York, a pub lunch, and cats!

 

The humans and I went away in my campervan last week, even though it was a bit cold and sometimes very wet. But we were fed up with the wet and all that rain we keep getting, so we stayed at a campsite in York on what they call a hard standing (I think it means the van is not on grass which would be blooming wet and muddy and we could get stuck).

The York campsite is a great place for walks along by the river (think it's called the OOooze) but the humans learned that the campsite, just across the road from the river, had been closed 4 times this year because of flooding, so everywhere we walked (on paths whenever we could) was wet and sloshy. I was allowed to go on some of the grass, but only for a quick sniff and pee, as it was so muddy I might have sunk into it. With short legs that could be a problem. 

The park next door to the campsite, where I've been taken before, was closed and the tennis courts were under water. I made the best of it and liked my walk by the river on the puddly paths, but the best day was when there was no rain and some friends of the humans came to visit.

We walked into York and we had a map of the Cat Trail all ready to follow once we'd been for lunch in a pub. Now, sitting under the table in eating places is really quite good as I know when to behave myself, and this often means I get an odd titbit from someone's plate. A very large bowl of water was brought for me too.

What I was interested in was this Cat Trail thing the humans kept talking about. After lunch and lots of chatting (boring...) we set off with the map to find these cats. Would you believe - there's even a cat shop!! in York but it doesn't have real cats in it, just models and pretend cats. Boring.

We followed the trail for a while, but it looked like it was going to rain (again) so everyone decided to cut the walk short and get back to my campervan before we all got wet. The humans only found 4 cats on the way back, using the map. And I didn't get to see any of them at all because they were climbing up the sides of buildings and sitting on windowsills.

And in any case, they weren't real. Otherwise my behaviour might have been a bit different!

A Dog's Eyeview of Vanlife - Part 3

 

When we’re on our travels and away from home for a while, more packing goes on before we leave, although I have noticed they keep some of my things in my van all the time. When we do what they call a “trip”, we sometimes go to what the humans call “a-broad”, or “you-rup”. My van goes on a train or a boat, but as long as I can snuggle down comfortably while we travel, I’m OK.

Wherever we end up, the most exciting bit of all is when we arrive and I can smell and see where we are when the door opens. If it’s somewhere I’ve been to before I always remember it. I insist on leading the way for the first walk I get soon after arrival, so I can check out the lie of the land. If I know where we are, I set off an a familiar route. 

The humans were surprised I could do this when we arrived at a campsite in that “a-broad” place we’d not visited since I was a puppy, but I definitely knew my way about.

Campsite dog walks – the bits fenced off specially for dogs – I rate as anything between zero (tiny, tidy, short and narrow boring path) to ten (large field with oodles of space to run, play and make friends with other dogs).

 

After my first walk, wherever we are, I’m happy to settle down outside my van on my long lead, keeping watch on any comings and goings while I take the air. This is even better when it’s warm enough to leave the sliding door open as I can sit in the doorway and watch the world go by. 

 

And when the humans set up their table and chairs outside, and carry out my food and water bowls, we can all eat together. I like this a lot.

 

My rating for vanlife? Ten. It’s perfect!

 

A Dog's Eyeview of Vanlife - Part 2

The main drawback when we set off on travels and adventures in my campervan is that I can’t see where we’re going. I’m quite small and my legs – perfectly proportioned as they are – are also quite small. When we travel I have to sit on the floor on my cushion or in my bed (thoughtfully placed in the cab by the humans so I’m close to them) which means I can’t look out of the windows and take in the views.

I never know where we’re going until we get there, but I’m always keen to get out and explore when we arrive, nose pressed against the crack where the door opens. When I hear that exciting whoooshing sound of the sliding door I’m raring to go and I leap outside, my little legs well up to this activity.

On van days out I’m always on the lookout for dog friendly cafés. The ones I like best have inside and outside seating, and the waiters always bring biscuits for me when the humans have coffee or treat themselves to lunch.

My legs, as I’ve already mentioned, are just wonderful, but I have to admit they’re a bit too short to allow me the amazingly athletic leap I think I can make on to the seats in my van when we’re static. I can’t quite manage that without help from the humans.

I know how to turn on my most intense and appealing gaze and look at them, asking silently if I can come up on the seat/their laps/the back of the sofa where there are good views through the window. If they don’t respond quickly enough I have to remind them with a quick bark. That gets them moving; they give in pretty quickly and then I’m up in the mainstream, on guard and keeping an eye on the goings-on outside. I’m torn between the views from the back of the sofa, and the comfort of the front seats, with the windows and windscreen.

The humans have to admit that it’s rather useful having me with them if we’re staying somewhere overnight. We usually stay on one of those campsite places. But wherever we are, if we’re inside at night time and I hear anything or anyone coming too close I’ll give a warning bark so the humans know. They like me doing this. 

Got to earn my treats, you know!

 

To be continued....

 

Going to France

Published in October issue of Campervan

Hello! I've been on holiday, and as my human was with me, I've not been able to get her to write anything until now, as we're back at home and not on holiday any more.

Well, where did I go and what did I do? 

We went to France...I think it was called that....and I know I've been there before, but on a train when I stayed in my campervan on the train journey, with my humans.

This time  it was a bit different as I went on a boat (not sure what that is) but the sea is involved and my van had to go inside the boat along with lots other vans and cars.

My humans let me stay in the van with some water to drink and a few treats but they went off somewhere else  while the boat took us to France. The human who feeds me came back during the boat ride to check I was OK and I was fine, just snoozing and I wondered what all the fuss was about.

Before we went to France I had to have a trip to the vets and she gave me one of those needle things in the back of my neck and checked I was healthy (I am). Then she had to fill in masses of paper to say I could go - something to do with that strange breakfast thing they had.

[Ed. post-Brexit regulations for taking dogs abroad are a nightmare of paperwork. They replace the Pet Passport and have to be done every time you take your pet to the EU. Read about "The Pet Passport that is no more" here].

 

When we got to the France place we found a big shop [Ed.garden centre] to buy me some food as - weird - we can't take my dog food with us. There was plenty of the right sort of food in the French shop, the smells were pretty good, and there was a BIG dog, which turned out not to be real so it didn't scare me!

Then we got on our way and headed for a campsite near the sea. The human who feeds me wrote all about getting this Animal Health Certificate thingy, which has masses of stamps on each page. Not sure why.

And the story about getting the certificate and about ME! has been published in a magazine [Ed. Campervan, see header picture].

 

 

 

The Pet Passport that is no more

Me having my rabies booster

I've been to the vet. Not exacty my favourite place but it always smells interesting there and I do have a big fuss made of me.

It was something to do with my pet passport, which my humans have used (on my behalf) when we've taken off in my van and gone to mainland Europe. I've been to France and Germany (just saying, cos I'm just a bit proud of having been to what the humans call A Broad).

But since there was this weird Brexit (breakfast?) thing, I can't use my pet passport anymore. I have to have an Animal Health Certificate instead, which my humans are quite narked about. 

I'm a bit miffed too because that passport photo of me is just great. 

But that's no longer needed and it's all about paperwork and forms and doing things the way the government says we have to because of this breakfast thing, and not being able to take very much dog food, and nothing meaty either, and only being able to leave the country in a 10 day period once we have the certificate. 

And blimey! We have to do this every single time we want to go, and we have to PAY every single time too, which we didn't have to with the Pet Passport. Unfriendly growls all round from me and I've heard several suspect naughty words spoken about it by the humans too.

So a few days ago we went to the vet to update my rabies jab, which was about to expire, and although I got a needle in my scruff, it was on the whole an OK visit because my vet made such a fuss of me and she's very kind. Although I don't look too happy in that pic of me having the shot!

When the humans have decided when we'll go to the A Broad place, they'll take me back to the vet so she can do the paperwork. She says it takes her an hour to do and isn't very happy about the paperwork involved. 

She would far rather have the pet passport too, like me and my humans.

 

Ed: For more info on the required Animal Health Certificate see 

https://www.gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad/getting-an-animal-health-certificate

and good luck making sense of it all!