Tell us about yourself... how have you come to know so much about traveling with pets?"
We currently live and travel in a 35 foot motorhome, because we wanted to get out into the world and experience new places and meet interesting people. And, of course, we had to bring our two dogs.

Our knowledge of traveling and camping with dogs is derived from more than two decades of camping with our dogs, countless interviews with other pet-owning campers, as well as considerable research. Fortunately, as full-time RVers, we are able to continually experience and learn new things about the subject.

We write a blog on Camping and RVing with dogs (www.Rvingwithdogs.com) as well, so that keeps us in constant interaction with people who camp with their dogs.

How many people Camp and RV with their dogs each year??
Today, more than 30 million households go camping and RVing each year. Of that number, approximately 50-60 percent take their family pets with them.

Is it really that difficult to go camping with dogs?
Life on the road with pets is fundamentally different than life at home. If your dog gets sick or injured at home, you call your vet and bring them in. In contrast, locating a vet in a strange town while your dog is seriously injured is a whole different story. Likewise, if your dog gets loose in your neighborhood, it is usually a matter of going out and calling their name until they return. When they get free at a highway rest stop or in a State Park a thousand miles from home, it will feel like a nightmare. Last but not least, many of the places that people choose to camp in are located in the wilderness. Unfortunately, domesticated dogs are often no match for the cunning predators that inhabit this vast country of ours.

If you talk to any experienced park manager, you will hear endless stories of family dogs that have been injured, killed, or lost while camping with their families. Yet, as with most misfortunes, these situations are often avoidable by taking a few sensible precautions.

Could you give us a quick summary of “Camping and RVing with Dogs”?
“Camping and RVing with Dogs” is essentially a travel companion and survival guide for campers and RVers who take their dogs with them. Based on first-hand experience and extensive research, the book covers every major aspect of camping with dogs including trip preparations, getting your dogs ready, life on the road, handling emergencies, locating pet-friendly campgrounds, finding fun things to do, dealing with dangerous situations, and administering medical first-aid.

How does the book help people with dogs find suitable places to camp?
Although there are thousands of parks and campgrounds across the U.S., a number of them do not accept pets. In addition, of those campgrounds that do allow pets, many have restrictions in terms of the size, breed, or number of dogs that are accepted.

As a camper or RVer with dogs, these restrictions can be extremely frustrating. Imagine traveling all day only to find out, late in the evening, that your golden retriever is banned from the campground (where you have reservations) because it weighs more than 25 pounds.

To minimize this scenario, we included a 230 page directory that lists thousands of pet-friendly parks and campgrounds throughout the United States. As a result, people with pets can quickly and easily locate campgrounds that readily accept and welcome pets.