Wolf & I Co. Blog | Adventures Of The Wolf Pack

Obi and fam recently set about converting a Toyota Hiace into their own little adventure home, in order to travel to some epic places around Australia whilst spending quality time together .

They set to work with Obi as the project manager of the van build, despite the fact sleeping on the job was his best quality… Obi has gotten familiar with his new home on wheels thanks to his hoomans commitment to training and so, when finally, Evie was complete, Obi was ready to hit the road!

We asked @adventures.with.evie a few question about travelling in the van with Obi and here’s what they had to say.

What are your five top tips to ensure you’re prepared for travelling with your dog?

1. Familiarise travel space & train way before you go: You should never just throw your dog into a situation and assume they are going to be ok. It could end up being a negative experience for everyone. Ensure everything you train before you go (in regards to travel) is a positive experience for your dog. Have them part of your packing routine, in our case the van. It was so important for us to have Obi around the van when we did the build. He got used to it while it was stationary first as a home rather than just a car. We did crate training for his travel space, muzzle and also bootie training. He already had solid mat training. Each part of this training we did we just had the object around the home or in the van before we even started to train so he could sniff and be desensitised to it at first. All training used positive reinforcement and treats as the reward. It is all about consistency and routine with your training. Set yourself and your dog up for the best travel experience possible. If you do this from the start it reaps rewards down the track.
2. Safety is number one: Your dog's safety should always be the number one priority. Always know where you are going and how safe it is for your dog. Check the area before you set-up and make sure there is nothing to put your dog in danger or that they could eat (if they aren't trained in the leave it command). Check if they can be off-lead or on-lead. Don't ignore this as sometimes there could be good reasons for not being allowed off-lead such as baiting or protected areas. Pens set-up around our campsite also indicate to Obes that it’s his safe space. It is his time to settle and no other dogs can just come into our site.
3. Cross check dog friendly venues: Unfortunately, we’ve found even though places say they are dog friendly, they may not be "big" dog friendly. We use Instagram as a tool when researching venues to visit whether it be a winery or brewery. We always look at their feed and see how many dogs have actually visited there and also tagged photos. Sometimes if we're not sure we'll message or call them. We have had some occasions even during COVID when places haven't been busy that have said they only allow "small” dogs which is a disappointing response when you go out of your way to visit a venue.
4. Reading your dog and people: Always communicate with your dog when travelling on a trip. Make sure they are always ok and always check-in. We know Obes better than anyone so we know how to read him like a book. It is just being aware and not ignoring those signs. There are always signs whether it be stress signals such as lip-licking and looking away or heavy panting which again can mean stress or heat. Each sign is also in context. Make sure you know your dog better than anyone. In regards to people, some people may not like your dog and you may not like them. Not all people or dogs are friendly. Obes being the friendly boy he is can't always tell that, so we need to do that for him. Also try to avoid on-lead x off-lead dog situations. Many dogs react differently on-lead as they do off-lead.
5. Routine as much as you can: Give your dog rest. Even though you are travelling and you could keep going all day, your dog always can't. Of course, some dogs can go more than others but Obi needs his rest. Again, it is about setting him up for a good day then realising in the afternoon to night - slow it down at camp and let him have his time. Make sure your dog still gets their two meals a day. Sometimes this may have to be altered and that's ok. If we know we are going to drive first thing in the morning we won't feed Obi breakfast as he could sometimes feel sick so we feed his Ziwi throughout the day and when we setup camp he might get it for lunch instead.

What was the key to preparing Obi for van life?

We made sure Obi was around the whole time we worked on the van build. It was so important for us to have him around it and in it, so he got used to it stationary first as a home rather than just a car. We were lucky Obi has always loved car trips so we didn't have that issue at all. When the part of the build for the bed was done we put his blanket and toy on there so he felt at home in that space automatically. We then bought the crate that was to go behind our seats where he travels when we drive. It was important to decide on a crate for safety and security. We then had the crate in the van for him to go in and out as he pleased. We did some training using positive reinforcement and treats as the reward. Obi is very food driven which makes training him very easy to reward. We then went around the block with him in the crate and built up the time slowly and slowly. We didn't want to have a negative experience by having him travel too long before he was used to it.

Any special training before you set off?

Definitely. One thing we did was muzzle training. There are lots of parts of Australia still using 1080 bait so this was super important. We haven't gone to an area like this as yet but we muzzle train at least twice a week so he is used to it and comfortable if we ever need to use it for his safety. Any type of training is best done slowly. We had the muzzle on the coffee table at home before we even started to train near his face just so he could sniff and be desensitised to it.

Another important thing to train would be the command "leave it" if they don't already know. This is so helpful if Obi sniffs something before we see it and we say leave it and he won't ingest it (this is something that he has been trained for over the years though so you need to make it solid before applying it and expecting your dog to be so responsive like that).

Did you set up the van with a special place for Obi to sleep?

He always has the option to sleep in his crate as we keep that up behind our seats but he almost always sleeps on our bed. We got the bed made a bit wider than a queen so there is plenty of space. Obi is very polite to sleep with. He has always just laid across the bottom of the bed.

What do you pack for your dog?

All the below is in context to what season it is.

• Waterproof jacket
• Outdoor camping bed
• Fan - we give Obi a fan for summer trips, it's facing his crate while we drive and we can use it anytime to help cool him
• Spray bottle - important in summer to cool Obi down as he doesn't love the heat
• Jumper - important in winter when sleeping in the van
• Lead - always take both lengths of Wolf & I Co. lead to use for different purposes, like the shorter one in venues and the longer one on walks
• Harness - always take two in case one gets filthy
• Collars with ID tags
• First aid kit - on longer trips we get general antibiotics from our vet to take also in case Obes gets sick
• Travel mat - important for Obi to have his place he is comfortable when in venues. As soon as we put that down he is on it (mat training) and content in that space
• Life jacket
• Quick dry towel
• Blankets
• Toys
• Grooming kit - brush, conditioning spray, dry shampoo
• Crate
• Booties (for snow and hot sand)
• Muzzle
• Hooded towel
• Antler
• Food (enough food for all days away and a couple extra in case)
• Tendons
• Pens (to set-up around campsite)
• Dental sticks
• Probiotic - keeps his gut intact whilst his routine is mixed up
• Kongs
• Slow feeder bowls
• Treats

How do you find dog friendly places to camp?

We use WikiCamps and HipCamp mainly as our two apps. We also do a lot of googling around different areas that are dog friendly also to find out what is around those areas that we can also explore with Obi not just the campsite. We also use Travel Australia with Dogs Facebook group. You can search words to find posts about a specific place.

How often do you stop for your dog during a trip for water/toilet etc.?

Every hour and a half. If we see he is doing ok we will go two hours but never more than that. In summer we would stop on the hour so he gets the water he needs.

Any dog specific challenges you’ve faced on the road?

Fatigue: We learnt it is so important for Obi to still get his sleep and rest in the day. Just like us, if he is too tired and we go to a venue say for a late lunch he may be very unsettled. It’s so important to read your dogs mood and decide whether you are doing the right thing by everyone by going to that place for lunch rather than just staying at camp and getting rest.

Heat: We have been to a few places in summer and now know we have to go somewhere cooler for Obi's sake. When we went to Mudgee for three days the temperature was over 40. Even though we were in shade, had water and a fan, Obi did suffer from heat exhaustion. We knew what to look for and ended up leaving late one afternoon instead of the next day to make sure he was ok and get him home to cool him down.

Top places you’ve visited so far?

• South Coast NSW, amazing beaches and seafood also so many wineries and breweries that are dog friendly as well as off-lead beaches.
• Dinner Plain, we took Obi to see the snow for the first time which was unforgettable.

Places you’re planning to visit and why?

Lots! The main one being WA. This will be our big trip. Mostly for the pristine beaches and dog friendly places along the way. We don't have a set date for this as yet due to COVID but here's to hoping next year sometime.

What do you love most about being able to travel with Obi?

Not being apart. Experiencing everything together as our family of three.

What does Obi seem to love most about your van life adventures?

Obi loves all people and dogs so he loves meeting new people and dogs along the way. He loves the attention and sure will give you a dirty look if he doesn't get a pat hello. He absolutely loves a swim and the beach so being able to visit so many off-lead beaches along the way has also been the highlight. His ultimate love of van life is probably just getting to be with us all the time. His family.

Stay up to date with Evie and Obi @adventures.with.evie @obitheadventurer and subscribe for more epic adventures sent direct to your inbox!