Traveling Lessons

The first road trip with the dog was an adventure. Here are some lessons I learned.

1)      New locations needed to be christened with dog pee (accidents seem to be mandatory over the first 12 hours).

2)      Be careful keeping your dog on leash in the house because they can accidently hog tie a person (and this is especially dangerous if this is your 88 year old grandmother).

3)      It is possible to walk an 80 some pound lab, Lee and Gemi, if you tie the biggest 2 together. Lee was dragging the Lab around until the Lab realized she could use her to prevent dragging. When walking the beasts, you need to be sure you are not walking on snow surfaces that are not packed like ice, so when they pull you have traction. When doing this, avoid area with deer. It is difficult to control 110 lbs of excited dog if 2 deer crosses you path. (it is a Christmas miracle I didn’t fall).

4)      There is nothing funnier than watching two big dogs getting tangled up and tripping as they race down the beach tied together.

5)      If you have 2 dogs tied together, make sure it is the bigger one that listens and will come back (and fortunately for me, this was the way it was).

6)      If you have 2 playing dogs, you don’t need TV. It is so much fun to watch them.

7)      Dead fish on the beach can unite even the most sceptical dog with the others.  

8)      Life is easier if you have an enclosed space to let your dogs do their business. Going out every time 1 of 3 decides it is time to go out, means you are out at least a dozen times a day. (This wasn’t so bad there where it was much warmer, temperatures close to 0, than it is in Ottawa).

9)      At feeding time, feed the fastest eater (who gets faster when there are more dogs around) in a separate room to allow the other dogs to eat at their leisure.

10)  If you are a dog person, surround yourself with dog people and then your dogs get enough treats and goodies that you won’t have to buy any for weeks! (Our dogs got as many gifts as we did!)