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It's A Dog's Life: Motorhoming

Thursday, 29 July 2021 08:00

By Helen Stockton @stockton_teddy

With summer in full swing Teddy has been telling his human translator, Helen Stockton, how excited he is getting about the prospect of holidays, extra treats and pampering, made all the more likely as apprentice fur, Bear, recently gained her motorhoming badge

One of the good things about the summer is going on holiday. I understand that this year, if you are after a foreign destination, the choice is rather limited, although I gather the Falkland Islands are rather nice if you like military history and penguins. However, I’m a dog, and although I can go abroad if I get suitably vaccinated and certificated, a bit like people at the moment, I have always stayed in the UK. If ‘Them Indoors’ felt the need to go to foreign climes, in happier times when it was less of a palaver, I have always gone to stay with my holiday carers, Shirley and Paul, and have chilled in their house and garden, enjoying extra fussing and pampering which is what holidays are all about.

Fortunately for myself and my apprentice, Bear, ‘Them Indoors’ are keen motorhomers, which means we have our own portable holiday home. This definitely has a ‘dogs allowed’ policy and I always enjoy our trips away. We have a few outings lined up through the summer, and Bear has already had a trial weekend, just to get her upskilled in the appropriate requirements for a leisure vehicle dog. These include lounging around in close proximity to the blown air outlets for appropriate cooling or heating, whichever is required, and deploying the best ‘I’m on holiday too’ appealing eyes at ‘Him Indoors’ for treats. ‘Her Indoors’ is a lost cause – she has a heart of granite, what can I tell you. Bear will also need to be able to switch very rapidly from relaxing mode, to going for long exciting walks and excursions to places that welcome dogs. Additionally, she’ll have to adapt to various alternative forms of transport such as bikes, buses and trains.

Unfortunately, Bear’s earlier motorhome trial weekend coincided with some unseasonably cold, blowy and rainy weather. I suspect some of ‘Them Indoors’ friends questioned their sanity, going away in a small motorhome with two dogs, one barely housetrained, or should that be Bearly... but, rather surprisingly, it was a success and we all had a good time. This means that Bear has got her motorhoming badge and will now be allowed on longer trips. I don’t want to let the dog out of the bag, but I reckon there’s a good chance she’ll get her first beach visit before the summer is over. I wonder what she’ll make of that. We are also planning to meet up with some friends who have both a motorhome and a Border Terrier themselves, which should be fun. The people can do the barbeques and quaff wine, whilst us dogs sit, waiting patiently for a sausage. Now that’s what I call a holiday!

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