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Quote: Originally posted by Patches on 15/8/2010

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Read this post with interest as I have just returned from a lovely campsite we have used before and half way through our holiday, someone turned up with 6 yappy little dogs in a pitch adjacent to ours. 

Now I like dogs, I really do, but when one of thiese little darlings started yapping, they all chipped in, and the noise was very annoying at times.  It was like being in the middle of Crufts as they would often start all the adjacent animals barking too.

After the above experience, I can appreciate why some campsites limit the number of dogs per caravan.   2 or 3 would seem to me to be reasonable, as long as the owners keep them on a lead AT ALL TIMES, clean up after them and don't leave them in the caravan barking their heads off for hours on end.

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I have to disagree, we have 4 and although yes I am a bit anal about noise, they get reprimanded if their lip even wobbles "pre-bark" you may find that us with more than 1 or 2 are really "into" dogs and that they are more than pets, a lot of us doggy folk spend our evenings at dog training clubs, maybe work with dogs, socialise with other doggy folk & are more aware that our pack of dogs may be unwelcome and so are more strict.

I'm certainly NOT saying that people with one or 2 are less dog lovers just that we shouldn't be judged as a nuisance before being given a chance.

A "for instance" was this year in Pembrokeshire, a guy turned up with his van converted into many cages and I counted at least 6 dogs, varying from a yorkie size to GSD, every time we passed his pitch his dogs were flaked out, sound asleep or idly watching the world go by, we had 7 between us and my parents pitched next to us who also were well behaved (dogs not parents, lol) and then there was a family a few vans up who tethered their one collie out all day and he went ballistic every time a dog, kid, person went past and then was promptly scremed at by it's owner to little effect, it made us cringe as we are so aware that people don't appreciate a noisy mutt.

I fully agree with not leaving them in the van, it astounds me that people do, aside from any potential noise what happens if the weather changes for the better & we get full sun? even with blinds closed a 'van can get very hot. Again we experienced a very noisy dog left all day who was perfectly quiet as soon as his owners returned so as far as they're aware he was quiet all day.

Went into a dealer last week as we are thinking of changing our van. The first question he asked me was any dogs or smokers?

I said no but said why.

He wouldn't buy the van at all if there had been any. He can't sell a van with the smell which you can't get rid of.

Esther1, I am afraid we will have to agree to differ.

You quote a person who had 7 well behaved dogs on a pitch, which I am quite happy with.  Problem is, if those 7 dogs hadn't been well behaved, the potential is there for this to become a real nuisance to other people on site.  If complaints were made, should they be asked to leave?   In my experience, for every responsible dog owner, there's another who really is not.

What are the sites supposed to do?  Agree to a large number of dogs and wait to see if they cause a problem? 

For the same reason, often sites will not accept large parties of same sex adults because they know the potential is there for it to be a nuisance to all the other people paying to use the site.  They have to bear in mind that the majority of their customers are not wanting to take 6 or 7 dogs with them on holilday and they don't want to upset that majority.  I would have to agree with them that this would seem to be the only sensible way to deal with the situation.

I would fully expect site owners to ask anyone who causes a nuisance to leave be it through their dogs behaviour or indeed their own.

The same could be said about people with 4 children, they too have the same potential to wind each other up and cause 4x the noise however I wouldn't expect sites to be prejudiced against them without ever meeting them.

I wouldnt dream of going away without my dog but then I consider myself a responsible owner. The following rules should ALWAYS be followed:

1. Always clear up after your dog

2. Never have your dog off the lead where the on lead rules apply

3. Dont let your dog pester or disturb other people - always remember not veryone    likes dogs

The above rules should also apply to your children - especially rule 3

Exactly my point Esther1.   Sites can and do make judgements about people in advance of arrival and/or their animals, and for good reason.  As I said, they often refuse sngle sex groups as this can lead to noise, rowdy behaviour and late night partying etc.  The are. in your words, prejudiced against these groups without ever having met them but I do understand why.

Families with 4 children on board are not that uncommon and family based sites are provided for people with families, as they constitute a large proportion of the site's business.  If you don't want kids around you, you can always use an adults only site and if anyone, on any site, is becoming an nuisance to everyone else, yes they should be asked to leave.  However, I don't really want to go on my holidays and find myself having to complain to the site manager, with confrontations, bad feeling etc. etc.  I go on holiday to get some peace and quiet -  something denied me by the "doggy folk" adjacent to my pitch recently.  Sorry, but 6 yappy dogs in a caravan is beyond a joke

I appreciate the point you are trying to make that someone with lots of children can potentially be a problem to everyone else but those who run campsites have the rules to try to keep this to a minimum - by the same token, they also have other rules to try to minimise the risk of nuisance from dogs - which is why I think it is reasonable to restrict their number.

Most dogs will bark, some will bark a lot, others not so much, but dogs will bark, even the best behaved ones.  If you have 6 of them in a confined space, it's 6 times the noise. When all other dogs in the vicinity then join in, its deafening and definitely not condusive to a peaceful holiday.

This all makes me sound like a dog hater - which I'm not, but not all "doggy folk" you referred to earlier (and I think the dogs near me were show dogs) seem to have their animals under such strict control as yours and believe me, there were days when I came very close to making a complaint to the warden.

Quote: Originally posted by Esther1 on 16/8/2010

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A "for instance" was this year in Pembrokeshire, a guy turned up with his van converted into many cages and I counted at least 6 dogs, varying from a yorkie size to GSD, every time we passed his pitch his dogs were flaked out, sound asleep or idly watching the world go by, we had 7 between us and my parents pitched next to us who also were well behaved (dogs not parents, lol) .......

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Yes, Esther, I remember that.  Am I also right in thinking that the same family also kept a parrot (I think it was) in the awning?  I remembered thinking to myself how well behaved they all were (the animals), and marvelled at how they managed to transport their family and animals.

You know we are not dog owners but I have absolutely no objection to dogs (providing they don't leave 'little presents' for us to step in - )  Your dogs seem lovely too, and Ian can pump up a car tyre well too - tell him I have invested in a Michelin cigarette lighter tyre inflator - it is really good.