Someone comes here to ask a question and all these anti pet warriors, make a post to telll the pet owner, "Dont travel with a pet", and shoot them down in flames, so I reckon admin should shut down this section all together. I would never come to GN to ask a question about traveling with pets on here. All you get here is "YOU SHOULDN'T TRAVEL WITH A PET, BECAUSE i HATE PET OWNERS" ANSWERS. SO ADMIN SHUT IT DOWN! If you want to ask questions about traveling with pets, go to Wikicamps, they have a dedicated section, and an admin, that bans posters that make derogatory REMARKS ABOUT PET OWNERSHIP. Don't expect anything like that here. This is not a nice place to come and ask questions about traveling with pets!

If folk wish to travel with pets that is their decision alone, & one they are entitled to make. 

My wife & I are 100% dog lovers but have chosen not to travel with one for many reasons after our last four legged family member passed on,  but should anyone out their who travels with one or more we are always up for a bit of dog sitting should owners feel ok about trusting us to do so. We feel getting some dog time as a win win situation for us & owners. I suspect there are plenty of dogless travellers out there who feel similarly. 

Like you, BC, I love dogs and most animals but can understand how some people resent people who travel with their pets. The problem is not the pets, it is the people who supposedly have control of them.

I remember when I was a student I was lucky to have a part time job working for a couple who bred and showed and in some cases supplied the military with German Shepherds. It was my job to groom, exercise, bath the dogs as well as help with their obedience training. I learned how to ensure the dog came to heel, sat, dropped, stood, came and went away, all by using just one word to initiate each of the commands. Dogs are highly intelligent and soon pick up if they are in control or not.  I watch people strolling along with their dog a mile in front of them whilst they hang on to the lead like they are water skiing. That dog has assumed control and won't do anything that it doesn't want to do. Likewise, when a dog starts barking and all it gets is a long narrative from the owner when a sharp "no" would do the job. I have seen dogs running away whilst the dopey owner screeches out the dog's name and wonders why it is not responding. The poor dog doesn't know it is supposed to come back.

I know with the dogs I worked with it took about three months before I was allowed to take any of them off the property. I had to show the owners that I could control the dogs and. more importantly, the dogs would listen. If they don't respect your authority they will do what they like. Likewise, you see idiots hit dogs. that teaches them nothing but aggression. I used to take four or five of them down to a local park and they would chase a ball, race around but always come when they were called. I didn't need a lead, just know how to handle them.

I guess that is a long winded way of saying that I understand why some people resent dogs or pets in their vicinity. It is not the dog or pet, it is the dope on the end of the lead. Like rude and spoilt kids, don't blame them look at the parents or in this case, look at the owner. I find the majority of dogs that are travel companions are friendly, aware and stimulated by what is happening around them compared to some poor mutt sitting in a back yard looking at a fence.  I often dog sit whilst someone goes into town or somewhere where Fido is not allowed and enjoy it no end.

Perhaps instead of having to complete a compulsory course (as is often suggested on here) before towing a caravan, perhaps some of these dog owners should complete a course in pet responsibility.

If there were moderators, they could remove off-topic posts about why people shouldn't have pets.  It's a shame this forum isn't moderated.  All you can do is ignore it, but it is difficult for newcomers to deal with.  They'll ignore it by backing away altogether.