The Event, the Dogs, the People, and the Training Adventures Along the Way
There’s something about travelling in an RV that changes the way you experience a place.
You’re not just arriving somewhere.
You’re bringing your little rolling household with you. Your bed, your coffee, your dog supplies, your questionable storage decisions, and at least one thing you know you packed but can’t find because the RV has apparently eaten it.
This trip with Pippy has been full of those moments.
We’ve tucked into campsites, squeezed into spots that looked suspiciously like they were designed by someone who has never actually parked an RV, taken a ferry ride, met new people, reconnected with old friends, and now we’re heading into one of the big highlights of the adventure.
The event.
The RALLY By The SEA!
Rallying. By the SEA. With our Pleasure-Way van community.
And yes, there will be dogs.
Which means, naturally, there will also be training.
Arriving At the Rally and Into the Van Community
A van or RV gathering has a different feeling from a regular campground.
At a regular campground, people wave, nod, walk their dogs, quietly judge each other’s backing-up skills, and then get on with their evening.
At a rally, or van community event, people are there to connect and re-connect.
They want to talk.
They want to compare their Pleasure-Way model with yours and discuss the pros and cons of each one. The biggest conversation is usually what they would like to change (as Class B van owners, we’re always searching for new hacks to optimize use of the tiny space).
They want to know where you’ve been, where you’re going next, and what clever storage solution you discovered after deciding the first five didn’t work.
They want to see what people have done with their vans, how they organize their gear, what routes they recommend, and which campgrounds are worth returning to.
And, of course, they want to meet the dogs.
Dogs have a way of cutting through the awkwardness of meeting strangers. You don’t need a polished introduction when there is a dog at the end of a leash looking mildly interested, suspicious, excited, or fully convinced they’re the official welcome committee.
Pippy has been part of that on this trip.
Small dog. Big presence. Clear opinions.
The Event Energy
This Pleasure-Way RV Rally is one of the road trip moments I look forward to each year.
There is something energizing about being around people with similar rigs and who understand the appeal of the road. They understand that travel is not always tidy, that campgrounds can be beautiful and ridiculous in equal measure, and that even the best-planned route can change because of weather, construction, fuel, timing, or a dog who has decided now is absolutely not the moment to be rushed.
The Class B van community has to be practical. It’s a prerequisite for surviving in a tiny space, especially one with wheels.
People share what works. We laugh about what did not. We help each other solve problems. Someone always has the tool, tip, or piece of advice you didn’t know you needed.
It is a wonderful mix of independence and connection.
Everyone has their own setup, their own routine, and their own reason for being there, but there is still that sense of shared experience and camaraderie.
And for me, this event brings together two parts of my life that I love: RV travel and dog training.
Integrating With a Dog
Travelling with a dog is wonderful.
It‘s also not as simple as packing a leash and hoping for the best.
That’s a bold strategy. Not a good one, but bold.
When you bring a dog to a busy event, you aren’t just managing your own campsite. You’re sharing space with other people, other dogs, moving vehicles, lawn chairs, food smells, bicycles, laughter, conversations, doors opening, dogs passing, and all the little surprises that make real life real.
Some dogs take it all in stride.
They settle beside the chair, watch the world go by, and look as though the’ve read the campsite etiquette manual.
Other dogs find the whole situation deeply exciting.
People walking past? Exciting.
Dogs walking past? Very exciting.
A cooler opening? Urgent.
A chair folding? Suspicious.
Someone laughing two campsites away? Worth reporting immediately.
This is where training matters.
Not trick training.
Not flashy training.
Useful, every day lifestyle training.
The kind that helps a dog settle, walk politely, recover from excitement, leave other dogs alone, and understand that not every moving object requires a public announcement.
That is real-life training.
And it’s exactly the kind of training I care about most.
Dog Training Adventures on the Road
One of the things I’ll be doing during this event is teaching and training a few people and their dogs.
That makes me happy.
After 40 years of working with dogs, and more than 20 years as a professional dog trainer, I still love watching the lightbulb go on for owners.
Sometimes it’s a big moment.
Sometimes it’s small.
A dog checks in instead of pulling.
A dog settles on a mat instead of pacing.
A dog labelled as aggressive, initiates friendly play with another dog.
An owner realizes they’re reacting too late or too loudly.
A leash loosens.
A dog walks past another dog without making it weird.
Those moments matter.
Especially in a place like this.
Training at a van rally event is training where life is actually happening. It’s one thing to ask your dog to sit in the kitchen. It’s another thing entirely to ask that same dog to settle at a busy campsite with people, dogs, smells, noises, and movement everywhere.
That doesn’t mean your dog is being bad when they struggle.
It means they need help understanding what’s expected in that environment.
The environment changed.
The training needs to come with them.
What We Will Work On
The skills that matter most for RV and van life are not complicated, but they are important.
Calm, controlled exits from the van or RV.
Loose leash walking through busy spaces.
Settling at the campsite.
Passing other dogs without lunging, barking, or dragging the owner into next week.
Coming when called.
Resting in a crate, on a bed, or in a designated space.
Learning when to engage with people or other dogs, and when to switch off.
Those are the skills that give dogs more freedom.
A dog who can settle gets to be included.
A dog who can walk politely gets to explore more places.
A dog who can handle distractions gets to enjoy the trip instead of being managed every second.
That’s the whole point.
Training isn’t about controlling every breath your dog takes.
It is about giving them enough structure and clarity to make better choices.
And owners (that’s you)need that too.
A good training plan gives you, the human something useful to do instead of standing there holding the leash, apologizing, and hoping the ground opens up.
Pippy’s Role in the Adventure
Pippy has been part of every bit of this trip.
She’s travelled in the RV, settled into different campsites, handled new places, and even joined me for the ferry ride.
That ferry photo says a lot to me.
There we are, wind, water, open space behind us, Pippy tucked in close, taking it all in. That’s one of the gifts of travelling with a dog. They become part of the memory in a very real way.
But Pippy is also a reminder that small dogs still need real training.
Small dogs are often expected to simply cope with things because they are easy to pick up. But picking upnyou dog is not the same as teaching them how to feel safe, calm, and capable.
Pippy still needs structure.
She still needs rest.
She still needs clear expectationsn a safe place to settle.
She still needs to know when it’s time to participate and when it’s time to take a break.
Small dog. Real dog. Same principles.
Possibly more dramatic hair in the wind.
Training Creates Freedom
One of the biggest reasons I care so much about training is because effective training creates freedom.
That’s always been at the heart of my work.
Owners usually come to training with their dog because something is not working. Their dog is pulling, barking, jumping, reacting, bolting, pestering, biting, nipping or generally making life more complicated than expected.
Training helps bring life back into balance.
It gives your dog clarity.
It gives you, the owner confidence.
It creates more freedom for both.
This matters even more when travelling.
A dog who can handle new environments gets to come along more often. A dog who can settle at the campsite gets to enjoy more of the trip. A dog who can walk through an event without turning every passing dog into a crisis gets to be included instead of left behind.
Freedom isn’t created by letting the dog do whatever they want.
That usually creates chaos with a leash attached.
Freedom comes from structure, trust, consistency, and a dog who understands how to live in the world with you.
That’s the good stuff.
The Real World Is the Best Teacher
I love training in real environments because the dog always tells the truth.
There is no pretending.
If the dog understands the skill only when the room is quiet, that’s useful information.
If the dog can do it at home but not at a campground, that’s useful information too.
If the owner realizes they have been rewarding the very behaviour they keep complaining about, well, that’s also useful information.
Slightly uncomfortable, perhaps.
But useful.
The goal is not perfection.
Perfection is overrated and usually doesn’t survive the first squirrel.
The goal is progress.
A dog that recovers faster.
An owner who responds earlier.
A leash that stays softer.
A dog who learns to look, think, and choose instead of react first and ask questions never.
That’s the work.
More Than an Event
This event is about more than vans.
It’s about community.
It’s about people who love travel, dogs, the outdoors, and the strange satisfaction of figuring out how to make a small space work.
It’s about sharing stories, learning from each other, and laughing about the things that go sideways.
And for me, it’s about bringing my dog training experience into a setting where it’s wanted, and really matters.
At the campsite.
On the path.
Beside the van.
In the middle of the event energy.
This is where dogs and owners need practical skills.
Not theory.
Not perfection.
Just clear, useful training that makes everyday life better.
The Adventure Continues
Life with the Rally By The Sea van community is social, generous, funny, and full of learning.
There will be conversations.
There will be dogs.
There will be training moments.
There will be people to help.
There will probably be at least one moment where I put something somewhere “safe” and never see it again until I am home.
I literally thought I was losing my mind when I could not find this thing – “…put something somewhere “safe” … This microphone wind screen disappeared on or around Day 5. It was ‘found’ on Day 30 – when I cleaned out the van and was digging through my van manual briefcase. Lodged in the notebook spiral binding 😳. I couldn’t make that shot to a basket if I tried!
RV life likes to keep us humble.
But mostly, this part of the trip is a reminder of why I love this lifestyle.
The road brings freedom.
The van community brings connection.
The dogs bring honesty.
And training helps tie it all together so people and dogs can enjoy more of the adventure together.
Pippy and I are ready.
Well, I’m ready.
Pippy is ready as long as snacks, naps, and a full review of all interesting smells remain on the schedule.
Karen Laws is a certified professional dog trainer, the founder of The Ontario Dog Trainer and the Dog Trainer TRIBE Training Academy. With decades of experience training dogs, educating people, and mentoring aspiring trainers, she is known for her practical, no-nonsense approach to helping both dogs and humans succeed.
Karen’s professional background includes education, public service, wildlife biology, competitive field dog work, and pet dog training. That combination gives her a unique perspective on behaviour, leadership, communication, and what it really takes to create lasting results.
Through her work with dog owners and developing trainers, Karen teaches far more than training exercises. She helps people understand the dog in front of them, improve their communication, and build the kind of confidence that leads to better outcomes in both training and business.
Karen is especially passionate about mentoring pet dog trainers who feel stuck and are ready to grow. Her message is clear, real, and grounded in experience: success in dog training comes from understanding behaviour, building trust, and being willing to do the work.
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