Over the last 5-6 years, my in-laws, Lynn and Debra Twyman, have made some really great memories by way of a Toyota Tundra, a Jayco Jayflight travel trailer and the open road.  From South Dakota and Glacier National Park to Portland, Oregon and Sedona, they have made their way 3 to 4 weeks at a time bringing the comforts of home with them.

Recently, Jennifer and I went on vacation to South Dakota.  If you have never been there, go!  It’s some of the most beautiful country you will ever see.  To get there, we flew.  There was a time in this country that flying was a luxury.  I remember flying to California with my mom when I was a kid.  We flew Delta and I got my set of pilot’s wings they give to the kids.  I remember the flight attendant bringing me a blanket and a pillow.  We got the free coke and peanuts.  The pilot announced that we were 35,000 feet in the air and I thought I was cool.  Needless to say, flying doesn’t give me the same thrill it did when I was 10.

More than the grind of flying, Jennifer and I hated to leave Pearl behind.  We have 6 dogs, and of course, we love them all.  Each has his or her own unique personality, but Pearl is the one that really isn’t happy unless she is with us.  Whenever we go somewhere, we can tell she doesn’t really sleep well while we are gone.  She crashes within about 45 minutes of us being home.  We wanted a way to bring her with us.  Thus began the search for our own travel trailer.

Jen and I looked online for a few months.  Eventually, we checked out a local RV dealership but we kept going back to the Jayco.  Lynn and Debra love theirs.  It’s well built, sturdy and has all of the comforts of home.  Once we decided on the brand, we had to find the right floor plan.  It’s one thing for me and Jen, but we had to keep in mind our 105 pound Great Dane would be coming with us.  Although she is petite for the breed, the 3 of us in a queen bed wouldn’t work.  Also, we don’t let her sleep with us at home so I certainly didn’t want to start that habit.  It wouldn’t take long before I would be the one in the floor at night.  To remedy the situation, we went with a slide out for the extra floor space.  We are now the proud owners of a 2015 Jayco Jayflight 26 RKS (which stands for rear kitchen slide).

The next chore was to get some basics.  As with most campers, the builders make the best use of the space as they can.  There’s storage under the bed, wardrobes beside the bed, cabinets everywhere.  We bought 3 packs of the RV Marine toilet paper, because let’s face it…that’s not something you want to run out of.  For Pearl, we picked up a travel pet bed from Bass Pro.  It’s 30″x40″ which for most danes would be too small, but Pearl is small for the breed.  At 15 pounds below the breed standard, she’ll fit just fine.  To get her used to it, I brought it in the house to give her the opportunity to use it and get her scent on it.  So far, she’s still happy with her old beds.

Our first trip is planned.  We are heading to the Smokies in a few weeks with Lynn and Debra.  As they say, go with some veterans the first time or two.  I have discovered, however, that traveling with your pet is not always as “pet friendly” as you would hope.  Although she is allowed in the campgrounds, dogs are only allowed on 2 trails in Smokey Mountain National Park.  Jennifer and I have been known to hike up to 32 miles in 4 days.  That’s our primary purpose when we go is to hike.  Leaving Pearl in the camper while we are on the trail defeats the purpose.  So, I did some research.  Oddly, the federal government doesn’t implement the same rules for its national forests as it does for its national parks.  Cherokee National Forest is both to the north and the south of the Smokies.  They allow dogs on all of the trails, and there are a bunch of trails to choose from.  Several feature waterfalls, old forests and all the reasons that I love the area.  I have also tracked down 2 doggie daycares in case we want to take a day in the Smokies.

The next task is the gear.  I’m a backpack snob.  I have different sizes, shapes, pocket variations, etc.  Most recently, Jennifer and I bought Marmot daypacks with the water bladder.  We’ve looked at a backpack for Pearl so she can carry her own water.  Yes, they have those.  I get the feeling that she would be just as happy if I carried her water for her, so we are going to skip the doggie daypack for now.  I’ll tote her water in my pack and we bought a collapsible bowl with a clip so we can attach it to our belt or pack.  Jen tried it today when we went running and Pearl loved it.  She quickly figured out that Jennifer had water on her belt and made a few requests for water during the run.

The next thing we need is the proper leash.  I’ve got my eye on Surf’s Up Tangle Free Stretch Dog Leash on http://www.thedogoutdoors.com.  I really like this site.  Although I haven’t bought anything from them yet, they are a family owned company that will honestly answer any questions you have.  I asked them about a certain bed and he was very honest with me, even though his honesty meant telling me the bed I was looking at wouldn’t meet my needs.  I’ll buy something from them just for being straight with me.

This is going to be a learning experience for us and Pearl.  My plan is to post the dos and don’ts here for those who wish to try it themselves and for me so hopefully I don’t make the same mistakes twice.  If anyone has any suggestions along the way, I’m all ears.

Although they are often challenging, your person can be trained.  In this series, we will be looking at key elements to any good training process for your people

Let’s take a look at communication.  As I’m sure you have discovered, people are not as adept at reading body language as we are.  For the most part, they just make a bunch of nonsensical noise, but occasionally, they will put something together that makes sense.  When this happens, you must react.  Make them feel good about their accomplishment.  My suggestion is to dance around.  They seem to like it and will often join in.  Positive reinforcement goes a long way with people.  For those times that you have to get your point across, there are a few techniques I can share.  One favorite of mine, especially if your person has food you want, is the “stare down”.  While they are eating, get within two to three feet of them, and stare at them.  Most people can’t handle the pressure and will give you their food.  By the way, if they are eating green food, don’t bother.  You won’t like it.  For those of you who are smaller in stature, you may want to incorporate a jump or paw move along with the stare.  People get focused on their food and may not see you if you are not at eye level.

If you need to “excuse yourself” outside, I suggest a brief stare followed by walking to the door.  Again, the stare is to get their attention.  If they are making a bunch of noise with another person or watching the people in the box, then this may prove difficult.  Once you have their attention, go to the door.  If you can, try not to bark.  If you do, your person may think there is another person outside.  This can lead to them trying to keep you in, instead of letting you out.

If they still won’t get up, then there is one technique that you should only use as a LAST resort.  You can poop by the door.  In most cases, the people will be mad at first but eventually will understand that it was their fault for not listening to you.  Again, this is just as a last resort and if this doesn’t work after one or two times, then your person just isn’t going to get it.

If you find yourself restless during the night, you may have to wake up your person.  For some, the stare technique works in this situation, but it takes extreme concentration and patience.  I like to get things moving with a wet nose to their face.  My people usually pop right up when you do that.  Sure, they are a little disoriented at first, but they figure things out soon enough.  Again, if you are vertically challenged and can’t reach them when they are on their beds, you can try a jump, whine or bark next to their bed.  For example, my brother from another mother, Eli the Westie, is short.  Most days around 2:00 am, he stands next to my people’s bed and whines to get a drink of water.  His technique works every time.

Hopefully, you will find some of these techniques useful in training your person.  Next time, we will take about positive reinforcement for your people.