How to Turn an RV into a Day Spa for Your Dog

We love to travel. By we, I mean Mom, Dad, my little brother Francisco, and myself. When the folks start loading the RV, we climb in. Actually, Cisco jumps into the driver's seat and doesn't leave because he is afraid he will get left. I just glue myself beside Mom to make sure she doesn't forget me when it is time to go.

They bought the 32-foot motorhome for me. I heard Dad say so. We used to ride across the country on the Harleys. I have a special seat behind Dad and love the feel of the wind in my hair. However, Mom enjoys eating at restaurants and Dad likes to golf, so the RV provides a place for us to stay when they go out for the day. Especially now that Cisco joined our family. He can be a handful!

My favorite place to sit in the RV is on the seat behind Dad. I stretch my head out and pretend we are on the motorcycles. This gives me a great view. If you are wondering who that guy is in the photo, he's my Uncle Ron. He flew to Maine last week to spend a few days with us. He is a cool dude.

Anyhow, when the adults go out for the day, they create such a cozy environment, that Cisco and I don't mind staying behind. In fact, we get a little peace and quiet. These are the ways they turn our RV into a day spa.

1. Shut most of the curtains and blinds to block outside distractions. This is especially important to keep Cisco calm because he gets anxious and barks when he sees other dogs. Mom says when she gets a massage, lights are dimmed to create a relaxing ambiance, so I guess she knows what she is talking about.

2. Provide comfort toys. Our favorites are the stuffed animals. Well, they used to be stuffed before the little guy pulled all the fluffy stuff out. Now they look like blankets with the face of an animal. I love Mr. Giraffe and Cisco sucks on his monkey’s paw like it's a pacifier.

3. Leave a favorite blanket in the favorite chair. By keeping everything normal, I often forget Mom is even gone. Dogs sleep most of the day whether their parents are around or not. If we are comfortable, we are happy.

4. Turn on music. This blocks out noise, especially other dogs' barking which get Cisco upset and can trigger him to bark. Then I must settle him down and I don't like being the authoritarian. Dad tried playing that radio station for dogs, but it bored me. We prefer familiar tunes like Eric Church or Chris Stapleton.

5. Don't forget the food and water. Even if we are sleeping most of the day, we still need hydration and nourishment. My favorite treats are bully sticks, but our parents don't leave those because they make us thirsty which causes us to drink more and you know what happens then. I love those new lick pad thingies. They put a little peanut butter on them so when we need something to do, they are available, a great afternoon pick me up.

6. Control the temperature. When it is hot, Dad turns on some air conditioning and when it is hot, he turns up the heat. They don't typically leave us unless they are hooked to electricity for fear of us overheating. However, when the weather is perfect, they can open a few windows, get a breeze flowing, and go for a short while.

I have some friends who say their parents take them everywhere. There was a time I thought that would be nice but as I am getting older, I like being left alone to relax. Going out is such an ordeal! I must take that calming medicine and it makes me sleepy. Other dogs are so annoying to Cisco that he becomes uncontrollable. I always bark to tell him to quiet down, but then we both get yelled at and sometimes they jerk my leash. I know they don't mean to hurt us, but I only weigh five pounds, so the smallest pull is unsettling.

When Mom and Dad return, we always get a nice walk and if we are really lucky, we can explore the dog park. Sometimes we are really, really lucky and we go for a bike ride. Traveling isn't much different than being at home if the adults plan and prepare for their departures and then praise and reward us when they return. In fact, the way Mom describes the day spa, I believe we might be getting the same treatment - especially when they return and give us rubs, hugs, and snuggles.

You can follow all Dagney's adventures on her Facebook page.

Dagney's Stories: A Dog Who Thinks She's Human