5 Tips for Camping with Multiple Dachshunds

The first time I took my Dachshund camping was in 2003, not long after I got my first one.

In 2010, I started a Dachshund club – the Adventurewiener Club – with the aim of helping other owners do fun things in the outdoors with theirs.

In 2014, I organized my first multiple-Dachshund camping trip with the group just outside of Seattle.

The 8 That Would Semi Hold Still
The 8 That Would Semi Hold Still

We stayed at the Denny Creek campground near Snoqualmie Pass.

Unlike the previous group wiener dog camping trip, when a lot of mistakes were made and lessons were learned, this went off without a hitch and was really pleasant.

Between the 4 of us we had 9 dachshunds so, as you can imagine, it was quite a riot.

There were some keys that helped this group Dachshund trip go smoothly that are important to keep in mind if you plan your own with friends.

Advice for Camping with Multiple Dachshunds

1) Check the dog rules before you go

Not all campgrounds are dog friendly, Before you reserve a camp spot somewhere, make sure dogs are allowed.

Something a lot of people don’t know is that many campgrounds have a per-campsite dog limit.

Camping Trip - Winston
Our adorable Dachshund friend Winston

I most often see a limit of 2-3 dogs per campsite. However, some don’t have a limit. Just make sure you know before you go so you don’t get kicked out by a camp host.

In campgrounds where there is a limit, I’ve reserved multiple sites near each other and we spend time “visiting” one of the campsites during the day (well, we hang out all day but if a ranger asks we’re “just vising friends.”)

2) Make sure everyone gets along first

You don’t want to wait until you are crammed into a small space in the woods with other Dachshunds to find out that two of your dog’s don’t get along.

In our case, all of the Dachshunds had already met through our Dachshund club so we knew there wouldn’t be any issues.

Make sure that all Dachshunds coming on the camping trip have spend some time together before.

Camping Trip - Juliet

If there is someone you haven’t met before that really wants to come on the trip, gently suggest they reserve their own campsite.

That way they can hang out at the group site with everyone else but have a place to go if there are any conflicts between dogs or their dog just needs their own space for a while.

3) Avoid the busiest camp spots

If possible, choose a campground that is less popular in crowded.

No matter where you decide to camp though, select a campsite that is not in a high-traffic part of the campground and preferably has some privacy.

Dachshunds are known as a breed that likes to bark so you want to keep them out of situations where they are always being set off (perceive danger) as to not disrupt other campers.

4) Always know exactly where your dog is

It’s important to always keep your Dachshund restrained by using a leash or pen, or know where they are every second they are off leash, when you are camping.

Camping Trip - Denny Creek

It’s rude to let your wiener dog enter someone else’s campsite and bother them, steal food, or worse.

You also don’t want your Dachshund to run off because their hunting instinct kicked in. They could get lost or hurt by wildlife.

If you are camped by water, you don’t want them falling in a river and getting washed downstream or falling in a lake.

Also, as marijuana gets legalized in more states, it’s more common for dogs to discover a bag of week in the woods and eat it. I’ve heard of several dogs needing to be rushed to the vet from marijuana poisoning.

5) Remember that guarding camp is hard work

When you are at home, it’s likely that your Dachshund sleeps all day.

At camp, your Doxie will probably stay awake and alert all of the time. They don’t want to miss the action and may feel like they have to guard camp.

Camping trip - Chester

If our dog gets grumpy and irritated on the camping trip, it may be because they are extra tired.

If your pup sleeps all day when you get home, don’t panic. It’s more likely that they are just catching up on sleep than there being something wrong like them being sick (although it’s always good to watch for other signs

Since this trip, I’ve organized many other hikes and camping adventures with multiple dogs.

If you want to learn more about organizing hikes with multiple Dachshunds, or a mix of dog breeds, check out my tips for a successful pack hike with dogs.

For more tips on camping with Dachshunds and other small dogs, check out our list of important things to bring camping with your dog.

I think the best way to learn how to “do it right” though – what works for you and your dogs – is to just do it! Experience is a great teacher.

5 Tips for Camping with Dachshunds

About the Author

Hi, I’m Jessica. I’ve been studying the Dachshund breed since 2007, owned 3 of my own, and shared in the lives of thousands of others through their owner’s stories. When I’m not sharing what I know on this blog, you can find me hiking, camping, and traveling with my adventurous wiener dogs.

21 Comments

  1. That looks like a blast lol! 9 wiener dogs all at once… I don’t go camping much anymore so I’m behind on my camping terminology. Does car camping just mean you sleep in your cars?

    1. Car camping as opposed to back packing. It means your gear is hauled in your car and you set up camp near the car. You don’t normally sleep in the car.

  2. looks like a real blast would love to do something like this in Australia with my boy, he’d have an awesome time because he loves socialising with other dogs especially other dachies.

  3. I love the pictures! Your adventure looks gorgeous, and I love your picture of the dogs sitting on a camping chair together- I wish more Golden Retrievers could fit on a double chair, too! 🙂

  4. I love hiking with my friends up here in the beautiful Colorado Mountains but I was always having to pack extra rope. It was heavy and it would get all tangled I hated having to carry it around so one day I was stupid and just didn’t bring it. I was hiking alone with my dog on a beautiful summer day when my dog spotted a rabbit and pulled her leash out of my hands down a steep muddy sloop she went. I yelled for her to come and being the good dog she is she was ran to the bottom for the sloop. I called again but she just looked at me like you think I’m going up that? But after a few more “come girl” she tried it anyways. I have a 80 lb. pitbull she’s strong as hell but she could not get up the slope. She tried and tried tell she was beat and just laid there. I couldn’t go down the hill or we could have both been stuck. I told her to stay and I looked for another way to go down and get her but there was no way for her to get back up. I ran back to her she was still there just looking at me for help. Thats when my life changed a man and his dog came around the conner I yelled “help” he came running over to see what was wrong seeing my dog he actually began to laugh. Tell he saw I was in tears he stopped and looked at me and said “do you have any rope” I said “no” so he looked at his dog and told him to sit he took off his dogs collar and started to unwrap it. It became 30 feet of rope in less than 10 min I was in shock he tied it to a near by tree and told me to climb down. I climbed down tied my dog to the rope and he was able to give her that pull to help her up the hill than it was my turn it held my 150 lbs of weight not problem. Once we were safe I thanked him and asked where I could get something like that he gave me a website and I bought a bracelet a dog collar and a keychain I don’t bring rope on my hikes anymore I bring my PARACORD!!!!

  5. We’re about to take the little dogs camping and I’m a bit nervous since they aren’t really outdoor dogs. This post makes me confident that smaller dogs can enjoy camping too!

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