A Leash By Any Other Name
Most campgrounds require you to put your dog on a leash. But, recently it seems like half the dog owners ignore this rule most of the time. This is patently unfair to the rest of us.
For example, at a campground in Ohio, we were camped next to two large Great Danes. The owners didn't put them on the leash the entire time they were there. Here is their unleashed photo...
For example, at a campground in Ohio, we were camped next to two large Great Danes. The owners didn't put them on the leash the entire time they were there. Here is their unleashed photo...
As you can see, unleashed with no owner in sight. In addition, they took both of these dogs walking without leashes. This made it very difficult for me, because one of my dogs is a dominant female and she doesn't appreciate other dogs walking up to me. So, I had to wait until the owners tok these dogs inside, so that I could take my dogs out.
Additionally, some people are just plain scared of dogs. It just isn't very nice to walk large dogs around without leashes. But, most importantly, it shows a blatant disregard for campground rules. This only serves as a bad example fr the rest of us. It gives people a legitimate excuse for asking the owners to limit dogs at campgrounds.
PLEASE, if the campground asks you to leash your dog, do it. Not just some of the time, but all of the time!!
Labels: Camping, dogs, leash, rv
State Parks and Dogs
Even though state parks are one of our favorite places to RV. Most of the time on a long trip, we don't try to find state parks. They are usually a little too far off the highway and down a winding road and up a steep hill and around the bend. But, we were around Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and we couldn't find a campground for the life of us.
Soooo, I called the local Chamber of Commerce and they sent me to Francis Slocum State park in Wilkes-Barre, PA. We got off the highway, took a 14 mile expressway, went on a nieighborhood road for 4 miles, turned onto a winding wooded road for 2 miles and we got to the park! But, that was only the beginning, we then had to go down a really scary hill around a corner, over a causeway and around a rather small campground road to find one of the sites which were reserved for dogs.
So, we got hooked up to electricity and set up the slides, etc, then took the dogs for a walk. It is an absolutely gorgeous state park on a lake by the way. So we followed the signs which said "Dog Walk Area". Until we got to the "Dog Walk Area". Which was a three foot wide setion of gravel on the side of the road, see photo. However, the walk to get to the "Dog Walk Area" was very beautiful and worth all of the hassles!
The moral of the story is...sometimes the journey is better than the destination!
Labels: dogs, rv, state parks
Big Trip Issues
So, we got ready to take the annual trip in our motorhome from Arizona to Maine a few weeks ago. It took a full two weeks to get all of the stuff we needed and to do all of the maintenance. And, of course, since I write regularly about RVing with Dogs, I was pretty smug about how well I had packed for the dogs. I had bought vast quantities of Frontline and Heartguard, I had gone to Petsmart and bought two 40 lb bags of dog food, new dog tags, and kitty litter, cat food and insulin (for the cats). Then I went to the vet and bought 2 40lb bags of Prescription dog food. So, I was ready.
The day we were getting ready to leave, we were all set. Jack had done all of the maintenance required. He had bought new windshield wipers, changed the oil, added anti-freeze and transmission fluid, checked the tires, changed the air conditioning filters, and much more. I had spent a week cleaning desert dust out of every nock and cranny. So, we were happy and ready to go. Our toad vehicle was pretty packed with big stuff like ladders and lawn chairs, and other assorted RV things.
Just before we turned on the engine, Jack went outside and sprayed the slides with slide lubricant. So, when we started to pull out, I told Jack that I smelled gasoline. He assured me that it was the slide lubricant that I smelled. However, I was my usually persisent self, so I said, no, it is definitely gasoline. So, he humored me and went outside to check the engine, only to find to his horror that gasoline was spraying everywhere.
"Get out and get the dogs out", he said.
So, in 98 degrees, I promptly, opened the door and rushed out with the dogs. Now, our dogs don't require a leash, but we always use them. But, in my hurry, I left the leashes behind. So...
There I was with two dogs, in 98 degrees, with no shade, no leashes, no car keys, and a car that was too packed to put them in.
My first thought was, now this is really ridiculous, you should have put an extra set of leashes in the car. My second thought was, the dogs are going to get too hot really fast, and my third thought was, I hope Jack doesn't blow up. Well, maybe not quite in that order.
So, to make a long story short, it was a very minor problem which was easily fixed and I got the dogs back in the RV in about 10 minutes.
HOWEVER, I now have two extra leashes in the car.....
We are in Missouri now, stay tuned.
The day we were getting ready to leave, we were all set. Jack had done all of the maintenance required. He had bought new windshield wipers, changed the oil, added anti-freeze and transmission fluid, checked the tires, changed the air conditioning filters, and much more. I had spent a week cleaning desert dust out of every nock and cranny. So, we were happy and ready to go. Our toad vehicle was pretty packed with big stuff like ladders and lawn chairs, and other assorted RV things.
Just before we turned on the engine, Jack went outside and sprayed the slides with slide lubricant. So, when we started to pull out, I told Jack that I smelled gasoline. He assured me that it was the slide lubricant that I smelled. However, I was my usually persisent self, so I said, no, it is definitely gasoline. So, he humored me and went outside to check the engine, only to find to his horror that gasoline was spraying everywhere.
"Get out and get the dogs out", he said.
So, in 98 degrees, I promptly, opened the door and rushed out with the dogs. Now, our dogs don't require a leash, but we always use them. But, in my hurry, I left the leashes behind. So...
There I was with two dogs, in 98 degrees, with no shade, no leashes, no car keys, and a car that was too packed to put them in.
My first thought was, now this is really ridiculous, you should have put an extra set of leashes in the car. My second thought was, the dogs are going to get too hot really fast, and my third thought was, I hope Jack doesn't blow up. Well, maybe not quite in that order.
So, to make a long story short, it was a very minor problem which was easily fixed and I got the dogs back in the RV in about 10 minutes.
HOWEVER, I now have two extra leashes in the car.....
We are in Missouri now, stay tuned.
Labels: cross-country, dogs, rv, vacation
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