DOG FRIENDLY ESCAPES PART 3 - CAMPING WITH YOUR DOG

Dog friendly camping in Victoria Australia - Camping with your dog.

What are our hot tips for camping with dogs? Where is our perfect  dog friendly spot? 

Nothing beats the great outdoors for you or your dog, running around in nature makes us all feel alive. The challenge for dog owners is to find a spot both you and your significant furry others can enjoy and how to keep them safe and happy in the wilderness. 

Lucky for you we've found a perfect dog friendly camping spot ( at least for those currently in Australia ). Stunning camping in Lerderderg State Park in Victoria is less than 1.5 hrs from the city centre ! (Shhhhhh keep it a secret ) 

We made camp at O'Brien's Crossing Lerderderg Gorge for 4 blissful days. With plenty of tree shade, swimming holes and campsites all along the river.  Best of all being a State Park (not National Park) your fur buddy/'s can run around off lead. 

O'Briens crossing is a free campsite with plenty of spots, although like most places, it get's full in the busy holiday times. Outside of these times however it's easy to get a private spot with no neighbours.

Aside from plenty of swimming holes the area also has many well sign posted short and long bush hikes to enjoy. 

We help keep Willie cool by wetting his Hobo Denim Dog Bandana for walks. 

For more great dog friendly places to stay with your dog check out PART 1 and PART 2 of this series. 

OUR TIPS FOR CAMPING WITH YOUR DOG IN AUSTRALIA

• Be prepared!  Before you arrive at your camping destination know where the nearest veterinary hospital or emergency vet, have there contact numbers at the ready. If the worst happens you'll want to have a plan. We also recommend packing a first aid kit for your dog. You can purchase one for as little as $37 from St Johns Ambulance by clicking this link:  DOG FIRST AID KIT
• Make sure they bring id!  Should your dog go walkabout be sure they ALWAYS are wearing a clear id tag with name and contact number.  Of course it's always important to have your dog microchipped as well.  We like to introduce Willie to neighbouring campers if we have them also and the ranger if possible, so he has more people looking out for him. 

Willie is extra handy camping with his Dog Tag Bottle Openerfor ID 

• Prevention is better than the cure.  Make sure your dog is up to date with vaccinations and of course worming. When travelling to areas which may have ticks it is better to be safe than sorry and get your dog a tick treatment prior.  Always remember to check your dog for ticks while camping.  Check out this link for how to safely remove dog ticks  - REMOVING TICKS
• Just because your dog can be off leash doesn't mean it should have free rein. Be sure your dog is always in your sight line and when walking bush tracks have your dog on a leash.  BECAUSE SNAKES!  Also a dog roaming wild around other peoples campsites and getting into their stuff is just annoying for others so be sure to keep them close and only let them off if you have excellent recall.  Remember - never leave your dog unattended on a leash at a campsite. 

• Keep em cool! The Australia Summer can be unrelenting. Be sure your dog has constant access to 'fresh' water and plenty of shady spots to hang out. Tents get crazy hot and dog's are often silly enough to go seek shelter from the sun inside, so it's a great idea to make a comfy shady spot for them to hang out during the day.  Don't forget sunscreen for dogs who burn.

Seasoned camper Willie dog dug his own shade under a campsite log ( yes we checked for snakes first) 

• Creature comforts.  While camping is super fun for your dog it can also be confusing.  "What are we doing here guys? How long are we staying? What's that noise in the bushes?"   Bringing along a few things from home can really help them relax and enjoy things.  A familiar bed and or toy are great, plus it's a good idea to get a camp routine going with feeding to help make your dog more secure.  Many dogs (including ours) like to guard the house, and once they feel at home in their new surroundings they may also start to guard the campsite. You want to make them feel as secure as possible and deter any guarding behaviours. You don't want your dog barking at every noise in the trees or worse at bush walkers or kids passing your tent. 

 We bring Willie's usual dinner Kong and bowls + his trusty (and washable) denim bed.  Flavour of the moment toy also comes along too - this guy is called "Dirty Santa" for good reason!.

• Keep them entertained too. A busy or happy dog is much less likely to get bored wander off or start behaving badly. Make sure your dog is involved in all your activities and always under a watchful eye. 
• Relax and enjoy your time together ;) 

If you've got any great camping with dogs tips we've missed please leave them in the comments below.  - Cheers guys! 

How to get there! 

Camping is permitted at O'Briens's Crossing and Amblers Crossing.  We camped at O'Brien's, which is accessible for all vehicles. Be aware Amblers is 4WD and walk in only.  

* There is NO cellular or internet reception in this area so check your maps ahead of time and let someone know where you are going and when to expect you back. 

Willie Wore:  Hobo Denim Dog Bandana  + his trusty  Dog Tag Bottle Opener