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!

Wordless Wednesday

FitDog Friday: Hiking Fun

One way that Chewy stays a fit dog is by going hiking. It's like walkies, but better, because there are so many different smells! We like to go to nature preserves and national parks to explore (and sniff) their hiking trails. They are usually nice and clean with well-maintained paths, so I don't have to worry about Chewy being tempted by some smelly garbage along the way, or cutting his paw pads on broken glass or bottle caps.

Reading some trail pee-mail

Hot on a scent!

One way to get even more exercise on a hike is to look for obstacles. Chewy likes to climb boulders, logs and stairs. Sometimes, we need to show him the best path for getting on/off, or else he just stands there looking helpless.

I'm king of the world!

We also practice jumping over logs in campfire areas that people usually use for sitting. He usually needs a running start before a jump, otherwise he just stops short.

Obstacles make the hike more fun and interesting, adding excitement and variation to a regular stroll.

Changing pace can also make the hike more enjoyable for your dog. Chewy loves to feel the wind in his fur, but sometimes likes to slow down and smell the flowers. Be sure to watch out for things you might trip over while running- some places will mark them with bright paint.


Always remember to bring water (and a doggy bowl) on your hike to keep hydrated, especially in warm weather.

Be aware of the signs of overheating in your dog, which may include:
- heavy panting
- excessive drooling
- staggering
- bright red tongue
- increased pulse + heartbeat
- elevated body temperature

Staying hydrated and taking breaks in the shade will help prevent overheating. Do not force your dog to keep walking if he/she wants to rest. Chewy will seek out a shady spot to lie down if he wants to take a break, and sometimes will dig a shallow hole to make the ground even cooler. A quick way that Chewy cools off is by lounging in water at the beach or pool, but you can also pour some cool (not cold) water over your dog.

Don't forget to clean up after your dog. It will help keep the trails clean, and won't attract poop-scavenging animals to the area.

Following the rules

Lastly, do a tick check after a hike to make sure none of those buggers have latched onto your furry friend for a free meal. Ticks can spread lyme disease, which may become very dangerous for your dog. Consult your veterinarian for proper prevention, treatment and evaluation of tick bites.

Happy (and safe) hiking!


In other news, we recently won a male vs. female doggy guessing game over at SlimDoggy and received a SlimDoggy bandana! Here is Chewy modeling it:

I look so fresh and so clean!

A close-up...I probably should have pressed out the creases from shipping first, huh?

Epic drool! (Because of meatball bribe)

Thanks, SlimDoggy, for the super cute bandana! It is going back in the cabinet until summer is over, because Chewy + summer = swimming and rolling in the grass/dirt all day, and it would turn black! Or smell like wet dog forever.

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

#FuelTheCure with Zuke's!

This week, the great and powerful Oz the Terrier and pet-fueling Zuke's are teaming up for the #FuelTheCure fundraiser to help fight the battle against pet cancer. For every entry into Oz's special blog hop, Zuke's will donate $5 to the Dog & Cat Cancer Fund, a non-profit organization that provides grants to needy families for pet cancer treatments.

[Click for the contest & fundraiser rules!]

And without further ado, here is Chewy's collage of him loving life, in the fresh summer grass! He loves to feel the wind in his fur and the grass between his toes, and that luscious green stuff also doubles as an excellent back scratcher!

We hope all you blogging doggies out there will join in on the hop and show us how YOU'RE loving life!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Weekend Road Trip

This past weekend, we took a quick trip upstate with Chewy and hiked part of the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail traverses the Appalachian Mountains and spans 2,184 miles from Georgia all the way to Maine. We went through just a teeny tiny portion within Clarence Fahnestock State Park in upstate New York.

Chewy was very pleased with the trail. The terrain varied nicely, including rocky paths, dirt paths, gravel paths, and stone steps. There were fallen leaves to roll in and some mud to step through. His tail was wagging happily for the entire walk:

He stopped often to smell the flowers, plants, and probably pee-mail.

And we found some funky-looking flowers along the way:

Chewy's new favorite thing is walking on logs. He put his front paws up at the end of this log and waited, as if to ask permission to climb it. Once he got the OK, he gleefully pounced down it and back.

We spent the night in an Extended Stay America, where the pet fee was $25/night instead of $100 like at some of the other hotels nearby. Chewy spent a good deal of time hanging out under the table. I guess it was a good den size for him.

Chewy head                                                                                      Chewy butt

He also liked to stay in the little kitchen area because it had a tile floor that was cooling for his belly. And, of course, because there was food there. He supervised the whole dinner-making process and got some boiled salmon at the end.

Can I help make dinner?

On the way home, we stopped at Harriman State Park, which also contains a segment of the Appalachian Trail. However, we couldn't figure out where to park the car near the trails, so we just walked around a lake picnic area. Chewy enjoyed climbing on all the boulders, and sniffed out lots of deer poop. He managed to grab a mouthful of it, but thankfully spat it all out of his own accord.

We had lunch at a dog-friendly BBQ restaurant with picnic tables for outdoor seating. Chewy camped out under the shade of the table, and we gave him some apple that I got for 75¢ each at a farm stand. I thought it was quite expensive for apples, but they were extra delicious! I wonder if Chewy noticed their superior quality.

After a weekend of car-riding and excitement, Chewy has been napping extensively since we got home. He recharges enough to play tug and shake his toys for a few minutes, and then it's right back to resting.