How to make my motorhome pup friendly

Stick with it through the trying times, you will be rewarded 10 fold. Border Collies are intelligent, hard working dogs and need lots of exercise and mental stimulation. Don't worry about mud and mess it will all clean off - with a large hairy Old English Sheepdog we know all about mess ! Try to cover any seats to protect them and a pen is a good suggestion.

Best of luck to you and your gorgeous pup.
 
We adopted two collie/spaniel crosses when they were 6 months old and who'd had no training or socialisation....The first two months were a bit hectic but we took them for their first motorhome trip through France within five months with no major damage. We didn't leave them in the van alone at first and gradually built up until they could be left happily asleep for several hours. You do need to be prepared for the return from wet and muddy walks and will need more stuff. But it will be worth it..... And remember he's only a puppy for a short time. Enjoy him and have fun.....
 
We adopted two collie/spaniel crosses when they were 6 months old and who'd had no training or socialisation....The first two months were a bit hectic but we took them for their first motorhome trip through France within five months with no major damage. We didn't leave them in the van alone at first and gradually built up until they could be left happily asleep for several hours. You do need to be prepared for the return from wet and muddy walks and will need more stuff. But it will be worth it..... And remember he's only a puppy for a short time. Enjoy him and have fun.....
Two? Jeez, can't imagine that. Got my hands full with one. He's training really well, but got a mind of his own. The worst problem is play biting. Seems to have no natural inhibition and struggles with 'No'. Trying to redirect and praise for doing something else. But herding instincts are strong and my ankles are fair game. :LOL:

We sure need plenty of towels, thanks.
 
We use washable puppy pads (we have 3) on the floor for wet muddy dogs (4 of them) also equafleec3 keeps the majority of 5he dogs dry and microfibres towels to dry them. Yakkers chews and buffalo horn chews. Ours all sleep and travel together in a travel tube. Lots of wet wipes too.
 
Two? Jeez, can't imagine that. Got my hands full with one. He's training really well, but got a mind of his own. The worst problem is play biting. Seems to have no natural inhibition and struggles with 'No'. Trying to redirect and praise for doing something else. But herding instincts are strong and my ankles are fair game. :LOL:

We sure need plenty of towels, thanks.

wear wellies in the house to protect your ankles!

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If hes still teething he will need to chew. The best dog chews we have found are deer antlers, available most places though expensive. Meg chewed a few things while teething, the legs of a short stool swmbo kept in the kitchen to stand on, and the handbrake lever in the mh. Spice never chewed anything but dog chews.
 
Trax, you got the wrong breed of dog??
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If hes still teething he will need to chew. The best dog chews we have found are deer antlers, available most places though expensive. Meg chewed a few things while teething, the legs of a short stool swmbo kept in the kitchen to stand on, and the handbrake lever in the mh. Spice never chewed anything but dog chews.
Got an antler thanks. The trouble is, he knows I'm not the sharpest tool in the box. If he wants my attention he just goes for the corner of the rug or the dining room chair legs then I'm off my iPad and straight to him. Works every time. ;)
 
You can't really leave a pup alone in a MH in my experience. :)

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No real damage but "All the Aires" never recovered.

The crate is a good idea.

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That's a young Charlie in "travelling mode" but now he's grown up we've swapped to a harness designed for dogs in cars attached to an anchor point I fitted. But the crate must be seen by the dog as a refuge, they should never be forced into it but see it as their "home" which they can retire to for a snooze. Putting a blanket over the top so it becomes dark might help but not in warm places of course. The Endless Breeze is a brilliant dog cooler when it gets really hot. When it isn't so hot expect the dog to keep out of the way of the blast - see above!
I leave three for up to 4 hours at a time. Two Whippets and a Hungarian Vizsla. Damage has been confined to my wifes box of tissues (aka a bloody snowstorm) and on one occasion my Whippet dog operated the vehicle horn until it burned out. That incident wasn't helped by spectators laughing at him whilst he used the horn button as a step to see out of the windscreen. Upon my return I was greeted by the occupant of the adjacent pitch with "Your dog's burned out your horn - Thank God". Mine are upset by people or dogs walking close to the mh (they bark) so I close all the front blinds when we leave them. They just sleep when we're not there. We've found they like the mh - it has become 'their' kennel so they're very relaxed when it it. They also like that the pack, including their humans, are always where they are. I think a pup will be considerably more difficult but a cage as suggested makes it easier on him and you. Buy a cage now, leave it open, put his bed inside and within a week it will become his favourite place to sleep. Don't shut him in when you're at home other than, if you wish, at night. When you move it into the motorhome he won't be distressed when in his (closed) cage.

Edit: Not pups though and as you suggest therein lies the problem :smiley: .
 
That first pic is a horror story, mate. Was hoping for morale boosting stuff;) Realising we should have got a border terrior now.
Border terriers aren't perfect either! See ours in the avatar... she's fear aggressive and for all she's absolutely gorgeous at home - cuddly and loving, loves food; if not controlled and muzzled she'd quite happily attack other dogs. Yes, she lives with our other dog and they're totally devoted to each other - share food, bed, toys, play together, drink from the water bowl at the same time; but she can't be trusted round other dogs - but we still take them both in our van (5.4m).

They have walks in the rain, on the beach last weekend, I have dog towels, a hard floor (not carpet) and she sleeps in a dog bed between dinette seat and passenger seat; they travel in a harness and each are clipped to the seat belt on the dinette seat, seat has a doggie blanket on it which is washed after each trip away.

Dogs & motorhomes were made to go together!
 
Border terriers aren't perfect either! See ours in the avatar... she's fear aggressive and for all she's absolutely gorgeous at home - cuddly and loving, loves food; if not controlled and muzzled she'd quite happily attack other dogs. Yes, she lives with our other dog and they're totally devoted to each other - share food, bed, toys, play together, drink from the water bowl at the same time; but she can't be trusted round other dogs - but we still take them both in our van (5.4m).

They have walks in the rain, on the beach last weekend, I have dog towels, a hard floor (not carpet) and she sleeps in a dog bed between dinette seat and passenger seat; they travel in a harness and each are clipped to the seat belt on the dinette seat, seat has a doggie blanket on it which is washed after each trip away.

Dogs & motorhomes were made to go together!
Very inspiring. Thanks. Everybody seems to have dogs with no problems when I show them the scars on my hands and arms. ;)
 
OMG - he's gorgeous! What is he called?

Ours are older now and fortunately were never destructive but we manage the wet muddy stuff with LOTS of dog towels, covers on all seats, a Dyson hand held hoover and a 12v portable rechargeable shower.

Although we have not needed one, a folding crate is a good idea and will keep him safe and you sane (and reasonably sober!) :rolleyes:

Cujo

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I no longer have a dog but would suggest a crate / cage but get him used to being in there first, also covers on seats and take out any carpets or make sure you can wash them. Also lots of toys to distract him.

He is a lovely looking dog :) enjoy.
Crate/Cage.... that's a kennel... get him booked in now and he will get used to it so when he is a big barking.. growling..snapping monster you wont feel guilty about leaving him and everyone will thankyou for the peace and quiet.
 
OMG - he's gorgeous! What is he called?

Ours are older now and fortunately were never destructive but we manage the wet muddy stuff with LOTS of dog towels, covers on all seats, a Dyson hand held hoover and a 12v portable rechargeable shower.

Although we have not needed one, a folding crate is a good idea and will keep him safe and you sane (and reasonably sober!) :rolleyes:
He's called Finn. Or Finnegan when naughty. So Finnegan most of the time. Everybody seems to have had non destructive dogs on here. Feeling left out. ;)
 
I wonder if you giving him too much exercise for his age? Collies are active dogs but working collies spend a lot of time being inactive. We have found that the more exercise they get the more they want. It is the same with chasing a ball. Our last girl would have run herself into the ground if we had let her. I see people have mentioned air fresheners. We can’t use bought ones as they affect husband’s asthma and some chemicals can make dogs ill. I make up a solution of bicarbonate, lemon juice and water in a spray bottle.
 
I wonder if you giving him too much exercise for his age? Collies are active dogs but working collies spend a lot of time being inactive. We have found that the more exercise they get the more they want. It is the same with chasing a ball. Our last girl would have run herself into the ground if we had let her. I see people have mentioned air fresheners. We can’t use bought ones as they affect husband’s asthma and some chemicals can make dogs ill. I make up a solution of bicarbonate, lemon juice and water in a spray bottle.
Tried everything, little exercise, lots of exercise, he still goes crazy about 7pm. Thanks for the spray tip.
 
We use a crate they soon get used to it put a cover on top and is soon their space our dog uses it as a bed.
He sleeps in a crate everynight and loves it. Our motorhome is 6.9m with a French bed. The table in the lounge is fixed but can be pushed down level with the seats. It's about the only place a crate will go, not much floor space. Could do with a rear lounge and bed that comes down from the ceiling instead.

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Never had a dog crate before but Jim's happy with his and sees it as a refuge. Always put him in it to travel and to 'drip-dry' if he gets particularly filthy, also if he's left unattended. Put covers on the seats to begin with; he quickly learned not to go on them so now don't bother. His entire toy basket comes with us so he has plenty of choices.
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He's called Finn. Or Finnegan when naughty. So Finnegan most of the time. Everybody seems to have had non destructive dogs on here. Feeling left out. ;)
Our current two are not destructive - but previous collies have been more challenging!! Pedestal table legs, door frames, curtains etc... :oops: Flynn - our youngest (6) is a nightmare on a lead and wants to round Jess up all the time so we have different challenges now.

Collies respond to interaction and need to use their brains - they don't always need to run their legs off! They love games! Have you come across Absolute Dogs? Its a fun, game-based training solution run by Tom (vet and dog behaviourist) and Lauren (international agility champion). Their mantra is 'there's a game for that!' You can shape you dogs brain by playing games to help them make good choices.

I first came across the concept when I did an agility workshop with Lauren and I loved the whole idea. If you are interested, have a look at the Absolute Dogs website. They are active on Facebook too and do live webinars. I have no links and am not on commission ;)


Facebook @absoluteDOGS
 
Get rid of the Cat.....(ylitic) Converter.

I'll get me goat... No sorry, coat.
 
Our current two are not destructive - but previous collies have been more challenging!! Pedestal table legs, door frames, curtains etc... :oops: Flynn - our youngest (6) is a nightmare on a lead and wants to round Jess up all the time so we have different challenges now.

Collies respond to interaction and need to use their brains - they don't always need to run their legs off! They love games! Have you come across Absolute Dogs? Its a fun, game-based training solution run by Tom (vet and dog behaviourist) and Lauren (international agility champion). Their mantra is 'there's a game for that!' You can shape you dogs brain by playing games to help them make good choices.

I first came across the concept when I did an agility workshop with Lauren and I loved the whole idea. If you are interested, have a look at the Absolute Dogs website. They are active on Facebook too and do live webinars. I have no links and am not on commission ;)


Facebook @absoluteDOGS
That's really interesting. Will have a good look at it. Thanks.

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Most dogs seem to have an active period. Our 5 year old does every evening. A few minutes play with us and then he will play on his own. Most puppies chew, just like babies. Try giving him a cardboard carton. Will make a mess but it’s soon cleared up. They do usually give up once their teeth have settled down. Collies may be hard work but it is worth it.
 
The one thing I found out with are dog is we adapted,wouldn’t be without him now .?
It's not easy though Rob, 'lies in' at the weekend, sleeping through the night, smaller grocery bills, watching TV in peace, furniture intact, rugs without pee, arguing with people on forums . . . all gone ;)
 
It's not easy though Rob, 'lies in' at the weekend, sleeping through the night, smaller grocery bills, watching TV in peace, furniture intact, rugs without pee, arguing with people on forums . . . all gone ;)
You've changed some of that for unconditional love no matter what you do, an ecstatic welcome even though you may have only been gone for 15 minutes, someonething to chat to who doesn't answer back, cuddles whenever you want or need, seeing the world through your dog's eyes, exploring places in ways you wouldn't before, plenty of fresh air and exercise.

We still get a lie in at the weekend, Mark brings them up for a cuddle when his alarm goes off, and as long as I'm up by 9 to feed the terrier (she complains) then its lovely - an hour or so of snoozing, we watch TV with a dog on the lap or snuggled alongside, not sleeping through the night is only a phase just like with babies, I sprayed a jif cleaner onto places which were chewed or holes dug in the lawn and if worked fine, look for a good dog training class to go to where you can meet other people/dogs, it gives you an opportunity to discuss everything and find out what they do, you'll find that its about teaching him what to do and teaching you how to achieve this.
 

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