Wet dirty dogs - sand everywhere

[Pat Goodwin]

Yes, folks, it is me again. You can tell from my spate of recent posts I've been using the trailer and finding problems to solve. Got the a/c done according to the posts that told me to use braces and had braces connected to tongue. Even printed out your pictures and took them to RV guy. Thanks. Also taking care of the cold food problem.

Now need to address my dog problem before next trip. I love watching the dogs have fun while camping - my old dog runs, gets hot, jumps in the water and lies down. Then he gets out and rolls in the dirt, grass, sand, whatever. If it is raining, little dog gets filthy too. Then they leap into the tiny trailer and up onto the bed.

Yes, I lay towels out on the bed, I shake out the sheets, do it all. However, the bed still winds up being damp and sandy. Sure, could unmake bed every morning and install the table but then the benches would be wet and sandy. Not enough floor space for them to lie around on the floor.

What do all you pet owners out there do about the dirty wet dogs and the tiny trailer that quickly becomes a mess?

Seems like an intelligent person could figure this out for herself but haven't so far.

[Donna D.]

Door closed, use outdoor shower on the dogs and lots of towels to dry them off.

Screen room up against the door (door closed to trailer), gives them a place to lie down and dry off. Brush 'em before letting them in the trailer.

Probably the same solutions I'd use before letting grungy kids in the trailer too

[RSchleder]

Now, lets see? How about training the dogs to STAY OFF THE BEDS!

[Carol Ann in TO]

Rules of our trailer: Dog is not allowed on the bed. Dog is allowed on the couch/gaucho at the front. Couch has a slipcover made with thick bath towels.

It also helps to have a dog with extremely short hair.

We also bring her crate and set it up in the first-up tent.

[Roy in TO]

Try laying down a matress cover meant for incontinence under your towels.

[Pat Goodwin]

Try laying down a matress cover meant for incontinence under your towels.

This very good idea - also screen room when get the $ for it. In a Compact II, there's no extra space for dogs and no where for them to be but on the bed or the benches if table set up; there's no "other" couch or bed for them. They sleep on the huge bed with me; only bed. Floor space is about enough to put food bowl and water and walk by it - that's it. The benches are a U shape with table in middle so takes up most of trailer room even when not made into bed.

I would teach them "off the bed" if there were any place for them to be but on the bed. Guess if I'm going to keep doing this and dogs a prime reason for trailer for travel, going to have to break down and buy screen room with a floor of some kind for them. If I had an outdoor shower, would spray them off before letting them come in. Could set up something with water outside for their feet so at least part of them is clean.

[Gina D.]

my cushion covers and "bedspread" are cloth shower curtains. Altho not totally water proof, they do a wonderful job of keeping moisture from dirty little feet and condensation out of the bed and off the cushions. Those little footy spots are not a problem. They wipe clean with a damp cloth easily.

They don't look like shower curtains either. Hair does NOT stick in them. Take out and shake.

Did this happy girl approve?




You betcha

[Carol Ann in TO]

Sorry Pat, didn't notice that you have a Compact II.

[Charlene Urso]

Hi Pat,
It is hard with limited space to accommodate a wet dog. When we travel we have a mesh dog bed that our dog will sometime use to dry off or lay on. It is called a coolaroo and comes in different sizes. Here's a link: http://www.idogbeds.com/coolaroodogbeds.cf...o&tid=exact

You might also consider a solar shower to wash the feet or more before toweling down (can get at REI).

Lastly, a lightweight cover that can be thrown over the bed and easily dried or shaken would be helpful. Gina's idea of a shower curtain is great. We also like fleece.

Good luck!
Charlene

[Gina D.]

here is another idea for wet or leaking dogs.

The old girl you see above was incontinent for many years. I got really tired of my first chore in the morning being washing dog bed cushions and floors (She leaked in her sleep).

Big Lots to the rescue! I looked at these tubs and realized the looked like dog beds you pay a zillion bucks for. Leakproof and all. I picked up a people pillow and a people pillow cover, waterproof for droolers (I guess)... tossed covered pillow in tub, toss an old towel easily tossed in the washer.. no more wet floor, no more wet cushion. Don't know what size your dogs are, but setting these on the bed works well and you actually give up less room than if they are Free Range bed hogs. Sticky has his at the foot of my bed and he gets in it rather than hogging my space.

Puppies liked it too (Shown here with an official dog pillow tho)

[Pat Goodwin]

here is another idea for wet or leaking dogs.

The old girl you see above was incontinent for many years. I got really tired of my first chore in the morning being washing dog bed cushions and floors (She leaked in her sleep).

Big Lots to the rescue! I looked at these tubs and realized the looked like dog beds you pay a zillion bucks for. Leakproof and all. I picked up a people pillow and a people pillow cover, waterproof for droolers (I guess)... tossed covered pillow in tub, toss an old towel easily tossed in the washer.. no more wet floor, no more wet cushion. Don't know what size your dogs are, but setting these on the bed works well and you actually give up less room than if they are Free Range bed hogs. Sticky has his at the foot of my bed and he gets in it rather than hogging my space.

Puppies liked it too (Shown here with an official dog pillow tho)

Wonderful picture!! YES OF COURSE the tubs stacked on my back porch from other type of camping. Good use for them. One dog really too big but other will love it. Thanks, Pat

[Pat Goodwin]

Sorry Pat, didn't notice that you have a Compact II.

Not a problem - funny about the dogs - the big fluffy long hair dog has always slept on my bed at night since a tiny puppy. The little dog rescued as adult has very short hair and sleeps in her cozy house on covered back porch so she can chase varmits. BUT little dog Annie considers it a GIANT treat when she can get on my bed and snuggle. When camping, Annie is very very happy to get on bed; big dog Rug just normal self. He's also the one that always goes in the water and is dirty AND wet. Both dogs getting old and so am I so try to spend lots of time with them and I like being on the road and seeing new and old places. They jump in the car and love traveling and are learning to read the McDonald's menu; currently they have to just accept what they are given.

The Compact II is treated by them as giant doghouse. As long as I have a dry moderately clean place to lie/sit, drink Diet Coke or coffee, and read or listen to CD's or tapes when confined to trailer, I'm fine. Last trip unusual in that it rained 24 hours a day so dogs and dirt became a real issue.
Pat

[Sandra Lair]

Pat,
We have two Coolaroos for our dogs. The dogs love them & we do too! They're mesh, so they dry quickly if they get wet. When we take the dogs camping, we put the Coolaroos in the screen room for them to lie on. They come in 3 or 4 sizes & might be too big for the camper, but great for outdoor lying around.
As for the screen room, WalMart sells a cheapie model made by Ozark Trail that is great, as long as it doesn't rain. It's not waterproof. It only costs around $40. We take it along if we're sure it won't rain. If rain is possible, we have a wonderful Paha Que screen room that keeps out the rain 100%. It was expensive, but worth every dollar when it rains.
BTW, our dogs are most welcome on the bed. We have a couple of cheap throws to protect the "good" blanket. When we had our German Shepherd, she did have to sleep on the floor though!
Sandra

[Pat C]

This works for us.Our three dogs are only in the trailer at night.Of course thats the only time we are in there too...We love this screen house.It goes up quiclky and the carpet keeps the dogs off the ground.On rainy or windy days we simply add tarps to the screen areas.However we just purchased a first up with the wind/rain curtains so that will be our alterative on not so nice days.

[Lizbeth]

I don't know how tall you are or how wide the Compact is but if you camp alone human wise....you might be able to sleep sideways in the bed and make it narrower. That would give you more floor space and each dog could have their own "bench" area with their own comfy beds. You might have to put up some sort of barrier to keep them off your portion in the beginning.

[Scott,H]

Pat,
I had the same issue with my retriever after hunting and I would put her up in the Casita to rest. I would come back and find her stretched out on my bed and propped up on the pillows, even though she had her own comfy bed with a pillow on the floor(I guess the old girl preferred the memory foam). Not a big deal if she was clean, but after retrieving birds out of stock tanks and muddy creeks, I didn't want that on my bed. My answer was cheap and simple. Went to the dollar store and bought the cheapest inflatable raft they had. Paid $1.99 for it and once aired up, laid it across the front of the bed and it created a tall barrier across the bed that she did not want to hurdle. Problem solved cheaply and easily and once deflated,it took up very little space in an upper cabinet and of course weighs very little. Hope this helps.

[Pat Goodwin]

I don't know how tall you are or how wide the Compact is but if you camp alone human wise....you might be able to sleep sideways in the bed and make it narrower. That would give you more floor space and each dog could have their own "bench" area with their own comfy beds. You might have to put up some sort of barrier to keep them off your portion in the beginning.

Actually, I'm height challenged and easily fit on one of the benches for a bed. Problem is dogs stretching out re bench sleeping. Did do the bench sleeping but with table there, not good for dogs. So, thinking about rearranging the U-shape dinette where the benches are that makes into giant bed that takes up most of the Compact II. Going to try shoving the big table sideways all the way to the back and taking out the back rest cushions - more room for the dogs to stretch out and more floor room to stand up in the tiny trailer. Then I'll try again with my sleeping on a bench that stays dry and clean.

Also gave up and found end-of-season cheaper prices on screen room components. Want to keep doing this but want dogs and me to be comfortable. Thanks for suggestions. The forum posters have been so kind and helpful. Pat

[Loren G. Hedahl]

I was gunna suggest either getting rid of the dog, or possibly trading the dog for a cat, but decided as wonderful as those ideas are -- oh well -- forget it! :>)