To the fulltime motorhomers with dogs

[Konokono]

Hello dog parents (my husband and I are more like “servants” to our diva Saluki girl named Finn)
We are starting this exciting new life as overlanders with a young, free-spirited, fast with poor recall, sighthound persian greyhound.
Would like to hear from you: introductions, advice, suggestions, stories, photos, warnings, tips...

 

[Reallyretired]

Saluki are lovely dogs but recall is so important with any dog. You need to work on that or touring could become a nightmare.
We all love our dogs but they need to know who is in charge and it shouldn't be them.

 

[Konokono]

Thanks for your quick response!! It is our very first interaction in this forum!!
Yes! She is a delight, very chilled indoors! ;but the outdoors situation worries us! Would a GPS help?

 

[BreweryDave]

.......I think a lead would be cheaper

 

[maz]

Hi and welcome to Fun!

I fulltime with a Border Collie and have done since she was 14 weeks old. Recall was one of the first things I taught her and it certainly makes life a lot easier to have a dog that comes back when called.

The following link offers some helpful advice on teaching recall:
. It may be useful to you.

Salukis are beautiful dogs!

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[Shrimp]

All dogs are different but all dogs follow a pack leader and one of you humans will be pack leader you need to work out which one of you it is then work on the discipline.
Discipline starts with food!
Have fun

 

[Konokono]

Thanks for your suggestion ! Really appreciate!
Once we get to our rig, we will make a priority to train her recall (going back to basics).
We have tried many things already. She is not too crazy about treats...which makes training harder.
Apart from the poor recall she is good as gold and an excellent travel companion, she has done so far 7000 miles around Europe. We haven’t lost her yet.

 

[Hollyberry]

I had no problems full timing for just under 2 years with 2 cats and 2 dogs.
On sites keep your dog on a lead, only off a lead in a designated ( fenced) area and if you're 100% sure the dog will come back.
Have a secure anchor peg for outside the motorhome on a wire if your dog is likely to chew through anything else.
Carry a basic first aid kit.
Clean up all dog poo and you won't make any enemies
I bet your dog will enjoy full timing as much as you will.

 

[Cameron Carter]

Hello, we're first time Motorhomes and full-time with a whippet. We keep him on a lead round the sites and just make sure an unfamiliar field we're in is completely closed off with gates and stiles etc. before we let him loose - he's pretty good at recall but if he saw a rabbit or squirrel he would just take off. A stake you twist into the ground is useful to tie him to also when you're busy cooking or similar. One problem we have is he keeps tripping up the step to get in, so we now just don't put the step out, especially in wet weather, when he's been known to slip a leg through the gap. Obviously we forget this sometimes and take a bit of a plunge when stepping out the door ourselves! Main thing is, though, your dog and you will love it.

 

[Rosemary1]

We have got 2 dogs, one very polite and wouldn’t dream of not coming back to call or causing any bother, the other which cannot be trusted to do either.

We have a wire tie for the lunatic and he is always on a lead (unless enclosed area with no other dogs around). As she is young then yes carry on with the recall training, although it will take a lot of work with a sight hound,

I sympathise tho. We have tried years of training, classes, patience firmness and disapline but he can still have his moments (he was a 2nd hand dog) and we have come to accept he will never be able to be off the lead with other strange dogs(although much improved - down partly to age I think)

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[Rob and Val]

Many years ago, when I was single, I had a saluki. His name was Sharif, which means noble, and it really suited him. He was such a graceful and good-looking dog. He was 3 years old and I was his 5th owner.

Sharif had never been house-trained. That took me 3 months and a lot of patience and love. Even though I regularly exercised him twice a day for an hour at a time I would return home from work to find a 'present' waiting for me. I never scolded him for going to the toilet in the house but would let him out into the garden and then clear up after him. The first time that he was clean I gave him so much praise! He never dirtied the house again.

For the first two weeks that I had him I would take him for a walk on a lead. Then I let him off the lead for the first time in some woodland. He shot off like a bullet from a gun and I didn't see him again for what seemed like a very long 45 minutes. I had just asked a couple if they had seen him when he hurtled back towards me. The man said, "You should give him a good thrashing for running away." Yeah, right, that would make him want to come back to me next time, I thought. Instead, I went down on my knees and threw my arms around him telling him what a good boy he was. He used to love to run off the lead but after that day he would always keep me within sight and would always come back when I whistled for him.

He was a wilful dog but, for the most part, he was obedient and relatively easy to train.

I loved him so much and was heart-broken when, at 11 years old, he died. @Konokono, I hope you have many happy years with Finn.

 

[scotjimland]

free-spirited, fast with poor recall

in other words... disobedient .. does what she likes

dogs are all "free spirited" until they know who is boss and are trained to do as the pack leader (you) command..

let them be the alpha male and you have trouble.

I have two.. a JRT who thought he was boss, and still does when I'm not around.. when I'm there he knows who is boss

out walking I often see ill trained dogs taking their servants for a walk..

 

[138go]

Hope she travels well. We have a labradoodle her favourite place is in her bed so wherever her bed is she is. Very useful when travelling as she stays on her bed under the table behind the front seats. No way can you have a dog in the front with you so they have to get used to living in the back. If they won’t stay there they need a harness. Ours sleeps in the passenger footwell when we get to where we are going. She is always on a lead outside the MH only time she is off is when playing fetch which usually involves throwing the ball along the beach or in the sea.

Watch out for cats on campsites abroad. They stand upto dogs and can be very fierce.

 

[The Dudess]

We are starting this exciting new life as overlanders with a young, free-spirited, fast with poor recall, sighthound persian greyhound.

We need a photo of the doggie please.

and to the doggie

 

[Duck Truck]

Dogs are like people
all different. We are dead lucky with our latest
a whippet. Great re call
can walk off the lead anywhere
lays outside the van on a mat no need to tie him up.
loves sitting with people and makes hundreds of (dogs, adults, kids) friends in a flash
our other dogs in the past Labradors
made friends easily by eating any food anyone had.

However recall is vital if you let them off
Be firm if food does not work.

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[tonyidle]

There are dog breeds who have been trained by human owners for so long that they are genetically inclined to obey commands. Collies and Labradors are at the top of the list having been used for complex tasks since time began. Hunting dogs have never been trained - their natural instincts have been encouraged and honed. If you find a list of dogs in order of training ability you'll find the obvious ones at the top and sight hounds right at the bottom. So, as a long-term Greyhound, Whippet, and Lurcher owner, whilst I agree that all dogs should always be under control I have to take the suggestions that all dogs should recall immediately under advisement.

 

[Caggsie1]

I’ve had dogs all my life, never had any difficulty with any on recall at all until we got an Italian Greyhound. We did as we always did, let them off, acting a toot to make us more interesting than the surrounding area. We didn’t get her until she was 5 mths old and she was like a box of frogs, skitty as hell, jumping off a 6 ft wall wasn’t out of the question. Anyway, one day on southport beach, she caught glimpse of a feather, no amount of looking the idiot made her turn her head, as the feather blew in the wind the further she went. We did get her back but we never let her free again for some years. My hubby will let her off now, 7 years on, when there is nothing about, however, I won’t, I’m too frightened I’d lose her. We do have a retractable lead so she in effect has quite a bit of freedom to have a run about. Get her on a beach, as soon as the sand touches her toes she is back to the box of frogs!

 

[Duck Truck]

yep some breeds are much harder
However our whipett comes backe better than any of our labradors have ever done
So as I said it is down to each dog as well

 

[Duck Truck]

If you never let dogs off the lead then they do take every opportunity to bugger off when they get the chance.

The trick is to choose the right place and do it often and persevere with getting them to come back to you

 

[Duck Truck]

and be firm if food doesn't work

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[Nasher]

IMO your dog needs to be properly trained or you need keep it on a lead