Camping accessories for dogs

Taking your canine companion camping is a popular holiday choice for dog owners. It's cheap, cheerful and great for the whole family to enjoy the outdoors (when the weather is nice enough!)

Whilst you are packing your equipment into the family car, don't forget your dog's camping needs too! It's just as important that your dog enjoys the trip as much as the rest of you.

Here at Loving Your Pet, we've got plenty of canine camping experience! Over the years we've come to appreciate a handful of really useful accessories for any dog about to embark on a camping holiday. Here are our favourite bits of camping gear for dogs.

Under cover

Surely it's only fair that if you get a tent, your dog does too! A dog tent is the perfect place for pooch to escape the rain or take a snooze after a tough day camping. It's also a great way to avoid your dog's muddy paws from mucking up your own tent!

There's no doubt that a dog tent is both comfortable and practical for any camping trip. Starting at only £10-15, they can be used at home, too.

First aid!

There's hazards wherever you go with your dog, but being so far from home means you might need to attend to the odd scrape or bump that your dog might suffer whilst you are away. A first aid kit for dogs is always useful to have at arms reach, whether camping or not.

Whether it's a thorn in the nose from the countryside or a cut on the paw after an exhausting beach visit, a doggy first aid kit can ensure your pooch can continue enjoying the camping holiday!

Stay!

It's important to make sure your dog is well behaved on the campsite you visit. A useful accessory is a tether, spike or stake which you can screw into the ground and attach your dog's lead to.

Often known as a 'corkscrew', 'anchor' or 'tie-out', it's the perfect bit of kit to ensure your dog stays in the same place when required. Perhaps it's to stop your dog stealing food from other campers, chasing the local sheep or stealing sausages from your delicious BBQ!

You raise me up...

As you probably know perfectly well, it can get pretty chilly and damp overnight in a tent. Whilst you are snoozing soundly on your air bed or camping bed, it's important that pooch isn't curled up directly on a cold, wet draughty floor tent groundsheet. A raised dog bed is the perfect place for your pooch to snooze on any camping trip.

As these beds are off the ground, they won't subject your dog to the elements which can lead to discomfort and even a chill. They are durable, breathable and perfect for camping trips. They are also perfect for use at home - whether in the house or out in the garden.

Bone dry?

No good dog-friendly camping holiday is complete without your dog jumping in a river, swimming in the sea or getting completely drenched in the soaking rain! Without the luxuries of home, it's important that you have a dog towel to hand. There's nothing worse that a wet dog in a tent, is there?!

Your crazy canine should be dried thoroughly when camping, especially when it's a bit chilly. Pooch won't want to catch a cold overnight and you won't want muddy paws all over your sleeping bag! A normal towel should do, but there's super-duper-absorbent micro-fibre ones that do an even better job.

Snuggle up!

If every member of the family should get a sleeping bag, so should the family dog! That's right - sleeping bags for dogs. A sleeping bag for your dog is the ultimate camping accessory and offers the utmost in nighttime comfort, large or small.

Much the same as a traditional one, a doggy sleeping bag lets your pooch tuck in and be warm at night. Here at Loving Your Pet, Rosie's doggy sleeping bag is also used at home...every night!

There's more...

There's loads of other camping equipment and accessories for dog that we'd love to list, but we'd be here forever! Use your imagination and shop around. Think about what might be useful for your canine's need on a camping trip. Most of all, enjoy your camping trip with your dog!