Can You Leave a Dog in Your Tent?
There’s a reason why almost every single campground in the world has rules about leaving your dog unattended. You just never know how a dog is going to respond when you’re not around.
He could bark constantly, terrorize the neighbors, chew through the tent walls, or just lay down and relax like a good boy (Your guess is as good as mine). Even if your dog is perfectly behaved at home there’s no way to know how he’ll be when left alone.
You should never leave a dog alone in your tent. It’s just way too risky! Dogs can chew through tent walls and escape, bark constantly, overheat, harass the neighbors, and tear up all your gear. Do you really think that thin layer of fabric can safely contain your dog?
Just think about it for a minute. Do you really care more about random activities than your dogs safety? If you answered yes, you really need to reconsider dog ownership.
What Else Can I Do? Use a Dog Kennel/Crate
If you have lots of fun activities planned for your camping trip you really just need to leave the dog with a friend or at a kennel. He might not love being at a kennel, but he’ll be much safer than being left in a tent.
If you’re car camping at a campground that allows you to leave your dog onsite. You would be much better off bringing a traditional wire kennel crate. I always add carabiners around the door locks because my dog Zoey figured out how to escape.
Make sure you leave plenty of water and purchase a cover to provide a little shade(this one is great for the price). The cover needs to have sides that roll up so you can get ventilation while blocking out the side with the sun. You will still need to place the crate in the shade to further reduce the heat.
What About Leaving Him Tethered Outside?
Leaving your dog tethered up is another viable option although it’s a little bit more dangerous. Whether or not this is a good idea entirely depends on the breed of dog.
Smaller dogs tend to be much better on a lead. My last dog was an 80lb boxer and boy was he strong(a little fat too). He absolutely could not be left tethered outside. Even if the chain held, his collar would eventually break and he’d be off chasing geese.
Don’t Mess Around in The Summer
Leaving your dog in a crate when it’s 65° is way different than if it’s 90°. It’s a terrible idea to leave your dog locked up in a crate when it’s hot outside. You’re just unnecessarily putting your dogs life at risk.
Even if you leave a bowl of water you don’t know how long it will last or if it will get knocked over. You could end up getting hurt and being gone for hours. Who knows what’s going to happen.
Try to figure out a way to involve your dog in the days activities. Go for a short hike, throw around a ball, have a picnic or head down to the lake. There’s lots of activities that you can do with a dog.
How Long Can I Leave a Dog?
Obviously, you shouldn’t leave a dog longer than absolutely necessary. A short walk to the bathroom or shower is fine. Leaving him while you go to the pool all day is not. So how long should you leave a dog unnattended?
Everybody has their own comfort level when it comes to pets. It’s like the difference between indoor and outdoor dog owners. Both options are perfectly legal on paper, but in reality they’re very different.
The amount of time you can safely leave varies depending on the location, weather, ventilation and breed of dog. A bulldog probably shouldn’t be left outside on a 70° day, while a chihuahua might be fine in 90° weather.
As a general rule you don’t want to leave your dog in a crate for more than an hour or two. If it’s a cooler day they’d probably be safe longer, but they could be driving other campers crazy with constant barking.
