Taking your dog on the trail with you? Here are some tips for camping with your dog.

Camping with man’s best friend can leave you feeling… well less than friendly!  Don’t let misbehavior (yours OR your dog’s) ruin your next family outing.

While your pet may not be able to participate in every vacation, camping is one that they certainly can!

To make sure that both two- and four-legged campers have a great time, take a look at these tips for camping with dogs.

Find the Right Campsite

The first thing you need to do is find a campsite that is pet friendly. Fortunately, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue, as many campsites allow families to bring their pets.

If you can’t find a pet-friendly campsite you like, another great option is to go backcountry camping.

Book a Pre-trip Vet Visit

Once you’ve secured your campsite, or planned your backcountry route, it’s a good idea to take your dog for a pre-trip vet visit. At this appointment, you can make sure that your dog is healthy enough for the trip, as well as ensure that their flea and tick medication is up to date.

Just like with humans, tick bites can cause long-term health problems in dogs.

Get Your Dog’s Documents in Order

After you get the okay from your vet for your dog to go camping, the next thing you need to do is get their documents in order. Make sure that you dog has up-to-date license and ID tags, and bring any papers that verify their current vaccinations.

These will be important to have if anything happens while on your trip.

Have a Pet First Aid Kit

The next thing you’ll need to pack is a pet-specific first aid kit. These can be bought from any pet supply store, or you can assemble one yourself.

While there will be some overlap with a human first aid kit, it’s important to have a pet-specific first aid book that will show you how to deal with emergency situations, such as choking.

Pack a Leash, Tether, and Stake

Even if your dog is comfortable off-leash, it’s a good idea to bring a leash or tether and a stake with you. This way if the campsite requires your dog to be secured at your campsite, you don’t have to constantly hold the leash.

Carrying a leash with you while you’re away from the campsite is also important, just in case you encounter a situation where your dog would need to be secured, such as a leash-required zone or a wild animal.

Read more from WideOpenPets.com: 8 Essential Tips for Camping with Your Dog – Wide Open Pets