Dog days

Travelling with two big dogs might be a problem for some, but not for us. We love having our ‘boys’ with us, and have been taking them away since they were puppies. They have gotten used to hotel rooms and new walks, and are always very happy to meet new people.

We do feel a bit sad this summer, as the little big dog’s diagnosis of severe aortic stenosis came as a bit of a shock. Of course, we knew he had a heart murmur but we thought we had loads of time to love him. After three quite frightening collapses in May, we decided to have his murmur investigated. It turns out this isn’t something every vet can do. It has to be a specialist vet, and in our area there is only one. We were warned that the tests are expensive, but after clarifying that he wouldn’t be in pain, we agreed to go ahead. It was an emotionally exhausting experience for all of us. And to be told that his prognosis is poor was devastating news. The medication he has started seems to be working, though, so at the moment, we are grateful for all the time we have with him.

Which is why we decided to have a weekend away in the New Forest. The trick to travelling with dogs is to anticipate their needs. If you know what they need you can adjust the human schedule to fit.

We were lucky with the weather, and had a wonderful walk in the New Forest, slowing the pace when we needed to, and stopping for lunch in a pub. The little big dog’s tail wagged the entire time, and they both grinned from ear to ear, as only a Boxer can.

BW,
Lesley x.
(aka Mad dog woman of Shackleford)

Aww, I'm sorry to hear your bad news

Sounds like you had a really lovely weekend.

Thanks, Helen. A bit of a shock, but things are calm and (almost) normal now x.