Travelling with Pets

[Greg and Cathy]

Hi to all

We are new Top Ender owners having just taken delivery on 10 Sept, and also new to caravaning. Just wondering if we could get some advice about traveling with pets. Last weekend we did a shakedown trip and took our Tibetan spaniel along with us. We have all the necessary gear to keep her restrained while away and she behaved very well but what do you do if you want to go out for lunch or sightseeing etc? A few days at a time is not a problem but longer trips might be. Would really appreciate advice from those who have experience in this matter.

Thanks

Cathy & Greg

[Glen and Debbie]

Congratulations on your new van. Vaning really is a lifestyle and what a lifestyle it is:)

We took our 16 wk Tibetan spaniel x for his first camping trip the weekend just gone to trial him with camping, kayaking, etc. We are very pleased with his behaviour and how quick he took to the lifestyle:) On the day we went out to lunch we locked him in the van with all windows open and only locked the screen door. We also gave the campers next door our number in case he was barking, etc. They advised us on our return not a peep out of him. I left him with some water, dry food, a couple of treats including a pigs ear and all his toys. Of course he decided to empty out our dirty clothes from the clothes bag, but no damage done and he appeared to be quite content. Obviously it will depend on how hot it is as to whether this will work for you. I had thought of putting the fan on for him, but didn't think it necessary this time.

The next day we went to the cheese factory and markets and took him with us - there were quite a few dogs out for the day at the cheese factory while owners ate ice creams:)

We are hitting the road for a few weeks soon and definitely planning to take him with us. We are hoping to mostly do free camping, but if we decide to stay at a national park, we will book him into a kennel for a couple days.

Cheers

[Ian and Sue]

Hi Greg & Cathy

Congratulations on your new caravan, may you have many years of happy travels in it and make lots of wonderful memories too.

We have always travelled with our babies, two Jack Russell Terriers. Sadly our oldest boy passed away on a recent trip but we are left with many happy memories of all the places we visited together all over Australia.

Our boys both started travelling with us when they were young pups and have learned the ropes of first the tent, then in more recent years the caravan. We would often leave them in the caravan whilst we went off doing our own things and they would curl up and sleep until we came back, naturally we would not leave them if the temperature wasn't right etc etc. Quite often people would comment that they didn't even realize we had a dog with us!

We would always take our boys out for a good walk, or carry in the case of the old boy before we went anywhere that way they could "empty out" and we knew they would be comfortable whilst we were away. We always left them locked inside the caravan with the top hatches open and dependant on the weather we would leave the door open too so that they had maximum airflow through. The worst thing that we would have happen would be that our youngster (11 years old) would jump up on the bed so we always make sure that he is clean before we leave.

Happy travels

Sue

[sellinup]

HI CATHY AND GREG

I can't help with a lot of advice on traveling with dogs, but an enormous amount of people are taking pets with them and it doesn't seem

to restrict them to much. We do a fair bit of free camping and from our observations, the dogs that are well trained and have been

taught good manners (eg not allowed to bark at every thing that walks past, and is taught that it is going to be left alone on

occasions )are definitely more relaxed,(dogs and owners). and at the c/park we are in at the moment some people are taking turns baby sitting

each others furry friends, so they can go out and not have to worry.

Regards MAL

PS maybe our Webmaster (THE NUTS) could shift your post to either the public or members forum, it might be a

bit more noticeable there.

[Webmaster]

Topic moved from Forum Help Topics to hopefully draw more responses from our members travelling with pets.

[RussnSue]

We don't travel with our dog. When we go away the Caretaker that does our job, looks after the pooch for us. The dog has no trouble adjusting to this arrangement. When we leave Cossack we will either find a good home for her or see whether our replacements would like her. This place is all she has ever known. All of which has little to do with the original post....

I do have a question, having never traveled with a pet.....If you go out for a while, as suggested in the OP, what happens when nature calls? Does doggy "hold it in" so-to-speak, or do you have some cleaning to do when you get back? Sorry for the indelicate nature of the question, but it is one of the reasons why we have never traveled with a pet.

Cheers

Russ

[Greg and Cathy]

Hi to all and thank you to the webmaster for moving the post. On our first outing we were very surprised at how well our Tibby behaved. She did not bark or misbehave at all. Took her out for lots of walks and I think she put her 'wee' mark on just about every inch of the park. I made sure that I was equipped with the poo bags for clean up as well.

We are hoping to do another test run next weekend and then intend to go to Hervey Bay for a week in mid October. I think that will determine whether we will be able to take her on longer trips. I did get a suggestion that if we wanted to do a day trip and did not want to leave her in the van, we could maybe use a doggy day care service. Not too sure just how many of these would be around. Don't want to sound to obsessed about a pet, but need to plan these things out so we all enjoy our holidays.

Russ - will have to get back to you on the clean up details if we leave her while we go out, but I can say that she slept inside the van for the 2 nights on our first trip and did not do anything till I took her out at about 6am in the morning so it was a good 9 hrs before she needed to toilet.

Oh and I need to work out how to amend our details now that we have taken delivery of the TE!!

Thanks

Cathy and Greg

[Ian and Sue]

Hi Russ

We could leave our guys for hours and they never had an accident - exactly the same as when they stay at home. Our oldest dog used to be really good at hanging on, not that we ever tried to make him but during some really big cyclones a few years back he would refuse to go out and do his business even if we took him outside on his lead in our sheltered back garden he STILL wouldn't go. During Cyclone John we estimated he waited around 12 hours before we finally managed to get him to do something, more than I can say for me who spent heaps of time in our little room on that occasion Back to the question - our guys are indoors dogs and have been trained since puppyhood so switching over to the caravan really wasn't any different for them. We just make sure that if we think we will be a while we don't give them a huge meal at the last minute and do take them for a good walk/run.

Sue

PS might see you over the weekend we are coming up to Cossack.

[Ian and Sue]

Greg and Cathy

Sounds like your first trip went well and has set the way for following trips.

If you are looking for a really nice dog friendly caravan park in Hervey Bay the Top Tourist park is the one - they go out of their way to make both you and your doggy welcome.

Cheers

Sue

Karratha WA

[Glen and Debbie]

Russ

Due to our little guy still being a pup and still not 100% house trained I put a pee pad down for him but he didn't need it. He also sleeps on our bed at night in the van and he would wake us approx 5.30 in the morning ready to go out for a pee.

We had a tenterfield terrier who wasn't the most sociable and who passed away recently from old age - nearly 17 who we didnt take travelling. We had always said we wouldn't get another due to hoping to hit the road in a few years. But really can't live without them. Fingers crossed for our 6 wks on the road with the pup.

Cheers

[Ian and Sue]

He also sleeps on our bed at night in the van and he would wake us approx 5.30 in the morning ready to go out for a pee.

Sounds like he is house -training you already I feel a new van with a kingsized bed coming on!

[sellinup]

HI GREG AND CATHY

There is at least 3 Doggy day care places here in Hervey Bay,so if you wanted to go Whale watching ect you have that option.

We will be back in the Bay on the 10 of October so might see you then.

Regards MAL AND KERRY.

[Tolley]

Hello Greg and Cathy,

As many KOGers know, Gayleen and I always travel with our two poodles, Moët and Cherie. We have nearly 60,000 km on our van and they have been with us for every one of those km. they have been up Cape York twice, around Australia once and just about everywhere inQueensland.

We have not found their presence limiting. If you need to do something without them you will find that just about every Visitors Centre will have a list of local dog sitters. For example, when we were in Kalbarri in WA we had them sat for a day while we visited the attractions in the surrounding NP. This sitter groomed them as a bonus.

Moët and Cherie have been into many NP's when we are just going to be absent for an hour or two. Providing the weather is moderate, we just leave them in the van where they have beds, water and food. No, they do not make a mess in the van.

So many people are travelling with their pups these days many former "no pets" CP's have been forced to change their policy to "pets welcome".

Actually, our main motivation in joining the caravan world was to have a system that allowed us to take the pups on holidays!

King regards

Colin & Gayleen