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.

Chewy Paradise: Little Long Pond

Just outside of Acadia National Park is a plot of privately owned land open to the public called Little Long Pond, where doggies can roam off leash and swim to their little hearts' content.

The gates to Chewy paradise

There is a nature trail along one side of the pond, where there are lots of bridges and planks to walk across, as well as mud for Chewy to play in. Chewy rarely gets to go for walks off leash because it's always against the rules, but he behaved very well on our hike. He stayed close to us and would wait if he got a bit ahead, and he even seemed to be able to follow the vaguely defined path on his own. His good behavior WAY surpassed my expectations for him. I thought he'd be leaping around everywhere relishing his freedom!

Waiting for the OK to cross the bridge

There were fields of long grass for Chewy to romp through...

and of course, the pond!

Chewy liked to get in by the boathouse, where there was a set of stairs into the water. He hasn't mustered up the courage to jump in from the rocks, yet.

We met another golden named Wally, who seemed interested in fetch, too.

Throw it!

Chewy Hikes Acadia

We took Chewy on a number of hikes in Acadia National Park. The first was around Lower Hadlock Pond, a 1.6 mile easy/moderate loop. The ground was soft and cushy, covered in layers and layers of fallen pine needles. 

Lower Hadlock Pond

Packed and ready to go! (Chewy's hiking essentials: water + treats)

Lower Hadlock Pond, like many ponds in the park, is used as a water supply, so no swimming is allowed. Chewy was not too pleased about this, and tried really hard to get into the water.

Come on, let's go swimming!

Eventually, he settled for the mud puddles that were along the trail.

There were lots of things to admire on the hike:

Chewy-sized pine trees!

Fat, stout mushroom

Part-frog tadpoles look weird.

Chewy loved walking across the planks and bridges...

Any fishies for dinner?

FitDog Friday/K9 Kamp: Swimming in the Backyard Ocean

We rented a small cabin in Southwest Harbor, Maine for our week-long vacation. It was across the island from the hustle and bustle of Bar Harbor, but close enough to Acadia National Park. Here is Chewy on the porch, for scale.

With 4 people and a 70+ lb dog, it was a little tight, but cozy. Chewy made himself at home, always lounging in a spot that would be most inconvenient for us, like in front of the bathroom doorway, or in front of the mini-fridge.

Right off the porch was a nice stretch of grass bordered by wildflowers, leading to a rock beach. Chewy, like any typical golden, LOVES water. Beach, pool, or puddle, Chewy will be there. Every morning after he did his business, he would run down to the beach for at least a good paw soak. 

The new bumper that we bought in Portland got a lot of use in our vacation home's backyard. Chewy fetched it out of the water 100% of the time, compared to about a 30% return rate when we play fetch at home. Maybe he wanted to keep it safe from the evil waves?

Bringing it back!

Safe!

Shake shake shake! Mine mine mine!

Chewy is a bit afraid of large waves, so we were only on the beach around low tide. Also, he does not venture far from shore on his own. Someone has to be in the water with him, or else he will only hover a couple feet from the shoreline. This is great for safety reasons, because it means he is much less likely to get washed out to sea. This time, my dad went in the water with his wetsuit on, because the water was a bit chilly.

My best Baywatch impression

Chewy enjoyed playing with the bumper on land, as well. He bounded around gleefully, fetching it, rolling on it, and trying to initiate games of tug. Sometimes, our cabin-renting neighbors' dog would come outside, and they'd go on high-speed chases around the property. They had a blast!

Whee!

After his morning swim and run, Chewy always needed a quick nap before we could head out for our daily adventures.

Everydoggy knows you need to rest after a workout!

We are joining the FitDog Friday hop hosted by SlimDoggy,
Peggy's Pet Place and To Dog with Love.

Chewy Goes to Maine

Last week, we took Chewy on a family vacation to Mount Desert Island in Maine, where Acadia National Park is located. 

Strapped myself in for a road trip!

It's about a 9 hour drive from where we live, so we stopped for a night in Portland at the Marriott at Sable Oaks. Hurricane Arthur was passing through when we arrived, and it rained buckets all night long. Our dog-friendly room was on the first floor with a sliding glass door in the back leading to a small foresty area, so potty breaks were quite convenient. There was a constant supply of dogs walking around outside looking for good potty spots, so Chewy was kept pretty entertained. We met a lot of soaking wet dog owners that day, as well as many goldens! One golden even tried to follow Chewy to our room.

I see a doggy...

Let's go outside!

Since it was raining so much, we stayed in the hotel from check-in to check-out, aside from potty breaks. That left lots of time for exploring...

and lounging.

It was Independence Day, so we watched the Macy's fireworks display on TV. Chewy was not impressed.

Crimpy ears from the humidity

To burn off Chewy's pent up energy from riding in the car all day, we ran around in the empty ballroom lobby and went up and down the stairs a few times.

It stopped raining by morning but it was still soggy outside, so we went to check out the Planet Dog store. There were LOTS of things for Chewy to smell, as well as a large array of dog care items.

They had what I assume was their complete line of Orbee-Tuff toys, but I thought they smelled and felt really weird. The rubber is kind of mushy-feeling, and a lot of them have an overwhelming rubber + mint scent. Chewy might have enjoyed them anyway, but I didn't ask him. There were also a lot of soft toys, but they looked too flimsy for Chewy's chewing habits. We ended up buying him a Katie's Bumper for fetching at the beaches and ponds that we were heading to. He was quite excited about it.

Yeah, I want that one!

We then headed to Freeport to visit the L.L. Bean Flagship Store, because you've got to make a stop there when you're in the area, right?

Moose!

Sadly, doggies aren't allowed inside the store, but there were plenty of dogs for Chewy to play with outside while we took turns shopping.

Giant 90th anniversary L.L.Bean boot

I picked up a golden puppy stuffie in an L.L.Bean bandanna for one of our little kid relatives so she can have her own mini-Chewy.

Stay tuned for Chewy in Acadia!