"RV Parks and Pets???"

I am a little leery about adding my two cents to this thread. It seems a bit volatile but here goes anyway.

I think those folks who don't like dogs at RV Parks are in a minority and as such, are going to have a hard time finding parks that have a NO pet rule. Park owners are looking to make a profit and marketing for the masses is capitalism's number one rule. I see more folks with dogs than not.

I don't have a problem with pets but I do have a problem with some pet owners and park operators that will not enforce their rules. Pets on a short leash, cleaning up after them and having them under control will make life easier for everyone. I have been to some larger parks that have a No Pet Zone but that's a little hard to do in all parks. If you really can't stand dogs, see if the park operator can fit you into where there are fewer or none but don't bring a bad attitude with you if you get stuck next to one. Find a different park. You will be happier and so will the rest of your neighbors.

I'm guessing that mdcamping's biggest peeve is probably P I T A people. It is mine.

I get that a weekend or a vacation at a Camp Ground is a great way to let loose, relax, enjoy a few wobbly pops etc. That does not give you the right to ruin your neighbors peace and quiet. Look after your pets and kids. Speeding Golf Carts and Bicycles shouldn't allowed at home thus the same at the camp ground. Keep your camp fire / smoke from billowing into your neighbors rig. Don't get drunk and obnoxiously stupid. In other words, treat your neighbor as you would like to be treated.

We all have different priorities and ideas of what a good time is just don't thrust your good time on others that don't want them.

Stepping down from the podium.......

Darrell

 

What BC Wanderer just stated above make very good sense and was well stated.IMHO. As has been said by several oh this thread, it's really not the dog that is at fault when situations arise, rather it's the owner and the fact that the park's rules are not being followed. If the owner isn't concerned about the rules and doesn't keep his or her dog in check, then of course the dog isn't going to be following the park's pet rules either. I've personally never met a dog that can read but most can and do follow their owner's commands when taught correctly. I think everyone involved in this thread knows right from wrong and also realizes that as I have myself stated a few posts back, we are dealing with the 1% that do not respect or follow park rules and have little to no regard for anyone but themselves. Unfortunately that applies to life outside the parks also but that's not for this thread or for this RV based platform. I just hope that a few of those 1%ers that may have read all these posts will see the light and possibly turn their act around when they are camping in with the other 99% that don't cause problems, and that are out to enjoy their personal RV lifestyle but not at the expense of their neighbors personal enjoyment.....................

My thanks again to everyone who contributed to this thread. I had no idea it would reach over 100 posts when I started it................

Safe travels to all..................Bankshot (aka Terry)

PS: Hey Darrell - I be born and raised till I was 12 in Vancouver. Got to get our RV up there one of these days and see if I can manage to drive it onto one of those big ferries and take a drive around the island and stay at a couple of those nice parks I've spotted on the east side north of Victoria......

 

RV parks should remove anyone that does not clean up after their pet. Also keep a listing of those pet owners that do not clean up afterwards and refuse to let them come into the park again in the future.

 

Well, we've been "on the road" for 11 years. Yes, we're full timers. Over that time we've noticed more and more pets traveling with their people. However, in the past 2-3 years, there seems to be a backlash developing. Park owners are less and less willing to put up with RV pet owners who do not monitor their pets, do not pick up after their pets, and allow incessant barking, and the complaints that come from other RVers who don't appreciate the barking and the poop. We don't travel with pets - mostly because they take up a lot of room and require a lot of attention. And therein lies the problem - owners who don't pay attention, whether intentionally or accidentally. Truth be told, we've only had two bad experiences with inattentive owners and their dogs. But those experiences were unpleasant enough so we began asking for sites away from RV's with pets. Friends of ours who own RV parks tell us more and more people are asking to be parked away from RVs with pets and, frankly, they're getting tired of pet owners who seem to think their pets are beloved by all. Can't accommodate everyone's wishes all the time - so, it seems pet owners are starting to "take it on the chin". Sad, really, 'cause those dogs and cats (who, by the way, don't seem to inspire the anger that dogs do) are like family. You don't really want to leave your family behind when you're out seeing the sights.

 

We always take our three amigos, ( 3 Chihuahuas) We have two of the portable fences that we hook together any poop is in that and easy to clean up, the only time they are loose is when we take them for a walk and then we use leashes we usually go to Fla. State parks which are pet friendly and always ask ant CG if they are, if not we go some place else that is. If we leave them we leave the radio or tv on and air if it is hot outside. We even took a bottle baby goat with us on one trip and he was the hit of the CG. especially with the children who had a great time "feeding him his bottle"
Our pets are family and they like to camp too so they always go with us.

 

We always take our furry friend with us.
We have also found that 99.9% of the people that also have their furry friends abide by the rules.
But there is always that .1% that feel the rules don't apply to them which makes it hard for the rest of us.

 

I am reading about pets and RV parks and how pet owners are not always following the rules. As a pet owner, I fully understand the issues, but I feel the problem is that at check in the park's host does not inform the people checking in about the pet rules and in my opinion should have a "you break this rule once " and are confronted with the person making the complaint your are out of the park, no refund, ASAP, but parks don't enforce these rules, so you have these kind of people who will not follow the rules cause there are no consequences. if I see this taking place I do say something in a polite way to that person with a bag in hand, cause some just don't have a bag with them. If ignored I head to the office and place my complaint.

 

At home we have a yap-yap dog across the street who is never quiet during the day and another neighbor who has big dogs who bark off and on all night. I just want peace and quiet when we camp.

 

We have been on the road more on than off since 2010. We have several observations of various things that people do that clearly breech the bounds of etiquette and downright rudeness. But our pet peeve are the dogs. We have seen it all and many times we turn our backs but many times we speak up. Now I will admit that the 20/80 rule applies here and that 20% of dog owners cause 80% of the problems but that said that is a lot of problems. We have never been to a beach anywhere we have gone with a big sign that says "NO DOGS ALLOWED ON OR NEAR THE BEACH" where we have not encountered dogs romping, barking, peeing, and playing in the water and by the way he/she is harmless and isn't it cute how he/she shakes all the water off onto you. Then there is what we call the dinner walk. Dinner is either about to begin in the campground or has ended with the window being somewhere between 5 and 7 pm. You can hear the trumpets of barking coming 10 sites down and it finally reaches your campsite and continues on past as someone walks their dog thru the CG and every other dog along the route has to announce their arrival. We are outraged at the attitude of owners and have sought out CG's that limit pets or restrict in certain sections. So that is the reason that CG's limit pets. Wish there were more.

 

No easy answers for the dog / no dog debate.
Helps if parks have pet free areas and RV spaces for pet owners.
WE have and Love most dogs, specially when the Owners and the Dogs are Both WELL BEHAVED!
When either is not, then its time for us to simply move on.
Sometimes that's easy, other times its a pain.
But that's the a big advantage of an RV, if your not happy you can move..

 

May I ask if most of the folks who are anti dog are full-timers staying in RV Parks or does it extend to campgrounds too?

We are not full-timers, but we camp A LOT.

We camp almost exclusively at state and county parks and I'd say half of the guests have dogs (and kids). I have no issue with either and I'm wondering if the issue is more space or spacing related. Typically the sites at the CG's we stay at are spaced at least 30 or more feet between parking pads and there is a barrier (hedge, bushes, trees, etc) between sites. At the few RV Parks we've stayed at the spacing was much tighter.

Camping is for families! Families include kids and dogs (oh, and campfires - another pet peeve on this forum). Camping is fun! Never have dogs or kids ruined our stay. Drunken parties and noisy generators (not obeying quiet hours) have been bothersome though.

I don't have a full-timers perspective. Are the comments on this thread mostly from full-timers? Are dog problems really ruining the enjoyment of RV-ers?

 

If every rv'er brought a dog into an Rv park, that would be alot of dogs. Why can't people leave their dog at home? Why can't dog owners be responsible instead of ruining the rv park with dog poop everywhere? I sympathize because we have been to rv parks where the dogs are not controlled and it isn't fair to those of us who don't want their dog in our campsite!

 

Going by some of the posts I've seen, you could substitute "kids" for "dogs" in much of your post. To many of us, our dogs are very much a part of our families. We don't have a dog or kids living with us anymore, but when we did, we almost never traveled without them, especially when camping. And for the past 9 years, our RV has been our primary home, so of course our dog was always with us. She was always picked up after and kept leashed when walking or tied out on our site though, as it should be...

 

I think it's difficult for those who don't own and/or travel with their dog/pet along with them. As NYDutch said, a pet can and does become part of the family, silly as that may sound to the non pet owner. We travel with a 7 lb. Chihuahua who is well behaved and doesn't bark or cause any problems for us or for other campers around us. She is family to us as our kids have long since moved off on their own. Our dog loves to travel and gets excited when we tell her we are "going on a trip". Just as a kid would do under most circumstances. We've stayed in parks where there have been lots of dogs and had no problems due to the owners having control over them plus the fact that the owners also had respect for others around them. We've been in parks where there have been only very few dogs and heard them barking at all hours and left to fun free within the park due to the owners not controlling them and not having any respect or concern for anyone but themselves. Camping in an RV park is no different than staying at public campground or park that has no RVs, just people and tents and boats, quads, you name it, along with what else, dogs running wild everywhere. The 99% of RVers who do control their dogs share a common bond with each other. The 1% who don't ruin it for everyone else by their behavior and demeanor on this subject. As a dog owner and one who does take our dog with us on every trip we take, I can empathize with the folks parked next to us who don't have pets, travel alone, and want to enjoy their peace and quiet while camping. They are there to camp as they like to camp, we are there to do likewise and I feel that as long as we do our part when it comes to controlling our dog and respecting their space, etc. they should, and most likely will, do the same in return and our dog will not become a problem for them. This has been a lengthy thread and a lot of opinions and thoughts have been brought forth on it, both pro dog and no so pro dog. I just hope that everyone who had been posting and reading thru it can give some thought as to what the real bottom line should be IMHO. That being we all need to be more thoughtful of our fellow RVers and realize we are all different in our camping wants and needs. There is no reason why those without dogs/pets can't enjoy their camping experiences just as we dog/pet owners enjoy ours. But it does take a little "give and take" on both sides in order for this to happen.....................

You folks will have to excuse me now, our little 7 lb.terror of the park needs to go drop a load next door....... Happy summer to everyone..............

BankShot.............(aka Terry)

 

We have been fulltime RVers for 8 years now and we absolutely hate the dog problems that exist in most rv parks, as do most of the people who manage the parks! Problem is that there are so many people who abuse the dog rules in a park that you actually need a "dog police" in each park to operate 24/7/365 to keep up with the abusers. I have actually reverted to saying something to all those I see who do not follow the rules. I make few friends that way but I choose not to walk around in dog feces and urine and then track it into my RV! Some RV parks smell so bad of "dog" that we never stay more than one night. Dog people think everyone wants to listen to their dog bark all the time. I wish I could find some "no dog" parks as I would always use them when I was in their area. The dogs are not the problem, the people are.

 

Roberta399 - I think if you read thru a few of the posts in this thread you will find that many of us who are dog owners agree with you, it's the owners of those dogs who poop and urinate where they shouldn't, etc. that are to blame and not the dogs. Those of us that do keep their dogs under control and on a leash when they are outside, etc. are just as against that 1% as you are. Just please don't group us into that 1% because I can assure you that I, and the others who feel the same way you do, aren't like that 1% in any way, shape or form..................

Travel safe and have a great summer, BankShot...........(aka Terry)

 

dogs/kids/generators/alcohol/guitars/radios/diesel-warmups/fires - and on and on and on.....

 

The number of inconsiderate dog owners is MUCH greater than 1%.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

I was trying to be nice but you are correct, the percentage of non caring dog owners seems to have grown over the past few years. And some of them when confronted can get really "testy" too. We've witnessed a couple of them tell a campground mgr. to go "you know what" when they were confronted about letting their dogs roam freely about the campground and thru everyone's space at will. It's folks like them that ruin what was supposed to be a nice stay for others in the park...............

Regards, Bankshot............(aka Terry)