Gas vs Dog Events

I got gas for my truck this morning, it was $3.49 here in Mass. I'm not planning on going to any dog shows or anything like that, but we are driving to upstate NY it takes 8 hours to get there, it'll probably take a tank and a half to get there. I can't imagine the shock of filling up an RV, I would probably pass out at the pump! My truck was $54 to fill it and I thought that was a lot...

I don't do dog shows or compete anymore so I have no plans to attend any dog events, but we do like to camp and hike and hunt a lot. TheDH and I had plans to purchase an RV but due to the cost of gas we have decided not to get one,any traveling we do will be within the state of NM and we will camp in tents, gas price's just do not make an RV worthwhile at this time.

 Itis sad because I really do want to have one ..

Gas was 3.49 yesterday

This is our 6th rv and believe me I know how intimadating the concept can be. Before the RV we went to dog events and stayed in motels or hotels.  It becomes cost prohibitive doing that.

We would need a large van and it would limit the number of dogs I can take, normally 5 per show minimum.  But more importantly we live in Hurricane Alley and when we evacuate the family the RV is a must. Can you even think what an evacuation for 9 people, and 9 dogs would cost?? That would be 3 cars min, 2 hotel rooms , restaurant bills for the duration and not knowing what we are coming home to the idea of 1500. or more to go away for a weekend is painful. Since the RV is always full we don't have that intial outlay so our evacs now run about 100.00 for the campground.  Round trip it is still under 500.00.

I remember our last dog show before RVs it was the HUbs, both Mom in Laws and 2 teenagers, with 3 dogs. We could not leave the Ramada Inn to go eat because we did not crate back then and my girl would have torn the room up!  So I was cooking from an ice chest on a hot plate for 6 people , there was a Huge Black Family Reunion and A Big Viet Nam Vet Reuion So all day long we had people afraid of our dogs and this one mom kept yelling for "Leroy"  this kid was into to everything from the yelling...our firends staying at the same hotel had a dog named Leroy and the had to change it after that show because he was miserable hearing "Leroy Put That Down, Leroy Dont Touch That , Leroy I said NO don't make me come whup your butt~~"  Then every evening about 9:30 we would hear "INNNNNNNNN Coming !!" and deck furniture was thrown from the second floor into the pool !!  It sure made for an unforgetable adventure.

Once we got into the RVs we were able to better control what and where our two teenaged daughters were exposed to and take as many dogs as we wanted. The new RV has 3 slides and opens up almost as big as some mobile homes I have seen. we can entertain and still have our king sized bed and twin sattilie tvs... not exactly roughing it.... but at 51 I am not into sleeping bags anymore I like my egyptian cotton and higher thread counts. call me a woose but I can still cook gourmet and carry my dog's x pens as well. hee hee

Bonita of Bwana

When I filled up three days ago, gas was $3.79 a gallon.  Gross.  It cost me $52 to fill, and I drive a Ford Taurus.  Beyond a weight pull event for Malamute Rescue, I don't think I'll be attending many events...mostly because there's not many going on right now!  But Honor and I are starting rally on May 7th, and the facility is 20-25 minutes away.  And my brother's birthday and Mother's Day are the next two Sundays in a row, so I'll be driving the 45 minutes to my parents' house both weekends.  Don't get me wrong, all of these are VERY important and I enjoy going very much, but holy cow the price of gas stings!  

 I'm hating just taking Woobie to his flyball classes on Friday nights because it's another 30 minute trip into Richmond!  I definitely won't be going to any tournaments to watch anytime soon.  I'm even waiting to sign Indie up for CGC classes and trying to find something closer (a new facility opened up across the street from our dog park, yay!) in order to save a few gallons.

My best friend and I are driving the Pacific Coast Highway in May and I'm cringing just thinking about what the gas will cost us!  Good thing all our lodging is free.  :) 

I drive a Honda  Accord,which has a 14 gal. tank and it cost me $48 to fill up and that was with the $.03 discount at safeway ($3.61).

 Thankfully I only live 5 miles from work so that doesn't take up much gas. The dog park and regular hiking places is 10-15 miles if that from home. Every other place I drive with the dogs is usually within an hour to an hour and a half so that's not a huge deal but I definitely consider whether I can afford it at the time or not.

All camping trips this year will be within a 2 hours driving range, tops. 

Gas here is 3.69 or so. 

You know, I was just at a transportation and safety conference a week or 2 ago and the consensus was that as gas prices have gone up, demand (at least in MI) has not gone down. They don't feel that we've reached that high $ for gas yet to make people stop driving. The feeling is that once gas hits $4.50 then we'll see a downturn in that single person driving the SUV. But until then it's status quo.

Gas right here is knocking on the door of $4 a gallon.  In some places in CA it's already over that.  Max the Mutt doesn't do dog events, so except for the occasional trip to the dog park we aren't doing a whole lot of driving. I actually aim for no more than two or three fill-ups a month.

Joyce

Bonita,  I'm not sure what shows or events I'll be going to this year.  It seems all the good lure coursing is at least 4 hours away, especially if I'm trying to get points towards his FC.

 Gas here is @ $3.61 and rising.  The last trip to GA cost me about $250 in fuel alone, add $120 for lodging and $70 for meals, then entry fees and vendor costs, and a weekend outing costs over $500.
 

today it was 3.54, the highest i've seen is 3.59. However, diesel was 4.14 today!!! I got $45 the other day and wasn't full. I don't do any dog events besides going to the dog park...it's a 30 min drive though, so i don't see us going this summer.

I hate all you non-Californians.. LOL. We're juuuuuust under $4.

Dog events... Ha. Not with this dog...

I'm in mourning ... *sigh* -- they've cancelled the UF Dog Owners and Breeders Symposium.  It's just not financially feasible on many levels apparently.

We went to Ft. Lauderdale earlier this week for a 2 day overnight which will likely be most of our 'mini-vacation' for this year and some gas was OVER $4 there altho in Orlando it's $3.60 - $3.80 mostly. 

 We don't do shows, but we do like to get away.  If we do anything this year it will likely just be a trip to rural Florida via some 'fishcamp' or other (they're dog friendly -- we don't fish but it is relaxing and outdoorsy without ME having to deal with 'camping' -- I am NOT a 'camping' person). 

Gas was $3.49 on Friday when I put $20 in the tank. I haven't filled up in weeks, just put in enough to get me where I'm going.

 I went to Shreveport last weekend with Mal's breeder- but we took her little stationwagon, not my truck. I'm currently carshopping. I want a Suzuki Forenza, but something like a Subaru Forester would be good. It needs to hold two humans and 4 largeish dogs comfortably and then have room for a small dog crate or two- the big guys can all ride in seatbelts and we'll fold their crates flat. The Kia Rondo is another one I'd like but since it's newer, I can't find one used that's old enough to be affordable. (It'd be great though, I could fit THREE humans and dogs into it.

I'm skipping Denton in may, may do Texarkana in June, and then am planning on Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston in July.
 

Xerxes

Bonita,  I'm not sure what shows or events I'll be going to this year.  It seems all the good lure coursing is at least 4 hours away, especially if I'm trying to get points towards his FC.

 Gas here is @ $3.61 and rising.  The last trip to GA cost me about $250 in fuel alone, add $120 for lodging and $70 for meals, then entry fees and vendor costs, and a weekend outing costs over $500.
 

Ed I know what you mean that trip to perry was at the end of a very long show trip, we started witha show in Newnan Ga , went to Fredericksburg ,Va , scooted up to Pennslyvania for a meeting, then to Chatanooga Tn for dinner with friends, finally back to Perry Ga before heading home to the Gulf Of Mexico where we live in Alabama  about 2500 miles and we were on generator for several days ouch !! It cost us about 1300.00 in gas , another 400.00 in groceries, 180.00 at a couple of vineyards the laundry ran about 40.00, then the treats for the grandkids for when we would arrive back home that was another 100.00 It was a looooong trip and great fun but whoooeee it was expensive!! We stayed in the ribbons at each show and put a CGC and two Herding Instinct Titles on two of the kids. But it will have to be our last blow out trip for a good long while! We have the big trips to the Rodeo and the National in July and September so we will have to economise a good bit to justify anything else.

We are going to Perry again and Jackson Tn in May too.  Both are good shows for us Judge wise and hopefully we will find a couple of majors in them. I am waiting to see what Perry's entry will turn out to be. I want to Match Nemo there, He'll be  4 months old and needs the heavy socialization, I  would also like to try for a CGC on my girl... but we will have to wait and see how that works out. We will have several really good friends going so that makes it great fun and I am taking the 4 year old grand daughter that shows up  in many of my profile pics, the blue eyed blonde...  Anyone else going to either of these shows hollar and we can get together for a meal or drinks !

Bonita of Bwana