Dog trips and camps

A camp drops your dog into an unfamiliar place, among people and dogs it doesn't know, with things going on from morning to evening. For a dog that adapts easily it can be a great experience. It's a lot more complicated than a day out, though. Travel and accommodation need thinking through in advance. So do the other people around and the changed schedule, plus the way stimulation piles up hour after hour.

Before you sign up, the organiser should check whether the camp suits your dog. A shy or reactive dog isn't ruled out automatically. It may need a different setup: separate accommodation, distance from the group, activities done just with you. The organiser needs to hear from you about any history of running off, resource guarding or conflict with other dogs. Tell them too if your dog hates being handled or has medical issues.

A camp's programme shouldn't be packed from dawn till dusk. Dogs need breaks and sleep, far more than you'd think after a day full of new things. Rest areas need to allow dogs to be kept apart. Feeding happens without competition, each dog in its own spot. Group games aren't compulsory for anyone.

Your job is to pack the gear and food, the paperwork, any prescribed medication, plus the blanket or bed your dog settles on. Have an emergency plan and find out in advance where the nearest vet is. A responsible camp puts the dog's safety and how it experiences the days first. The number of activities ticked off comes a long way after.

A camp is worth considering for teams who want a guided experience, with dogs that can rest in a new place, and for owners who enjoy group activities.

A packed programme doesn't make a better camp. Your dog needs sleep and distance from the others. It should be able to skip an activity without that being a problem.

The organiser gives you clear information and entry criteria well ahead. Travel and accommodation get sorted in advance.

The programme alternates activities with breaks. Each day, how much every dog takes part gets reviewed and adjusted.

The schedule bends around the dog. If your dog can't sleep, gets more reactive from one day to the next, refuses food or turns irritable when other dogs come close, that's how it's finding the camp, however good it looks on paper.

Bring your dog's paperwork and your vet's contact details. Pack its food and the things it sleeps on, spare gear. Tell the organiser which dogs yours gets along with and how much space it needs.

A well-run camp has a plan for keeping dogs apart. Numbers are capped. There's a procedure for bad weather and for emergencies. Each dog's level gets checked at the start, and activities begin with a warm-up and build gradually.

At a camp your dog practises what it knows in new places and learns to work with you there too. It's no place for an extreme test, though, or for forcing a dog into a group.

Not every dog has to join every activity, and for some dogs the group format just doesn't work. Risks to talk through beforehand: conflict between dogs and tiredness that builds up day after day.