Dogs on Vacation
The streets and shops of Bar Harbor and the trails in Acadia National Park are filled with people . . . and dogs!
Bar Harbor calls itself a dog friendly town. They are allowed in the shops, hotels, many restaurants, and of course the park. The store I worked in kept Milkbones behind the counter to offer the dogs a treat. A manager in another shop made homemade dog treats for the dogs coming into her shop. Of course, there are many water bowls out on the streets so the dogs can stay hydrated.
Dogs of all sizes come here with their familes on vacation. Little tikes being pushed through the streets and shops in strollers or carried in some type of pack, and the big ones pulling their owners down the streets and along the trails.
I love it when I was asked if someone’s dog could come into the shop. “Yes,” I said, but inside my head, my twisted thought said, “Sure come bring your baby inside, I’ll be glad to clean up the hair off the floor and shelves later. Oh, there is also the wet smelly dogs on rainy days who need to get out of the rain, so into the shop they come. I do feel bad for the dogs who are being dragged along and look like they just want to go home and rest. I have seen some tired and hungry looking dogs. Some days walking down the sidewalks was challenging because of not only so many people, but manuvering through both the people and the dogs. Did I mention, I never sat on the lawn in the parks? Guess where the doggy toliets are and those the doggy urine. A quick thank you to those who carried bags and cleaned up the lumps from their dogs.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate dogs, however I prefer small dogs or dogs who are familiar to me. I had the best little miniature Dachshund, Ty, for 16 years. I now have two grand- dogs Biscuit and Moose.
From time to time Biscuit, a little Shih Tzu, stays with me when his family is on vacation.
Moose does not get to stay at my home. I do not have a bed big enough for him, however he is a good snowshoeing companion.
I have been intrigued about the reason people bring their dogs on vacation, so I decided to do a little research. I asked some people if I might intrude on their time and ask a few questions about why they brought their dog or in some cases dogs with them. Here are a few of their stories.
One woman who had two dogs with her on the Shoreline Path, told me she had taken her dogs on vacation with her to forty-six states. She said her goal was to travel with them to all fifty states. She would visit two more states before she went home to bring her total to forty-eight. Alaska and Hawaii would be the last two states to visit, and she was already looking into how to fly them there.
I met a family of five on the Jordan Pond trail. They had traveled by car for seven days from California to Bar Harbor with their dog, Cora. "Cora is family."
For the most part, people I talked with told me they brought their dog with them because the dog was a part of their family. One couple admitted to not being able to find anyone to keep their dog while they were gone, so they flew the dog out here with them.
I asked what the biggest challenge was about bringing their dog. The most common answer was figuring out if the dog could manage a trail they planned to hike. No one ever told me they took their dog up the Precipice or Beehive trails. Those two trails are pretty vertical.
When I asked what was the best thing about bringing their dog with them, most people responded having the family together and hiking the trails with them in the park. Vacationing with a dog is a true committment to the four legged family member.
I do appreciate the comfort and unconditional love and acceptance dogs give to thier owners. Here's to the owners and the dogs who vacation and play together! May you travel safety and drink in all the joy of vacationing together.