Essential Dog Products To Make RV Life Easier

Full time travel with pets has its challenges, but there are several products we have been using that have made our lives a bit easier and kept the pets safer and happier. 

Canary
We generally always take the dogs with us when we leave Wanda, whether its exploring a new town, on a hike, or simply running some errands.  However, we do have to leave Piper the cat at home and occasionally have to leave Sophie and Hayley behind as well.  Leaving pets at home in an RV is completely different than leaving them at a house.  We never worried too much when we we left the girls at our house, but leaving them in the rig definitely raises different issues and has been a cause for concern.  With an RV you have to be a bit more mindful of their safety and security.  The temperature, conditions inside, the potential loss of power or failure of a system complicates things. 

To help us with that, we use a Canary Home Security System.  A canary is an all-in-one home security and intelligence monitoring system with a 1080p HD camera, a siren and built in climate monitor.  We can check up on the girls at any time using the app and watch what they are doing on a live feed (most of the time they are just sleeping).  We are also notified of any movement inside, so if someone tried to break in, we would get a notification and could simply push a button for the siren to start blaring and hopefully scare off any intruders.  The feature we like the most though is the temperature read out, it shows us the current temperature, humidity and air quality (carbon monoxide etc) inside, so we know immediately if there is a problem.  The canary has definitely helped eased some anxiety and gives us peace of mind while we are away. 

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Tie down and safety
When we are at a campsite and the dogs want to hang out with us in our new backyard, we have a couple of ways to keep them from wandering to far while still giving them freedom.  Typically, most sites have a picnic table so we anchor a Petmate Large Dog Tieout 10 foot cable ​around the table legs.  We learned the hard way that a traditional leash or rope will not do the trick.  Sophie, the puppy, is a bit of a runner and still likes to chew things so after a couple of escapes and running through the woods after her, we opted for something more secure. 

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If there is nothing to anchor the tieout to, we also have Lixit Animal Care Retractable Cable Tie Outs.  These posts hammer into the ground and use a retractable leash with 360-degree mobility.  These are surprisingly sturdy, and  don't lift out of the ground if they try to run after something or pull on the leash.  We do recommend attaching the Petmate Large Dog Tieout 10 foot cable to this though so your dog can lay comfortable near the Licit without constantly being pulled on.  are on site and want to hang out in there new backyard we have a couple of solutions to get them from wandering too far.

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Hiking
Our dogs absolutely love hiking.  Exploring new trails and getting lost in nature is where they are the happiest.  They are also their best out adventuring.  Hayley, is typically very anxious and insecure but take her out on a trial and she is confident, excited and fearless.  We have two sets of harnesses for the dogs depending on how long the walks/hikes are.  For shorter hikes, walks or easier terrain we use Blueberry Pet Classic Solid Color Adjustable Dog Harness.  Dogs can typically handle different terrain pretty well and the harnesses allow us to have more control over them while still allowing them mobility to jump or climb without putting any strain on their necks.   

On longer hikes or tougher trails we use RUFFWEAR Singletrak Pack V2.  The slim lined packs have two compartments, one on each side with room for the dogs to carry their own water and snacks.  This is an easy way to lighten our own packs and make sure they are staying hydrated and fueled for our hikes.  These packs also have an extra handle so if you encounter any steep or tricky terrain you can help support and guide them safely.  

We also take a Jardin Dog Pet Collapsible Fabric Travel Food Water Bowl. It's lightweight fold able water bowl for them, so it's easier for them to take water breaks.  

Lastly, we always have a I GO Compact First Aid Kit...you never know when they will step on something sharp or get into some type of trouble so always be prepared. 

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Water Bowl
A normal water bowl has its limitations in an RV, it would easily spill and create a constant mess while driving.  So we opted for a spill proof bowl, the Ray Allen BB2-PUR Buddy Bowl.  While we were a bit skeptical at first of how well this would work, not a single drop of water has spilled from this bowl during bumpy drives, accidental kicks or even when Sophie has used the bowl as a toy.  We use the 64oz size, which works well for the two dogs and cat.  There is plenty of room to store a lot of water which is helpful when boondocking and also eliminates the need for constant refilling. 

​However, we do have one complaint, the bowl is pretty hard to disassemble and clean.  Since its spill proof, the pieces are tightly snapped into place and hard to manipulate.  We have found the easiest way to open it is to run hot water over the seal and stick your hand inside and pull the cover off.  

What are some of your favorite pet products or gear you use while traveling? 

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