Helpful Tips to Boondock with Your Pets

Planning a boondocking trip with your pets? Want to make sure your pet stays safe while boondocking? Looking for pet tips? Boondockers Welcome is here to help!

Should You Take Your Pets Boondocking?

Taking your pets—especially your pups—boondocking is a great idea. But there are some things you might want to think about before doing this. 

• Can you spend the majority of your time with your pup? 
• Is the climate conducive to keeping your RV at a safe temperature while you are away?
• What activities will you enjoy with your pet? Hiking, paddle sports, etc.

Top Tips for Boondocking With Your Pets

If you are determined to take your pet with you on your next trip, then we have some tips to help make it a success. Check them out here. 

Reduce Your Pets Time Left Alone In The RV

The top tip we can offer is to reduce or eliminate your pets’ time in the RV. RVs aren’t great at self regulating temperatures and can act like greenhouses on sunny days and can make it unsafe for your pet. And the power consumption used to regulate this can shorten your boondocking stay. If you can eliminate it all together, that is even better. 

Have A Good Pet Waste Solution

At home or RV Campgrounds, there are plenty of places to get rid of your pets’ waste. But when you are boondocking in remote areas, this isn’t as easy. You either let them pile up around the outside of the RV—which begins to smell and possibly attracts other animals—or put them in a trash can that acts as an incubator. 

One of the best things to do is use biodegradable bags and have a separate container for your pets’ waste. You get bonus points if it can be permanently attached to you up off the ground. It isn’t uncommon for wild animals to be attracted to the smell and tear open bags. And that is an annoying thing to wake up to sitting outside your RV.

Create A Way For Your Pets To Have Space Too

Going to the backcountry with your pup is incredibly rewarding for you and your dog. There are so many smells and it provides room to roam for both of you. Even if your dog has good recall, you might want to be a little more cautious in the backcountry. 

With all of those new smells, your pup might be a little less responsive. Consider adding some anchor points to your vehicle and bring a long lead with you. Great places to attach your dog’s run are near the frame of your RV. If you can find a couple of places to attach eye bolts—preferably near the spots you enjoy sitting—you’ll find a little more peace by not needing to keep recalling your pup. 

Be Aware of Vaccine Needs

Different areas of the country have different vaccines available for common issues. Check with your local vet before traveling. They will know which vaccines to consider. While there are plenty that overlap—such as Rabies, Distemper, and Bordetella—there are still some that are unique to the environment you are exploring. For instance, in the desert southwest there is a rattlesnake vaccine that you may consider. 

Care For Your Pup’s Paws

Goat Heads are some of the most frustrating things for your poor pup’s paws. They get stuck in your dog’s paw pads and can be incredibly painful. You’ll then need to reach in and pull them out—which can be painful for you—and often can lead to some bleeding for your pup. 

To avoid this painful experience, you might take a rake with you and inspect the area near your RV. Remove anything that could get stuck in your dog’s fur or paws. By taking the time to do this on the front end, you’ll avoid headaches and paw pains for everyone involved. 

If you want to let your dog join you on a hike or roam the area, you might consider getting something to protect your pup’s paws. There are a couple of different options to investigate. 

First, you might want to buy boots for your dog. These boots are great for hiking in any landscape—but your dog will need to get used to them—and can protect from sharp objects. 

The second thing is Musher’s Secret which helps protect against bitter cold or incredibly hot temperatures. This paw wax also helps heal your pup’s paws from cuts and cracking.

Use Boondockers Welcome On Your Next Trip

If you use Boondockers Welcome on your next trip, you can search reviews that discuss what tips previous users have for each host. And if that doesn’t work, you can ask the host yourself. Boondockers Welcome is the perfect way to enjoy time away with your favorite furbaby and catch up on some quality time together. 

Get your Boondockers Welcome Membership now and start exploring tomorrow.