Taking Your Dog to the Cabin

For many dogs, there are few pleasures in life that rival a weekend retreat to the family cabin, cottage or camp.

After all, it’s often true that the cabin is where Fido can be the most free – running, jumping, swimming, chasing wildlife, getting plenty of fresh air, etc. (Incidentally, these are all examples of things we humans love about being at the cabin as well.) When taking your pets to the cabin, it’s important to remember the benefits as well as some of the challenges that come with bringing them along. By doing so, we can provide our four-legged friends with the best possible cabin experiences. Check out these great articles:

The Benefits

Having a pet at the cabin gives kids a loyal buddy to share all of their adventures with. A furry friend may even lead you to meet new people, as a white German shepherd named Wolf did in “A Boy and His Dog.” There are so many new smells and experiences at the cabin, enough to tire out an energetic pup. Learn about Moby, a young Portuguese water dog, in “My First Trip to the Cabin.” If your cabin is on a lake, and you have a dock, odds are that your golden retriever will love jumping off of it over and over again to fetch his favorite ball or stick. Take it from Amos, who will tell you all about his passion for “Doggy Dock Jumping.” Having a puppy at the cabin can mean a great deal of work, but playtime and companionship reign supreme for Dotty the Brittany spaniel in “Cabinitis: Dog Daze.” Photo ops are prime, since you are most likely to see man’s best friend in his element at the cabin. See our “Photo Album: Dogs at the Cabin.”

The Challenges

Some dogs have trouble adjusting to changes in their routine and environment, so a trip to the cabin may cause anxiety. For what you can do to help, read “Dogs at the Cabin.” One downside to Spot’s wilderness wanderings is that he will become a prime target for ticks. Learn how to protect him and prevent possible debilitating disease by reading “Dogs & Lyme Disease.” Being close to nature can also lead to run-ins with non-canine critters. After a backyard brawl with a muskrat at their vacation home in Michigan, Robert and Michele Bashore weren’t sure whether their miniature dachshund Nathan would pull through. Read about this courageous pup at the Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI) website. (http://vpihamboneaward.com/nominee/miniature-dachshund-meddles-with-malicious-muskrat-miraculously-survives) Drinking lake or river water can lead to intestinal disease. Know your water quality and learn more in “Dog Drinking from Lake.” Capturing a tail-wagging moment can require quite a bit of effort, as it did for Nancy Cain in “Doggone Photo Shoot.”