Rooftop tents and dogs (big dogs)

She-ferd? That doesn't sound right. It's definitely shepard /s

 

I pondered the same about RTT's and didn't buy one for that reason, not big dog friendly. Get a rescue dog after a meet-and-greet as the second dog, they'll be fine in the bed cuddling up with some quilts. If they want to roam at night, that's fine also because together they can combat coyote packs.

 

My big 85 lb guy sleeps in the backseat of the truck. He's back there all the time and feel like a second home. check out Primal Outdoors. He demonstrates how he gets his dogs into his tent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jviCYHd_3dc

 

I've owned nothing but Labs and my Labs are / have been hunting dogs. When I travel with my dog, she rides in the canopy - covered bed of the truck in a plastic dog crate with an insulated pad on the floor of the crate. When it gets cold (i.e. below 40F), I have an insulated cover for the crate and I think (hope?) the pooch is comfortable down to perhaps 20F. When it's very cold, I have a neoprene vest that the dog will wear in addition to the above mentioned measures.

A couple of years ago, when we departed central North Dakota after a 10 day hunt, it was -19F. I wasn't happy about this and neither was my pup. But when I zipped open the insulated cover on the crate after a couple of hours down the road, there was a "whooosssh" of doggie-smelling warm air that exited the crate with the dog for her pee break. I have to admit there have been some exceptions to this rule when I've allowed the dog to ride in the cab, usually involving some sort of injury or illness coupled with extreme cold.

I can't imagine getting myself, let alone my dog, into an RTT. Seems like a recipe for disaster, for the human or the dog. Having the dog in a crate in the bed of the truck makes the most sense to me.

BTW, and unrelated to this question, I have had multiple vets tell me that they treat more dogs injured by jumping down from or up to a tailgate than anything else. So my dog gets hand - lifted in and out of the bed of the truck.

 

You could get these to go around a crate

$121 Mudriver Dixie Kennel Cover, Brown, X-Large

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...title_2?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1&psc=1 and the pup should be fine when you zip it up. Crate in the bed of the truck and then zip that fucker up and she will be toasty.

 

This was also going to be my suggestion honestly. I know plenty of women who can carry a bundle of shingles on a shoulder up a ladder at least a few times and that’s more of an awkward carry than if you got her on both shoulders, and the weight isn’t much more. Really not a big deal at all. Just take a little practice and doesn’t require you to carry anything else.

 

I follow this guy on IG. Love the info he puts out !

 

Me too. He has a great channel on Youtube. Lots of good info and his editing is great. Makes you want to get out camping regardless of the weather.

 

Hey- check this out. Its a dog ramp that goes from the ground to a RTT perhaps a bit higher than yours. Perhaps you can shorten it a bit and use the bed extender bar to support the end. To store it, set up a under the RTT shelf or crossbars on your rack. If its built right, it could also double up as a emergency traction board...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2HYGhXMfoPw

 

I guess no ride in your truck then? Wait... what's wrong with a "stoner"? Asking for a friend!

 

I hate the smell of reefer smoke. Don't want that anywhere near my truck.

 

right? I rock climb on the regular, and CAN lift her....but its more precarious than I would like. Especially the down....

 

So, I can lift my shepherd, easily. I rock climb on the regular. Its just too precarious to do on the regular when there is a better way to do things, (I'm building a ramp that collapses into 3 pieces). But climbing a ladder at the same time? I don't want to drop her and end up with a hurt doggo in the middle of bum-fuck-nowhere. Too risky to my partner and my best friend. As most shepherds go, she is not great at balancing, no cat-like grace here.

 

If she is good by here self, why don't you just get an annex? Something like this (pictures from google):


Or a bit more expensive since the size is bigger but covers the ladder and you can just poke your head down to see her (able to close it up like the first one):


My setup will be like the first one since my dogs are fine by themselves (ordering mine tomorrow after long talks with reps from different companies), the floor is rubber and the canvas/wall is pretty strong.

 

disregard my previous post, just read thru the thread and didn't see that you stated you don't like the annex.

 

Would these Harbor Freight ramps lined up into a single ramp be too narrow? They would be super convenient and light, too: