Chewy Goes Canoeing

Hello, all! Sorry we have been so inactive lately. It's been a busy summer with lots of travelling and relatives visiting, but I hope to be posting more regularly now. So many adventures to recap!


Earlier in the summer, we stopped in Connecticut at the Farmington Inn.

There was a $20/night pet fee, with a $100 refundable deposit. The decor had kind of an old-timey feel, but it was very clean and nothing looked worn out. Of course, the first thing that Chewy did was investigate our room.

I found the window!

This room passes Chewy inspection!

He settled in very easily...

Don't mind me, just cooling my belly

Zzzz...

I picked up a tourist guide to browse during dinner, and found listings for canoe rentals on the Farmington River. Chewy had never been on a boat before, so I was very excited about the possibility. After failing in a quick online search to see whether any of them allowed dogs, we started making calls. The first one to pick up, Huck Finn Adventures, said dogs were welcome! So we made a reservation for opening time in the morning, and all was arranged before our entrees arrived.

I looked up how to get your dog in a boat, and pretty much every tutorial suggested exposing the dog to the boat gradually until they are comfortable in it. One guy put his kayak on his living room floor and worked over weeks to get the dog to willingly sit in it with him. We didn't have that kind of time, so I figured we would just wing it. Now, this probably isn't a good idea for all dogs, but Chewy is a pretty chill dude unless you're trying to stick a thermometer up his butt or running a vacuum towards him. 

The next morning, we loaded up in the car and headed down to the river. Thankfully, Chewy had no qualms about getting in the canoe. The riverbank was rather steep at the launch point, so there was a small wooden staircase leading to the water. Before I could successfully pass off the camera and prepare the dog treats, Chewy had already walked down and gotten in the boat! So, off we went.

Ooooooh...

Aaaahh...

Chewy seemed very relaxed and pleased. It was a cloudy day so it wasn't too hot, and there was a cool, soft breeze. I did give him a couple treats to coax him to stay still and not rock the boat, and had water on hand in case he got thirsty.

Being a typical golden, Chewy LOVES swimming, and he did make a couple escape attempts.

Thankfully, a few pulls on his leash and "NOOOOO!"s kept him in the canoe for the whole ride. I had to learn canoe rescues for lifeguard certification, so theoretically I was prepared in case he jumped or flipped us over, but I was very glad that wasn't necessary.

Eventually, Chewy settled for just lying in the boat and looking over the edge.

We saw some blue herons, but Chewy didn't seem to care at all. I guess they're not exciting like squirrels.

Eventually we reached our pick-up point, and we floated into shore.

Chewy did jump out at the very end because the boat got very shaky as the guy pulled it ashore. It only ended in wet paws, which was not too bad considering we were travelling by water for 2 hours. We got in the company van to get back to our car, and Chewy decided to squeeze himself in the tightest possible space. I guess it was a better spot for him to see out the window.

Maybe next time we can take Chewy kayaking! But he'd probably need his own seat in the kayak, considering how much junk he has in that trunk.