Vacation with a young dog Part 2: Experience report

Hello, it's us again, Mirjam and Labrador Balu. If you don't know us yet, you can read the blog post " Vacation with a young dog Part 1: The preparations ".

Directions

Thankfully, driving is not a problem for Balu. He slept through the two hour journey. Since we were still afraid that there would be a problem, we didn't leave until late in the evening. A good and bad idea, as it turned out later.

Since it was actually my family's vacation together, some things weren't dog friendly. We were aware of that in advance. What we didn't know, however, was that the hut was located directly in a cow pasture. The cows are usually elsewhere during the day, but pass by in the morning and evening. Furthermore, the three of us didn't have our own room. We slept in a camp with my siblings - 5 people and 1 dog.

Arrival

Of course, immediately after arriving, Balu had to check out everything. He found that very exciting. It smelled fantastic everywhere and finally meeting my family again made him happy too. Since it was already very late when we arrived, it was soon time to go to sleep. And this is where the aforementioned problem of arriving late comes into play: Baloo was still pretty excited and although he was already very tired, sleep was out of the question for him. Good conditions for tomorrow. And yet we found a solution.

Sleep situation

At home, Baloo sleeps in the living room, usually on the sofa or his blanket . We had taken his blanket with us, but he couldn't calm down because of all the new impressions. The same applies to young dogs: be a role model. So we grabbed Baloo and put him in bed with us. Remember, we were in a camp with several people next to each other. After a few minutes he was able to calm down and so we decided to let him sleep there. During the night he wandered between our feet and my siblings' feet. However, that wasn't a problem.

I was previously afraid that the cows would wake him up at night with their bells or that he would have to report other unknown noises. But he largely slept through the night.

Hike – Day 1

The weather report for our hike reported 32 degrees in the valley, while around 27 degrees were expected for us on the mountain. So we started early so we could take a break in the midday heat. We set off with lots of water in our luggage. The dog drinking bottle for on the go is particularly suitable for this. After about 30 minutes there was a break for Balu. Then another short distance to the lake. That was really great for him! Baloo and I stayed there while the others stormed another summit. It was now time for Baloo to rest and take a bath. However, it was very difficult for him to relax there. The worst of the heat was over when we headed back home. As befits a real hiking day, we stopped at a hut. Balu was familiar with this situation because he had often been to restaurants or with friends with us. Luckily we got a spot in the shade. Before I could put a bowl of water in front of him, he had already curled up and slept. Strengthened, he was able to walk the rest of the way home. He fell asleep pretty quickly, it was tiring!

Bathing day – day 2

On the second day we wanted to go to a lake because it was supposed to be very hot and Balu had already walked a lot the day before. No sooner said than done, but we underestimated the crowds because of the good weather. So we only found a parking space at a public bathing area where dogs are not allowed. Well, that's how people jumped in. Baloo slept in the shade, a towel to cool down, a chewing bone to keep him busy later and he was happy. Back at the hut he got his bath while we played games together.

Departure

The original plan was that we would be on the mountain pasture for 3 nights and 2 days. The departure would have been early on the third day. We spontaneously decided to go home that evening. For the same reason why we arrived late in the evening.

The day after

These two days were very exciting for Balu, he has a lot to process. The first day after the vacation he slept almost all day. There wasn't more than one mini round in it. You shouldn't underestimate that! If the vacation lasts longer, plan enough rest days for your dog.

Conclusion

What I learned from the vacation was that good preparation definitely pays off and that I can trust Balu to do something like that. He seemed super happy on the mountain pasture and during the hike. Despite the unfamiliar surroundings, he was very chilled for a young dog. Departing in the evening was definitely a good idea. It wouldn't have hurt to arrive two or three hours earlier. Discovering the world together was good for all of us and provided new experiences for both sides.