Tent for 2 people plus 2 dogs

Hey all!

My girlfriend and I are planning a backpacking trip for mid-September with our two large dogs (18 month old lab/dane/shepherd @ 75 lbs and 2 year old lab/mastiff @ 90 lbs).

We'll be hiking in north-central Washington (Cascade range). While we don't expend overly rough terrain this time out, I'd kind of like to plan for more advanced hikes now rather than need to update my tent later. We also like snow-shoeing and winter hiking, so it will probably be worthwhile to invest in a 4-season tent.

The dogs both have a lot of experience on trails for day hikes, but this will be the first time over-night.

We're having trouble finding a tent that will fit all of us without adding too much weight to my pack. We definitely want them in the tent with us and don't mind snuggling while sleeping, but might want a little room to maneuver before bed and in the morning.

Any suggestions?

Feel free to give any other tips you think we may need as this is the first time camping with dogs for either of us. We're looking at an out-and-back of 10-12 miles each way for our first go (standard day hike for us all)

Probably looking at something like the Tarptent Hogback.

Depending on how tall you are and how much space the dogs take when sleeping (mine curled up in a ball so didn't take a lot of room), the new Tarptent Cloudburst 3 might be good. (On the tarptent.com website, click on "What's New.") If not, the Hogback as Lori suggests. Hopefully the dogs can carry the equivalent of part of the weight in addition to their food?

Thanks for the suggestion.

I'm 6' and my girlfriend is 5'11". The dogs will stretch out, though if it's cool out they may curl up.. We also don't mind snuggling.

We are having the same problem. Our 2-man tent is really tight just for two of us. Plus, our dog is very furry, loves to get wet, swim and roll in dirt. I worry about my expensive sleeping bag getting dirty if she were to squeeze in with us. For now, as a temporary solution, I bring my bivy sack. If weather is good, I sleep outside the tent and let the dog and my husband have the tent. We can all squeeze in if it rains (rarely rains in the Sierra). The dog is just a year old and we are worried about her getting scared and chasing an animal in the middle of the night.

I can just see the caption on a cartoon: Man with dog looking for a tent - question to clerk- do you have a tent with a vestibule big enough for my wife to sleep in?

Kinda like the guy who puts his wife in the back of the pickup and the dog gets the front seat.