If you can’t stand the idea of leaving your dog behind and going on a camping trip, the good news is you don’t have to.
There are some amazing pet friendly camp sites across Australia. But before you head off, there are a few things you need to do to make sure both you and your pooch have a fun and safe time on the trip.
Here are our top tips for camping with dogs:
✔ Make sure if a dog is meant to be on leash, it is on leash at all times. If you are planning to have off leash time ensure that your dog is well trained in recall.
Dogs in new and exciting environments may not respond as they do in their familiar surrounds.
✔ Keep your dog close to you and your campsite at all times. A long leash/cable leash/chain or tether are good for when you are at the campsite enjoying your day. You can tie your dog up to either a stake, tree, picnic table leg or other strong object which will give him more freedom to explore his surroundings.
✔ A collar/harness with ID should be on your dog at all time. Plus make sure their microchip details are up to date. Reflective collars/leashes/harnesses help with visibility at night.
✔ Water and food bowls, make sure you bring enough bowls to feed your dogs as well as a bowl or two to leave around the campsite for water. We prefer collapsible bowls, they’re easy to transport and take up less space.
✔ Bring extra towels. If your dog gets wet and/or muddy while you’re hiking or just hanging around camp, you’ll want to be able
to dry them off before letting them into your tent at night.
✔ Bring your dog’s favourite toys for him to play with to prevent boredom, calm fear and add something familiar to camping. Also long lasting treats can be a great help at setup and pack up times.
✔ Another thing to consider before taking your dog camping is where it will sleep at night. Will they be in your tent with you? In a crate? Somewhere else? Pack appropriate bedding.
✔ Bring a first aid kit with basic medical supplies. You want to make sure you have what you need to handle simple injuries that may happen while you’re camping or to manage your dog’s injury until you can make it to the vet.
✔ Know where the nearest vet to your campsite is. Hopefully you won’t need a vet, but when something goes wrong, it’s handy to know where you might have to go in a hurry.
✔ Check that vaccinations are up to date. If a location requires proof of such vaccinations, have a printout by your vet ready to handover. If camping in an area that has ticks, make sure are up to date with tick prevention.
✔ Clean up after your dog. Doggy waste bags are one thing that many people overlook when packing for a camping trip.
Being prepared will help you avoid any potential crises and help make everyone’s trip more enjoyable!
Camping is great… camping with a dog is even better!