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I'd agree - I don't think any awning can be that 'dog secure'.  Our dog (border collie, medium build) was an escape artiste (as well as being able to open the fridge both in the caravan and at home) - and we found it impossible to keep her in if she wanted out.  She was fine if we were around, but even walking to the washblock developed her 'escape instinct'.  Her favourite route seemed to be under the draught skirt and out she popped at the back of the van!!!

In the end we used one of those curly pegs in the middle of the van, just in front of the wheel, and kept her on a six foot lead so she couldn't escape, during those short periods when we had to leave her alone in the awning.

At night she slept inside the van with us - at first underneath the slats which made up the front bed, and later (when we had a fixed bed) on her own piece of carpet between those front beds.  In the morning the piece of carpet went out into the awning for her bed there.

Personally I don't think a change of awning will be the answer to escaping dogs!

Quote: Originally posted by Val A on 14/4/2009

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Personally I don't think a change of awning will be the answer to escaping dogs!

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I agree, awnings aren't dog proof. They're all much the same, don't think I've ever had one with pegging points in the draught skirt, but you could put some in with an eyelet tool.

Get one that pegs on the outside so you can put the groundsheet up to the edges, over the skirts, to avoid the dogs getting their noses under the skirts.

My dogs aren't left on their own in the awning, and I usually tether them outside.

You could take a huge dog cage for those times when you are out.  We just leave our dogs locked inside the caravan when we need to go out without them.  In the lovely summer that we had last year we took them with us and left them in the car with some windows left open a little.  They laid down and went to sleep until we came back lol.  On the couple of hot days it was too hot to leave them in their cage in the awning so we left them in the cooler caravan. 

hth