Not long after I finished writing ‘The 5 Best Things about a Holiday with Your Dog’ I realised that there were in fact more than 5 things that make taking a break accompanied by your dog awesome!
1. Travelling with other Dog Lovers
Dog lovers love other dog lovers! There is nothing better than spending time with your friends and family that understand the way you feel about your own beloved furkid. You can plan days around both spending time with your loved ones and your loved furry ones. Your dogs will have their own playmate for the trip so that they can enjoy the activities that dogs love to do with their own species – racing one another along the beach or a game of tug of war. All the while, the humans can sit back together and laugh at their dog’s antics and tell tales that only other dog lovers would understand.
2. You can travel ‘solo’ but never be alone
Sometimes there is the occasion to travel solo. Some love this independence and freedom. Some choose this option as a means of recharging their batteries and renewing their spirit. For others, there is simply no travelling companion– others aren’t able to get the time away, afford it or aren’t interested in where you want to go. Having your dog with you means that you’re never alone despite travelling solo. You will have companionship throughout, and as we’ve already mentioned you have a great aid in meeting new people!
3. Takes you places you may not otherwise discover
There are probably not many people that would be all too enthusiastic about taking their dog out for the loo late on a winter’s night in the snow…. Brrr, I know I wasn’t! But in doing this I discovered how amazing the stars are when you’re away from the city on a clear winter’s night. Such an incredible sight to see the whole Milky Way above you whilst you’re waiting for your dog to do their business! In fact, instead of immediately heading back indoors we went for a little night walk to really take the amazing mountainside view in.
It’s more than the last loo outing of the night though! It’s the longer travel break you need to take while driving. So instead of using service stations on the side of the road you pull into that small country town and go for a short walk along the river there or enjoy some wonderful cake at the local bakery. It’s taking the scenic route so that you’ll be able to stop more easily for breaks for the dog. It’s picking the accommodation out of town where you’re dog will be able to run through the lavender farm.
4. It’s good for your dog
We all know how much dogs love to head out, sniff the smells and check out the neighbourhood. Dogs in play are believed to have a response similar to that of a young child in play. Dogs need mental stimulation and love new things that capture their interest. Taking them on a holiday delivers that in spades! It gives them new experiences and new things to play with. Racing through the snow or digging into a pile of leaves, offers them the chance to manipulate and understand the new environment, smells and sensations and that’s highly exciting to a dog.
5. It’s good for you!
The walking that you need to do because you have your dog with you means that you can’t turn into a total sloth on your holiday! The fresh air, the activity and the time spent walking are good for you. More than that, though, spending time you’re your dog has proven to be good for your soul – so that makes being on holiday with your dog a double dose of soul food! Companionship, time away, laughter, activities snuggles and all the wonderful things about travelling with our dogs make us happier people and that’s definitely a good thing for us! And I dare say those around us!!
Are there even more ways in which you’ve found travelling with your dog to be incredible? I’d love to hear about your dog and dog-inclusive travel experiences!
