Doggone Etiquette —

The Golden Guard

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:           

How often are you punished for doing what you know instinctively to be the right thing only because your VIPeople happen to think you are wrong? It is pretty darn hard to explain to people – especially your very own people – that sometimes, just sometimes, they are the ones who are wrong! Stick to your guns, and hope that those otherwise very nice people will talk to someone who can set them straight and let them see it your way. After all, you are a dog and therefore you deserve to be understood and appreciated. Right? Right!

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:            

This subject came up when the owner of two Golden Retrievers (a mother and her male puppy) complained to me about their “horrible” behavior. It seems the couple went off on camping trips with the two dogs, both of whom they considered to be very well-behaved, calm, cool, and friendly. That is, until they got to the camp grounds and tied the two dogs outside the trailer when they went off the camp grounds, or just to visit other campers. Then the older Golden (the female) barked, growled, and bared her teeth at anyone walking nearby. The owners were thinking to muzzle her, but didn’t know how to handle the young male puppy who just barked.

This is just one example that clearly shows how a normal dog reaction can be misinterpreted as a problem by the owners. These Goldens are behaving perfectly normally. Tied to the trailer when the owners leave, the older female takes on full responsibility for guarding the trailer and its contents, as well as protecting her own young pup. The pup’s barking is more or less a back-up for his mom. She is really being a very, very good dog, and since there has been no report of anyone having stolen the pup or broken into the trailer, the Golden Guard deserves all the praise and thanks possible!

The solution for the owners and campers is easy, but a muzzle would definitely be the wrong way to go. The dog would not understand why she was being punished for perfectly normal (and in this case, correct) canine behavior. Even if passers-by kept their distance and heeded the dog’s warning, by tying them up outside the trailer, the dogs could be teased or mistreated by anyone while you are away. Now that could turn your lovely Goldens into nasty, aggressive dogs toward you as well as strangers.

My advice to solve the problem for all concerned would be to leave them safely inside the trailer, possibly with a fan on – and safely out of their reach – if  it might get too warm. Be sure they have plenty of fresh water. Then put a big BEWARE OF DOG warning on the door of that trailer.

One other thing: when you return, take the dogs outside, tell them what wonderful guard dogs they have been, let them jump all over you – and be very thankful they, and your trailer, are intact.

We have often looked into traveling with dogs, but this is a bit different from taking Rufus in the car for a visit to Aunt Martha’s, or putting him on a plane to your newly acquired home. The camper is a home-away-from-home (and on wheels) for dogs and their people, so there are a lot of additional things to consider when Rufus is included. Things like plenty of fresh water, sufficient exercise, pick-up & disposal bags. And perhaps most important of all – where the dog will be when you leave and he’s left behind.

Until next time – BE GOOD!

- Bardi