Travel Australia with Your Dog

Travelling Australia with Your Dog

Are you wondering whether you should be taking your beautiful dog travelling around Australia with you?! Yes, it’s a very hard decision to make. In our first 2 years of travel, we didn’t take Gary (our kelpie), as we were so unsure if it was going to make our trip much harder, as not every destination allows dogs.

The first 2 years travelling without our boy was hard, especially when we have seen other dogs loving life on the road. Dayne and I do a lot of free camping which the majority of places allow dogs (you still must check before arriving), this trip around we are definitely taking Gary with us. Yes, it’s a commitment, but he is apart of our little family and personally, we feel he should be apart of our trip around Australia.

What If the Place I’m Visiting Doesn’t Allow Dogs?

We found as we travelled around Australia, that a lot of people would organise a dog sitter if they were planning on visiting a National Park, which does cost money (depending on where you are to how much it will cost, the average price is around $20-$40 per day). If it is for overnight pet sitting it may cost more, up to around $80 per night. You can find sitters through madpaws.com.au.

There are a few things to keep in mind before you set off travelling with your dog. Make sure you do some research on the places you will be travelling to, so you know your pooch is allowed to be in that area. As for a lot of small communities etc, they do not allow dogs. Make sure you call or research your destinations before trekking there, as you may be left feeling disappointed.

Will My Dog Be Safe?

Is your dog safe to travel with?! If you feel as your dog is in any way “unsafe” to be around, I would highly suggest not take it travelling, as it could become more aggressive being out of its usual environment. To keep your dog safe whilst travelling, you should also make sure that all of your vaccinations are up to date. And, of course, always upkeep a flea/worm routine to make sure your pooch is always safe from any small nasties. Before you leave, you should purchase an identity tag so that there are a name and phone number on your dog’s collar.

Where Can My Dog Sleep?

Do you have a safe place for your pooch to sleep? For us, we are lucky enough to be towing a trailer that has a dog box on it, so our boy is locked up in that each night with his own comforts.

Travel day with our boy, he is a little spoilt and gets to spend the time in the dual-cab ute with us. At first, we were worried that he would be unsettled in the ute. So, we decided to get him his own “dog seat buddy”.

It’s a great way to make sure your dog has its own comforts travelling, just as you do. Travelling with your dog has never been so easy thanks to Navigator.

If you’re going on a short trip (3 months etc.) around Australia, I would highly suggest leaving your pooch with friends or family so you can enjoy it without having any worries.

Things You May Not Have Considered…

Are You Planning a 1 Year Trip around Aus? If You Want to Take Your Dog with You, Just Make Sure You Consider Things Like:

Who’s going to look after your dog when you go to a National Park?
Are you committed to not go to certain places as they do not dog friendly?
Have you got extra finances to set aside for any pet emergency or even just for pet sitting etc.?

If You Are Planning to Travel with Your Dog, There’s a Lot of Things to Consider.

Here’s Just a Few:

Wikicamps is an APP that has a filter you can use to find pet-friendly parks.
Aircamp also has a filter you can use to find suitable places with your pets.
Research books “Travelling Australia with Pets” may be a big help for your travels.
Before leaving make sure that you take your dog to the VETS to check that he/she has up to date vaccinations.
Alway’s upkeep flea/worm routine to make sure your pooch is always safe.