Just got back from a fab holiday in Cornwall. We go there every year; sometimes twice as this year. We always take Lady and she loves it. We break the journey half way there, and also on the way back, at the very nice Ash House Hotel in Ash near Martock. It’s dog friendly and has first rate accommodation and food. The breakfasts will set you up for the day and mean you really don’t need lunch! We stop before we get to Ash for a leg stretch and walk at Wylye just off the A303 where there is a nice walk beside the River Wylye. There’s a cattle watering point where the entry to the river (a very clear chalk stream) gently shelves, and Lady always has a paddle there. She’s always been a reluctant swimmer since she fell in when she was a puppy and it put her off completely. Well I tempted her out into deeper water a little at a time with gravy bones thrown into the water and she found herself suddenly swimming. She was SO pleased with herself. 8) The hotel routine for Lady is now well established and of course she knows the place and settles very well now. We arrive and check in then get her out of the car for a quick run over the fields then generally make our way to the bar for a drink before dinner. Dogs aren’t allowed in the dining room, but Lady is content to eat in the car and settle down until we get her after dinner. There’s always a bit of a tussle over her bed though, because if I put in on the ground she gets into it and is difficult to get out. This happens in the car park, the hotel lobby, and again outside the room while fishing for the room key. : We travelled down on the Friday, and after a leisurely breakfast got on the road on Saturday morning bound for Bovey Tracey where the Devon Guild of Craftsmen has a super shop in the old watermill complete with a very nice coffee shop of course. We then buy sandwiches in Bovey Tracey and make our way up to Hay Tor where we generally walk over the Tor and across in the direction of Hound Tor until we find a nice picnic spot out of the wind but with stunning views over Dartmoor. Lady normally mugs me for pieces of sandwich (I know, I know – I’m my worst enemy). ;D We arrived at our holiday cottage at Higher Trewythan late afternoon and later walked over the fields to the Seven Stars pub in Stithians where we had booked a table for the first evening. Good value and the food is fine. Now that Lady is a proper adult dog she settles under the table and I can even put her lead down. The week is then spent walking stretches of the north and south coasts and we love it. Lady loves it too although she gets pretty tired on the longer walks. Eight and a half miles is now my upper limit and it’s hers too. We spent a very pleasant lazing afternoon on a beach in Helford Passage on the Sunday. The little bay we were in was very sheltered and the sea was like a millpond. Time to see if she’ll swim I thought. Using a tennis ball I tempted her deeper and deeper until again Lady found herself swimming. I extended things until she was swimming really quite a long way out and quite strongly too. I’m so proud of her – especially as she was frightened to do it for such a long time. She was 5 years old on 3rd September. She loves it now that she has swum a few times and bounces at the water’s edge for me to throw the ball. We headed back on Monday and stopped again at the Ash House Hotel. En route we had a leg stretch at Colliford Lake – more swimming in lovely clear fresh water for Lady. A man near us was highly amused by Lady. His Collie hit the water after a thrown piece of wood like an express train. Lady by comparison enters the water like an elderly maiden aunt might do after leaving her bathing hut and wearing her Victorian swimming costume. She walks into the water daintily and carefully and launces herself off without so much as a ripple! ;D Anyway I think that’s enough. Sorry no photos of Lady swimming, but if your dog is reluctant, gentle encouragement will lead him into a whole new world of fun I'm sure!
Re: Holiday Sounds like you had a super time! Just love the description of Lady entering the water... ;D
Re: Holiday Sounds like a lovely holiday and so great that you got Lady to swim (LOL at your description). I grew up just a few miles from Martock.
Re: Holiday What bliss ;D Also sensible girl to glide into the water, mine leap in and it isn't a good idea, as you never know what lies beneath.
Re: Holiday [quote author=David link=topic=7970.msg112304#msg112304 date=1411558580] .......Lady by comparison enters the water like an elderly maiden aunt might do after leaving her bathing hut and wearing her Victorian swimming costume...... [/quote] Fabulous imagery- I just love your accounts of Lady's adventures, David
Re: Holiday Sounds absolutely marvellous...love the bed story, too.... Good to know that Lady has caught on to swimming, perhaps there's hope for Simba yet!
Re: Holiday What a lovely evocative description So pleased Lady likes a dip now, Riley is a cautious enterer of water too!
Re: Holiday Missed a couple of points - Cows - We had to walk through a herd of cows blocking the way ahead. Lady is terrified of them so she skirted round wide to one side keeping a really low profile while we made our way through them. In the centre I found myself addressing one of them "Oh hello big boy". There was a bull with them but he seemed quite content with his Ladies. Lead - Got to the main road half way round an 8 mile walk. "Where's the lead?". Fortunately I was able to utilise the trusty trousers belt as a makeshift lead. Some problems in the trouser area though! ;D
