My 70 pound Golden Doodle sleeps wherever he feels like, although he sleeps under the tarp more now that he's getting older (he is 9). He generally finds a few suitable spots around the camp site and moves between them during the night. I do not tie him or leash him at night. I have, however, canceled a trip a mile into it when we spotted two bears on the trail within 10 minutes and I didn't feel we could move far enough away before dark (it was already getting dark). I didn't want my dog sniffing out and engaging a bear in the night and didn't want to confine (tie) him in case a bear came around. He was a few yards ahead of me and encountered the first bear before I saw it. The dog seemed curious and started to follow the bear until I called him back (thank god he obeyed...) so, when we saw the second bear, I made a decision to hike out and go home. On the way out we almost stepped on a rattlesnake in the trail but that's another story.
I have put down various items such as a raincoat, a trash bag and a CCF pad but Marlee has only lain on the pad and that was only once. At MAHHA he often burrows down in the leaves slightly. Other places he mats down grass or finds a bush to crawl part way under. He seems to like pine straw as well. He does not mind rain or snow and even sleeps in the rain at times when camping.
When we got Marlee as a puppy, I jokingly told the family I had rights to the pup on cold nights camping and that I was going to teach him to sleep on my feet (pre-hammock). The only time he actually slept at/on my feet was in a lean-to in the Adirondacks when it was raining. Unfortunately, Marlee decided my feet were the place to settle down right after he came in from sleeping in the rain. Wet does mean cold to human feet!
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by WV
Bookmarks