Camping Gear for your Dog

@JessiFox

He really is a companion. It seems like a lot of equipment but it is used in conjunction with the activity we are involved in.

In terms of control. I use hand signals, verbal command as well as whistle and clicker to manage Reese (who is well trained and obedient). When we are isolated I let him loose. So far (though there have been a few scary moments) he comes out of the forest when I signal. My quiet signals are hand/arm across my chest with two slaps means come. Pointing a finger at him and then the ground also means come. Pointing to the ground means down - even if he some distance away - as long as he can see me.

I have a bumper sticker (but not on the van) that says: My dog is better behaved than your child. And sometimes that is very true.

 

LOL! Sounds like it might be in a lot of cases. He does sound like a very good dog, it's great that you have such a system down to a science more or less.

 

Thank you!

 

Very true. Reese was sprayed by a skunk once. (In are own backyard if you can believe.) Everything...I mean everything that he touch in some way left the mark of the skunk. I was really glad I had it in his inventory. And again...the equipment in used for when appropriate.

Even in my own circumstance I bring what I know I'll be using.

By-the-way I just redecorated the small portable pick nick table I put together a few winters back. I'll be using that in September. When I do I will take some pictures and post the same along with the plans how to make it. It is made from one 4 X 8 X 1/2 piece of plywood with just a tiny bit of wasted wood.

Northern Dancer loves this stuff.

 

It sounds like Reese has learned a lot of commands, and knows what you want him to do. I have a book called "Talking With Horses". It is an older book, written by a man who lived in England and had horses back around the time of the second world war. He discovered that some horses were actually able to be mentally in contact with other horses; but not with every other horse. He also said that some of the horses were able to have a kind of mental telepathy with certain people.

As an example, he had a trained trick horse, and he was going to do a performance, and they had practiced what he wanted to do. However, he was also thinking that it would be awesome if, after the performance, he would gallop the horse around the arena, and then bow down in front of the box where the Queen was sitting. He had never even practiced doing that; so it was not part of the act. To his surprise and amazement, when they had finished the performance, his horse took off, dashed around the arena, slid to a stop in front of the Queen's box seat, and then bowed down. Except for the horse picturing what was in his mind, there was no way for the horse to have any idea to do such a thing.

After reading that, I practiced with my Tennessee Walker, and discovered that when I came to a fork in the trail, I could look in the direction that I wanted to go, and that is the fork that she would take almost all of the time. You might want to see if Reese can do that kind of thing, too, since it seems like he is in pretty close communication with you already.

 

@happyflowerlady

I've looked around and have seen what other people do with their dogs and I wanted something just a bit different. I don't have a lot of commands but the ones that I do have work well.

For example. If you want to give something to Reese to eat you better make sure it is in your left hand or he will not eat it. You better say "okay" as well.

He can't eat a meal without me saying "Grace". He just sits there and salivates until I say "Grace". My colleagues believe that he is a Christian dog.

The silent commands were intended to give me control. He has to watch me to obey. We can be sitting around a campfire when he begins to wonder a bit. When I point to him and to the ground he comes and lays down. If I'm in conversation I can signal to him without interrupting the conversation.

Fun stuff but practical as well.

 

No. It is actually a picnic table than can accommodate four medium size people.

 

It's small and it breaks down and is very portable. This is a piece of equipment that I use for base camp. If the weather is favourable tomorrow I will take a picture and post the plans as well. I was introduced to the idea by an old scouter who wanted tables for his cub pack at a camp that had none. Ingenious in many ways and very easy to put together - at least I didn't experience any major issues.



The above illustrations are from the net; you can find the plans as well I suppose.

 

I made a few adjustments and or course painted my own design. The one above is the better one and if I were to make it again I would use the joiners for the benches as noted. I used something a little different, which was okay, but the plan above is the best one. Live and learn...

 

* THE BEST PLANS FOR A PORTABLE PICNIC TABLE *​

for those of you like me, who have to have a winter project
for summer fun
check out
(PDF) Patrol Table Plans
www.bsa344.com

From my search I thought they had the best ideas.

​

 

Reese says hello - as you can see he's looking a bit weaker these days.










Pictures of my portable picnic table with my lamp as described earlier.

 

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The table is sturdy - can be put up and taken down quickly. For the design I just did whatever came to mind. The lettering is from one of those kits from the Dollar Store.

Reese says: Woof Woof