If you’re a dog owner who’d like to take your best friend on holidays with you, it might surprise you to learn that camping is a good option as many of the nation’s campsites and caravan parks are dog friendly. Here are our tops tips for camping with your dog:
- Before considering a camping trip with your pet be aware that if you take her along, you must be prepared to spend the bulk of your holiday with her. It would be very unfair to take your dog on holiday and leave her tied up outside the tent all day while you’re off day tripping.
- Before you leave check that the campsites you are planning to visit are dog friendly. Even if you know they are, call ahead to check that you are allowed to take your pet, as some have restrictions and limits on what type of dogs they will accept.
- Ensure your pet is registered with your local council, vaccinated, wormed and microchiped. Some holiday park manager will want to see documentation of this when you check in, so it’s a good idea to take the paperwork with you.
- In the planning stages of your trip, consider the sleeping arrangements. Where will your dog sleep? If you can’t have her in the tent, you need to put her somewhere she will be safe and out of the weather. If she’s too far from you, she may become stressed or even be stolen.
- Remember each state has it’s own requirements on camping with pets, so check out the regulations of each state you are planning to visit.
- Plan ahead by making a note of local vets and pet hospitals in the areas you will be visiting, in case your dog needs medical attention while you’re away.
- Most sites will be on-leash only, so be sure to make a note of off-leash areas nearby where you can take your pooch for her daily run.
- Because these sites will be on-leash areas, take along a long lead and a stake where you can tie up your pet.
- Your dog will be in an unfamiliar area, so pack her favourite toys and bedding, so she’ll at least have some familiar smells around her.
- Don’t forget her food bowl and water dish, and pack her appropriate food and treats. Pack food that she is used to eating at home – you don’t want to be camping with a dog with an upset tummy.
- Also pack lots of poo bags, a tick remover and her flea treatments (check her for fleas and ticks every day). Always pack extra dog towels – you don’t want to have to use your towel if your dog has a bath or a swim on her holiday.
- Once you’re set up at your camp, remember that while you adore your pet, not all of the other campers will be pet lovers. Be respectful of their personal space and keep your dog close by.
- Be prepared for the weather – and that doesn’t just mean heat in summer and cold in winter. Camping means you are out in the elements and even in the middle of summer campsites can get cold. In summer, dogs can heat up quickly, so always have plenty of water on hand and keep an eye on her for signs she is getting overheated.
