Traveling with a Doberman

[E12Cheng]

I see that my dog is listed as a vicious breed and some campgrounds restrict these dogs. Is this really the case. I would hate to leave my buddy behind as he is very well mannered.

[jeffba]

I have seen where some parks list the breeds they do not allow and others ask what you have. You will just need to do some extra planning on your trip.

[BB_TX]

I have not encountered it with our various 85 lb Golden Retrievers, but the topic comes up regularly on another RV forum. And apparently some RV parks do enforce the rule. And the general consensus is that it is driven by the park insurance carrier rather than the park itself. From what I have read, some have the specific breed restrictions, some have a size restriction. Goldens don't fall into the breed restriction, but could fall into the size restriction.

The problem is not that those "dangerous" breeds are more likely to bite than a smaller dog. But that when they do bite they can inflict serious injury where a small dog might just break the skin.

Ultimately you will just have to check ahead to see if a specific park has such restrictions. And the "what they don't know" idea is not good unless you intend to let your dog do their business inside your RV. Let them out to pee/poop and the park owner/manager see them and out you go looking for a different park.

[AZ Traveler]

Tell folks he is a Poodledobie. If he is well behaved you should've an issue.

Dogs tend to be very good judges of people. If someone doesn't like dogs, you should be very suspicious of them.

[E12Cheng]

Thank you for the quick reply. We just don’t know what to do when we start full timing in a few weeks. We will be on the road for a year traveling from Key West to Alaska. Zeus is well mannered but I guess he is scary with his size.

[Texan]

Tell folks he is a Poodledobie. If he is well behaved you should've an issue.

Dogs tend to be very good judges of people. If someone doesn't like dogs, you should be very suspicious of them.

It's not that my wife doesn't like dog's but she is scared of them and dogs seam to know it. My wife has 2 artificial knees as many seniors have and if a large dog runs up to her she could hurt her self. Most people are responsible dog owners but there are a few that think everyone wants to pet there dog and that's just not the case.

[padredw]

E12Cheng: We have been traveling with a fifth-wheel for over 20 years, the last 12 with our Lab mix dog, Daisy. We have only been turned away one time in all those years and that was because of size (Nothing over 40 pounds), but we have always been aware of some campgrounds that do restrict by certain breeds. Here is a case where you simply have to go by the letter of their law. If "Doberman" is restricted you just have to find another campground. It is not a matter of what is right or what is the temperament of your dog; it is the letter of the law. I don't remember many campgrounds that have listed "Doberman" among the restricted breeds, but I know there are some. Just check it out in advance. If in doubt contact the campground. They may interpret their rule leniently, but it is better to know in advance. Good luck.

[mhs4771]

I wouldn't try the "Poodledobie" trick. Simply because if it Barks like a Dobie, walks like a Dobie, it's a Doberman. And you could end up ejected with no refund on unused time.
We're seeing more and more parks with Breed and Size restrictions, and I hate to say it but everyone thinks their Dog is the friendliest Dog in the World.
We had good friends with a Shepard Mix, that was the friendliest Dog to all of us who camped together, and generally with everyone else and other dogs. But every now and again someone walking their Dog would go by and that dog would be out for blood if he could get loose

[E12Cheng]

Thank you all for the reply’s and good advice. I think we will make arrangements for him to stay behind.

[mtlakejim]

I'll start by saying I love dogs. We are very sad right now at the recent loss of one of ours. Many years ago I had Dobermans. I currently have a Chihuahua.




I think the root cause of most issues (of which this is just one) is that people have simply lost common courtesy of others. Its a sad time in our society when you HAVE to make rules or teach what well mannered people should just know.


No one has to tell me that it is impolite for my dog to disturb others with his barking and we do everything we can to restrict him from doing so. Likewise we don't let him run loose outside of a pen. He is ALWAYS on a leash while in the park and would be even if there wasn't a rule (I wouldn't stay at a park that didn't have a leash law). We never let him run up to anyone either as that can be scary.


While you may THINK that your dog is well behaved (and he may well be) he is still a dog and a large one at that. He may never attack anyone but you can't absolutely guarantee he won't. And even if his INTENT is friendly, the sight of a dog that can POTENTIALLY cause serious injury running up to you is very unnerving.
Then there is the issue of a small dog barking and harassing a larger one. I had a Chihuahua get in a fight with a larger dog in the past. Both dogs were on leashes but we got too close and the person handling the larger dog was not able to pull her dog back quickly enough.
My advice is if you do decide to travel with your dog, RESPECT the general public and only go to parks that allow the breed and do everything you can to mitigate the potential issues above. You choose a bred with a reputation and just like a lot of discussion we make in life there are responsibilities that come along with them. Just remember, strangers don't know your dog and for that matter he doesn't know them either.......

[Dave W]

We have 2 mini (mid size) poodles that love camping. With that said, most dogs do. Three years ago in Utah we were parked back to back with another 5er. Those folks had two dobies. They were NOT friendly with other dogs though their oner claimed they were - right after they went after our two pups. Those folks were 'invited leave though not by our complaint but evidently someone else did.



One CG in NH we stayed in this past September had a list of at least 12 big dogs that were banned. That list only applied to us transients as seasonals monster German Shepard decided that if he could get off his log chain leash. one of our pups would be a tasty snack.


There are reasons for CGs to limit breeds, size or numbers of dogs, mostly due to insurance as well as a CGs past history. Unfortunately, not everyone is a committed dog owner and is willing to train them to be good citizens and IMHO, part of the entitled generations problems.


Good luck with you pup. It's too bad that a few have ruined RVing with all breeds of dogs

[ejerni]

Thank you for the quick reply. We just don’t know what to do when we start full timing in a few weeks. We will be on the road for a year traveling from Key West to Alaska. Zeus is well mannered but I guess he is scary with his size.

I've had a dobie many years ago. By no means can you leave him behind. They are a one family dog. Your's is beautiful!

[E12Cheng]

Bravo well said Mtlakejim
He is a good boy.

[richfaa]

We have had many dogs over the years both big and small. You never know what a dog might do .It is a dog not human. It does not think like a human.It thinks like a dog.

[bshgto]

Tell folks he is a Poodledobie. If he is well behaved you should've an issue.

Dogs tend to be very good judges of people. If someone doesn't like dogs, you should be very suspicious of them.

I think most people would more suspicious of people that lie. You might think other people are just to stupid to recognize a dog breed but your just plain mistaken. Lying to get your way isn`t that a hold over from childhood.

[AZ Traveler]

We have had many dogs over the years both big and small. You never know what a dog might do .It is a dog not human. It does not think like a human.It thinks like a dog.

There are a lot more evil people out there than evil dogs.

[mtlakejim]

There are a lot more evil people out there than evil dogs.

Obviously this thread is going downhill really quick. No need to get bent out of shape about the fact that not everyone agrees with each other.

Humans can be pure evil by choice for sure. Dogs are usually only acting out of some sort of instinct when they attack BUT a good owner is wise enough not to allow his dog to get in a situation where that is an issue. Unless you own other people good luck doing that with humans......

I don't think anyone on here is saying that dogs are inherently evil, only that for the good of themselves and society in general, they need to be controlled such that bad things don't happen. It is truly a sad day when an animal has to be put down because the owner acted foolishly!

And I have to admit I always get uncomfortable when an owner says "my dog wouldn't hurt a flea". That's about the same as the parents that say "my kids are little angles" all the while they are destroying the house or worse. Just take some good honest truth, please: not everyone agrees with your assessment of your little angel!!

[CaptnJohn]

My dog is only 24#. Unless in our fenced backyard he is on a leash. We rescued him after 2 years of abuse and removed from his home. He has always been good with most people but I cannot trust him fully. He has lived with us and 2 other dogs at one time and never a problem but doesn't like other dogs. He is a mix of ?? and ?? and not on any list. I'm not afraid of dogs and they leave me be. My daughter has 2 pugs that she rescued and became part of the family. The shelter should have put both to sleep as although small, they are dangerous. The hired a trainer, dog bit the trainer. One has a shock collar put on in the morning and stays on as he has bit the entire family. As far as Dobies, Pits, and others that are banned it is most often insurance carrier regulations. Most would never hurt anyone but got a bad rep due to PEOPLE. Every pit I've been around is a sweetie, but a few people ruined a few so bad by training them to fight, keep chained outside and abuse. They will never be rid of the unfair rep.

[mazboy]

i guess a lot of calling ahead will work.

[rollingdownthehighway]

I love Dobbermans, had 3 growing up and they were huge lapdogs and big babies and got all 3 from a breeder and had all 3 from puppy hood to adult life, and then that one time happened with one of our dobes. Out of the blue he went after me while he was eating. He never had a food aggression, I could put my face in his food bowl while he ate, grab his bowl and food no issues, able to pet him, etc, while he ate, but this one time, walked passed, swiped his tail, 10 stitches later, it was a very unpleasant experience.

Do I agree with CG's banning certain breeds, no, however, you just never know with some breeds. Before our bully passed, we would run into some issues with our bulldog with some CG's. Over the summer, I witnessed a poodle going after a Shepard as they walked passed their campsite and bit his leg. You just never know.

[BB_TX]

I love Dobbermans, had 3 growing up and they were huge lapdogs and big babies and got all 3 from a breeder and had all 3 from puppy hood to adult life, and then that one time happened with one of our dobes. Out of the blue he went after me while he was eating. He never had a food aggression, I could put my face in his food bowl while he ate, grab his bowl and food no issues, able to pet him, etc, while he ate, but this one time, walked passed, swiped his tail, 10 stitches later, it was a very unpleasant experience.

Do I agree with CG's banning certain breeds, no, however, you just never know with some breeds. Before our bully passed, we would run into some issues with our bulldog with some CG's. Over the summer, I witnessed a poodle going after a Shepard as they walked passed their campsite and bit his leg. You just never know.
"You just never know."

And therein lies the problem. And it is not the breed in itself that makes one more or less likely to bite. It is the absolute fact that the larger and more powerful the dog, the more damage that dog can inflict. A small dog and you might get broken skin. A large powerful breed and you might end up in the hospital. And that is why the restrictions on breed and/or size are necessary. "Gosh, he has never done that before" is not an excuse.

I love dogs. And have had dogs of different breeds for many years. But it is essential that there be restrictions on certain ones beyond the basic restrictions placed on all dogs.

[jimcol]

Interesting discussion but to me it is all moot. The owner of the park has the right to set the rules. Trust me they do it on risk assessment. The last thing they want to do is deny a paying customer. If they don't want me in their place of business because of my choices, I don't want to be there.

[Maggie Mae]

E12cheng did not say he would misrepresent his Dobbie as a poodle.
He simply asked if breed restrictions are becoming a problem for the rv community.
One of the reasons we travel in a rv is to take our standard poodle with us.
Please do not leave your boy behind.
Take the time to plan your trip so he can be accommodated

[Bozwell]

Awww. Your dobe is precious. I wouldnt leave him home either. We full-time with our dobe and have stayed in many parks/campgrounds that state “no aggressive breeds.” Never been turned away. Almost all RV parks have insurance that restricts dobies but they dont enforce it unless your dog becomes a nusance and they have to. Just look at all the pittys and german sheppards in rv parks everywhere. We leave our dobe hidden in the rig at check in and if they ask his breed we just say he’s a mix. As long as you dont give them any reason to address you about your dog they will leave you alone.

Just be a responsible dog owner at all times and observe all park rules regarding leashes, restricted pet areas....etc. and you wont have any problems.

Our Dobe is dog aggressive.... we only walk him early in AM and late in PM to avoid any issues. Happy travels.

[Whitewolf]

I'm a small/medium dog kind of guy. Only for the simple fact that small dogs eat small food and make small poop.

But if I was to get a large dog it would either be a Dobie or Pit.

Please don't leave your Dobie home. He'd miss you and you'd miss him.

[Greg and Sherry]

I've had a dobie many years ago. By no means can you leave him behind. They are a one family dog. Your's is beautiful!

I fully agree that you don’t leave your Fur family behind. When you become the owner/parent to these furbabies you take on a responsibility to them. Just plan your route and call ahead to the campground.
We travel with 5 furbrats not just because we love them, but because they enjoy traveling and secondly nobody would take as good if care of them. Lastly because they feel abandoned. 2 of ours are rescues & they fear being abandoned again.
We’ve had Dobies, German Shepherds and Rotties in the past and we’re blessed with love bugs. Only 1 would bite (GSD) but only on command as a Police canine. Gentle as could be with babies at home/off duty.

[ECreson]

We travel with our 2 large 75lb. Standard Poodles. When we are asked about our dogs, and they find out they are Poodles, they are usually allowed. Ours are overly friendly, we enjoy walking them, & constantly training them. Our large boy will eventually become a service dog for my partners neuropathy. You might check into getting him advanced training in Canine Good Citizen or Therapy dog training, it could make a difference in the decision (if not for insurance reasons).

[Clark 2012 346LBQ]

We have a Giant Alaskan malamute and it’s not her breed but her weight that has us in the sticks. We literally had to move an hour from work because of it. We find most places have. Even like this.

[Sdgood1]

We travel with our 2 boxers. If they’re not allowed, we go somewhere else. But almost all of our trips are planned in advance and WE ask about their dog policies. We also ALWAYS clean up after our pets. We haven’t had issues for as long as I can remember.. it’s called respect and it’s not as prevalent as it used to be..

[mtlakejim]

We travel with our 2 boxers. If they’re not allowed, we go somewhere else. But almost all of our trips are planned in advance and WE ask about their dog policies. We also ALWAYS clean up after our pets. We haven’t had issues for as long as I can remember.. it’s called respect and it’s not as prevalent as it used to be..

AMEN!!!

[Iokepa]

The campgrounds liability insurance policy has a whole list of dog breeds that are restricted and your doberman is on that list.

[McRod]

Tell folks he is a Poodledobie. If he is well behaved you should've an issue.

Dogs tend to be very good judges of people. If someone doesn't like dogs, you should be very suspicious of them.

Horrible advice.

[stevekbk]

I have not encounter that enroute to places.
I have here in Mesa, Az the mind set of no Dories.
I have learned its a insurance thing. Who else can run our world?
I am wintering here in Mesa only due to the fact I am in a park that dobermans are not on the LIST.

[BB_TX]

..........
. We leave our dobe hidden in the rig at check in and if they ask his breed we just say he’s a mix. As long as you dont give them any reason to address you about your dog they will leave you alone.
.................
Our Dobe is dog aggressive.... we only walk him early in AM and late in PM to avoid any issues. Happy travels.
Just another case of "the rules don't apply to me". Admitting that your dog is aggressive and yet hiding it or lying about it is certainly a poor approach to life. And gives all dog owners a bad name. :facepalm:

[Texan]

Just another case of "the rules don't apply to me". Admitting that your dog is aggressive and yet hiding it or lying about it is certainly a poor approach to life. And gives all dog owners a bad name. :facepalm:
Agree 100%.

[Carguy1965]

Recently been studying up on Campgrounds in the Charleston SC area for a planned spring break trip next year. First time in a while I have done a bunch of looking into campgrounds in a new area. We have a Scotty and a Schnauzer so its no issue for us, but I was very surprised to notice for the first time ever that almost all of the parks I looked at listed a banned dogs policy even though they were all "Pet Friendly Parks". Without exception they listed Pits, Rottweilers, and Dobermans as the excluded breeds. Never saw that before, but perhaps I am just naive as we have been using a lot of the same campgrounds for many years..



I feel for you folks as we love to travel with ours, they are simply part of the family, but unfortunately the campground gets to make the rules I suppose. You will just need to research and find folks that will let you 4 legged friend stay.

[mtlakejim]

Just FYI,
On the Spring River in Arkansas ALL pets are banned from all of the 8 or so RV parks!!


I don't like it but it is what it is and the owners of the parks have the right to run them however they see fit. I don't want to infringe on their rights as that could have implications I might not like. The more you infringe on someones rights the more yours are usually infringed upon. In other words what goes around comes around.

[E12Cheng]

Thank you all for some thought provoking discussion. I think what hit me the hardest was Texan telling us about his wife with two artificial knees. My mother had artificial knees and it was not easy for her to change direction once moving or to react to something coming at her. When in the public space we should think more of others and not what is just best for me. I would never forgive myself if I caused a hospital stay for Mrs Texan because Zeus saw a squirrel. Zeus will stay home with my son and his dog as they are best buddy's. We will be back in a year so I think he will be fine. We can travel freely around the country on our way to Alaska and not worry about where to stay.

[stevekbk]

big mean doberman.HA

[Razrbk]

What insurance will cover you, if your dog bites someone at the RV park?

[Hornet28]

Thank you all for some thought provoking discussion. I think what hit me the hardest was Texan telling us about his wife with two artificial knees. My mother had artificial knees and it was not easy for her to change direction once moving or to react to something coming at her. When in the public space we should think more of others and not what is just best for me. I would never forgive myself if I caused a hospital stay for Mrs Texan because Zeus saw a squirrel. Zeus will stay home with my son and his dog as they are best buddy's. We will be back in a year so I think he will be fine. We can travel freely around the country on our way to Alaska and not worry about where to stay.

I would not leave my dog for a year just because some parks might not allow him. As far as him maybe chasing a squirrel, he can't if you have him on a leash which campgrounds require anyway

[Dobie dogs]

We have two dobies that have been trained to a ridiculous degree. I find that the ankle biters are the worst. My boy was attacked three times in a park when he was a pup by ankle biters that were off leash. Needless to say he doesn’t like those little guys. when we walk our guys they are on 6ft leashes and we keep space from other dogs. what should also be outlawed are those retractable leashes. A neighbor’s dog got away from him due to the retractable leash and was seriously injured by another dog when he rushed them. The larger dog was just protecting his owner. That being said it would simply be safer if people were more responsible dog owners. I’ve seen too many that shouldn’t own pets.

[DutchmenSport]

Thank you all for some thought provoking discussion. ... Zeus will stay home with my son ....

To answer your original question, it is up to each individual campground if privately run. If you are using State Parks and/or State Recreation areas the rules for dog breeds are a bit more lax.

I think you are making the right choice if you are able to leave the dog with a family member.

Now, here's some side bar thoughts I'd like to share about dogs and personal experiences.

When I was a kid, about 10 years old (1965) my parents were camping in a campground. They had a travel trailer. My sister, 17 years old, was walking our family German Shepard on a leash when a little girl, about 6 or 7 years old came up to pet the dog. The dog had never shown aggression. When the girl approached, the dog attacked the girl. My sister could not hold the dog. My parents were sued and lost. Fortunately, home owners insurance, even back then, covered the claim and we had to put the dog down. The dog had never, ever shown aggression. To this day, 55 years later, I still do not know what triggered the event.

My other sister had a female Doberman that had puppies, 3 of them. The puppies were sweet as can be. Once, she was going to leave them with my mother (in her mid 80's. The dogs were about 3 or 4 years old now. All was well until something happened. The dogs were free in her yard and she was calling them back. When they didn't want to respond, one of them turned on her, attacked, and then the other two attacked. She was damaged pretty good, her face was torn. But my mother being my mother, a very stubborn World War 2 German war bride refused medical treatment and refused to report the issue. She patched herself up, and that WAS the last time she watched the dogs.

Fast forward again. We had 2 Dachshund's. Both were great dogs. One died of cancer early this year. We had both dogs over 10 years from the time they were puppies. The other dog had a territorial nature, so we were always careful with her, especially in campgrounds and around people. But she still would not take any "guff" from any other dog.

Two months after the first dog died, I had her in the front yard. We live in the country, no fences. The neighbor was dog-sitting a friends dog, and had the dog on a lease. The neighbor started approaching the property line when our dog took off and bolted toward the neighbor. I yelled at her and she stopped 3 times, but every time I got close enough to catch her, she bolted again.

She finally ran right up to the neighbor and the other dog. And in an instant, so fast it was like lightening, the neighbor dog (a bigger dog, German Shephard mix), just reached down, grabbed our little girl, gave her one shake and tossed her like a rubber toy. Our dog laid there. The back of her neck was completely torn from shoulder to shoulder. Her neck was broken. She breathed her last breath and died. .... It happened so fast, reading this last paragraph took longer than the entire event. We (and our neighbors) were devastated. We could not blame the other dog. Our dog was off our property, technically I was at fault. But the hurt was still there. Our neighbor kept saying the dog was so sweet, so gentle, I just don't understand. A week later the owner of the dog came to pick up his dog. He came over to visit us. He offered to pay for our dog, the cremation, anything. We said no. He repeated over and over, I just don't understand, the dog has NEVER shown aggression! Never!

Fast forward a couple more months. Now we have 2 new Dachshund's. Puppies. One is now 4 months old, the other only 2 months old. So darn cute, so sweet, so loveable, so playful. They played with each other, became best friends immediately. Until I put down that first bowl of real human food beef scraps. And JUST THAT QUICK, they attacked each other. I honestly thought they we kill each other, it was so vicious! Every since then, we absolutely do not trust them wholeheartedly. We have seen their vicious side and how quick they can turn.

What I'm saying is, NO ONE HAS A SWEET DOG THAT WILL NEVER BECOME VICIOUS! NO ONE! Dogs have a wild nature, a wild instinct, and no matter how much they are domesticated, they still have an uncontrollable nature that's just waiting to trigger. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER believe you dog won't attack. ALWAS assume it will.... ALWAYS, because eventually IT WILL!

[DutchmenSport]

I just went back and noticed the original date of the original first post. It was posted almost a year ago.

That means the original poster has been full timing for the last year (let's hope so anyway). I'm just wondering how it finally worked out with the dog after a year? What happened? How's the dog?

[bshgto]

These threads about pets and their owners always turn it to a pissing match between the arrogant self centered pet owners and the people that follow the rules and just want to be left alone and not step on your dogs mess when they show up at a camp site. What a waste of time cause they will never change.
put this thread to bed please

[sourdough]

To answer your original question, it is up to each individual campground if privately run. If you are using State Parks and/or State Recreation areas the rules for dog breeds are a bit more lax.

I think you are making the right choice if you are able to leave the dog with a family member.

Now, here's some side bar thoughts I'd like to share about dogs and personal experiences.

When I was a kid, about 10 years old (1965) my parents were camping in a campground. They had a travel trailer. My sister, 17 years old, was walking our family German Shepard on a leash when a little girl, about 6 or 7 years old came up to pet the dog. The dog had never shown aggression. When the girl approached, the dog attacked the girl. My sister could not hold the dog. My parents were sued and lost. Fortunately, home owners insurance, even back then, covered the claim and we had to put the dog down. The dog had never, ever shown aggression. To this day, 55 years later, I still do not know what triggered the event.

My other sister had a female Doberman that had puppies, 3 of them. The puppies were sweet as can be. Once, she was going to leave them with my mother (in her mid 80's. The dogs were about 3 or 4 years old now. All was well until something happened. The dogs were free in her yard and she was calling them back. When they didn't want to respond, one of them turned on her, attacked, and then the other two attacked. She was damaged pretty good, her face was torn. But my mother being my mother, a very stubborn World War 2 German war bride refused medical treatment and refused to report the issue. She patched herself up, and that WAS the last time she watched the dogs.

Fast forward again. We had 2 Dachshund's. Both were great dogs. One died of cancer early this year. We had both dogs over 10 years from the time they were puppies. The other dog had a territorial nature, so we were always careful with her, especially in campgrounds and around people. But she still would not take any "guff" from any other dog.

Two months after the first dog died, I had her in the front yard. We live in the country, no fences. The neighbor was dog-sitting a friends dog, and had the dog on a lease. The neighbor started approaching the property line when our dog took off and bolted toward the neighbor. I yelled at her and she stopped 3 times, but every time I got close enough to catch her, she bolted again.

She finally ran right up to the neighbor and the other dog. And in an instant, so fast it was like lightening, the neighbor dog (a bigger dog, German Shephard mix), just reached down, grabbed our little girl, gave her one shake and tossed her like a rubber toy. Our dog laid there. The back of her neck was completely torn from shoulder to shoulder. Her neck was broken. She breathed her last breath and died. .... It happened so fast, reading this last paragraph took longer than the entire event. We (and our neighbors) were devastated. We could not blame the other dog. Our dog was off our property, technically I was at fault. But the hurt was still there. Our neighbor kept saying the dog was so sweet, so gentle, I just don't understand. A week later the owner of the dog came to pick up his dog. He came over to visit us. He offered to pay for our dog, the cremation, anything. We said no. He repeated over and over, I just don't understand, the dog has NEVER shown aggression! Never!

Fast forward a couple more months. Now we have 2 new Dachshund's. Puppies. One is now 4 months old, the other only 2 months old. So darn cute, so sweet, so loveable, so playful. They played with each other, became best friends immediately. Until I put down that first bowl of real human food beef scraps. And JUST THAT QUICK, they attacked each other. I honestly thought they we kill each other, it was so vicious! Every since then, we absolutely do not trust them wholeheartedly. We have seen their vicious side and how quick they can turn.

What I'm saying is, NO ONE HAS A SWEET DOG THAT WILL NEVER BECOME VICIOUS! NO ONE! Dogs have a wild nature, a wild instinct, and no matter how much they are domesticated, they still have an uncontrollable nature that's just waiting to trigger. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER believe you dog won't attack. ALWAS assume it will.... ALWAYS, because eventually IT WILL!



You bring up some excellent points that many, many pet owners need to take to heart. I've had great dogs and not so great dogs. Some with wonderful manners and some not so much. Some things I've learned -

Retractable leashes should be outlawed. A dog behaves, and is far more controllable., with a 6' leash. The little retractables aren't strong enough for restraining a dog of any size - almost cut my finger trying to grab that little cord one time.

The owner should have their dog on that leash at ALL times under full control. No matter how well your dog behaves, or has been trained, there will be a trigger that you are unaware of. We had our dog trained, lot of money and time, and she was supposed to be "bulletproof" on anything that would be encountered; not so. Her FIRST issue came when we put her in a glass elevator - she wasn't trained for "that"; thought she would expire right there.

I deal with a fellow regularly at a local park; no leash, no attention; just lets his 2 dogs loose. I've got on him twice. Both times he tells me "they're good dogs" - really? It's the law. "Been coming here for 30 years and never put a dog on a leash". Well here's a news flash - doesn't matter if your dog is good or not, when left to roam and barge into other dogs space something, anything, can happen. Our dog has been attacked 2 times on leash by other dogs. Another time my DDs dog, which she loved, for some reason just nailed her coming out of the bedroom. Needless to say she does not like any dog coming near her when she is leashed.

Nearly everyone I meet in an RV park has a dog. The discussion of dogs, dog etiquette and issues with them is something that is appropriate on an RV forum though some think it's a "pissing" match - I don't see that. Anyone that owns one needs to take care of business and most do. Bad things can and do happen, we all need to always be mindful of that in the event of a "mind lapse". :)

[Tracie]

We have dobermans camping with us and the campgrounds that say they won’t let dobermans in have never checked with us about the breed. While we have walked our dogs by workers they even come up to pet them.

[Dobie dogs]

We travel with two dobies and of course they are sweet and friendly. BUT, we don’t assume anything. One thing our female does is if she sees another dog she’ll bark. Not aggressively but wants to meet the dog. Now we know that but the other owner doesn’t. So we immediately diffuse the situation by going in another direction or they go in the rig.
We also use a device called an “egg” that deters the barking. If someone walks by while we are not there, it emits a high pitched sound only they hear. it works for our guys.
As far a parks not allowing large or assumed vicious dogs we stayed at a park on key west that only asked what our insurance coverage was if there was an incident. We supplied them proof of insurance coverage and it was satisfactory for the association and the lot owner.
Yes we do research all parks for restrictions prior to booking so as not to lose any deposit or fees.
Short story Once at a park in Florida with a new Doberman puppy he was attacked three times from those nice little ankle bitters. From that point on he had aggressive behavior towards small dogs only. So my point any dog can be vicious and owners need to be responsible when it comes to their dogs. Don’t presume anything.

[Dobie dogs]

Ok this may be off topic a bit.
Has anyone found a lock for the screen door to prevent a wise dog from opening the latch on a screen door? One that requires an opposing thumb to operated. Lol
Thanks
Bob

[BB_TX]

…. ….
Short story Once at a park in Florida with a new Doberman puppy he was attacked three times from those nice little ankle bitters. From that point on he had aggressive behavior towards small dogs only. So my point any dog can be vicious and owners need to be responsible when it comes to their dogs. Don’t presume anything.
I do agree with you about the small high strung breeds being more likely to bite. But it is safe to presume the large powerful breeds are far more likely to do more trauma than a small dog in the event they do bite. And that very real possibility of significant injury and ensuing costs (especially when the lawyers get into “mental anguish”) is the primary reason for the restrictions and bans.

Actually I am a little surprised a park would allow certain breeds in if the dog owner has liability insurance. A park can be sued independently of you. I guess I would be surprised if your policy would cover any supposed “negligence” of the park.

[JNLVaughn]

I have worked at many RV parks/campgrounds... None of them has list of dogs not allowed. Typically people who camp are aware that aggressive fierce dogs will not be welcome.
We had numerous rotties, dobies, pitts, shepherds and all very well behaved and friendly.
We did inform owner at time of reservation and check in that if complaints were received they would be discussed and options given. In 4 years the only dog that caused rejection was a white golden retriever and it was due to owners not being able to control, they received 3 warnings before ejected.
I would not worry and enjoy your travels.

[Montana Man]

I've seen plenty of parks with dog restrictions. Here one place that we are at now.

[BB_TX]

I, too, have seen the above restrictions.

[Montana Man]

I've found one thing that is great self defense from any dog. Pepper spray. It works wonders. I don't care what dog someone has as long as they keep it under control and scoop the poop.