Pitch Your Tent

As you know, your pets must always be kept restrained when visiting developed areas, like campgrounds, in the MOST public recreation areas. This is especially important in a campground where there are people walking, kids on bikes, cars and trucks with trailers, etc.

However, there is always the question: How do I keep my dog clean when I’m camping? (Okay, okay, it’s a DOG- How do I keep my dog cleanER? Cleaner!)

When I go camping with Lily, the EatStayPlay.com dog, Lily sleeps in the trailer at night. She’s crate trained so she sleeps in her “box.” But about 2 am, when the temperature really starts to dip, she always wakes me up with her “I’m cold!” cry.

And, being the dog-sucker that I am, I wait about all of thirty seconds before snuggling her into my sleeping bag with me. Of course, if she’s in MY bed, that means I want her as dust-free as possible!

To that end, I’ve discovered that putting heavy duty utility rugs under her playpen has helped a lot. Not only is Lily not as dusty, she doesn’t get stickers in her coat or scratched pads. Plus, I can easily see and pick up any spilled food before it attracts ants, skunks, or other unsavory critters.

Lily (needing a hair cut!) in her playpen on a rug.

So, the camping tip of the week: when camping with pets, bring a heavy duty outside rug for them to lie on. Luckily, in my case, the rug is just the right size to completely cover the area below her playpen.

Here’s a rug that you can get from Walmart.com. It’s the right size and should be heavy-duty enough to stand up to most camping adventures. I’d recommend the brown color (shown, although I don’t think it looks like much in the photo!) since it’ll show the dirt the least.

Brown rug from Walmart.com. Perfect color for camping!

Here’s a question to all you people out there who camp with pets:

What are YOUR tips to keep your pet cleaner? Do you ever try to groom your pet while you’re camping?