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Adventures in dog walking,  Anna and Elsa,  Fur parenting

Adventures in dog walking, part two

Sunday, 11th April:  Today, Sandy joined us for a walk with our friends and their dog, Coffee.  We started out in the nearby town of Cookham.  Anna and Elsa again showed us that they hate car journeys.  Elsa sounded like a seal the whole way there.  She was unsettled the entire way and her crying makes it so hard for driving the narrow back roads, but we made it.  Anna, quiet as a mouse, but she shows her nerves by being car-sick a couple of roads from our end point.  So, first order of business as we park up… clean up the mess.  Yuck.

Having parked on a side street, we start our walk through some back roads behind the Cookham High Street and join a public footpath near the Chartered Institute of Marketing.  As soon as we round the building, our eyes have to adjust to the bright golden yellow of a gorgeous rape seed field.  It’s so hard to believe what beauty we have been blessed with so locally.

 Rape seed field, Cookham, England, 11th April
Beautiful yellow rape seed fields greeted us as we rounded the corner on our walk in Cookham, England.

Once we reached the field, it was safe to let Anna and Elsa off lead with Coffee as their guide.  They had an amazing time sniffing, running and exploring the path and it’s so nice that they didn’t venture too far before they ran back to check where we were.  And, since it’s not a smooth pathway that works for bikes, we didn’t have to worry about them running off trying to chase anyone.  No pup vs. cycle races on this walk, thank God!

About half way through the route, Sandy was flagging.  She admits that she’s out of shape and as this was her first walk of the season, the mile or so that we’d walked was enough for her.  Fortunately, our friends understood and so we ended the walk there and drove home. 

And again, Elsa with her seal sounds and Anna with her motion sickness meant another clean up when we got home.  Who knows, maybe it’s the bumpy roads that cause it. We have quite a few around here, and, even if you drive slowly, they are pretty rough.  Let’s hope before too long, Anna can be more comfortable in the car.  So many good walks are a short car ride away.

What about you?

Any good walks you want to share with us?  Any hints or tips about overcoming car-sickness in dogs?  Please share below.