Traveling with dogs
Submitted: Wednesday, Jan 05, 2011 at 20:07
ThreadID:
83459
Views:
3716
Replies:
3
FollowUps:
7
This Thread has been Archived
Zorro
Just wondering what member's experiences are doing long trips with dogs. I'm planning a 4 week trip in July with my two german shepherds from
Brisbane to
Cairns and across to
Karumba. The dogs are very
well trained and have done lots of shorter trips and travel very
well. Still, a lot of people are very negative about
travelling with dogs saying they are a nuisance, you can't see the good areas because they are all in national parks, crocodiles will eat them etc. We have an off road camper and are self sufficient so we will always find somewhere to
camp. The dogs are great company and have never been a problem on shorter trips. What do you reckon??
Reply By: Fred G NSW - Wednesday, Jan 05, 2011 at 20:42
Wednesday, Jan 05, 2011 at 20:42
Zorro, so long as you understand the restrictions of
travelling with dogs, you'll be OK, ie, shopping, sightseeing, NP's etc. We travel with our foxies, and have no probs, but go out of our way to make sure they do not impact on others in any way at all, and that means AT ALL.
As a bonus, you won't have problems with intruders with with 2 German shepherds in the car/
camp !!!!!!! :-)
AnswerID:
440810
Follow Up By: Zorro - Wednesday, Jan 05, 2011 at 21:33
Wednesday, Jan 05, 2011 at 21:33
Thanks Fred, the only intruders I'm worried about is crocs but I think my partner would jump on their backs and poke their eyes out if they tried to eat her dogs. The dogs are mother and daughter so they get on
well together. I know what you mean about not impacting on others. We get some dirty looks at first when we pull into a
camp but that soon changes when people see that the dogs are friendly and
well behaved.
FollowupID:
712702
Reply By: Member - Toby R (WA) - Wednesday, Jan 05, 2011 at 20:53
Wednesday, Jan 05, 2011 at 20:53
Hi Zoro
I am in the same boat as you and also have two dogs which restricts
places you can
camp however i found a book called
Bush Camping with dogs which is Australia wide and quite helpful (i think i brought it off Ebay). It gives you maps and names of camps- parks-
reserves and forests that will accept dogs and also some info on the area and
places to see. I think the old days of throwing the dogs on the ute and going camping could get harder in years to come so we better get into it while we can.
AnswerID:
440812
Follow Up By: Zorro - Wednesday, Jan 05, 2011 at 21:47
Wednesday, Jan 05, 2011 at 21:47
Hi Toby,
Yep I've got that book too and it's brilliant. There's plenty of
places you can stay with dogs but I've found that they are big on keeping the dogs under control and on a lead at all times. I guess there's been too many yobbos who just let their dogs run all over the place.
FollowupID:
712704
Follow Up By: Member - Toby R (WA) - Wednesday, Jan 05, 2011 at 21:52
Wednesday, Jan 05, 2011 at 21:52
Yes theres always a few that wreck it for the rest of us
FollowupID:
712705
Follow Up By: Teraa - Wednesday, Jan 05, 2011 at 22:10
Wednesday, Jan 05, 2011 at 22:10
Make sure they have their needles in case you need to use a kennell which I don't think hurts now and then. Our dogs always enjoyed their hotel for a night or two. I only have a little dog now but I use to travel around with 75kg of rottie with not much probs if you don't mind the restrictions but he was great no one ever camped on top of us.
FollowupID:
712710
Follow Up By: Ray - Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 09:04
Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 09:04
I've done two trips around the bloke with two dogs. Watch out for 1080 poison. I've picked up many baits and disposed of them. We have been welcome in most caravan parks that accept dogs and were accepted in one caravan park as long as we didn't have kids. The proprietor stated that dogs were a less of a nuisance than kids and as far as national parks are concerned most are just an excuse not to do anything by the authorities. Many of the
grey nomads travel with a dog and a number of the c'van parks realise this and the revenue they are loosing. Keep away from the larger franchised parks. Staying in the smaller towns off the main tourist routes and you will have no problems.
FollowupID:
712736
Follow Up By: Zorro - Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 10:26
Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 10:26
I'm a bit paranoid about the 1080 baits. If we're in the middle of nowwhere we let the dogs off lead because they don't stray but the possibility of baits is a worry. Interesting about the propriotor who reckons kids can be more of a nuisance than dogs. We've spent a lot of time training and socializing our dogs. You have to when you have big dogs, and I reckon our two are better behaved than some kids.
FollowupID:
712750
Follow Up By: Bush Basher 00 - Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 11:44
Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 11:44
A camping book we use is Camping Around Australia which is made by the same people who make the Explore Australia books.
Its quite detailed, with maps also. Each
camp site it has has symbols which tells you whether dogs are allowed at that particular
camp site, but this book list all campsites with and with our dogs.
We used it on our recent trip with our dog.
FollowupID:
712753
Reply By: eighty matey - Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 22:29
Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 22:29
Hi Zorro,
we have a small dog, Pug x Mini Foxy (Poxy Fug) and we take him with us everywhere. A bit different to your situation but still a dog.
We spent five weeks travelling through Western Qld, the Cape and Central Qld last year with no problems. We passed through Lakefield NP on our way to
Cooktown and got a lecture from a bus driver and one of his old lady passengers when we stopped to
check out the Red Lilly Lagoon and that was the only time anyone said anything to us about our dog. NP Rangers didn't seem to mind as long as we were passing through. We mostly bush camped and kept him tied up when we were in Caravan Parks, Roadhouses or towns.
We went for a drive out to
Cameron Corner last week and the heat was a bit of an issue for him. Lucky there was plenty of water around for him to swim in. We lost him for 11 hours in
Tibooburra after the midnight fireworks scared him off. We thought he was secure in a fully fenced yard but he got out and took off. After we literally looked all through and around the town we decided to sit in the one spot and wait for him to walk past. Two minutes later he came walking back into town from the
Broken Hill direction. Wish we had a video camera on to see where he went.
It takes a bit of work but you and the dogs can have some great experiences. Being away from
home you have to be thinking of the dogs a bit more than usual.
Have fun,
Steve
AnswerID:
440910