I have family members who were fairly recently stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska.

They camped out several times, and each time took their two dogs with them. The dogs, both large, are family pets that were never allowed to run loose under normal circumstances.

They chose to allow the dogs to have free reign during these trips, especially at night. The dogs were also allowed to go back to the tents to sleep. The main reason the dogs were on the trip were to be early warning systems in case a bear (or 20) wandered up to the camp.

I'm really wondering about this. Even though I can understand the practical use of a barking dog, I wonder if "city" dogs, running loose might not be inviting trouble.

Question: Does anyone here routinely take dogs on camping trips. If so, what are the guidelines?