Tiger's Travels
Scritto da: Doris e Al Monaco

Agriturismo e sistemazioni rurali selezionate in tutta Italia, ai prezzi migliori.

Introduction

There is no substitution for the experience of a long trip. By the time you return you will Know all you needed to know before you left, but the trip would have been more comfortable and more enjoyable if you knew what you needed to know beforehand. This is both, a Guidebook for new RV users who have pets, as well as a sharing of knowledge of the good stops along the way.
We wish that all the campsites and fun places always stayed exactly as we found them. This, of course, is impossible, so please understand that some might have changed since we were last there. It is our hope that the information we set down here will provide you with fewer hours of worry and more hours for fun.
For the most part, we will share our helpful hints in a narrative fashion, as we encountered the situations which prompted them. We have tried to put as much advice that would be useful in starting a trip at the very beginning as we prepared for our trips. We hope that this will help you have smooth roads in far places and return you safely from your journey.

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Tiger's Travels - Chapter 1
Introducing Tiger

Great traveling companions aren't born. They're made. Especially if they are pets!
Different pets will have different affinities for motor travel and different breeds will react to new experiences according to their temperament. Some pets may require more training for a longer trip. Although we offer many tips for training a traveling pet in this chapter, please check with your veterinarian for advice on how to best train your pet.
If you haven't acquired a pet yet and are considering getting one, plan on at least a year or two of training before taking your new friend with you on trips. Basic house training and obedience training must be completed before introducing your dog to new and changing environments every day. It takes several months to get puppies attitudes sublimated to the desire to please and even longer for them to obey commands consistently. When we decided to get Tiger we were almost two years away from retirement and we planned on 15 years or so of reasonably good health to care for a dog. We had long been considering getting a pet, but never got to the "lets look for one" stage. One weekend, while we were going to a local boat show with my daughter and her husband, my daughter suggested we stop by the Humane Society and look at the puppies. We decided to go, even though my wife hesitated for fear she would end up bringing home all the dogs instead of just one. My son-in-law went into the puppy yard and walked out with a four-pound bundle of fur with big paws and handed it to my wife.
Tip#1. If you put a puppy in your wife's arms and it starts to lick her face and whimper, she is not going to leave it there. Tiger's feet didn't seem all that big at the time and he had bright eyes and nice markings. It was either leave my wife or take them both home. That little four-pound bundle of fur is now 90 pounds and races my wife to the front seat of the RV as soon as I turn the key.
Libraries and pet stores have books on how to select pets and I recommend you ask a veterinarian to guide you in making your selection. The choice of a pet is very personal, but I like to think that the dog picks you. Even if breeding is important, a trip to the local Humane Society may produce some favorable surprises. A small dog is easier to care for in small quarters and takes up less space. I feel a larger dog, though, offers a better sense of security and protection than a smaller dog. On many moonlit night walks through the woods or in towns in remote areas, I never became worried for safety with Tiger. His bark commands attention and his warning growl rumbles half a football field and would give a linebacker reason to pause.
Obedience training is important. It has to be in place before you leave and reinforced before each trip. When we are home we live a different life style and we tend to be more lenient with Tiger. What occurs at home on our block and in the neighborhood with friends that are acceptable and even liked may not be at all acceptable behavior while in a campground and around strangers. Your dog must consistently obey "Sit", "Stay", and "Come." Tiger also obeys an "On Guard" command as well as OK, which calms him down after being on guard. You may also want to train your dog to "Go Potty." It is helpful to know that a dog requires exercise to stay regular and to move the bowels. Realize that while traveling, your pet has been sitting or lying down for several hours and needs to run a little before he will "Go Potty." Frequent stops about every 2 or 3 hours is necessary for dog walks. We usually stop at a rest area where my wife prepares lunch or a quick snack while Tiger & I take a walk.

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In addition to training your pet, let your pet train you or rather teach you a few things about him. Your dog talks to you in many ways. He talks by sound, body language and eye contact. Start with the premise that a good dog is always trying to please you. When he wants to bring something to your attention he does it in the language of sounds. A quick sharp bark can be saying "pay attention to me" or "let's go now". When the bark is repetitive it may mean "someone's coming." When the bark becomes loud and angry he may be saying, "someone's coming that I don't know and that I am unfamiliar with." The recognition of what your pet is telling you is important for your pet to continue to communicate with you. Learn to listen to your pet and to acknowledge understanding of what your pet has told you.
Body language also plays an important role in how your dog communicates with you. Of course, the wagging of the tail tells you "I'm happy." When your pet wants you to play he will bow down on his forefeet. When your pet senses danger his ears will straighten, his hair will stand up, and he may seem to not pay attention to your voice for several seconds. When Tiger and I were walking one morning, he stopped in the middle of the path and refused to go any further. I could have forced him to continue by command, but he was happy walking the other direction so I chose to listen to him. When we returned to the RV, other campers had spotted a grizzly bear in the direction that we had originally headed towards. Your strong insistent command to "walk" with a tug on the leash or pulling him up tight on a short leash and turning him in the direction you want to go will override his reluctance, but it is not always wise to do so.
Everyone is familiar with the point of a bird dog. Your pet's stance, along with the position of his ears and the fur on his coat will help communicate what your dog is pointing at. Tiger points, but not usually at birds. He points at something he smells, hears, or senses. He lets us know when an animal is close by, often wanting to chase it. We don't let him of course, especially after we saw him pointing at two skunks on one of our morning walks. If your pet is quivering and his ears are flat, your pet might be frightened of what he sees, hears, or senses. Petting and stroking your dog and keeping him close to your body will help calm him. Tiger is afraid of thunder and lightning. A bolt of lightning struck six feet away from the RV with an explosive sound and a fireball of light. Fortunately, Tiger was in my wife's lap and she covered his ears with her hands. We found that music will relax Tiger. We also cheerfully tell him that "everything's all right." If you are cheerful and confident, than your pet will be too.

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We started getting Tiger ready for traveling with our car and short trips to the grocery store. In the beginning we always gave Tiger a biscuit when he got in the backseat of the car to keep him occupied until we were moving. Pets can get motion sickness just like humans. We found that a small amount of VANILLA ice cream (never, never chocolate!)will settle Tiger's stomach and prevent motion sickness. Two tablespoons of ice cream is enough to settle digestive enzymes in a large dog. While on the road, soft-serve ice cream from fast food restaurants works very well. As the trips became longer, Tiger began to be at home in the car and looked forward to going for a ride.
As experience in the car and motor home grows, you can gradually introduce outside noise to your pet by opening windows. Care should be taken to keep forceful wind out of your dog's nose and ears. We are glad to have the old wing windows in our Class C just for this reason. Be careful to secure loose items in the RV before leaving to prevent falling objects and loud noises that might frighten your pet. On one of our first long trips with Tiger, we forgot to secure a mini television set. As soon as we pulled out of the driveway the television set came crashing down next to Tiger as he was lying on the floor. To this day, Tiger always sits in the front passenger seat until we are moving for a few minutes before lying down.
When you leave your dog in your RV for a while, ventilation must be adequate even in moderate temperatures. We highly recommend an automatic vent fan sold in most RV supply stores. This vent opens automatically at a temperature you choose, turns on the fan upon opening and closes automatically when it rains. This fan, together with the top vent cracked and the side windows slightly open will assure an adequate flow of fresh air for your pet. We also leave the generator running and the air conditioning on low- cool in hot weather; with the automatic vent on a preset temperature, as a backup to open and go on should the generator stall and the A/C shut off. We usually leave the blinds on the sidewalk side of the RV drawn when in town. This prevents anyone loitering nearby from looking in as well as keeping the sun out. Anyone looking in would have to do it from the traffic lane or through the front window where Tiger will let anyone know not to get too close. Always be sure to return in a reasonable amount of time to care for your dog's needs. We recommend leaving your pet alone for no longer than four hours at a time.

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We've missed very little and gained much by having Tiger on our trips. He requires as much preparation as we do. Humans need passports and proof of citizenship to travel and your dog will need his papers to travel. Your veterinarian can provide you with proof of shots and good health. These are required to cross borders and, if necessary, to board your pet in a kennel in an emergency. We have never boarded Tiger.
The license is both an identification tag and proof that your pet's rabies vaccinations are up to date. However, we suggest you attach an additional tag to your pet's collar with your name, your telephone number, and if you have the service, your number to leave a voice-mail message. On excursions in isolated areas it may be tempting to let your dog out on his own, especially if it's early in the morning. Don't ever do this without his collar with his identification. Without you nearby he can wander and explore. His senses may be good, but in strange surroundings he may not be able to find his way back to you. On our last trip we camped in an isolated area by a river. I walked upstream one day and ran into a man looking for his dog. He had camped at the same location two weeks before and was stopping periodically to see if his dog had been found. It is best not to let your pet out of your range of vision and voice in unfamiliar territory, but if your pet has identification tags you have a good chance of getting your pet back if he is lost.

Scritto da:
Doris e Al Monaco

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