Dog Training, Propane Runs, and RV Trip Prep

I still haven’t had time to contact the mobile tech about the water pump, although that was sitting right at the top of my list for tomorrow. I need to get it taken care of before April 23, because that’s when we head out on our first camping trip with all three dogs. More on that in a minute.

We’ve been slowly introducing the dogs to the RV. And by “slowly,” I mean they mostly stand at the door and stare into it like it’s a suspicious spaceship. They don’t exactly rush in on their own.

So far, I’ve semi-forced Sophie and Pennie to go inside. Buster, being nearly 70 pounds, is a little harder to persuade. Now, Buster did sleep in the RV once during one of my at-home test runs, so it’s not like he refuses completely. He just prefers to enter on his own terms and leave the minute he feels like it.

After some effort, I got Sophie comfortable with going in, and Buster has at least started coming aboard now and then. Pennie, though, is a different story. She stands in the doorway and gives me that look that says, “I remember the last time I got into one of these things. I ended up somewhere that was not home, and I was not thrilled about it.”

Convincing the Dogs to Board

We’ve also had some workmen at the house recently. Normally, when that happens, we load the dogs into my car until the job is done. When I tell them to get in the car, they make a mad dash for it like they’ve just won an all-expenses-paid vacation.

This time, though, my car was in the shop. So when the workers arrived, I told the dogs to get in the RV.

They all charged out the door like usual. I opened the RV door. Sophie jumped right in. Pennie and Buster, however, stopped and looked at me like I had completely betrayed their trust.

I gave Pennie a little push, and up the stairs she went. You would think Buster would take that as a hint and follow. Not Buster. He just stood there staring at me. Karen was inside the RV calling for him too. I gave him a gentle push. Nothing. I tugged lightly on his collar. Nothing. Finally, I grabbed the collar a little firmer, put a hand under his backside, and gave him the old pull-and-lift maneuver.

He went in, but let’s just say it was not his preferred activity for the day.

Once everybody was inside, Sophie had already climbed into the driver’s seat and was fully prepared to leave immediately. Buster was looking around like maybe this place wasn’t so bad after all. Pennie, on the other hand, still looked skeptical.

Pennie Finds the Stairwell

I should mention that as Pennie has gotten older, her legs have gotten weaker, and slick floors are not her friend. While I was trying to remove Sophie from the driver’s seat so I could actually sit there myself, I heard a thump. I turned around and found Pennie had fallen into the stairwell and gotten stuck.

I scooped her up and got her out. Neither Karen nor I could tell exactly how she managed it, but we both knew one thing right away: the stairwell needed to be covered before travel day.

We also realized Pennie needed better footing inside the RV. So I cut a piece of plywood for a stairwell cover and topped it with a piece of latch-hook carpet we already had in the house. Not exactly luxury RV décor, but it should do the job.

The Propane Test Run

Since I had been running the heat during a couple of freezing nights, we also needed propane. That seemed like the perfect excuse to take a test drive with all three dogs and see how they handled the ride.

Mrs. Weeble had been a little worried about that. Honestly, so had I.

I figured if I put the dog bed between the seats, Pennie would curl up and go to sleep. I assumed Sophie would find a comfortable spot and settle in. Buster was the wild card. In the car, he tends to bounce from window to window like he’s conducting his own neighborhood surveillance operation.

Our destination was Tractor Supply in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles up the interstate. I fired up Mellie, backed down the driveway, and by the time we reached the first red light, Pennie had already laid down between the seats. Sophie had claimed the dinette. And Buster decided he was going to sit between the seats right beside Pennie.

So far, so good.

We made it to Tractor Supply without any trouble, got the propane filled, and headed home. The return trip went just as smoothly. No chaos. No canine mutiny. No emergency stops because somebody decided to become airborne.

That was enough to help Mrs. Weeble relax a little about our first camping trip.

Next Stop: Shenandoah

Now we’re getting ready for that trip, scheduled for April 23 through April 26 at Big Meadows Campground in Shenandoah National Park. I’m slowly gathering up the camping gear and trying to make sure both the RV and the dog crew are ready for the adventure.

More on that in the next blog.

To be continued…