My dogs spent last week at Lake Anna living it up while I was at K9 Nose Work (TM) camp. I was working, the dogs were vacationing.
I always wonder: what do the dogs think about vacations? I don't think they even have "vacation" as a concept. I think it's just "a whole lotta fun" to them.
I have Labradors, dogs of the water. My parents' place is on the water – the dogs go out the back door and trot (race!) to the water's edge every day. What a life. I've been badgering my husband to put a pool in our backyard for the dogs. He was a lifeguard as a teenager and he keeps telling me there's too much upkeep involved.
The dogs beg to differ, I keep telling him.
While our three dogs went to Lake Anna to spend the week with my parents and their Rottweiler, Ike was on vacation, too. He went to a puppy sitter — the same woman who kept him when he was but a tiny 8-week old pup. She was happy to reuinite with him and take note of how much he'd grown. Ike enjoyed her black Labrador — a very spry nine year old, Rosie, who kept Ike in check.
Anyway, I was gone for a week from the dogs, they had no idea where I was or why there were where they were, but from all accounts every one of them had a fun time while on vacation. Sometimes I would like to have their outlook — it seems to be something like this: take every day as it comes, don't worry about why or when, just enjoy it as it happens.
Pretty good words to live by…
You touch some pretty interesting subjects there. One of them is that your dog can (and should) also have a vacation without you. I have never done that before, but it should be part of their growing up. I must give that a try to with Kenzo. He will benefit from it. Oh my, did I just say that?
I’ve always wondered the same thing! Are they happy, sad, do they miss their usual routine and bed? My dog is also spoiled when she “goes on vacation” so I often feel like she is sad when she has to come back home. Happy to see me I’m sure, but sad to be confined to our townhome and small “yard”.
I guess I wouldn’t feel so bad going on vacation without my dogs if they were having such fun as your dogs do! I would LOVE to find someplace great for my dogs to vacation! Thanks for the food for thought!
If only we all could live with that way of thinking.
I have four dogs and they can’t all travel with me every time I go somewhere, so it’s only necessity, not preference. 🙂 They’re Labradors and LOVE the water, so I’m pretty sure that (1) they’re having a BLAST and (2) at the end of each day they’re so danged tired that they barely notice I’m not there. 😉
I feel really lucky to be able to send them off to my parent’s place. I would feel differently (and maybe wouldn’t even go) if I had to board them.
Keep looking, Barb! There might be something out there — or maybe an entrepreneur will see this and have a great idea for a new doggie spa/vacation resort. We love our dogs and are willing to pay good $$ for their happiness! 🙂
I do envy the dogs sometimes…