Dogs in the Tent

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jessegooddog
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Dogs in the Tent

Post by jessegooddog »

My dog doesn't seem to like being in a tent, and on a short backpack to Bull Lake (Chocolate Lakes Loop) last week during the full moon, he kept me awake all night long. Each time I moved, he sat up and wagged his tail - "can we go now, can we go now"??? We had the entire lake to ourselves, it never got very cold, and there were no noises in the night - I know, because I was awake! Does anyone else have this problem? I was wondering if I should have given him a much bigger dinner, or a tiny tranquilizer. Leaving him home is not an option, he is a great dog and loves the trails and meeting people, plus I would have to hire a sitter, but I was exhausted the next morning and cut the trip short.
Last edited by jessegooddog on Tue Sep 24, 2013 9:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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rlown
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Re: Dogs in the Tent

Post by rlown »

a completely covered tent or a netted tent?
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jessegooddog
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Re: Dogs in the Tent

Post by jessegooddog »

Covered, altho it was warm enough last week to have the window unzipped.
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Wandering Daisy
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Re: Dogs in the Tent

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Our dog loves the tent. She is a 1 year old Border Collie. She does move around a bit. I have a sleeping pad for her and she is off and on it through the night. She prefers to sleep up against me or between me and my husband when we are together. She is a herding dog, and we are her "herd" so she gets very concerned when we are not all in the same place. We just bought a Skyledge 3 (mountain hardware), which is a smaller 3 person tent - just right to fit her between us. As for her sleeping pad, she prefers a pad with a fleece cover. This last trip we used a plain ensolite pad and she did not like it. Then we put down my husband's rain jacket and she was more willing to sleep on that. You may try to make a sleeping pad, with fleece cover, and then put it in your dog's crate at home. Once your dog associates the pad with "bed" and gets it full of his smell, then use it in the tent.
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jessegooddog
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Re: Dogs in the Tent

Post by jessegooddog »

Thank you, WD - why didn't I think of that? I will make him a pad before our next trip, and keep it next to my bed where he sleeps.
Last edited by jessegooddog on Tue Sep 24, 2013 9:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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DriveFly44
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Re: Dogs in the Tent

Post by DriveFly44 »

Sorry to hear of your issue with your pooch jesse. I took my dog laker everywhere with me and although he cannon-balled in all my fishing holes, I wouldn't have traded a second of my time with him in the Sierra. Here are a few thoughts:

#1 I always made sure that I exercised him later in the evening so he would be tired enough for bed
#2 I cut a piece of an old cheap foam mat for him to sleep on in the tent (tried to keep rainfly off as much as possible - and my copper spur tent has lots of mesh)
#3 When cold, I used an old fleece vest to keep him warm. Unzip, put his feet through the sleeve holes, and rezip. Zipper is on top on the dog's back. Or you could buy a $75 dog vest :D

As I think about it, there was only one time in our eighteen backpacking adventures that laker wanted out of the tent at night. We were camped near upper twin lakes in the kaiser wilderness well away from any water source. He was really anxious get out of the tent and kept me up for a while. I thought he wanted to either play fetch or relieve himself (it was 2am). So I finally let him out and clipped his flashing light on his collar (another good tip). He took off and went about a 1/2 mile down a steep slope to the lake to get water. He was dehydrated.

Maybe none of these address your particular situation but thought they might be helpful in some way.


Ladd
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jessegooddog
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Re: Dogs in the Tent

Post by jessegooddog »

Good idea about the flashing light, I will get one. He wasn't whining like he had to go out. When we got out of the tent at dawn, he didn't even go for water or a pit stop.
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Vaca Russ
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Re: Dogs in the Tent

Post by Vaca Russ »

Sue,

I never have a problem getting my girls in the tent. They usually can't wait for it to be put up. They have very short hair and will not wear sweaters so they get cold as soon as we stop hiking.

Maybe you should shave your pooch. :D

My problem is the dogs want to play "in and out". They go in the tent to rest / warm up and then run outside to explore (back and forth, in and out)...tracking in dirt the whole time. :rolleyes:

I sleep on a Thermarest NeoAir Xlite with a reflective layer that returns heat back to your body. I just use my down bag, unzipped as a quilt. The dogs lay under the bag next to me.

I bet if your dog was cold he would happily lay down next to you to sleep and stay warm. :nod:

-Russ
"...Or have you only comfort, and the lust for comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house a guest, and then becomes a host and then a master?"

Kahil Gibran.
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87TT
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Re: Dogs in the Tent

Post by 87TT »

Not sure if it's the reason but Shawna was crate trained as a puppy even though we no longer have it. She would associate the tent with sleeping and want to go there when she was tired. We got her a pad and jacket for when it gets cold.
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And she carrys it all too.
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Normally she will leave me alone at night but was once spooked by an owl. :D
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Re: Dogs in the Tent

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Our dog was also crate trained as a puppy. I think it teaches them not to wander around and play at night. Also, our dog usually naps during the day when home, and does not do this backpacking, so she is ready for sleep once inside the tent. We do not let her out at night. We zip up the doors and she only goes out if one of us goes out to pee.
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