We are dog obsessed, I not even sure obsessed is the right word to describe how much we bloody love four legged fur friends. With our love affair of dogs it comes as no surprise to anywho knows us that we will go through great lengths to travel with our beloved kelpie, Rusty.
This handsome fella, made the trip to Wester Australia with us (not via the car) and then spent three weeks road tripping the south coast and living his best life. Honestly, if you haven't seen his smile on IG scoot down this post and try to tell me he isn't smiling.
Anywho, back to the reason we are all here! How the hell did we get our doggo to WA without scaring him? What did we take with us for him? How hard is it road tripping with a dog?
Logistics
With our beloved Bonnie aka our troopy already in Perth and the knowledge we were heading away from three weeks, we decided to splash the cash on flights for Rusty. That's right, we flew our dog to WA! before you get disheartened, it isn't that expensive.
Flights for dogs are around the same price as your air fair. Keep in mind that flying during school holidays and close to weekends will jackup the cost of flights.
You'll want to book your dogs flights and your flights at the same time. I was determined to be on the same flight, that way if we had any delays it wouldn't be an issue. Virgin Australia and Qantas offer pet flights. Your dog will be in a temperature control cargo area, the same temperature your cabin is when flying and their crate will be strapped in to keep them safe.
Flights for your dog must be booked via a third-party. We went with Aeropets, as my family have used them in the past and there prices are competitive. The team were incredible to deal with and answered all my questions. In which, I had about a thousand questions. You can also hire a crate at an extra cost or use your own, as long as it is an approved transportation crate.
We dropped off Rusty, 2 hours before the flight. Popped him into the crate we hired with a towel and said goodbye. He was ready to be collected on the other end 30 minutes after landing.
One thing they didn't tell us, which thankfully didn't happen, was that if your dog poos in the crate before takeoff you have to go and clean it up. They won't fly with poo in the crate and won't clean it up for you. We didn't skip any meals with Rusty, however, his body is like clockwork and they didn't tell us until we dropped him off that you shouldn't feed them before flying. 
Doggy Anxiety
Lucky for us Rusty is a super chilled kelpie, hard to believe I know. The vet can provide you with doggy xanax. It is recommended you test one dose before flying as each dog can react differently, a small percentage get hyperactive. When we tested it on Rusty he was high as a kite, honestly it was not a good time. The poor guy had no idea what was going on and his back legs started to give out.
Thankfully, Rusty is relaxed in the car and comes down to Sydney with us when we road trip down once a month. He just goes to sleep for the 8 hour drive and is pumped when its time to stretch him legs and explore a new area.
We opted for no doggy xanax when he flew and he was absolutely fine from what the staff told us. Excited to see us and keen for a beach run. Whatever you decided, make sure you test the dose before flying and chat to your vet if you have any concerns.
If your dog is a pup or older then the may be required to provide a vet certificate stating they are safe to fly. Rusty is almost three and didn't need one of these.
Quarantine
There are currently no quarantine requirements in place when flying your dog interstate. Again, the company you book flights with will tell you of any requirements.
Doggy Camping Gear
This is the fun part! We pack light when travelling and the same comes to our camping dog. While we want him to be comfortable without going over the top.
What you'll want to take:
- Dog tag with your name & phone number
- Lead - just one
- Long rope and carabiner
- Ball and toys - three max
- Collapsible bowls - just two
- Camping tent or bed
- Dog First Aid Kit
- Couple of poo bags
The Dog First Aid Kit is an absolute must! You are in a new area and never know when something is going to happen. This kit is an absolute life saver. We used it when Rusty cut his paw open on a rock oyster. It has everything you need from a snake bite to a tick remover.
You can buy food, treats and more poo bags when you land.
Transport
At the airport we had a chat to the local taxi drivers and most of them were happy to take Rusty in the car as long as he sat in the boot. We had a towel for him and he is a super friendly, so we had no issues. You can also use Uber Pet to book transport.
Camping
We didn't have any issues camping with Rusty. There are plenty of epic dog friendly campgrounds along the south coast of WA. From Bremer Bay to Margaret River we found incredible free camps, national park camps and private properties.
We used WikiCamps and Hipcamp to find dog friendly spots. Check out our top five road tripping app post for more details.
Here is a list of places we stayed:
- Bremer Bay - we stayed with friends, however, both the caravan park and tourist park in town are pet friendly.
- Bettys Beach, Albany - a free camp with only six spots available, first in bets dressed.
- Cosy Corner East, Kronkup - $14 per site, with a big beautiful dog-friendly beach.
- Boat Harbour Camp, Denmark - $40 per night, was a place to stay while we explored the area and close to Boat Harbour Beach.
- Westbay Retreat Caravan Park, Augusta - $40 per night, lush grass and friendly family run business.
- Honeycombs Beach Camp, Margaret River - $40 per night, only a handful of huge sites, peaceful and great for exploring.
- Jarvis Estate Wines, Margaret River - $40 per night, a side of wine tasting with your camping.
We went during school holidays, prices are higher during peak times. Though we had the best trip and most of these we'd stay again. When you're in Denmark be sure to stop by The Dam for a drink.
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