Solos and dogs

bushranger · Veteran Member

Solos and dogs

Dwilz · Veteran Member

bushranger wrote:
Hey everyone,
I shall be travelling with a small dog and I'm wondering what other solos do with their dogs under the following circumstances:
1 When you want to visit a national park but, because of your dog, you can't.
2 When you need to do your shopping and you can't take your dog into the shop/supermarket.
3 Similar situations of which I haven't yet thought.
Thanks for your help
Bushranger

use Dr google and type in dog sitters it could help if you want to do national parks or even shopping or anything else

you can think of.

brickies · Guru

What is your set up .

bushranger · Veteran Member

Hey brickies,

Don't have one yet... planning ahead,

brickies · Guru

I have seen people with motorhomes when they go shopping leave they dog in the motorhome leave top hatch open and window open a little to let air in , It is the same has having dog inside while camp , Most caravan and motorhomes have secuirty doors so you can open the main doorand lock the security door , If you have a small caravan you could have a portable dog pen that you could stay a a caravan park near national park and do a day trip to the national park .

dazz49 · Senior Member

If you only have a small dog, buy yourself an airline dog freight crate. Good to teach your dog to sleep in it. It will be his comfort station. Then when you go shopping pop him into the crate in a cool spot with water. He will be safe and you will know where he is. Leaving dogs in vehicles can be very expensive when they decide to chew the steering wheel or rip the cladding off the door. I can vouch for this from experience. cheers. Daz

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

I think you will find that leaving a dog in a vehicle when no one is there is illegal.

Cheers,
Peter

Rip and Rosie · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
I think you will find that leaving a dog in a vehicle when no one is there is illegal.

Yes, it sure is... however, I do leave mine for very quick things like paying for petrol, etc.

He will also stay in the van (not the car) if I dash off for a quick shower.

Also, some caravan parks will throw you out for leaving a dog unattended....inside or outside the van.

In free camps, I'm too scared of snakes to leave him outside alone

I'm too scared of baits to let him run free as well.......and I don't want him annoying other people either.

If you travel with you pet's vaccination records, you will find most local vets will do dog sitting for you....small cost but worth it

If you travel with a dog, well, you win some, you lose some........that's how it is.

bushranger · Veteran Member

Peter_n_Margaret -- Thanks for your comment; yes, you are quite correct. It is illegal to leave a dog -- or a child -- in a car.

Rosie, your suggestion regarding the local vet is a good one. Thanks.

But my question was what do you do with your dogs....?

Perhaps I should have more correctly asked "Where do you leave them when you are in the supermarket.... or want to visit a national park?"

Anyone have any more ideas?

TheHeaths · Guru

Tony,

when visiting National Parks, either in kennels for Day Care, or with Vets for Day Care ( a number do this). That was what Rosie mentioned. The other option is to leave them with someone when you visit the NP and reciprocate for them when they want to go. You can't take them and leave them in the car park.

As for the shops, much the same. That is if in a motorhome, leave them with someone and reciprocate, or leave them for a short time in the motor home. If you have a caravan, while some parks may say not to leave them alone, many are ok left at the park, especially if only for a short while, and they are quiet dogs.

Other than that you takes your chances and leave them in the car, doing shopping only early morning or on cooler days.

GannyontheGo · Member

Good point Tony-I'll be travelling with my two dogs, so thanks to all for the advice!

bushranger · Veteran Member

Thanks everyone for all your comments.

I had thought a vet or day care would be the place to leave my dog but wanted to learn what others did, particularly as it is likely that not all town will have doggy day care. I am sure all, or most large towns have a vet. Whether or not the vet looks after dogs for a day I guess I shall find out.

Tony

hokianga · Senior Member

When I travelled by myself with my two boys I always went to the shops really early before it got hot and left all my hatches open and parked in shade. I missed out on National Parks completely as I didn't like leaving my boys with strangers. The benefits of having their company far outweighed the sights I may have missed.

HiAce98 · Veteran Member

Exactly what I do too, hokianga. Maybe I'll visit some national parks in a few years from now when my boy has reached the end of his line. Or maybe not. I've never felt like I missed out and he's worth it. Used to have two but one has already had his last trip to the vet and it made me realise even more how much I need them!

-- Edited by HiAce98 on Thursday 1st of February 2018 12:47:33 AM

franniemac · Veteran Member

Visiting national Parks

Wish all National Park work depots / council work depots provided a small number of pens in which dogs/cats could stay during the open hours of the depot.

The Parks and Wildlife depot at Cervantes WA does just that.

You can leave your dog there while visiting the Pinnacles. DPAW provides a small number of pens for individual dogs during the open hours of the Depot. Pens can be locked (with your own padlock). You need to provide your own water container. Phone the DPAW Office to arrange it. T 96527 043 Address: Bradley Loop, Light Industrial Area, Cervantes WA 6511.

Congratulations to DPAW for providing this. As a solo traveller with a small canine companion, I certainly appreciated being able to visit The Pinnacles.

Fran

bushranger · Veteran Member

Excellent, Fran. Great input. Thank you.

Terryt · Veteran Member

It is not illegal to leave a dog in a vehicle. It is illegal if doing so causes the animal to suffer. On a cool day no problem. The hotter the day the more precautions you would need to take. Use your common sense.

newslug · Veteran Member

Pretty much theres no broad answer - No one is allowed to take their dog into a supermarket -- solo traveller or otherwise ... ..but you know there is a lot to be said to making a choice .... a pet or a caravan...

I don't care who you are -- eventually the van WILL take on some of the dog's smell. Yes they are good faithful company -- but you cant deny it, dogs smell.

They are often a source of announce to others with their yapping, and toilet behaviour.

You cant take them into national parks .

The dog living in your van will ultimately help to lower the re sale price of your van ..

some time back I called into a used van sales yard at Gympie Qld ,,, you could instantly tell which van was home to a dog, an which wasn't -- you can use as much disinfectant as you like -- the memory lingers ---- As does the smell of people cooking meat inside the van --- and those who are um having a bit of difficulty with their bladders if you know what I mean....

Those three issues have deterred me from buying a used van

newslug · Veteran Member

Oh yes it IS illegal to leave a dog ( or child) in a locked car at ANY time --- not just because of the heat fact but also because a dog can accidentally let a handbrake off - and who knows what can follow from that???? Be assured if you are caught locking your dog or a child in your car ( at least in NSW and Qld ) you WILL be charged!

newslug · Veteran Member

don't risk it Terryt -- it IS ILLEGAL in NSW and QLD regardless of how long you leave the animal locked inside -- and regardless of the prevailing weather conditions == just don't do it ...... Now, if that's inconvenient to you, that's your problem., Not the dogs. and that's how the law sees it.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

We saw some people at a market, who had tied their two dogs under the back of the car, on a rug, with water and food for them, dogs were quite happy. Nothing illegal in that I should think - I suppose if they were yappy, or aggressive - maybe I wouldn't even take them on the road.

dog kindness.jpg

Dwilz · Veteran Member

Ive given up reading this post some of it is utter rubbish in my opinio

Terryt · Veteran Member

www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/dogs-die-in-hot-cars-the-need-for-better-laws/

Newslug if you check out the enclosed link you will see there are no laws preventing you from leaving a dog in a car in NSW. I haven't searched Qld but I imagine it would be the same

Terryt · Veteran Member

https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/dogs-die-in-hot-cars-the-need-for-better-laws/

Newslug if you check out the enclosed link you will see there are no laws preventing you from leaving a dog in a car in NSW. I haven't searched Qld but I imagine it would be the same

oldbloke · Guru

Terryt wrote:
www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/dogs-die-in-hot-cars-the-need-for-better-laws/

Newslug if you check out the enclosed link you will see there are no laws preventing you from leaving a dog in a car in NSW. I haven't searched Qld but I imagine it would be the same

Agree. Story goes there are people going around smashing car windows everytime they sell a dog or cat in a car. If it's true, they are the ones that should be in court. Heaven help them they do it to my car.

Chellbells · Veteran Member

When shopping, tie the dogs up out the front of the shoot, like u would do if u walked them to the shop from yr home. If visit NP, knock on doors and ask a friendly elderly couple can they look after yr dogs. Leave them with a gift if money and your licence details.

Chellbells · Veteran Member

Shop I meant, not shoot.

dundreamin · Veteran Member

-- Edited by dundreamin on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 07:53:10 AM

dundreamin · Veteran Member

Yes it is illegal to leave a pet or child locked in a car on a hot day. However a motorhome is a completely different situation. I used to travel with my kelpie husky cross in my 7m motorhome (pictured). If it was hot & I had to leave her for a short period to do shopping or go to an attraction I'd leave all the windows open, roof hatch up, bowl of water & if really hot, a fan, cool mat & cool coat on & when I got back she'd be as cool as a cucumber as the saying goes. Also did several temperature checks at home. With the vehicle sitting in the sun, with everything open on a 44° day, the temperature inside was always 3° cooler & about the same temp as on my back verandah in the shade id she'd been laying out there. No different to being camped somewhere on a 45° day. Of course the smaller the vehicle the more it will heat up. It's a matter of common sense. I actually never left her for very long but if there had've been a time when I needed to leave her for the whole day I would've booked her into a kennel or vet. There's also some excellent pet sitting apps like Pawshake where people will do doggy day care.

-- Edited by dundreamin on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 08:06:22 AM

-- Edited by dundreamin on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 08:11:48 AM

dundreamin · Veteran Member

My dog used to travel & live with me in my motorhome all the time. I bought rubber backed single curtains & put over the front seat where she sat when we were travelling & also on the floor where she slept. When I sold my vehicle I had many people come to look at it & not one said it smelt. The rubber backing prevents dampness & odours going through to the carpet or upholstery.