Traveling with a dog around Australia isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible. If you want to travel with your dog you should carefully consider the pros and cons before heading out on a big journey. If you want to see all the most touristy places around the country and spend most of your time in national parks (where dogs are not allowed), then you may want to leave your pooch at home. This is for their benefit, not yours. They’re better off staying home with a friend, house-sitter or loved one. If, however, you’re keen to see different parts of the country that are off the beaten track, prepared to skip some national parks and are ready to have a much more fulfilling and adventurous trip, then bring your dog! Here is some helpful dog friendly travel advice from our motley crew to yours!
Keeping Your Dog Safe
Just like us, our dogs must feel secure and comfortable when travelling. Here are the best things you can do to keep your dog safe on the road:
Strap your dog in using a car harness. You wouldn’t travel without a seatbelt and neither should your dog.
Ensure your dog always has access to fresh water and well-ventilated spaces.
Set up a routine to make your dog feel more comfortable and certain of what will happen each day. Even though you’re moving from place to place, try to do daily activities at the same times.
Always keep your dog in the shade, whether you’re driving along the highway or relaxing at camp. Australia is hot, and up north it’s hot all year round.
Do not leave your dog alone in a hot and enclosed space.
Do not leave your dog tied up outside your vehicle unattended in rural, bush or outback areas. Australia is full of snakes and wild dogs and you can’t guarantee the safety of your dog if you leave them tied up unattended.
The poison ‘1080’ – which is used to cull wild dog, fox and feral cat populations – is everywhere on both public and private land, and is deadly to dogs. There should be signs stating if it’s present, but don’t rely solely on these; assume it’s everywhere. Keep your dog on a lead in these areas, and if you can’t guarantee they won’t eat things off the ground then get a muzzle for them.
Consult with your vet before you leave so you know what to do if they swallow 1080 poison.
Have an animal first-aid kit for your dog. Bandages, wound pads, tick and flea treatments, worming tablets, saline, antiseptic ointment and crystal Epsom salts are all essential. Again, consult with your local vet before leaving.
Ensure your dog is fully vaccinated.
Tips for National Parks and Conservation Areas
Dog access rules must be followed wherever you are to ensure the safety of native wildlife and the environment. It might seem like a tiresome task to keep to these rules, but dogs are actually allowed in more places than you’d think. There are certain conservation areas, state forests, national parks, protected beaches and wilderness parks around the country where dogs are allowed. In some places, dogs are only permitted in certain spots like car parks or designated walking trails.In most states and territories, if the only way to get from A to B is via a road that leads through a national park, then you are allowed to drive through with your dog in the car – but you can’t stop and get out. Check what the rules are in each state before you leave.
