RVs and Pets 101: Keeping Your Pup Safe When You’re Away

RV living has a lot of benefits, like being able to wake up in some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes and enjoy coffee in the woods. But if you have and cherish your pets, then undoubtedly one of the best things about traveling and living in an RV is the ability to bring your animals with you no matter where the road takes you. However, while RVs and pets go along great and RV pet owners get to spend an incredible amount of time with their beloved pets, there are going to be times when you need to leave them in the RV. For example, grocery shopping and many inside tourist destinations aren’t going to be dog-friendly while most cats are going to much prefer the inside of an RV to the outdoors. The following are a few tips for preparing your pets to be left unattended in the RV:

RVs and Pets 101: Keeping Your Pets Safe When You’re Away

• Go through separation anxiety training. While some cats will exhibit separation anxiety, this type of training tends to be more important for dogs — especially as many campgrounds will kick guests out for having excessively barking dogs that draw complaints. The goods news is that with RV living, you have plenty of time to train your puppy or dog to be better with separation anxiety as you can go slow and ease them into better behavior over an extended period. Follow Dr. Sophia Yin’s guide for promoting calm behavior and consider crate training dogs to give them a space where they’ll feel more safe and secure when you leave.
• Prepare for hot weather. Overheating is a major concern for those with RVs and pets, especially when traveling here and throughout the southeast region. While RVs are significantly more insulated than cars, heat transfer is still a concern and animals have died from being left in an overheated RV for too long. On temperate days, leaving two windows open for a cross breeze is sufficient for a few hours away, while on days when temperatures rise above the mid 70 degrees, a high-powered fan or air conditioner should be used. Additionally, use a windshield visor, close curtains and shades, and leave your pets extra water dishes.
• Add monitoring devices. If you’re just starting training with separation anxiety and don’t know how your pup will react or are concerned about your RV’s air conditioner malfunctioning, then you might consider adding a monitoring system to your RV. The Canary monitoring system is an excellent example of how great modern devices are. This system has a camera that can be remotely accessed on your smartphone and includes monitors for temperature, air quality, and humidity, alerting users should it detect something amiss.

Need Help Installing an A/C or Monitoring System? Contact Premier Coach Works

Here at Premier Coach Works, we offer a vast array of automotive repair and maintenance services, including equipment installation. Learn more about these and other services by contacting our team today.