Traveling with our dog

[yankeecampergirl]

Anthony rolled in with our new Scamp last night!!! Finally here, and so beautiful!
While we were inside, admiring with Sadie our very energetic Springer, we realized that she is probably strong enough to break the screen door if motivated (by a tempting squirrel or chipmunk ).
Has anyone found a "safety" for this? I am thinking a baby gate might not fit there.
Thanks guys,
Karen

[floyd]

how about a "D" ring and a short leash?

[librarianocnj]

I screwed a piece of plexiglass From Lowe's to the bottom of the door.

[JackieLynn]

Originally Posted by yankeecampergirl

Anthony rolled in with our new Scamp last night!!! Finally here, and so beautiful!
While we were inside, admiring with Sadie our very energetic Springer, we realized that she is probably strong enough to break the screen door if motivated (by a tempting squirrel or chipmunk ).
Has anyone found a "safety" for this? I am thinking a baby gate might not fit there.
Thanks guys,
Karen

I don't know the solution, but you are right to be concerned. Our 35 lb blue-tick hound mix went through the screen door to join us by the lake.
The door was easy to fix though. No damage to the screen. The clips that hold the screen to the frame had popped out and were easily clipped back in.

[Patxx]

Yeah I had mine blocked on the inside so that my sheltie couldn't get out but didn't think about blocking it on the outside and he destroyed it one day trying to get into the camper. I think I do the plexiglass thing at the bottom when I get around to fixing it.

[DayTripper]

I train mine to respond correctly to the word stay.

Some breeds are better at it than others.

The plexiglass looks like a good way to go if you need it.

[Kai in Seattle]

We have a tri-fold wooden "gate" that we use across the lower doorway for our two pugs. Don't know what it was originally but it was $1 at a yard sale and works fine. We stick one end behind the laundry hamper in the Putin and the other two sections fit across the door nicely. Traveling with two dogs is a hassle in some ways and fun in others. THEY love it, seems like. At least they never complain.


BEST
Kai

[WaltP]

There's a screen door grill available at most RV shops.
Screen Door Grille - Black - Direcsource Ltd 100722 - Screen Doors - Camping World

Walt

[gordon2]

Crate divider panel.

[JC_In_Austin]

Originally Posted by yankeecampergirl

Anthony rolled in with our new Scamp last night!!! Finally here, and so beautiful!
While we were inside, admiring with Sadie our very energetic Springer, we realized that she is probably strong enough to break the screen door if motivated (by a tempting squirrel or chipmunk ).
Has anyone found a "safety" for this? I am thinking a baby gate might not fit there.
Thanks guys,
Karen

We have a 6# long-coat chihuahua ("Q-Tip") and she's very reticent to go anywhere without one of us. She'll just stand at the door and cock her head from side to side until we come get her. #LuckyDog

[yankeecampergirl]

Thanks everybody. I found a small baby gate at Goodwill that just fits if I angle it slightly in the doorway. I love the plexiglass idea, but couldn't figure out how to make that work with the accordion screen door...yet!

[Jim Bennett]

I am of the belief that spending a short while training a dog leads to a lifetime of not making compensations for not doing so. Our dog, Jasper, does not go through any doorway without permission. That works great for us.

I may need better training though, or at least better eyeglasses, as one time I told Jasper it was okay to go into the trailer. It was getting dark and up he jumped, only to nail the screen door which I never noticed was closed. He was a little tentative going in and out of the trailer for a while after that.

[ZachO]

My first instinct was also to talk about training... But then I reminded myself that we can only do so much. Dogs will be dogs, and I have friends with dogs who were either adopted with existing "issues", or just can't be completely contained due to inherent traits. I have a friend with a dog I'm really hesitant to even let in my camper...He spent a couple nights in there and luckily the weather was good.

This is a dog who, during a thunderstorm, pushed a large 70's-era chest freezer away from a window, forced the window open and jumped through the screen. He also did major damage to the inside of her car trying to get out. He's a great dog, but he's got issues

That kind of dog can absolutely destroy a camper.

Anyway. Yeah, training goes a long way, but for those with adult dogs who have some traits that just aren't going away, coming up with good ideas on how to travel with them is good.

I'm really lucky in that I have a border collie. They need a lot of interaction, but if they get it, all they want is to do what you ask them to do. I could leave the camper door open and go somewhere and he'd stay put. And a marinating steak left at a low level would still be there when I got back But enough bragging. Couldn't help myself.

[Cathi]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

I am of the belief that spending a short while training a dog leads to a lifetime of not making compensations for not doing so. Our dog, Jasper, does not go through any doorway without permission. That works great for us.

I may need better training though, or at least better eyeglasses, as one time I told Jasper it was okay to go into the trailer. It was getting dark and up he jumped, only to nail the screen door which I never noticed was closed. He was a little tentative going in and out of the trailer for a while after that.

You might want to put some spray paint or thread on the door as he could be badly hurt. I have had that problem myself of walking into it. Even people often can't see it.

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by gordon2

Crate divider panel.

Oh, good idea, I have one sitting around, wonder if it will fit.

[k corbin]

Those of us with flat screen doors are lucky in that we can purchase pet resistant screening material. It is a coated window screen and can be found at places such as Home Depot and Lowes. I installed it on my door and windows as I may need to travel with my cats now and again. Kitties can rip through regular fiberglass screens if they are so inclined by the need to escape for whatever reason comes into their heads. You will need to change to a smaller diameter screen spline as the pet screen is thicker than your original screening because of the coating on it.

Phifer 48 in. x 84 in. Black Pet Screen-3004153 - The Home Depot

Even though you can't use this with a pleated door screen you could change out your window screening to prevent your escape artist from exiting that way.

[yankeecampergirl]

First night in the new Scamp! Sadie being a good girl!

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Cathi

You might want to put some spray paint or thread on the door as he could be badly hurt. I have had that problem myself of walking into it. Even people often can't see it.

This happened at least 6 years ago, and I think that both of us are much wiser now, and think to check. After all the work I put into my Escape 5.0TA, I could not bring myself to muck up the look of the screen door.

[ZachO]

Oh I see your problem...that looks like a bird dog!

Yeah, when their instinct kicks in and they smell or see something- brain off, chase on.

[Mr Lynn]

Last year after we got our Casita, we worried about our dog Ali pushing through the rather fragile screen door. So I found some of this metal grillwork (whatever it's called) in the basement, cut it to size, and screwed it on:

Wouldn't work for your accordion door, of course. And old Ali, it turned out, was content to just sleep and hasn't tried to get out. But I'm pleased with the way it looks.

/Mr Lynn