Thanks for telling us all about Eliza. I was really hoping you would. She really is a remarkable dog and I can see just by watching your videos that she's the ideal dog for vanlife. You're lucky to have her. She's lucky to have you. Remember the video you posted about the fire? I could tell Eliza was apprehensive in that video. Very good to pay close attention to her moods. Those food and water bowls for her are amazing.
Safe dog travel award goes to Ruffland Kennels. It will take up space in your van but they are light weight enough to move easily. We were almost rear ended once and it scared the crap out of me. Loose dogs in vehicles = really bad for human and dog. I feel so much better having them!
I could not imagine life without a fur baby and early warning detection warning is a must! Pretty baby girl 💜 Yes I can imagine they help you get out there! Absolutely! Much love from Texas 💜
I love your dog ❤! She is always so chill and laid back. Being a single female on the road, the chances of someone messing with you are alot less when u have a large dog on your side.
Eliza is absolutely beautiful😍 you can see it in her eye's clear as day that you are her number one person🙂 it's beautiful that you adopted her, do you know what breed she is? my English staffy loves jumping in the swag with me when we go camping, she'll curls up at my feet facing the mesh window to keep watch which makes me feel safe and secure at night, during the night she'll crawl under the blanket, curl into my back and nod off again which is just heart warning, travelling with a dog has it's challenges but it makes the experience soo much more enjoyable🐶❤
i cannot tell you how many times i giggled, said aww, and "ohhhh 'lizaaaaaaa 🥺" throughout this video! this is also the video i needed 3 months ago when i almost got a dog and needed a reality check lololololol
If I travel van life (and I hope to in the next 18-24 months) I would have to have my fur baby with me! Great info and tips Maddie! Thank you Btw, I’ve wondered what breed your Eliza is? I’m no expert but to me, she looks a lot like a chocolate lab but she seems smaller than a lab?? Those eyes though…….. she’s a gorgeous girl.
Having the fur baby come along makes ALLLLL the difference. :) Eliza is vizla, pit bull, lab mix! She says "thank you so much for the sweet compliment!"
Are you still without hot water? I'm a horse owner. Try looking at the portable propane hot water heaters for bathing your horse. Very reasonably priced.
Amazing van! Amazing video! Thank you for sharing. You are living the life we are going for. We just bought our own family van and started to build. It's a great adventure, which we love to share with you, too. You are welcome to watch our videos. 😀
Hey there, I tried to put links to the doggy bowls, but unfortunately couldn’t find them online. :/ I picked them up at Pet Co! I know you can buy the light up doggy tags at REI. :)
ive always wanted to live in like a mini van but I have a senior yorkie and I work 8 hours a day with an hour break what can I do during the summer when its to hot? i was thinking like a mini ac unit with a solar power box???
I have a 2.3 foot long dog she is a weiner dog, terrier mix, she is about a food tall, she is energetic but can sit from 4-12 hours, she is also 40% indapendant sadly, she can play whenever and always has energy and time for anything, she enjoys taking naps, and walking. do you think shes good for an RV life? she is not the smartest but she has an amazing nose and she barks very loud and growls, she can bite, and she can bite to the point whoever she bites is bleeding, is she capible of going on rv life?
Hey Bethany! It’s an 8” foam mattress that I cut into four pieces with a steak knife! I’d totally recommend. I’ve seen a lot of vanlifers opt for thinner mattresses, but this one feels about as close as I could get to a regular mattress. I made the covers myself with fabric from a craft store!
@@Maddie.taylor When I began, it was in high altitude winter. For that, I'm so glad that I had an 8 inch mattress. Once I left the mountains and opted for warmer climes, I find that a four inch topper is fine. While I doubt that you'll be doing it, memory foam gets stiff as temperatures drop. In negative numbers it's really tough, so I got an electric mattress warmer. Used a lot of energy overnight, and it only warmed the place where I was, but that place was very cozy. Simply FYI
I literally have 5 dogs and 4 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 4 birds+2 parrots, 12 fish indoor aquarium, 6 horses, 3 goats, 638 diary cows, 426 sheep and 1 tarantula I brought from aye zoo as I love spiders 😊
I traveled with my Remi for a decade out west. He was very smart, super loyal 100 pound German Shepard. I slept like a baby in the wilderness knowing Remi was beside me. He was truly my best friend too. He passed away at 13 in the wilderness last year and I buried him on a hill with beautiful sunrises... Fortunately a wild dog I help in the wilderness have me her pup Carl before she died. Carl is so loving and we are very close. (PriusLife Nomads Off Grid Community)
This hit me in the feels. Traveled off and on with my 110 pound GSD Ronin for years and felt the same way. My partner and I never worried when he was with us and I never worried about having to travel and leave my partner at home knowing he was with her. Ronin died almost two years ago and I think about him every day.
something you might try for doing the dog seat belt is to put a hook of some sort on the floor or cabinet near the floor where Eliza can lay on the floor and be connected using the dog seat belt thing. Loving your vids. Keep it up please. :)
The dainty lady! Eliza can look into your soul with those eyes- she's the sweetest nugget! Aunt Hannah misses her! It's incredible how she's transformed into such a confident pup. She's so lucky to have such a wonderful mama.
It seems to be a life saver no pun intended. I have decided to start van life and am already building out my van gonna try to get a dog soon too haha so the vet insurance really feels good to know it's a thing
Dogs are all love on four legs. They are the best companion wherever you go in life. I have been blessed to have had many in my life, from a German Shepard under my crib as an infant to my current fur buddy. They bring so much joy to your life and for you, on the road, she's also your part-time guardian angel as well. I wish you both many days ahead together as they are with us today and gone tomorrow. Pet her for me and you both stay safe and take care.
Gosh you got me teared up when you said, "A love letter to my dog"....I love that. I currently have an 8 yr old Chihuahua, Tia (and a 9 yr old cat, Tabasco, aka Tabi), but when I move into my tiny-home-on-wheels I'll be getting another dog to come along with us.....reason being, Tia is a great "alarmist", but I want to have a more "intimidating-looking" dog. So in case someone gets the idea to try to steal my tiny-home-on-wheels, they'll have second thoughts. Eliza is GORGEOUS, such a sweet girl, you're so lucky to share your life and adventures with her. Thank you for sharing this vlog, Maddie. Hugs from me, cuddles from Tia :-) P.S. I don't know any specific brands, but I would recommend (I'll be doing this too when the time comes) getting a long "lead" for Eliza, so that if you're ever, God forbid, in an accident, that she doesn't run away/into traffic.....something long enough to allow her to move around as she needs to while you're driving, but short enough that it would keep her out of harms way :-)
You are so fortunate to have found such a wonderful travel partner, yes they can be very needy, but they offer so much more such as someone to talk with, security and most of all support. Have a wonderful week.
Maddie, I LOVE your videos!! I'm a teacher "of a certain age" with 3 kids and a husband (and a loyal German Shepherd), so van life is not in my immediate future, but my dream has always been something like this. Your videos are so well done, so heartfelt but fun and practical as well, and it makes me yearn for the times when I can do this, probably after I retire. But who knows. One thing the pandemic taught us is that even teachers can work remotely. Keep making those awesome videos!! I love seeing Eliza and her adorableness!!
Planning on traveling with my dogs in my 2013 Nissan armada platinum 4wd by 2025 and I'm so excited I've done it for a couple weeks before but it was with different dogs and I'm going to be doing it full time I'm so excited tho
The seat belt leash should NEVER be used on a collar even if they can reach the floor. Please people only use them with a harness so if you do stop quick or get into an accident their neck isn't damaged or worse. My dog has a car seat and if he's in it, he's ALW
I agree 100% but I would like to add on, my dog (soon to be 110 Ibs) sits in the place where a seat should be with only a few inches of room on either side. This is better because of the shorter distance between him and a solid object on all sides of him. If he were wearing a harness and buckle he would have at least a foot between him and a seat on one side of him (bigger distance is a bigger force). Just a suggestion for larger dogs (that are calm while driving) outside of crates (though that is my second choice, first when I know we will be on the high way).
Hey there! I only used the seatbelt with her harness, but still didn’t like the idea of her trying to jump off in the harness and be hanging from it. Thanks!
@@Maddie.taylor when I was a kid my brother came to visit with his new puppy. He was left tied up by his collar only a very few moments but it was long enough that when he fell off the step he got caught up and hung. That scarred me for life. I have a 7.5# pomeranian and he was being walked on a leash with his collar. In a split second he started running and unfortunately a kid had his leash and he pulled on it at the same time, the force bruised his esophagus. That was a horrible time. Now if anyone else walks him he has his harness on. It's scary how fragile their throat is and the bigger the more force there is on the collar. Some people don't think it thru so that's why I had to comment. I hate seeing any animal get hurt by accident and I get very upset when they get hurt cause someone just doesn't care.
The ASPCA commercial 😂 this is so sweet. Love getting to see all the Liza footage ❤️ as far as seatbelt, I think the reason the leashes are short is so if you rear end someone or hit something they don’t fly forward and hit the windshield (worst case scenario go out the windshield). If it were long enough for her to jump onto the ground then I think safety would be compromised. My suggestion would be to train her to use the passenger seat! Scout sits in mine and has a short leash and that way if I have to slam on my brakes she is very secure and doesn’t fly forward. It has just enough room for her to lay down on the seat comfortably. Ok ly bye ❤️
If I had it to do over again I'd spend years living on the road and your dog is the right friend to go with. Enjoy your adventures and cherish your health and youth. The hard part is the short lives dogs live. Make every day count!
Oh my goodness, yes! (About being aware of danger when it's around- and especially being aware, without being completely paranoid about it when it's not there!)
I am a retired Animal Cruelty Investigator of 18 years. Your tips were spot on correct. Let me just add a bit more information. UGH, right?! Dogs do not sweat. They pant, and they cool themselves through the pads of their feet. That is why a lot of dogs put their paws in their water dish. The normal temp for a dog is btw 100° and 102.5° Anything above 102.5° is considered a temp. You can lower their temp by submerging in cool water or putting paws in cool water or ice chips. Next, having a protection dog. Their is a BIG difference btw protection and aggression!! You have done a GREAT JOB with that one!! Your dog greets strangers happily, yet she warns you against danger or possible danger. People should properly correct against unwarranted or over aggression. This is so very vital during training. You want to be able to trust your dogs' que's to danger instead of not knowing if the dog is just being aggressive because another dog is near. You have a gem, and you two are GREAT TOGETHER!! You can trust her to do her best to protect you, and she knows you will do your best to protect her!! Now that the trust is deeply ingrained, you two can enjoy your vanlife to the FULLEST!! Again, YOU HAVE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB WITH HER!!
Hi Maddie, regarding your traveling with Eliza, we are currently converting a Sprinter to travel with our 2 Schnauzers. I am converting a cargo net across the front between the front seats so if they are up front between the seats the net will catch them if I stop suddenly. Regarding access,you might be interested to know that Nova Scotia is very dog friendly. So much so that as long as a restaurant has a patio dogs are permitted. We were eating at a "fancy" restaurant which had a nice balcony overlooking a main street, they allowed us to walk our dogs through the main part of the restaurant with our 2 dogs on our way to the balcony.
Your alot better off not going to Nat'l parks, see ( missing 411) also have protection for yourself and her 50+ years in Security I know what"s out there BE SAFE you both!!
Thanks so much for sharing the vet tips! I'll look into it because I was worried about that too. As for a seating solution, I see people cutting memory foam to fit in the space between the driver and passenger seats for their dog to lay on. Then they'd put a large pillow case over it.
Omgggg 😭😭😭 Eliza and my dog June have the same eyes and bottom lipppppp ❤❤❤ And same intelligence and personalities. Omg sorry geeking out. #longlostdogtwins
Bathing the dog without polluting the environment or putting undue stress on a limited in-rig water supply? Recommended water tank size for regular dog bathing?
I am embarking on my van life journey TOMORROW! I'm taking my 2 dogs with me. My biggest concern is what to do with the dogs if I want to go on a tour or to dinner. So you leave them in your van in the parking lot? I have climate control in my van and security cameras to keep an eye on them, but this topic has been stressing me out!
Wonderful video, Maddie. Dogs make great companions, on the road or not. You're a wonderful, caring person and Eliza is well blessed to have you. Keep it up! ~Sonny
We are getting a van so do you mind providing a link to the bowls and the collar light. I saw a couple that used I-bolts to attach the end of a lease to the floor somehow (a raised portion). Then they attached a short leash so the dog could move. The best way is to provide a crate, but a van makes that difficult. I have seen collapsable crates but, if your pup is like mine, he prefers to move during travel.
Hello so I travel with great Dane here and let me tell you my dog is like a horse so as I travel my girl is back in a motorhome on my bed laying all times I think best thing for you get elisa to sleep on back in a bed as that way will be safer for her Thank you for such an interesting video
We have exactly the same seatbelt attachment but we secure the seats original belt and then just loops this around the original seatbelt making it possible for her to move more
Its very odd to me that dogs aren’t allowed on trails in national parks where you are 🤔 In my country you can always bring your dog on trails, even in national parks, as long as you keep your dog on a leash 😊
I’m so nervous about my dogs temperament, he’s a very anxious dog, and I’m not sure how he would adapt to van life, but I’ve had him for years and I’d be heart broken if I had to leave him w my mom
