A guide to the Southern Highlands with your dog

Over the years more and more homes are welcoming a dog into their family, which means more people are looking for ways to include their furry family members in their day to day life and more travellers wanting to bring them along on day trips and holidays.

I have compiled a list of the dog friendly cafes, pubs, parks, walks, swimming spots and a local list of vets, boarding kennels and diy dog wash locations.

Dog Friendly Bars & Cafes

Allumer Coffee & Eatery

Located in the main street of Bowral, Allumer cafe have some tables and stools out the front where you can sit with your furry friend while enjoying a morning coffee or maybe an afternoon treat.

Artemis Wines

Located outside of Mittagong in a town called Woodlands, Artemis Wines welcomes your dogs out on their deck which has plenty of shade so your dog can rest easy while you enjoy a glass of wine.

Boston 107

‘The Boston’ is located in the heart of Mittagong in the stand out building covered in ivy. There is a Beautiful courtyard where your dogs are welcome by your side while you enjoy a morning coffee or delicious brunch.

Burrawang Village Hotel

This dog friendly pub is located in the small country village of Burrawang. Beautiful views, amazing food ( I recommend the pork belly) and your dog by your side. What more could you want!

Glass Cafè

The Glass Cafè is located at the entrance to Mittagong. A lovely courtyard out the back allows your dogs to enjoy your company while you enjoy the amazing food they serve here.

Gumnut Patisserie

Gumnut Patisserie is very popular among locals and travellers. They have 3 shops throughout the region and you can even take your furry friend along to sit with you at both the Mittagong and Berrima locations. Mittagong have tables and chairs outside on the grass and Berrima a lovely courtyard with more seating. This is a must stop over on your trip!

Kookabar Cafe

The Kookabar Cafe is located in Bowral near the lovely Corbett Gardens. Head over here and your dog will enjoy sitting with you out the front where they offer mats to sit on, water bowls and might even find a treat or two or three offered.

Lil Piggy

Lil Piggy is a recent opening in 2021 in the heart of Mittagong and they are already a big hit amongst the locals. With delicious food and friendly service you can’t go wrong, but it gets better, with a lovely courtyard that accommodates your furry friends and they even have their own pupachinos and treats to enjoy.

Magpie Cafe

Located in the small town of Berrima, Magpie Café loves welcoming your furry family members in their front garden. This is a great place to enjoy your morning coffee, before venturing off on a walk along Berrima River.

Raw & Wild Cafe

Located in the heart of Bowral, this is a gourmet dog friendly café which offers delicious natural food for you and even a menu for your dog! This is a great place to head to after a walk along the nearby Cherry tree walk.

Scottish Arms Hotel

Located in East Bowral this is a beautiful beer garden with an inside restraunt. Your pups are welcome in the courtyard with plenty of shade to lounge around and water bowls offered. Amazing food and Scottish beers are to be enjoyed here.

Shaggy Cow cafè

Located in the heart of Mittagong, the shaggy cow is popular among locals. Dogs are welcome in the courtyard and front tables.

Surveyor General Inn

Surveyor General Inn is located in Berrima. A piece of our History being the oldest continuously run inn. Dogs are allowed inside the front bar as well as outside so you pup can certainly feel at home resting by your side.

The Royal Hotel

Located at the entrance to Bowral, Dogs are welcome in the beer garden on the side of the pub. Great food and friendly atmosphere. Locally reffered to as ‘The Royal’, you’ll find this place popular eccspecially on weekends.

Wt 1331

Nestled away in the stunning Corbett plaza in the heart of bowral, a new bakery brings the authentic taste of Beirut to the highlands. Delicious flatbreads and treats to enjoy while you pooch joins you in their outdoor seating area as well as the undercover tables. Water bowls are provided as well as hooks at the entrance so you can safely tie your pup up while you go inside.

Dog Friendly Accommodation

Coming soon…

Dog Friendly Hikes & Walks

The Southern Highlands is full of adventure for you and your dogs. There are many walks that are in the national parks so be sure to check before you venture out. Here is a list of dog friendly walks that I have come across. Please note dogs must be on leash for all walks.

Berrima Riverside Walk

This easy walk runs alongside the Wingecarribee River. Your dog can even take a dip in the river but be sure to keep them on leash. Click here for more information.

Bong Bong Common

Starting point located in Burradoo at Cecil hoskins reserve, this walk has stunning countryside to take in and is along side the Bong Bong River. The track is fully paved and if followed to the end is 4.35km to railway road. You can turn around at any point to make the walk shorter.

Box Vale Walking Track

The Box Vale track is by far one of my personal favourites. There are quite a few different tracks that take you throughout bushland behind Mittagong that were once used for coal mine access. A lot of history is here and so much to see including a tunnel through a large rock wall and boulder cuttings. Click here for more information

Cherry Tree Walk

The Cherry Tree walk is a popular walking track right through the suburbs of bowral starting at Bowral Pool and leading to east bowral where you’ll find the the botanic gardens. The walk starts with 526 cherry trees that were planted in memoriam of those that dies in the Vietnam war. For the most stunning experience, visit in spring when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. The walk in total reaches 4.7km following the path all the way to the botanic gardens or turn around at any point to head into town.

Gibbergunyah Reserve

Gibbergunyah is a lovely walk in Bowral through a protected reserve. Kangaroos, wombats and echidnas can be seen. There are 2 entrances and multiple circuits ranging from 1km to 2.5km each. Click here to see more information

Mt Gibraltar Reserve

‘The Gib’ as its locally known is a fantastic hike to the top where you have 2 viewing platforms to see over the towns of Mittagong and Bowral. There are many different starting points and tracks to follow. Click here to find out more…

Off leash dog parks

The Southern Highlands has a small array of off leash dog parks for your dogs to enjoy safely and contained.

Follow this link for more information and location of our dog parks.

Remember these general rules…

Always have full control and constant supervision of your dog.
Pick up any waste after your dog.
Give space to those around you and always be mindful of dogs that are of a significant size difference.
Never be in control of more than 4 dogs in any public space.
Do not take unvaccinated dogs to the park.
Desex your dog or do not take females in heat to the park.
Do not bring food into the park.
Do not bring small kids into the park.
Keep a harness or collar attached to your dog and carry their leash with you.

Veterinary Clinics

We have some amazing veterinary clinics here in the Southern Highlands. Click on the photos below for Contact details and further information

Mittagong

Bowral

Moss Vale

Bundanoon

Boarding Kennels

We have a few options for boarding kennels here in the Southern Highlands as well as a nearby kennel in Wollondilly. There are listed below, click on the photos for more information.

Dog Wash Locations

Petbarn Mittagong

Highlands Vet Braemar

We know Pets Bowral

This list may not be all there is to offer and will be updated accordingly as new information is shared or found. I hope this assists locals in their daily lives with their pets and visitors with planning their trips 🙂

Have you been to any of the above businesses? Be sure to leave a review on Google to help others in their choices!

May 18, 2020May 25, 2020

Keeping your pet comfortable during the winter months

Everyone knows that when its cold we put on more clothes, wear gloves, put the fire on and other measures to keep warm. We care for all our family members and make sure we are all warm if going outside. But not everyone thinks about their pets.

A general thought process is that ‘oh they have fur that keeps them warm’. Well no not necessarily. Inside animals will certainly be more susceptible to the weather, so if going outside should be dressed accordingly. Some outside animals are more acclimatised to the elements and can handle more extreme weather however there is a point when its too much. But what is that point?

Well some studies show that when the outside temperature feel reaches below 7°c than that is when your animals start feeling uncomfortable. Personally this is when i put my dogs coat on if the night temperature is forcast to reach this. If the temperature is due to drop even further, eccspecially below 5°c I bring my dog inside.

Bringing animals inside is not always an option. So if your animals have to be outside than you can do things to make sure they are protected, like the following:

Dressing your animal. Obviously your dog isn’t going to keep a scarf on 🤣 but you can buy your animals a coat or jumper to put on when outside. I personally like the weatherbetta coats that are waterproof. So if your dog is like mine and decides sitting in the rain is a great idea than at least they stay dry.
Maintain grooming. A lot of owners think that just because its winter its best to leave their fur to grow to keep warmer. Well this is not the case. Your dog will actually hold onto their body temperature better if their coats are kept healthy and well groomed
Provide adequate shelter and bedding to protect your animal from the wind and rain. Just like us, animals appreciate a warm blanket or bed to lay on and an enclosed area like a kennel or stable with a roof to be comfortable and safe.

Walking your dog in the cold weather

Its really important to continue to exercise your dog even during the colder months, but extra precautions need to be taken to protect them. Eccspecially your dogs paws. Here are some tips to help you do just that…

Trim the hair between your dogs toes. When its icy or even snowy its important to keep this hair short. If ice or snow builds up it will become uncomfortable or even painful for your dog to walk.
Wipe clean and moisturise your dogs paws on your return home. This can help stop your dogs padd from cracking when they become dry and this cam be extremely painful.
Walk only on paths not through the snow or icy grass. You want to avoid as much as you can the possibility for your dog to lay down in the snow or icy grass. A dogs stomach has very little fur and they can become very cold very fast. This can lead to hypothermia very quickly and with not much warning.
As above keep them warm with coats, jumpers and even little booties made eccspecially for dogs.
Monitor your dog for signs that they are too cold…
1. They are shivering to try and keep themselves warm
2. Ice is forming in their fur. This means their body is struggling to maintain their body temperature enough to melt anything on them.

Stay safe, stay warm and stay healthy this winter!

November 17, 2019March 20, 2021

Why S & N Pet Services?

Why S & N Pet Services? So I have been asked this question a few times now and it is meant in one of two ways.

Why are we called S & N Pet Services? And why should i use S & N Pet Services?

Well let’s start with why you should use our services.

I could go on about qualifications, references and experience but those aren’t the most important factor. They certainly do help though and are definately necessary. You can see all this information on our website. 🙂 But what really is important and a big reason why you should use our services is passion.

We may be a small buisness but when you support small businesses you are supporting a dream. It has been my dream to run my own company and have that company be what I am passionate about and love doing. It brings so much happiness into my life to care for animals and i wouldn’t want to do anything else.

Between our passion and our experience, you can be assured your pets are receiving the most high quality care so you can relax and enjoy a stress free time away without worrying if your pets are ok at home.

We understand your pets are family members and we will treat them like our own when in our care.

And this is what leads me to the other question. Why are we called S & N Pet Services? And that answer is simple. Family!

My family is everything to me, my husband Chris, my dog Achilles and my children Summer and Noah. See where I’m going with this?

And this is my foundation, family, love and passion.

Hope everyone’s weekend has been enjoyable and I look forward to more meet and greets next week. I have a few availabilities for next week meet and greets and Christmas holidays are filling up fast so contact me to book today!

November 14, 2019November 20, 2020

Surviving the summer

With temperatures rising and summer currently jumping upon us, we need to know what we can do to help our pets deal with the heat.

Dehydration is one of the biggest concerns for our pets during summer. Access to fresh water is so important. It is best to place your dogs water bowl in a place where it will be out of direct sulight throughout the entire day. Its even more preferable to provide your pet with multiple water bowls in different locations so that you will always give your pet access to water out of direct sunlight as well as a backup source if one is tipped over or has been drunk.

Please be cautious using pet drinking fountains. The water left sitting in a hose can exceed temperatures of 140° and can possibly injure your pet if it gets a spray of that water straight into it’s face. Automatic water bowls also should be used with caution. If not maintained and checked daily you could risk your pet having no water if something breaks, as people tend to rely on the ‘automatic’ function.

A dog panting is completely normal as they do so to cool themselves down, however you need to recognise the signs of excessive panting. This could be cause for concern and indicate possible dehydration. These symptoms include

Pets saliva being thick and sticky
Tounge is bright red
Extremely dry nose and/or gums
Lethargy

Misting systems, an undercover tiled area, cooling mats, Paddling pool to cool off feet and bringing your pets inside are other ways you can help your pet beat the heat.

Walking your dog on those hot summer days should be limited to early mornings or late evenings. Not only can your pet get sunburnt, the hot pavement can burn your pets paws. If unsure if it’s too hot, place your hand against the pavement. If you can’t hold your hand there for at least 5 seconds it is too hot!

Different size dogs and breeds handle the heat differently and some might tolerate higher temperatures but a general rule of thumb is as follows…

Let’s talk animals left in cars. Please don’t ever leave your pets in a car. During the hot summer days temperatures can soar and it can take just minutes for your pet to suffer from heat exhaustion and lead to death. If you ever see a pet locked in a car please be cautious. As tempting as it is to break a window to rescue the pet, you could face charges for the damages. It is best to stay by the car and call the NRMA who will make it priority 1 and come out immediately and handle the situation safely.

Keeping your horses and livestock cool during these times may not be as easy but by providing them adequate water and shelter will help. Good quality food is also important. When food is digested it causes heat production which will contribute to the animal’s heat load, so it is important to provide animals with high quality feed to maintain nutrient intake without the excessive heat production. Feed early in the morning or in the evening when temperatures are not as high.

Another fun thing to come with soaring temperatures is snakes. Protecting your pets from snakes is highly important. Keeping your yard and fence line tidy and limiting places where snakes can hide is vital. Keep your grass mowed and bushes pruned. If you live in an area where snakes are common it is best to invest in snake proof fencing to help keep them out of your yard.

If you think your pet has been bitten by a snake, keep them as calm and quiet as possible and take them to a vet immediately. The chance of recovery is much greater if treated early. If your vet is some distance away you can apply a firm bandage over and around the bite site to apply pressure and help slow the venom spreading to the heart. Do NOT wash the wound. If you are able to identify the type of snake, this will assist your vet so they can administer anti venom.

And lastly let’s look after our local wildlife as well. By leaving out water for them. Bird baths and buckets of water could be the difference in saving their life in the event of a fire or extreme temperatures. Putting a stick in the water also can help smaller animals out of the water if they fall in.

Thanks for reading and I hope this helps you with your pets this summer. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask 🙂