Taking the dog along made my holiday!

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By Kate Bendix

I discovered how taking your dog on holiday can really make a break.

Last week I decamped to Cornwall with five friends and my dog, Nikita. We booked a fabulous cottage near Wadebridge, packed the car with way too much stuff and headed out west.  

It was the first time I’d taken Nikita on holiday and my only worry was that it would be restrictive in the places we could go and stuff we could do, with a dog in tow. Using this fabulous pet-friendly map, I discovered that nothing could have been further from the truth.

Now, I’m the sort of person who packs light, generally speaking, though it’s changed slightly the older I’ve got. When you get into your 40s you kinda want what you want: your own bathroom, your own bed, no more dorms or other peoples toenails, urgh!  Hence I packed my lovely pillow and my radio, but I’m still proud to say I can get everything I need into a small suitcase.

Then I took the dog with me, and travelling light is no longer an option. I still have my small suitcase, but the dog? It’s like packing for a high maintenance friend! I filled a box with everything she would need for the week, or so I thought.

Food, harness, two leads – one flexi, one short (lots of paces insist on short ledas), a coat in case it rained, her supplements – fleas, worms, teeth, food and water bowls, towels and – the most important thing – her bed.  I also took half a dozen blankets to drape over furniture in the rented cottage so she could curl up and wouldn’t leave mud or hair behind. Of course, she chose the chair without any blankets at all. Dizzy dog.

Then she threw up. And I realised I hadn’t come prepared for third party damage, so there I was at 8am on the second morning, in a massive supermarket, staring at an aisle of cleaning products so dazzling in its complexity and colour I couldn’t make a decision (I had yet to get a cuppa inside me).  Armed with a scrubbing brush, carpet cleaner and a new set of Marigolds I got to work on the carpet. Came up like new, I’m relieved to say.

After breakfast Nikita and I set about the business of having a thoroughly good time, doggie style! We all set off to Rock, which has an amazing beach, sitting along the Camel estuary, just across from Padstow. The tide was receding and we tramped over the sand through to Daymer Bay just around the headland. The weather was glorious and, because it was March, the beach was practically empty, save for other dogs and their owners.

At Daymer Bay we discovered the sand dunes, and Nikita realised that a half-decent dune was the only thing missing in her life. She proceeded to race around, and up and down the dunes, for ages until she was exhausted. She’s only little, and I think sand is a very comfortable surface for her wee paws to run about on.

As she stood on top of the dune, happy, her little chest heaving with exertion, I realised that having her there, with me, on that beach, in that moment was what it was all about. She shows me how to have a good time when we’re out. Instead of sticking my headphones on and listening to music or (worse) talking on the phone, I play with her, listen to the birds and the wind, watch the boats and smell the seaweed. As a group of friends she brings us together, by democratically fetching her stick to each person in turn.

During our walk, other dog owners stop for a chat, small children ask ‘what’s your dog?’ and by the time you amble back up to the road you’ve been told where to find the best dog friendly place for lunch.

Taking Nikita away with us made the holiday better, she opened up our world. So, while it can be a problem getting into places with a dog, though this is getting better (the Lost Gardens of Heligan allow dogs, bravo, and thank you) I can’t imagine a holiday without her now.

So take your dog with you, if you can, because he or she will bring far more to your holiday than a bone and a blanket.


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