Camping with a dog

[Al in PA]

We would like to include our black lab pup (under a year and over 90 lbs.) in this year's travels. Unfortunately, the trainer had us hang a bell on the kitchen door for her to use to get our attention when it was time to go outside: Now, she gouges the door with her bear claws when ringing the bell. I cringe at the thought of what she's going to do to the screen door of our new Sunline! I'd replace the screen with plexiglass if I could figure out how to attach it. Have any of you had to deal with a similar problem when travelling with your pets? I'm open to suggestions.

 

[Mark-SUN]

Do you have the diagonal metal bars to protect the screen?

If so, you could use double-sided velcro in a few spots to attach the plexiglass to the screen?

 

[emam]

I would think that all the doors are the same type? I'm sitting in mine looking at the door, and the simplest approach I would think would be to take a heavy duty Velcro and put it around the frame of the door.

My door has about a 1" to 3/4" spot all the away around that the velcro would have agood spot to stick to. A thin piece of plexiglass should keep the claws from scratching through the screen.

I know a few RV stores sell similar items, but you could make this for a lot cheaper.

We travel with two dogs full time in our 2499 (I know, were Crazy) and we just leave them tied up outside most of the time. For the most part, they would rather be outside checking out the surroundings. The only time they're inside is if its raining or while we sleep at night. They got used to the routine real quick.

 

[Al in PA]

Mark, no diagonal braces on my screen doors .
Pat/Cindy, I could probably use the velcro around the perimeter as you suggested. Bella digs large craters when tied outside alone: Most park owners would not look kindly on this trait. Besides, she seems happier when she's with her people (one very big lap dog).

 

[Sunline Fan]

Hi Al,

My dad put Plexi on my screen door in the 2251 because we have a Springer Spaniel. He destroyed the screen, but the plexi was not much better. It got really scratched up, which really didn't bother me, but the sound of his nails scratching it was very annoying. It didn't convince him to do any less scratching, though. He is also a BIG mommy's boy and a lap dog. Unlike yours, mine would scratch to come back in right away, or bark/whine if he couldn't get to the door. I haven't really found a sturdy, good looking solution to this problem, which I'm sure a lot of people have.

Jon

 

[tinybluetj]

I know folks that have used both the velcro, and those mirror holders screwed into the door (they rotate when you want to remove the glass).

I am not sure which method we are going to use, yet. I am afraid that the velcro will get dirty, but I am hesitant to screw into the door, also.

If it makes you feel any better, we trained ours the same way, and now have the same problem. I wish I had never done that! Maybe you caould hang a bell in the trailer?

 

[Tweety]

We had bells by the doors for 9 years and I removed them recently. It took our dog about a month to realize they were gone and stop scratching for them, but he did stop. Now he just sits by the door and waits to be let out. If it's an emergency he'll whine a little bit. We have plexiglass on our sliding screen door and that did the trick. It's pop riveted onto the metal frame. I think the velcro idea sounds better though - less permenant.

 

[Al in PA]

Quetse, I think I'll follow your lead and remove the bells. With my work schedule, I won't get to use the Sunline for another month: Maybe, Bella will be past the scratching stage by then. If not, I have some good ideas for installing the plexiglass.

 

[Trailblazer-MGRV]

If you want to install Plexiglass to protect the screen and you do not want to us velcro here is another option. A friend or ours installed plexiglas on his TT doors by cutting the plexiglass to fit inside the gap on the Aluminum door. Since doing this he has travelled several thousand miles and the plexiglass remained in place. Here is the link to his website showing the mod:

Plexiglass Added to Screen Door

 

[Al in PA]

Thanks for the idea and the link. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. I can see that the rounded top presents quite a challenge. I'll have to make a template to guide the router to get it right.

If you mount the plexiglass on the outside of the screen door as it appears in the pictures, won't the screen still get torn when the dog scratches against it?

 

[emam]

Hey Al, another thing I was thinking after you mentioned that the Lab is still a pup, if you take the bells down right now and start to train is to just whine or acknowledge some other way, it should work fine.

I know our beagle used to just scratch at the bottom of the door at home when she needed to go out, and now with a little yelling and training, she will just sit in front of the door and whine for a second and we know she has to go out.

If you can train them as a pup, you shouldnt have too hard a problem. I'd say it's a lost cause if the dog was older and set in its ways, but we had no problem with ours once we were on the road for a few weeks.

Good Luck

Pat

 

[Sunline Fan]

Pat,

That's my problem exactly- he just had his 7th birthday on Sunday. I think it was a lost cause three years ago when we started having problems. He's sure gotten "crankier" in old (Oops, I mean middle) age.

Jon

 

[emam]

Does anyone remember the old Chevy Chase movie "Vacation"?

When they leave the dog tied to the bumper!!LOL

We always joke with each other within a few minutes on the road about that. I'll look at Cindy all seriously and say "Oh SH*T!! The dogs are tied to the bumper"

This sometimes can get us laughing very hard and sometimes she'll say "Dont tempt me!" ....LMAO