Travelling with a working dog

Plan the route

Identify rest opportunities and veterinary access before leaving. Confirm accommodation accepts your dog and ask about where it can rest, exercise and be supervised.

Prepare the handover

Carry identification, care instructions, regular food and veterinary records. When another person transports the dog, agree who can authorise care and how you will stay in contact.

Separate border rules

International travel requires its own official checks. Consult the destination authority early rather than assuming domestic travel preparations satisfy import requirements.

For shared transport, label belongings and written instructions with the dog’s identity. Confirm the receiving person and handover time so a delay does not leave the destination assuming somebody else has taken responsibility.

Make return arrangements as explicit as the outward journey, including late arrival. Confirm that a responsible person can receive the dog if travel finishes outside normal working hours.

Transport and entry are separate checks

The Australian Government’s dog-import resources and New Zealand MPI’s guidance concern defined border processes, while the transport operator controls its own booking and carriage arrangements. Do not treat a carrier accepting a booking as confirmation of import eligibility. Domestic road journeys also need an appropriate travel environment: RSPCA warns about heat and hot surfaces on ute trays. Confirm care during waiting and handovers as well as moving time. Keep responsibility explicit if the dog passes between owner, driver, boarding provider and receiving handler during one journey.

Common questions

Sources & further reading

References for this guide. Rules and services can change; check the responsible organisation for current details.

• RSPCA: Caring for your dog (opens in a new tab)
• Australian Government: Bringing cats and dogs to Australia (opens in a new tab)
• RSPCA: Road-trip planning (opens in a new tab)

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