the Ranch and what a blessing. The Border Collie took right to us. We named him Ranger. Did great on the road back and stopped frequently so he can do his thing. I took him camping for the first time to the river. He had to learn quick to swim or he got left behind at camp. He whined several times and just jumped in. After that no problem. When I caught my first fish I tossed it up on the bank. He picked it up and ran up and down the bank tossing it in the air playing. I checked on the fish and there was bite marks and the fish survived and was released back into the water and swam away. Then he found a stick to chew and play with while I fished. Anytime I moved down river, he stayed right with me not letting me out of site. I did not let him up in the bed of the truck to sleep with wife and I. His bed was on the ground with his blanket. First night kept his bear bell on and tied to the truck hitch so if he tries to take off I would hear him. He never moved. Next night not tied, just bell. He never moved. Next night left bell off and he was running around camp and going down to the river playing with my friends two other dogs. He never left us which I was afraid he would wonder off. He has now been on several back country roads and do some 4 wheeling. Every restaurant or bar so far let him in as he lays by my side. I can not leave his site. Awkward enough, I cannot go into the bathroom with out him being in there. When I go to work I just point at his cage and he goes in with no problem. When I go to bed he sleeps in his own bed. At times I find him past out in bed with me and have to remind him to go to his own bed. Does not at all bark as that is how he was trained and does not eat people food but at my feet sleeping at the dinner table. He is mans best friend, my best friend.

 

[2Jeeps&PatriotX1]

Both our dogs go with us (3yr old male labradoodle and 1yr old female sheepadoodle). The labradoodle loves going to Lowes and Home Depot and has his workers there who enjoy his company. This year was the first time they and my wife have been camping. He loves riding in my jeep when the top is down and enjoys the truck as well. They have their own tent that’s zipped onto our annex and plenty of room being bigger dogs. We keep them on leashes/tie outs when outside and they both wear gps trackers. He hears every noise at night and alerts me which can be good or bad at times. So far in our first 4 outings, we’ve stumbled upon a brown bear, 2 coyotes, a few deer and packs of elk when dispersed camping.

 

[l_vandyke]

Is she to scared to drive?Else try and move her to an other place in the car....take shorter runs and extend them slowly.
My mali is hard to get out of the car ...it's HIS car ...hehe

Oh no it’s the opposite. She absolutely loves to go for a ride. If I say the word “ride” she gets excited. She just loves having the windows down so she can feel the wind and everything. She doesn’t like when the windows are rolled up which is problematic because I want to go on some fall and winter camping trips this year. Definitely don’t wanna be driving with the windows down and it’s freezing

 

[STRUWELJÄMP]

Oh no it’s the opposite. She absolutely loves to go for a ride. If I say the word “ride” she gets excited. She just loves having the windows down so she can feel the wind and everything. She doesn’t like when the windows are rolled up which is problematic because I want to go on some fall and winter camping trips this year. Definitely don’t wanna be driving with the windows down and it’s freezing

Ah ok same with mine but if the window is closed he has to live with it ...hehe i m the boss in his car ;-)

 

[TJDon]

We live in the concrete jungle of smooth surfaces and soft green grass. My dog is usually outside in those perfect conditions everyday. I took him camping up in the hills and we did a nice 5 mile round trip hike and about half way back he was very tender footed. Fortunately I didn’t push him to keep going hard, we took plenty of rest breaks and stopped at water so he could rest his paws

 

[trikebubble]

Our dogs have been pretty much everywhere with us over the past number of years. We've taken them on a 6500 trek from home to Colorado (they came up Mineral Creek trail and Engineer Pass with us), we took the m on an 8500+km trip to Tuk and back last year (both got to dip their paws in the Arctic), and last month I took both dogs on a 2 week back country roam around Northern Vancouver Island.
A few things we've learned over the years. I find our dogs are happier and less anxious with less room in any given vehicle. Restricting their ability to walk around the back of an suv, and providing a good smaller comfortable spot for the dogs results in a way better roads trip for us all. I always bring 2 sets of keys on long trips, and if their is no other option (usually one of us will stay with the dogs in the truck while the other shops for groceries, etc) then we leave them locked inside with the A/C on, and BIG signs in the windows to let the do-gooders know our dogs are just fine. We try to plan for pee and sniff breaks every two hours, and we also try to plan our routes so that we can incorporate dog-friendly places to play and dog-friendly places to eat or shop if at all possible.

 

[LamzTaco]

Took my 6 mo old Blue Heeler overlanding on the Magruder Corridor Road last week.

 

[Casper66]

Took my 2 year old German Shepherd camping for the first time this year. I personally had never took a dog camping before and wasn’t sure how she would handle the situation. There is a campground I frequent in Virginia that is relatively small but usually not very crowded. I get so frustrated when I go camping and people bring a dog that does nothing but bark the entire time they’re there, so I was worried my dog might do the same. This was not an issue at all with Izzy (my dog’s name).

The other concern I had was the drive up there. It takes about 3 hours to get there and the longest car ride she had ever been on was only about 1 hour. I with held food the morning we left to decrease the risk of car sickness since we were going to be driving down some very curvy roads. Only had to stop once because nature calls. I have a plastic bin that I kept her food, bowls, and medication she has to take daily in. I keep them in the cab of the truck at camp to keep the critters away.

Sleeping arrangements were the next concern. Unlike some people me and Izzy do not sleep together. She’s a big dog and sheds so bad that it was just something we never did. She likes her space when she sleeps and so do I. She sleeps in her crate at home and will not go to sleep until I close the door (I think it’s a security thing). I drive a double cab Tacoma with a camper shell and a rooftop tent on top of the shell. I put her crate in the bed with the windows open. I kept the tail gate closed when we went to bed and left the hatch open so she could get plenty of air flow without having to worry about something climbing in the bed of the truck.

So far this year we’ve went on 3 trips, all to the same area. Every trip went extremely well, better than anticipated actually. Looking forward to many more together.

In Va with a Tacoma also. There are some really beautiful places here to camp especially in the mountains. We live in the foothills so sometimes this can be a 45 inute drive to get where we are going. We bought a pet sling for the rear seat. It clips around all 4 of the headrests, covers the back seat completely, and prevents her from being thrown into the floor board in case of quick stops or when off road. She loves camping it seems but acte completely different when we go almost never making a sound. It just makes my trip more enoyable. Yes it may limitt where we go at times but our time with her is worth that to me.