van life and dogs

Leslie McG wrote:

So I am contemplating van life for the next few years, but I am tied to Vegas for the next two.

I think you answered your own question.  It's not like you are going to be living in WY for the next two years.  I can't think of anyway you could make a vehicle safe for a dog in Las Vegas.  It's simply too hot.  

For your dog's sake, please either ditch the Van Life idea, or Las Vegas...

I have an animal in my van and the bottom line is you cant spend summer in super hot areas. You are so mobile so you just gotta go north or go to a higher elevation. I have a super powerful fan and it will keep the inside of the van the same temperature as the outside of the van up to about 100 degrees. If it gets hotter than that, we leave. But we mainly boulder so we never stay in areas that hot. 

 I have done several extended road trips with a very smart and very cool red heeler that could cruise 5.7 slab. . My take. Totally chill out in the desert, BLM, forest circus land etc.  a bit more involved in town and a complete PINTA in national parks and busy climbing areas like  Seneca, gunks rumny, cathedral. Complete train wreck if you have a barker and biter.... Add a nervous mom into the mix and you will get absoluty zero relaxed multi pitch days. Possibly simply zero  relaxed days and zero multi pitch days... (also experienced this)

FrankPS wrote:

So true. I read about people crating their dog for the day, and I think that's cruel. They like to say that their dog is "used to it." Uh-huh. 

My rescue dog has severe separation anxiety and crating her is the only way to keep her from harming herself during the day.  I would love to let her free to roam the house but she has hurt herself multiple times and destroyed; doors, walls, blinds, etc.

I just want to chime in on the crate thing. First, some (most) breeds sleep most of the day. You don't need a palace to sleep. We have two dogs, one has always loved their crate and the other hates them. Laying down blanket statements about crates and cruelty is shortsighted. Both of our pups don't like car rides very much, is it cruel to stick them in the car so that we can take them to the dog park, or on a long hike?

The crate thing is an odd thing to pick on but I figure it comes down to people who haven't crate trained their dog.  My dog was crate trained when she was young and it worked wonders for her anxiety and kept her from tearing stuff up while we were out of the house.  Most dogs sleep during the time their owners are away so I don't really see the difference between a crate, my car while I go skiing (she gets let out as opposed to being at home all day) or a van.  That said there is no way I'd leave any dog in a car when the outside temp gets much above seventy no matter how well you've insulated it.

It's not about the outside temp, it's about being in the direct sun.  The inside temp goes sky high.   If the car is shaded and there are cracked windows I really don't think it's dangerous for a dog in the 70s.

A dog is the only creature on Earth you can leave in a hot car for an hour and have it be stoked to see you when you get back.

Try that with a human being and see how it goes.

You can design your van life so that the only time you do this is when you go to the store or a restaurant etc. for under an hour. You should never be doing this so you can do something the doggie would enjoy and its just convenient for you to leave them locked up in a small space. Out West there are plenty of places to climb and have the dog can be with you at all times. If you are not committed to this, leave the dog with foster parents for the duration, imo. Anything else is pretty self centered, imo.

If your dog is cool and the dogs parents are cool BLM and forest circus land is totally chill.  Town can be chalangeing, national parks a major hassel and busy climbing areas a serious chalange unless you have that 1 in 50 dog parent combination that is completely chill and pleasant to be around.  Agreed leaveing the dog locked in the van while you do Aincent art is bad form. Set them up at the base with water and shade.  Completely not cool unless the dog is cool with that kind of adventure. If the dog is stressed the whole time you are climbing it sucks for everyone involved..  lots of places you have to get the dog up and down 4th class to get where you are going...