FURRY FRIENDS

One question that I am sure many people are curious about with our travels is how do we travel with our dog? Is it worth the extra effort? Is it hard to do in a small space? There are allot of questions that may come to mind. We absolutely love travelling on the road with our little side kick. But of course, like many situations on the road, you will have to outweigh the pros and cons. We personally would not have it any other way and the memories you keep, when having the whole family together, is simply priceless.

So what are our tips and tricks on this topic? We want to share with you the experiences we have had so far travelling for over 10 months in several conditions with our 4 1/2 year old fun-loving Staffordshire Terrier, Alfie.

First off I am such a crazy animal lover. So having our four legged friend join us onboard wasn’t even really a discussion to be honest. In saying this, we definitely ran by each other the obvious pros and cons. But for us, having Alfie with us through the journey was not a tough decision. However, everybody’s situations when trekking varies. Different sized vehicles, different size/numbers of dogs, different travelling climates, different trekking goals and many more factors. For us we clearly love the ocean. We like to plan most of our trips close to the coast and like to only spend small amounts of time generally in more built up areas or cities. We love anything to do with nature. So we knew straight away that this was going to be a challenge we would need to outweigh when bringing along our dog. As National Parks are definitely off limits for your furry friend. If you are planning to embark on a large amount of National Park hikes, trails, and bushwalks, things may get a little tricky with your pooch. You would have to be away from your pet for very long periods and on a regular basis. With the thought of any pet being left alone in any vehicle, is not an option. With our travels we simple have not travelled to these particular areas. But still very easily found our fix of nature activities on a regular basis, in other areas. Compromising with certain bushwalks to beaches, parks and there are even a handful of trails and walks that are dog friendly. Be sure to check before you trek. We have also experienced that it is best, most certainly if travelling far to a particular track, to ring the nearest holiday park to confirm any dog regulation information. We have in the past checked council and internet sites, advising which tracks are to be dog friendly. Only to travel, sometimes up to an hour, to have realised that the tracks rules have been changed and sites not updated. So like many cases, to double check, is always safe.

QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY BE WONDERING ABOUT

Is it hard to have your dog in a small living space?

Like I touched on earlier in regards to different situations, this will definitely come in to play. How many dogs are you planning on taking? What size vehicle are you using? What breed of dog/dogs do you have? Are they extremely active? Do they excessively molt? How many people are travelling along? Standard questions such as these, most certainly will change the answer dramatically. However, speaking from our experience we have one small/medium size dog with short hair, a large coaster bus, two adults which all love to be outdoors when possible. When embarking to life on the road, allot of focus is on the adaption and how the owners will live in the small space. But we truly feel that it is more of a case of living out of your vehicle. You do not have a four bedroom two bathroom house to wander around in. You do not have the endless chores and up keep of a property. A large majority of your time is spent outside of the vehicle. Trekking amongst new areas, enjoying nature and discovering new towns. So, as for any issues sharing your space with your pet, we find that this truly does not affect us. Sure there will be the odd week that it pours rain and we are slim for options of venturing outdoors. But the sun always pops out. Even if for a short period. In these cases, we will take this opportunity to do as much exercise for both of us and importantly Alfie. When the weather is clear, we take him for two to four walks a day. It all depends on our activities for the day, as we take him almost everywhere we go. In our case, most Staffordshire Terriers are usually an extremely active breed . But are worn out very quickly. So the frequent activities leaves him nice and tired. Which results in allot of sleeping either in the coaster or outside. Making the space of the coaster completely freed up. We also choose to keep the bed off limits for our dog. This is a personal decision for owners. But we feel that our bed is the one space in the van that is just for us. We have found it also very handy to train our dog to understand that his bed is his special little spot. A comfy area to relax. If we both need the floor space with out Alfie walking around, his bed is a great tool to use to free up this area quickly.

Is it hard to keep the vehicle clean and tidy with a dog?

The thing with living in a small space is it can become messy very easily. But on the flip side it takes just as much time to clean. So it really isn’t an issue for us, ever. When it comes to our pooch, the same method applies. If you keep on top of normal pet grooming, as you would in a house hold your pets hygiene will be the same in a vehicle. Resulting in a tidy space. Tips such as keeping our bed a no zone, cleaning muddy/sandy paws before entering the space and having a hand held vacuum cleaner for any fur certainly does help. Our dog is short haired and hardly molts at all. So I can not really speak on behalf of any owners with long haired dogs. However, like I mentioned I really feel that if you obtain the same upkeep as you would for your dogs breed in a household, the results should really be the same. Dog or no dog it is also always handy to keep a fresh air flow coming through your vehicle as much as you can also. To prevent any problems with odours occurring. But we have never had any issues, even when having to keep the vehicle closed for colder climates. But once again better to be safe.

Leaving your pet alone in a small space

Firstly, absolutely no animal should be left in an unsafe, uncomfortable space, alone, at anytime. When it comes to living on the road with a dog you will have to get use to tailoring all of your plans to accommodate your dog. But that comes with owning any pet, wherever you live. Living on the road and deciding to bring your four legged friend along simply means that you must realize about 90% of your time will be with your dog. We always plan our trips to shops or if we have errands, along with a set routine. One of us will go and complete the errand, while the other person stays back to mind Alfie. The same procedure applies for any work, volunteering or events we have to attend to. In saying this however, we believe it is important that your pet does not become anxious when you leave the vehicle. We advise from the beginning allowing your pet to have small periods alone in the vehicle. Even simply starting with a few minutes. Under no circumstance are we advising this to be done in a hot, uncomfortable and or unsafe space. With these trials we advised that they are to be tested when your car is only, for example, parked in the shade, is a comfortable temperature and has a safe surrounding. For example you could try this for several minutes occasionally when checking the ocean. This will help your dog become comfortable with being alone for short periods in the vehicle. In our particular situation when our dog has had allot of exercise, which is usually daily as he goes everywhere with us, there is nothing more he wants to do then to curl up and sleep. This allowed us to, in some cases, take a small amount of time out without our dog. For example a short night out to have dinner. Again, only if all other safety factors line up for each situation.

A FEW HANDY TIPS

Allow your dog to become familiar with different surroundings - This will help your dog to become less anxious. Encouraging them to experience a variety of environments, sounds, people, smells and surroundings.

Having a stable drink and dog container - This is an important item to have when travelling on the road. Sometimes things can get bumpy on the road and the last thing you need is your pets food and water supply to be over the vehicles floor. Especially whilst driving.

Practicing off leash walks - This comes with practice. Not all areas are going to be appropriate for these trials. But it is important to become more comfortable with this practice and allows more trust into your relationship. In saying this, it is important to continue training your dog to come on demand. Especially if you need your pooch back in the vehicle quickly for certain reason.

Time to get friendly - Your dog is not going to be seeing the same six dogs he sees when walking down your street at home. Each day they will usually meet several different breeds, shapes, sizes and temperaments of dogs. As well as people. So it is important to allow your dog to be social.

Vet organising - Having all of your pets documents , history, vaccination filed away and organised is a must. You can even store them on a hard drive if paperwork and files are going to take up too much space. So if anything was to happen to your pooch, you have all the details to refer to, at hand. Sometimes these visits can be unscheduled and this organisation will take the stress out of what may already be an unpleasant situation.

Changing climates - As you would at home, you will often be travelling to several different areas. Often experiencing different climates. Sometimes, they may be more extreme then what you and your dog are used to in your home town. This is a major factor that must be reviewed seriously before planning your journey. Taking into account your particular dogs breed and the climates you are expecting to experience. Using equipment like extra rugs, blankets, jackets in the cold and using black out curtains, cooling towels and or cooling collars in the hotter climates are also great options.

All in all, having your furry friend join the ride is such an amazing experience. We absolutely love seeing just how much our dog Alfie adores exploring everywhere with us. Animals truly keep you connected to staying present and active. We truly would not have it any other way. The small effort that is made to make the journey safe and possible for everybody is more then worth it, when you get to experience the trek together. We hope this blog gave you a small insight into life on the road with our pooch and can help you choose what road is best for your pet.

PEACE X Kirsty, Brent & Alfie