PETS OR PARKS

What to do with Rover while you tour pet-free zones

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY TRINA AND RAY MORRIS

Travelling with a pet is an undeniable pleasure, but it does sometimes involve sacrifices – the most obvious being: no camping inside national parks.

Conservation areas are pet-free zones, but we love exploring national parks! Visiting beautiful, natural places is one of the major reasons we travel. National Parks aside, there are many other attractions to experience where pets cannot go. So how do we manage our roving with Rover?

It simply takes planning, flexibility, good communication skills, and the occasional sacrifice. We research our destination and find pet-friendly accommodation, staying in a van park or freedom campground as close to the national park/attraction as possible. Then we look into our options:

TETHERING OR CRATING

Leaving a dog tied to your caravan is not recommended unless the animal is very experienced at being tethered. Extreme care must be taken to ensure Rover’s line can’t become tangled, resulting in restricted access to shelter and water. Sometimes, confining him to a crate is a better option. Many caravan parks do not permit dogs to be left unattended, so check with them first. Some will agree if Rover doesn’t bark, but if not, they are usually able to recommend alternatives.

HOME, SWEET HOME

Many dogs – usually smaller breeds – prefer to be left inside the caravan, where they enjoy all the comforts of their familiar, secure home. Be sure to check whether park rules permit this, and remember to toilet Rover before you depart! Consider the predicted weather to ensure the van is not likely to become excessively hot. Making it vulnerable to a break-in by leaving windows open for Rover’s essential ventilation is a problem, but your pooch’s safety and wellbeing must always come first.

NEIGHBOURLY LOVE

If your pooch doesn’t like being left home alone all day without any cuddles, ask around and find a pet lover who is planning on relaxing in camp all day. We find many people are only too happy to keep an eye on our dog – at their site, or ours – while we explore a national park or visit non-pet-friendly attractions. If they have a pet, offer to puppy-sit their dog, and they should be happy to return the favour.

DOGGY DAY CARE

Many smaller parks – and even some bigger, super pet-focused ones – are happy to keep an eye on your furry companion, usually in their backyard rather than at your site. The wonderful couple at Mitchell Caravan Park in Bourke recently looked after Drummer while we toured Gundabooka National Park. Their dog, Scruffy, loves having friends come to play, and they wrestled each other all day. At Bungle Bungle Caravan Park last year, the office staff happily cared for Drummer and Izzy while we explored Purnululu National Park. Brilliant service for guests!

You can also jump online and find one of the many pet-lovers in the Australia-wide doggy day care network. These people open their homes to visiting dogs, and provide very personal care in a loving home environment. Many also offer overnight care for multi-day stays, so are a great alternative to boarding kennels. Otherwise, call the local vet or pet shop for doggy day care contacts. They are almost always able to recommend someone to help you.

PROFESSIONAL BOARDING

If all else fails, there’s always the option of sending Rover off to the local boarding facility. This is absolutely a last resort for us, since Drummer becomes stressed by the noisy and impersonal caged atmosphere of the boarding kennel environment. If there are no kennels in the region, ask the local vet, because some are happy to offer one of their dog runs – although they usually charge a vet-sized fee!

PLAY TAG!

If a national park is simply too good to miss, and isolation or extreme weather prevents any of the above options, be prepared to visit a conservation reserve on your own, while your partner relaxes in camp with Rover, then swap roles the next day. It works for us… and sometimes, a day apart makes the heart grow fonder!

A FINAL NOTE

Some of the above options are not suitable for dogs, particularly those who suffer from separation anxiety. The stress of ‘abandonment’ in these dogs can be very damaging to the pet’s psychological health, and an anxious pet may express his stress by shredding your caravan! Rover’s disposition should be calm and relaxed to ensure he does not bark or become agitated, so tranquillity training and desensitisation to separation is essential in the nomadic pet.