Dogs in caravans
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It’s not recommended as dogs can bark at strange happenings and disturb other people. Also, it’s hardly fair on the dog to leave it alone in an enclosed space in potential hot weather. A van can get hot even when the sun isn’t blazing.
We never left ours alone in the van for more than a few minutes - eg going to the facility block. If we went out, we took the dog with us and if he wasn't welcome at our destination, we simply didn’t go there.
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https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/globalassets/pdfs/content/uk-holidays/Visiting-Club-sites-with-dogs
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Tinwheeler.
Thanks for your reply I totally l agree that dogs should not be left alone, we have a Cocker and he goes everywhere with us and if he is not allowed in certain places then we dont go in. I was asking because a very well known caravan blogger leaves his dog in their caravan for around 2 hours while they go out, if we go to say a National trust house i usually stay with Dylan while my wife has a look around then we will walk where he is allowed.The thought of something happening to our caravan with Dylan in would play on my mind.
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Good on you, Dreamer👍. We did much the same. One of us would stay with the dog as his needs came first.
The blogger is not a true dog lover and isn't acting responsibly. A dog is for life, not just for when it's convenient.
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I can confidently say that our dog (s) were never left in the van unaccompanied (Irish Setters are not particularly renowned for calmness in confined spaces!
) And, like you, if we visit places where dogs are not allowed, one of us will sit with them whilst the other looks around. Interestingly, in Cornwall, Trebah Gardens is very dog friendly whilst Glendurgan, right next door won't allow them in. It's all part of being a responsible dog owner and doing the "right thing" can never be anything but "good". 
Moderator Edit:
This post has been edited.
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Just to add that on several occasions when we had one elderly and one young dog and wanted to go for a long walk, we put a notice in site information rooms asking if anyone would be happy to look after the old boy for a morning/afternoon in return for us doing similar. We did a number of temporary "dog swaps" that way. Many folk are more than happy to help out.
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To read the opinions of fellow caravaners is interesting i know when you mention dogs folk have many different opinions,i asked because i was under the impression that the club did not allow you to leave them unattended for long periods, having read the clubs policy it seems they only advise that you don't leave you dog alone in the van,we dont and in our 26 years of caravaning with dogs never have. the risk of a caravan fire if only slight is enough on its own. we love seeing Dylan (our 8 year old Cocker spaniel ) enjoying caravan life he knows when we are preparing to go away . The thought of him being in kennels or being looked after by relatives while we enjoy countryside,beaches,long walks etc is not ever going to happen. It is sad that a minority of dog owners allow their dogs to annoy , foul etc but i feel most keep them under control.
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I honestly don’t think some owners who do leave their dogs in outfits have a clue sometimes. They might walk away from a quiet, relaxed dog as they lock up, but it can quickly become otherwise, and then they are not there to witness things.
We have always found two things key to having happy touring dogs, and we have always toured with at least one, and sometimes two or three dogs. They need enough daily exercise to tire them out properly (ours would just crash for hours after the morning walk if we made it a long one, or they would be out walking miles with us) and they need proper socialisation and training to behave appropriately when on site.
If I heard a barking or distressed dog in close proximity, I would carefully check it out, then inform the site owner or supervisor to have a word, failing that, try and have a friendly word with the owners. As I say, some remain oblivious to what their pet is doing if they go out. If all else fails, and we are on a long site stay, we would move pitch, or get our money back. We have never had to move for dogs, but we have moved once for badly parented children.
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Out of interest did you tell the dog owners of the situation?
I don't agree with leaving the dog but if no one ever told them they assumed, ass of u and me!, the dog was quiet/sleeping/not annoying. And they would be mortified to find their dog was distressed. How else would they know?
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Do it anonymously if you need to, a note left on van step in the dark, might work. I have done this with folks who park across entrance to our little street. Only had one persistent offender, so I glued the note to the windscreen. They didn’t do it again🤣
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Not everyone will act defensively or aggressively. Hubby asked a couple to put their 4 dogs on leads (which were running around loose all over our pitch) at a CL site we were on. There were notices at entrance clearly stating "dogs must be kept on lead" and they were okay about it (well to our faces they were😂). It can be awkward so I know where you're coming from but it's better to at least politely speak out than seethe inwardly😊
I would he horrified if I thought our dogs were bothering anyone on a site we were staying on.
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of course, why not? Getting positive praise for doing anything no matter how small will lead to more of the same and more, everyone likes praise - isn't that common sense. A good rule to follow for any walk of life.
Doing something like following the current restrictions is hard, support and praise gets everyone through it.
But off topic, the OP is doing what they should so well done to them a +1 in fact.
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Hurrah for Maslow, 😁
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Some owners who have dogs shouldn’t have them , fact .
and what is wrong with a non dog owner expressing a view , it’s more the fact that some dog owners don’t like the truth ,
TBH some owners really pi55 me off when on site ,but if I went running to the warden every time I saw a transgression I would spend half my holiday in reception
owners need to realise that our dogs can some times be a pain to others
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No, David, I've no problem hearing it or accepting that it happens (very occasionally in our experience but obviously I can't speak for Spanish sites.)
Look, the thing is, as far as I can see, we both agree completely that dogs should not be left in vans. It's the way we deal with it where we differ.
We never spent much time on sites, but on the one occasion that sticks in my mind we were at Chatsworth with 1 elderly and 1 young dog. Mrs M went out for the morning with the young one. Across the way a couple with two terriers left them to go out for what turned out to be a very long cycle ride. The dogs were clearly and noisily very distressed so I went with a neighbour to let the wardens know, more out of concern for the dogs than to "grass up" the owners. That evening, the wardens came over to have a long "conversation" with the owners who promptly took down their awning and we're off site by 9 the following morning.
The dogs should not have been left alone and other members should not have had to put up with the inconvenience. But it needs tackling at source, little use mentioning it on a forum several months later.
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Can’t fault that approach M. 👍
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