Dogs

We had never looked after an Italian Lagotto Romagna water dog before going to Geneva, so this was a new experience for us. He’s only two years old so is still essentially a young dog, a teenager really, he’s very lively and needs a great deal of exercise. Being a water dog he likes nothing more than going into lakes, streams, rivers, puddles in fact any body of water he can find, and the muddier the better!

Lagotto Romagna’s are trained in Italy to collect truffles and Hector likes to search for anything he can find digging in the soil often coming up with nothing at all, but digging as fast as his little paws will dig seems to be something he inherently needs to do whether he finds anything or not! A white and brown-faced dog he’s more often than not brown from head to toe with mud, wet through and as happy as can be. The other activity he adores is chasing a ball in a field or into the lake, or a large log into the river and dragging it back out.

He adores his toy box too and often rummages through looking for a different toy each day, although the unstuffed duck is a firm favourite being thrown about the small lounge to his heart’s content, perhaps it’s something in the breed that harkens back to a retrieving bird time or when dogs had to hunt for their own food. He also loves his rope toys throwing them at your feet for you to pull – playing ‘tuggies’ with him which is a firm favourite game.

Hector adores his food and we’ve been teaching him to search, which he loves, hiding small samples of bully beef on the ground for him to search out with his nose. Thinking of things to tire him out mentally and physically has been a good challenge for us and we’ve discovered some wonderful All Trails walks around Geneva, been to Morzine in the Alps, where Hector played in the snow and up and down various mountain trails as well as walking along the banks of lake Geneva.

Geneva is a beautiful part of the world that we have enjoyed discovering along with Hector who is happy to go out in the car or on foot anywhere you like as long as he’s with you. A very affectionate dog he adores having his tummy tickled, head scratched and curling up with his head on your lap at night to watch the television. As long as he’s had plenty of exercise and stimulation he’s relaxed, if not then you’ll have a dog literally climbing the walls of the apartment where he lives! So as a result of his exercise requirements, we’ve been enjoying six to ten kilometres of walking daily with him as well lots of doggy playtime too.

Looking after Bailey the long-haired Jack Russell in the Luberon was one of the most memorable experiences we’ve had whilst dog sitting. He’s not a young dog at eleven years old but certainly plays as if he is! He never tires of chasing a ball in the vineyard, kitchen or field and will do this all day without stopping, where he gets the energy we wonder! He loves to ride in our Mazda sports car either on my lap or in the foot well and as soon as he thinks we’re headed out he’s in the car as fast as his little legs will carry him.

A very well-behaved dog, Bailey is happy to sit beneath your feet in a restaurant listening to the muted voices around him. He loves sleeping on the floor of the car resting his head on your feet and sleeping soundly. He loves to run around the garden too and is happy to do this on his own without constant input from us which is great, but if you want to walk with him around his lovely gardens then he’s happy to do that, a relaxed dog that’s pretty chilled no matter what. We will definitely look forward to more dog-sitting adventures with Bailey.

Rescue dog Dino is quite a character and definitely knows his own mind. A great guard dog he always lets you know when someone is on the property by giving a few barks at the front door. Although not a young dog he’s always ready for a walk any time of day or night. There are plenty of fields nearby to walk him in and many trails to follow too although we needed to be wary of the Sanglier wild boar out and about which Dino seems to find very interesting, sniffing at their burrows and turned-over soil.

Dino loves to sunbathe on the sun loungers and explore in his garden most of the day and night and likes nothing better than to be outside, that is until bedtime when he likes nothing more than to climb into bed with you! This is definitely not a behaviour we’d encourage you to get your dog into, as once they are accustomed to this little treat there’s no going back and no way of stopping them from joining you and pushing you over to get more room!

Other than this little foible Dino is a great little dog and we’d encourage anyone to get a rescue dog if they can, the younger the better so they can be trained although it’s still possible to train an old dog and most dogs will be so pleased of a kind home they will do your bidding.

Aups is a super part of France with some superb scenery, flora and fauna, restaurants and coffee shops which we greatly enjoy.

Is it just for the moment you live?

Is it all about a ball, when we throw it, Alfie?

or is it all about a long walk to get a moment to live?

or a car drive with the wind blowing through your fur?

As sure as there’s a heaven above Alfie,

I know that dogs sure have a heaven on earth Alfie,

Full of runs in the forests and walks by the stream,

Chasing the balls of life and living life’s sweet dream,

Curling up after a yummy bowl of food,

Having your tummy tickled to keep you in the mood,

Barking at the birds because they’re absurd,

Sniffing all the flowers, bushes and the earth,

And you’ve found love Alfie,

And as sure as a dogs heaven is here on earth,

I hope Alfie that you’ll always have balls to chase,

As you’ve found love every day Alfie,

A little poem dedicated to Alfie the cockerpoo who certainly knows how to live every day to the full. Running around the forests, chasing balls in the garden and generally having as much fun as possible every single day. I think dogs like Alfie are here to remind us to stop, breathe, rest a moment, survey the flowers and the fields and make the most of every moment we have here on earth.

Cockerpoo Alfie is a timid happy little fellow who loves to chase balls, run, run and run. A young dog of just two years old he has immense energy and never tires of walking, playing or jumping. He loves to play chase with other dogs but can be a little timid at the first meeting and is the same with humans and children too. Despite his sunny-looking disposition, he can be very wary of strangers and it’s as well to warn them when they approach, often people seem to feel that if a dog looks cuddly he is and can be stroked at their will. This is not the case with a lot of dogs, they should always be shown your hand to sniff and if they come over to you, great stroke them under the chin, not on top of the head!

Suffolk is a wonderful part of England that we had not discovered much of previously at all, we were able to find many nature reserves that allowed dogs, as well as parks, beaches and nearby stately homes. Walking Alfie for a minimum of two or three hours a day is a must as he’s energetic and we often stayed out all day taking him in the car and ensuring that we had plenty of drinking water and snacks. Although Alfie is not very food focused and is keener on playing with the ball.

An affectionate boy once he gets to know you, Alfie loves a cuddle and tickle on the stomach too, as well as to curl up on your lap for a well-earned rest. We are hoping little Alfie will become one of our regular visits.

Duke the labradoodle is a wonderful lively dog who we always enjoy looking after. We have looked after him twice previously in summer and Christmas of 2021. It’s always fun and he keeps us very fit and on our toes. A large dog for this breed type, he can easily rest his head on the kitchen countertops to see what you’re preparing for lunch or dinner and what he might be able to have! He has been known to pinch food given half the chance so has to be watched carefully for his own health. Dogs are allergic to a lot of human foods especially raisins, grapes and chocolate, as well as onions and quite a number of other foods we adore.

Affectionate and active Duke needs two or three good long walks a day and some time to play with other dogs if possible. Luckily south Wales is a stunning part of the United Kingdom and we enjoy our visits there immensely looking after Duke and seeing the various beaches and clifftop walks that abound.

On this trip we were extremely lucky as most days the sun shone brightly and we were able to explore the area to Duke and our hearts desire. He loves forests and the scents and swimming in the rivers and sea if he can, unfortunately, as he likes to steal clothes and picnics beaches can be challenging unless he’s kept on a tight lead, as a strong willful dog this can be a little difficult at times.

In the fields where he lives, he has a big garden he can play in and horses to run around with. An affectionate boy he likes nothing more than to curl up with his head on your lap in the evenings and watch TV, some of which he watches avidly with you.

We’re fortunate to call Duke one of our regulars and greatly look forward to seeing him every year as much as we can, as well as his wonderful owner of course before she departs on her holidays.