Golden Retriever Dogs Sleep Cozily Inside a Tent During Hike

Golden RetrieverSource © Shutterstock

TikTok has plenty of videos on animals doing adorable things. If you happen to follow a TikToker called “The Tripawd Twins,” you may have come across a viral clip of theirs showing golden retrievers sleeping comfortably in a tent. In the clip, a female hiker excitedly shows other campers the sleeping dogs. According to Live News, the video has since garnered at least 33,000 views. After watching the clip, you probably want to bring your dog to your next camping trip so that you can recreate the beautiful moment in the clip. If you want to let dogs sleep in the tent, you can if you so wish. However, there are some things you should know before letting them sleep in tents. Let us begin by focusing on the

Pros

The tent protects the dog from unfriendly weather by keeping it warm. Tents block wind and let in heat. To prevent the heat from escaping the tent, the materials of the tent are usually designed to retain the heat. Furthermore, some owners keep their dogs warm by cuddling with them in the tent. Tents prevent dogs from wandering off and hunting wildlife. According to Pet Honestly, all dogs have the same instinctual prey drive since they all descended from the predatory gray wolf. They, therefore, like to chase after anything they perceive as prey, including balls and sticks. The danger of letting dogs hunt in the wild is that they may get injured by predators or from prey trying to defend themselves. Lastly, tents safeguard dogs against attacks from mosquitoes and ticks. Even without considering the physical harm mosquitoes can cause, their singing is enough to drive both you and the dog insane. As for ticks, they trigger certain side effects in animals, such as weak limbs, neurological challenges, and swollen lymph nodes. Since ticks are hard to detect in dogs, it would be best to keep them locked in the tent.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by The Tripawd Twins (@thetripawdtwins)

Cons

Your dog may become restless in the tent. Since dogs cannot talk, it may be hard to discern the reason for their restlessness. For instance, they can display restless behavior due to anxiety, pain, outside noise, or health issues. If you happen to be in the same tent as the dog, your sleep will be disrupted. Since tents are not made of strong materials, the dog can easily tear them with their claws. Once the dog tears the tents, you will be exposed to cold weather or bugs like mosquitoes. Luckily, there are some steps you can take to prevent them from tearing tents.

How to Prevent Dogs From Ripping the Tent

Part of the reason the dog tears the tent is due to its hyperactivity. Therefore to slow it down, you will need to tire it out. Some of the activities you can do to tire them out include taking it for long walks, playing a game of fetch with it, playing the shell game, and the list goes on. So before letting the dog in the tent, ensure it is tired from the activity you chose to engage it with. Another thing you can do is trim their nails. However, this may not be an easy task to do since they tend to be highly anxious. Dogs can become anxious about nail clipping due to a previous painful experience from it. Fortunately, you can ease a dog into nail clipping, but that will depend on your patience. First, you must get it accustomed to nail clippers by letting it sniff or play with them. Next, play around with the nail clippers so that it knows the sound they produce.

Once you feel your dog is no longer anxious about nail clippers, you can begin by cutting off the nails around the corners. The reason for focusing on these nails is that they are sharper than the rest. If you feel uncomfortable clipping off the dog’s nails, you can also file the sharp edges. Lastly, you can lay a blanket on the floor to protect the tent from the dog’s claws. The thickness of the blanket does not matter. Some people may bring a thick blanket but end up suffering from the excess heat it generates. You should only carry a thick one if it is a very cold season. If you are wondering about the best size, go with a big one that covers the whole floor. However, you can also get a small one. You only need to train your dog to sleep on the spot where the small blanket is.

What to Look For in a Tent

Before letting the dog sleep in the tent, you should consider the breed. If you own a small dog, you do not need to bring a huge tent. However, if you have a big dog, ensure the tent is large enough to accommodate you and the dog. Still on breed, consider the kind of hair they have. Golden retrievers have thick coats, so the tent needs to have sufficient ventilation for them to be comfortable during the summer. As for short-haired dogs like the Italian Greyhound, ensure the tent can provide sufficient insulation during winter seasons. Lastly, ensure your tent is one with two doors. This is important so that the dog can find an alternative route to relieve itself without jumping over you. By attempting to jump over you, your dog may inadvertently disrupt your sleep by falling on you.

Conclusion

Thanks to the viral TikTok video, we know the importance of keeping dogs safe in tents. So, if you want a smooth experience in the tent with your dog, you should follow the above tips. However, your dog may still somehow tear the tent even after following these tips. So, you should anticipate such an outcome so that you are not stranded in a torn tent. So, when you go out camping with your dog, remember to bring patching materials like duct tape. Duct tape is not a strong material, but at least you will be able to keep it safe for the night.

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