Mark and Mya’s travel adventures a hit online

They say dogs are man’s best friend, so there was no way a Ringwood man was going to leave his beloved hound behind as he visited some of the world’s most spectacular sights. Nearly 40,000 fans are now following the pair’s adventures online.

Ringwood’s Mark and Mya have become an online hit for their travel and pet care blog. Picture: Andy Brownbill

A Ringwood man who travelled 80,000km with his dog through North America is back home and planning his next adventure.

Mark, 34, who didn’t want his surname used, was spurred to do his dream trip after his father suddenly died in 2014.

But there was one problem — he had to look after his four-legged friend, white sheppard Mya.

“I chose her to bring her into my family and take on that responsibility of getting a pet, and I felt I couldn’t leave her behind,” Mark said.

Mark and Mya are back home after their 18-month North American trip. Picture: Andy Brownbill

The duo left Australia in November 2017 and returned home last month.

Their highlights included skiing at Big White resort, exploring Niagara Falls and white water rafting in British Columbia.

Mark and Mya saw some fantastic scenery in British Columbia.

Mark said bringing Mya along allowed him to get more out of the trip.

“I would have done heaps of skiing and snowboarding, but having Mia with me made me think outside the box,” he said.

“Because I was looking at different activities, it broadened my whole experience.”

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Mark shared his adventures with Mya on social media along with various pet care tips.

They developed a loyal fanbase including more than 37,000 followers on Instagram and extended their trip after they got approached by sponsors.

Mark and Mya strolled through New York's Times Square.

On his blog, Mark said he used a few strategies to make Mya feel as comfortable as possible for her international journey and collected her airline approved crate at least three months prior to departure.

“I did this so she could get used to sleeping and spending time in it, with the door open and shut,” he said.

“I used a reward system to support this strategy and put some of her favourite toys inside, to create a familiar smell and environment for her.

Mark and Mya exploring in Canada.

“For the journey itself, I put one of my shirts that I had been wearing inside the crate so that she would have something with my smell on it, to make her feel like I was there with her.

“Most people stress over how their pets will cope with travelling in a crate, but I can say using these strategies Mya was just fine.”

He said Mya had puppy training and then she graduated to obedience and advanced obedience training, which improved their relationship and ability to travel together and helped Mya learn what was socially acceptable with humans and dogs alike.

“It’s because of these skills and manners that I know I can have her off lead and that she has been welcomed in restaurants, hotels and many tourist attractions,” he said.

Mark said he and Mya now plan to embark on a three-month trip around Australia in October.

“We’ve seen a whole heap of countries now so it would be good to discover a bit more of our own home and appreciate that,” he said.

Details: markandmyasadventures.com

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