I took Tyson into the interior of Algonquin park here in Ontario. We spent the day in the canoe paddling to the site (it was Tyson's first time in a canoe, and he did great!) I brought a 2nd hand blanket to put on the bottom of the canoe to keep him dry, I brought old white towels to drape over him if it got too sunny in the canoe, his own water dish, and put his kibble portioned into ziplock baggies. When it was feeding time I would just open a ziplock and roll the sides down (it worked great as a dish!) We took lots of rest breaks to let him drink and pee. We bought a lunge line for horses and tied it to a tree so he could wander around the campsite but not run into the forest (lots of moose in there, bears too!) he had access to go into the water (up to mid leg), he could get close enough to the fire to stay warm but not touch it, and he could reach shade and his food. At night he slept with me in my little 2 man tent on my self-inflating camp mat, and we kept each other warm under my sleeping bag
(it was colder than I thought at the end of May last year!)
I used a harness and a reflective collar on him and outfitted him with a bear bell and some "dog safe mosquito spray" as well as his life jacket for in the canoe! He loved it and it helped us bond as well. He relied on me for comfort and safety (and food!) and I needed him for comfort, companionship and warmth at night!
we had a blast on our 4 day trip, I hope to teach Sullivan to camp this year, its going to be tricky with 2 boxers, 2 adults and a load of gear on a trip in a canoe! I think we will start with regular car camping.
Definates to bring on a camping trip with pets:
-First Aid Kit (must include tweezers, disinfectant, saline for flushing wounds, tick puller, gauze, and vet wrap, a first aid book for pets if available)
-Benadryl (for you and puppy)
-Aspirin
-Towel to use as sling for dog, or to use as a coat for dog if too sunny
-long and short leashes
-water/food
-reflective collar
-bear bell if going into woods with large wildlife
-VETWRAP VETWRAP VETWRAP! this stuff is great, use it to protect their feet, cover wounds, support limbs. Use it on yourself instead of elastic bandage as it is water resistant, self adhesive, wears well and is sooooo stylish available in a variety of colours!! haha
just a few things that I make sure I bring. Oh another helpful thing for at night is one of those battery operated bike lights that has different settings that flashes, it fits perfectly on their collar (at the back) so you can always see where they are! Why spend $30 or more on one of those tacky light up collars from a pet store that dont work well as a collar to walk the dog with, when you can spend $5 at any sporting store for a bike light?!
Colly