Why do so many people disapprove of taking puppies camping?

[Doramae Ulibarri]

I mean, as long as they have had their shots they should have fun and be fine right? Alot of people I know took their pups camping at around 9 weeks and they were fine. My lab just went camping and had a blast. She's gonna be my dads hunting partner so she needed to go to the woods and see what it's all about, and she did. She learned the fire wasn't a very good thing to sniff and that pinecones arnt a very good thing to chew on lol! The only thing she got was a small case of fleas that can be taken care of. I mean, if your dog doesnt fallow you bring a leash and let him/her have fun. All these people say such ridiculous things, just watch you dog and keep them warm or cold and let them enjoy the forest. Please give me your opinion on this.

[doglove70]

Depends where you're going. If you're camping on state property or at an organized campground, you should only bring trained adult dogs with you. Nothing is more annoying than tent camping at a state park and hearing someone's dog go nuts for half an hour in the middle of the night because there are coons in the woods. Most puppies I know aren't ready for campgrounds.

If you're on private land, go nuts. Every summer I have the run of 80 acres of woods, prairie and cropland with my dog, and he doesn't wear a collar or leash for weeks. I would feel comfortable taking a pup out there, because if the dog is noisy or irritating, there's no one to bother, and there are no vehicles or roads to pose a threat. That's no excuse not to supervise an inexperienced dog - there are still critters to tangle with, rough terrain, and a deep pond, all of which could be dangerous to a dog you're not keeping an eye on.