Frankie is a true-blue Aussie adventure dog. Don't be fooled by her unique physique, when she isn't napping or demonstrating downward dog position with her lady human, she is planning her next big Aussie adventure. Frankie really leads the way for her family, sniffing out the best camp spots and making friends with the locals to ensure they all have a great time wherever they go. Frankie is an advocate for short legged dogs everywhere, conquering boulders, logs and navigating Kayaks like a pro for 13 years already.
Frankie dreams of exploring Western Australia and meeting a Whale Shark one day.
Stratus Outdoors Q&A with Frankie
Q: What’s the best thing about being a family adventure dog?
A: Definitely all the new smells to collect on the journeys. And I do love the warm cuddles in their laps while we sit around the fire at night.
Q: Favourite activity on a camping adventure?
A: Napping on the grass to warm my belly in the morning sun. Then moving my nap under the Stratus Shade when it gets a bit too hot. Then napping again on the grass in the afternoon sun.
Q: Most epic camping failure?
A: Getting lost in a Mangrove maze.
Once, during a family camping adventure up North, we had all boated out to some mangrove islands to explore and catch dinner. The humans were all occupied fishing for Whiting from a sandbank. The tide turned and was coming in fast but the humans just weren't paying any attention. My ancestral wild-dog instincts kicked in. Calculating how quickly the water was coming in and the shortness of my legs, I knew I had to get to higher ground, and fast. I tried to jump back into the boat, but… my body design is just not cut out for extreme leaps.
With the humans not paying attention, I had to take action myself. I swam for it.
Across a small channel and into the safety of the mangrove forest on the other side. The family finally realised I was gone and commenced a full scale search. They were sure I had been taken by a Bull Shark or drowned by the incoming tide. The search went on for hours until they eventually found me at the other end of the island, safe, dry and feeling much more in tune with my Wolf ancestors. There were many tears shed by my humans and happy cuddles that seemed to never end.
The excellent and unplanned outcome: I have been sleeping in the big bed with my humans ever since.
Q: Frankie, what is your advice to other dogs to best enjoy adventures with their people?
A: Don’t eat food from the fire until it's offered to you. Manners go a long way with the humans and will determine where you sleep at night.
