How to have a successful road trip with your dog

Hitting the road for a driving holiday is an Aussie tradition. These days, the family dogs often come along for the ride.

I mean, they’re your kids right? It would be heartbreaking to be apart from them for an extended period.

And financially, leaving them at home could be expensive if they have to be boarded.

So for head and heart it just makes sense to take your canine pals along with you.

My wife Jane and I have done it a couple of times now with our Dachshunds Eddie and Lulu and there’s lessons to be learned about how to go about it.

So if you’re thinking about taking your dogs with you next time you road trip, here are some tips we’ve picked up along the way that should help you get started.

There are various websites and social media pages devoted to planning your trip. ‘Travel Australia with Dogs’ is a popular Facebook page.

These sites provide a venue for the exchange of information on accommodation options such as caravan parks and tourism attractions that welcome you and your furry friend.

There are also lots of pics of dogs to scroll through and comment on as well!

It is recommended if not required Australia-wide that dogs be safely tethered when travelling in a vehicle.

In our case, because we have small dogs, we decided to invest in booster seats for them so they could see out the rear windows.

There is a huge range of such seats available on the web, with prices ranging enormously.

We eventually opted for seats worth about $150 each. Essentially, they comprise a plastic box with a seating platform and a sturdy carabiner on a strap that hooks up to the inertia reel seat belt (that’s the fussiest bit of setting them up).

Once personalised with their favourite sleeping rugs, beds and chew toys, Eddie and Lulu adapted pretty quickly to them.

They love sitting up high and are much happier travellers compared to when they were simply secured on the rear seat.

Eddie used to whine and fuss a bit, didn’t want to sit in the back seat and kept trying to sit on our laps.

That’s no longer the case with the booster seat.

Knowing we had a six-week trip coming up with up to a week at a time on the road, we decided to acclimatise the dogs to the travelling experience beforehand.

So, Sunday walks required a drive first rather than just going from our front door.

Those travel training trips gradually extended to an hour or two – which was also a great incentive for us to find dog-friendly walks further afield.

It was a strategy that worked really well. Over time the dogs became easier to load and more relaxed in their booster seats because they associated them and the car with good times.

We used a 2023 Ford Ranger Wildtrak for our first major expedition with our dogs and it proved great for the task.

The dog beds fitted easily and there was enough room between them and in the footwells to accommodate stuff that had to be transported inside the cabin.

The rest went into the tray, securely locked away under the hard cover.

Ed and Lulu loved the high and handsome seating position. Ed even developed the habit of looking out the back window, maybe trying to remember where he had been. He is a bit of a worrier.

It’s always a good idea to carry a supply of water and snacks in the vehicle. We make them available at leg stretching and toilet stops that are no more than two hours apart.

We placed our dogs on worm and tick medication because we were travelling into NSW and Queensland where both pests are more prevalent than Victoria.

It’s also worthwhile checking daily for tick infestations because they can cause illness and even paralysis.

Both our dogs are chipped and we fitted their collars with GPS tags as well. The tags proved a mixed blessing. Lulu’s worked perfectly, but Ed’s was erratic and soon failed.

If you’re travelling with a caravan or tent, the good news is lot of parks welcome dogs. Just be aware of the fine print including things like exclusion dates that have to be complied with.

If you’re sans van then your accommodation options are still pretty good if you are staying close to major population centres and tourism routes.

Caravan park cabins often allow dogs, while short-term accommodation providers such as Airbnb and Stayz allow their listings to be tailored to show only pet-friendly options.

Over time, Airbnb became our primary way of finding overnight accommodation because it offered the most comprehensive choice. That said, we would always reach out to the owner explaining our situation before we signed up.

Sometimes a place that looked affordable lost its sheen when extra fees were charged per dog.

We quickly tailored what we were looking for: a place with a fenced yard so the dogs could exercise and with a separate bedroom so they couldn’t try and sneak in under the covers during the night!

We brought a large throw cover for sofas with us as it’s often stipulated dogs are kept off the furniture.

Bringing their familiar beds and bedding helped settle them at night. We also brought a stock of dried food and clean water with us to ensure they didn’t get upset tummies.

We also found a temporary doggy door at Bunnings that was light and easy to transport. It worked with any sliding door and proved a real boon.

And of course, you have to have a stock of plastic bags to collect presents left in the yard. That’s just part of leaving anywhere we stayed clean and tidy. It’s just the polite thing to do.

The need to get your dogs out for a walk on holiday is just the same as it is when you’re at home.

As well as the exercise reward for all involved, you also explore places you’ve never seen before, even if it’s just a wander through suburban streets.

Naturally, there are restrictions having your dogs with you. For instance, you can’t take them into National Parks and they are out of bounds on some beaches.

But there are dog minding services and kennels you can call on. The madpaws.com.au website is a good place to start.

If you’re staying somewhere with secure fencing you can always go out on a day trip and leave them at your base. With burrowing dogs like Dachshunds this can prove to be a bit stressful!

Taking your dogs with you on your road trip undoubtedly adds complexity. You have to do more planning and they can restrict your movement and where you can stay.

But just like at home, their presence when you are on holiday adds joy to your life. And that makes the effort worthwhile.

Top tips for travelling with dogs

• Research before you go – there are a lot of people out there doing this, so there’s lots of advice about all aspects of travelling with dogs
• Make your doggy comfortable and secure – pet beds are a great way of doing both
• Stop frequently and carry refreshments – budget a walk every couple of hours so your dog can get some exercise, go to the toilet, have a drink and something to eat … and so can you!
• Familiarity breeds happiness – bring favourite bedding and chew toys with you, it helps them get comfortable in the car and in unfamiliar accommodation
• Taking your dog will restrict your access to some tourism attractions such as National Parks and some beaches, but there are pet minding services available
• Some accommodation options refuse pets, but many are welcoming … just do your research ahead of time
• Airbnb offers a handy dropdown menu that includes a tick box for pets; that helps save time when figuring out where you can stay
• And even if you are tired at the end of a day’s driving, still head out on that walk … you’ll both appreciate it!