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Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Fuji’s (first) Camino (Camino with a dog)

LavanyaLea

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
N Wales, Frances, Salvador, Primitivo 2022
Hi everyone!!!

Just a quick post here about our experience walking the Camino with my fur baby Fuji. Still travelling (another 12h drive day today), so full write up will come bit by bit over the next few days.

While preparing for this trip, I have often found that forum members who posted the question about walking the Camino with their furry best friend tend to receive a lot of negative opinions, so I hope to tip the balance a little bit here.

In summary: It’s been such an incredible experience!! ❤️ But also, doing the Camino with a dog means (a lot more) preparation - but I love planning (!) and most likely will cost you more, but it depends how you like to rough it. We stayed in private rooms in private albergues or pensions (the dorm bed cost €14 or usually €16-30 for private room with 2 beds) and Fuji stayed with me in my room and not outside/in garage/bike shed. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the whole journey with us, but it allowed us to meet many Camino angels who helped us along the way, and I think we had a much better experience, more amazing than what I thought it would be :)

So yes, if you’re thinking about it, just do it! (But do it the right way) 😎

859319F4-736C-4F1C-8205-E0F79FD191E7.jpeg
 
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New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
Love it! Would have loved to have been able to take my fur baby Lola with me for my Camino. Go you...
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
It would be helpful to others if you could set out your list of dog-friendly accommodation when you have time.
Yes, it’s on google drive and I have made the link shareable -> it was on another thread where a German guy asked for info about walking with a dog, but I’ll post it again here.

About an hour away from home now, decided to stop at IKEA (on the way home!) to get a frame for my Zamo Tamay’s “compostela” but nothing fits so will have to get a bespoke frame. And as for the real compostela, I am gonna put it on a document folder because I think I will be doing more caminoes in the future 🤪

Apologies for the suspense, I will post something tonight! After a bubble bath (for my car, Fuji, and me - in that order!) and some vino I think.
 
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"Fur baby"? Is that what we call our pets nowadays? Genuine question, I've never come across the expression before.
 
Hi everyone!!!

Just a quick post here about our experience walking the Camino with my fur baby Fuji. Still travelling (another 12h drive day today), so full write up will come bit by bit over the next few days.

While preparing for this trip, I have often found that forum members who posted the question about walking the Camino with their furry best friend tend to receive a lot of negative opinions, so I hope to tip the balance a little bit here.

In summary: It’s been such an incredible experience!! ❤️ But also, doing the Camino with a dog means (a lot more) preparation - but I love planning (!) and most likely will cost you more, but it depends how you like to rough it. We stayed in private rooms in private albergues or pensions (the dorm bed cost €14 or usually €16-30 for private room with 2 beds) and Fuji stayed with me in my room and not outside/in garage/bike shed. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the whole journey with us, but it allowed us to meet many Camino angels who helped us along the way, and I think we had a much better experience, more amazing than what I thought it would be :)

So yes, if you’re thinking about it, just do it! (But do it the right way) 😎

View attachment 127297
Did you know there exists a credential for dogs ?
 

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D-?120 - Pre-Camino preparation

When to do the Camino/Which Camino?
The general advice I receive, from pawrents of perregrinos, seasoned pilgrims, the internet in general… is that it is best to do the Camino in spring or autumn to avoid the heat as well as to have more facilities available (most albergues are open between March and Oct/Nov).

As this would be our first long-distance hike abroad, I wanted to try a shorter camino, so around the 100K mark. I looked at the different options available: mainly CF Sarria-Santiago, CP Tui-Santiago, or Camino Ingles. I decided on the Sarria-Santiago route back in January, because I thought the other routes did not have sufficient dog-friendly facilities. Now that I have spent a lot more time researching into this, I now know that it is also possible to do the other Caminoes with a dog, with sufficient resources and facilities without having to camp with the dog or leave the dog outside or in a garage/shed.


Essential documents

If coming from the UK, since Brexit the pet passport is no longer valid, it is now replaced by Animal Health Certificate (AHC) - which is a bundle of documents (about 12 pages long) and valid for only 1 trip and cost more than the pet passport. Pet passport is still valid if you live in Northern Ireland.

You should plan this part in advance: my usual vet in the UK does not do it and they didn’t know/couldn’t recommend one who does. I looked at DEFRA website and couldn’t find a list of registered OV (official veterinarian, one who is licensed to perform work on behalf of the government). So I googled for vet in the area and luckily the 2nd one I called does it. I live in semi rural area with a lot of livestock and horses, the University’s veterinary school has a department here specialising in equine surgery, so I think that has something to do with the OV availability.

Coming from the UK to France or Spain, our fur babies will need rabies vaccine (this is something not required for UK pets), but no need to measure the antibody titre after the vaccine, which is good. The vaccine is valid for 3 years, after which a booster is needed. So for future trips, only repeat AHC is required, the vaccine doesn’t need to be repeated for the duration it’s still valid. The rabies vaccine needs to be administered at least 3 weeks before the AHC, and the AHC needs to be done no more than 10 days before your travel date, and valid for 4 months - in reality this is more than sufficient as the humans can only be in the EU/Schengen area for max 90 days every 180 days :D Find the official information here.

We were at the vet for 1.5 hours to get the document done! I felt it was a bit excessive, but I’m a follower of “measure twice, cut once” and there was no mistake in the documents and Fuji travelled to the EU and back without an issue. Note: I have heard stories of vets making mistakes and tippex-ing the document, which was not accepted, or other small errors like filling the information in the wrong place, etc and the document was not accepted.

Coming back, Fuji will need treatment against tapeworm, it is a UK requirement, and this needs to be administered by a vet, and the date and time documented on the AHC and signed by the vet. Treatment needs to be given at least 24h and max 120h before return trip.

If you are travelling in from other countries, then check what documentation is required beforehand.

Getting there and back

  • Car (Private or Hired) +/- Taxi
How will I get to the start point of the camino? In short summary: it is not possible to travel with dogs >10kg using public transport in Spain, so the easiest way is by car.

Since I was coming from the UK, and I have a Eurotunnel crossing voucher to use (from a pandemic cancelled trip back in 2020), then I’ve decided to drive to Sarria, leave the car at the hostel’s secured garage for the week, then take a bus back to Sarria to pick up the car after our camino (my friend will meet us in Santiago and she can dogsit Fuji while I go pick up my car).

It is also possible to take a taxi, specify in your booking that you will take a dog with you. And it is also possible to rent a car (see my Google sheet for list of car hire companies that allow dogs and their terms and conditions). Spanish perregrinos that Fuji has befriended on social media seem to have done similar things. Some were dropped off/picked up by friends/families, or dropped off by family then hired a car to get back home.

If you are planning to bring your dog into Portugal, the rule is different to Spain and France. Apart from the standard: microchip, rabies vaccine, pet passport/animal health certificate, Portuguese authority requires you to notify them of your arrival at least 48h beforehand, and a fee of €40 is applicable for veterinary examination, the fee is waived for assistance dogs.

However, despite the initial extra cost and examination, it is possible to travel with a dog on trains in Portugal. So I guess if you are planning to do Camino Portugues with a dog from Lisbon or Porto and leaving your own car in Portugal… on the way back you could hire Spanish car and drive to Tui, return the car there, then cross the bridge into Valença then take a train from there? Just an idea, I’ve not done CP before.

Fuji has been in the car with me loads and I am happy with how she is secured in the backseat and has a comfy hammock to rest and not fall into the footwell. For some cars like SUVs, it is possible to secure the dogs in the boot. For info on how to secure dogs in the car (in Spanish) click here.

  • Train
Renfe has different services:
- Cercanias (commuter) trains - pets are allowed, no weight limit, travel for free, do not need to travel in cage/carrier, but dogs must wear a muzzle.
- AVE and long distance: only small animals <10kg allowed. They have to be inside a carrier with max diameter 60 x 35 x 35 cm. You need to get a pet ticket, and the cost varies depending on your type of ticket (from free up to €20, and despite paying for this they are not allowed to occupy a seat).
- AVANT and medium distance: same as AVE, the pet ticket cost is 25% of human ticket and cannot occupy a seat.

Guide/assistance dogs travel for free.

During my initial research, I remember reading that someone used to travel within Spain and did multiple caminoes with their dog and had no trouble taking the train. Maybe the rules were different back then or not enforced. But in 2021, a British pilgrim living in Barcelona took her dog to do the full Camino Frances. They then had to skip Leon which was going into local lockdown, and so decided to take the train… and almost were not allowed to be on the train because her dog was a large dog. See their story here.

  • Bus
Dogs need to be <10kg and travel in a crate and in the luggage compartment.

  • Plane
In general, if you want to take your pet in the cabin with you they have to weigh <10kg and fit under the seat in front of you inside their crate. There will be exceptions for guide/assistance dogs. Emotional support dogs have variable acceptance status in differing countries, I understand it is protected under the law in the US and they have the same/similar status as guide/assistance dogs, but in the UK and other European countries it is not the case. But I have read that Virgin and a few other airlines may allow emotional support dogs in cabin. Also check that the rules for flying out is the same as the rules for flying back in.

There was a US pilgrim Colby who did the Camino Frances and Via Francigena with her German Shepherd Maverick - IG @adognamedmav.gsd. Maverick was initially her emotional support dog and then became a certified assistance dog, so they always travelled together in cabin.

Accommodation
Perhaps this is the bit most forumites most look forward to! I have put together my list here.

It is an active list which continuously get updated. When I see a perregrino doing the camino and listed a new albergue, I will add that onto the list.

In Spain, they have a list of dangerous dogs (Perros Potencialmente Peligrosos/PPP). There are more restrictions in travelling and staying in accommodation with these breeds of dogs: Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffodshire Terrier, Rottweiler, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa Inu, Akita Inu.

How to train yourself and your dog for the Camino
It will be physically more demanding to do the camino with a dog as you will have more things to carry in your backpack. The dog also needs to be adapted to the physical challenge.

Fuji is a labrador, she seems to be quite a petite one, with a very slender yet super toned figure, rather than the stocky English lab type. She has boundless of energy (!). So from the beginning of 2022, we started going on weekend hikes. Soon after that, I came across the Welsh Camino (North Wales Pilgrim’s Way). And thought that it would be a good training walk for our Camino Frances. It is 134mi/215K long and I could collect stamps along the way.

We started at the end of January and finished by mid March. We went on weekends initially, and then I used some of my annual leave to do longer stretches like 3-4 consecutive days of walking. I also got Fuji her own backpack and she was progressively carrying more weight on the backpack and seemed to have no issue with covering the distances (around 20-24K per day) and with backpack.

It was actually a very nice experience because the Welsh Camino was beautiful, and also very quiet. We passed through small villages with medieval churches and abbey ruins, read stories about Welsh Saints, the impact of the reformation, encountered a lovely outdoor (churchyard) meditation bench, grottos, pilgrim churches, etc. At the end, I received a certificate of completion, and the caravan owner where I had stayed with Fuji even gave me a printed watercolour painting of the local beach area as a memento!

Nutrition wise, Fuji has been on this brand of dog kibble Orijen. It is high in calories which meant she requires smaller amount of feed for her weight, which is good for the Camino. I also saw that one of the perregrinos who did the Primitivo also consumed the same brand, so the brand is available in Spain too. She is very easy with food though, she will eat anything and hardly ever have any issues. But as we were only doing a short Camino, I plan to bring all her kibbles and she can have extra treats (healthy human leftovers). Portion wise, for the Camino/during days of intense activity I give her 200% of her daily recommended requirement.

Credencial Canina
Yes!!! Fuji can have her own credential too. It is created by APACA (Asociacion Protectora de Animais do Camiño) an NGO which works to protect animals, I paid €3 for the credential and she can also get an animal compostela when we get to Santiago for another €3. You can get the credential online from APACA website, from turismocanino, or from some dog-friendly albergues.

Luggage Transfer or an Organised Tour
Everyone does their own camino. It is easy to pass judgement against others, and I have to admit I have done so too at times though I try to keep it inside because the other part of me refused to allow me to say it out loud! My opinion of them is that these services enable those who would otherwise not be able to start or complete their pilgrimage. There’s nothing wrong with that.

For this Camino I was carrying my own backpack (and later on Fuji’s backpack too, see my later posts). And when it was hot, and you have been walking long distances, you do question your decisions! I met quite a few perregrinos on the first day, the fittest looking pawrent by far was a young man who looks like he goes to the gym a lot, he was walking with his miniature poodle, and had no pack (!). But this means that when the surface is too hot or the dog is tired, he can easily carry his dog. I have had to carry Fuji over a short distance in the Welsh Camino when she was spooked by cows and refused to move. Have to say - it was not easy to carry a 10kg pack and a 23kg dog altogether (that is more than half my weight)!

If you google “camino de santiago with a dog” you will find a lot of tour companies offering a self-guided camino with them organising your accommodation and luggage transfer. So that is one hassle-free options. If you want to organise your own stages and accommodations, and simply want luggage transfer service, then there are plenty of companies that have been mentioned elsewhere in this forum, with reviews from those who have used their services (Caminofacil, Correos, JacoTrans, NSC, etc). I didn’t personally use any tour companies or luggage transfer service so cannot comment on them.

Useful resources
APACA https://paradoxahumana.com/
Turismo Canino https://www.turismocanino.es/camino-de-santiago-con-perro/
(Mercé did the Camino Frances from Roncesvalles a few years ago with her fur baby Futt, they have now established a very good website and social media account helping pilgrims wanting to do the camino with their dog, and general info for travelling with a dog. She has also published 2 books on similar topic).

Also, I have found that brushing up on my rusty Spanish was incredibly useful for this trip! I used Duolingo, but there are plenty other options to learn Spanish for your Camino.
 

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The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I admit to not reading much of this thread as I do not have any pets(allergic spouse), but it is nice to read an upbeat, positive report on a pet making it all the way to Santiago on the Camino as I usually read that it is better to leave the pet at home due to hardship for both dog and its owner.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
D-?120 - Pre-Camino preparation

When to do the Camino/Which Camino?
The general advice I receive, from pawrents of perregrinos, seasoned pilgrims, the internet in general… is that it is best to do the Camino in spring or autumn to avoid the heat as well as to have more facilities available (most albergues are open between March and Oct/Nov).

As this would be our first long-distance hike abroad, I wanted to try a shorter camino, so around the 100K mark. I looked at the different options available: mainly CF Sarria-Santiago, CP Tui-Santiago, or Camino Ingles. I decided on the Sarria-Santiago route back in January, because I thought the other routes did not have sufficient dog-friendly facilities. Now that I have spent a lot more time researching into this, I now know that it is also possible to do the other Caminoes with a dog, with sufficient resources and facilities without having to camp with the dog or leave the dog outside or in a garage/shed.


Essential documents

If coming from the UK, since Brexit the pet passport is no longer valid, it is now replaced by Animal Health Certificate (AHC) - which is a bundle of documents (about 12 pages long) and valid for only 1 trip and cost more than the pet passport. Pet passport is still valid if you live in Northern Ireland.

You should plan this part in advance: my usual vet in the UK does not do it and they didn’t know/couldn’t recommend one who does. I looked at DEFRA website and couldn’t find a list of registered OV (official veterinarian, one who is licensed to perform work on behalf of the government). So I googled for vet in the area and luckily the 2nd one I called does it. I live in semi rural area with a lot of livestock and horses, the University’s veterinary school has a department here specialising in equine surgery, so I think that has something to do with the OV availability.

Coming from the UK to France or Spain, our fur babies will need rabies vaccine (this is something not required for UK pets), but no need to measure the antibody titre after the vaccine, which is good. The vaccine is valid for 3 years, after which a booster is needed. So for future trips, only repeat AHC is required, the vaccine doesn’t need to be repeated for the duration it’s still valid. The rabies vaccine needs to be administered at least 3 weeks before the AHC, and the AHC needs to be done no more than 10 days before your travel date, and valid for 4 months - in reality this is more than sufficient as the humans can only be in the EU/Schengen area for max 90 days every 180 days :D Find the official information here.

We were at the vet for 1.5 hours to get the document done! I felt it was a bit excessive, but I’m a follower of “measure twice, cut once” and there was no mistake in the documents and Fuji travelled to the EU and back without an issue. Note: I have heard stories of vets making mistakes and tippex-ing the document, which was not accepted, or other small errors like filling the information in the wrong place, etc and the document was not accepted.

Coming back, Fuji will need treatment against tapeworm, it is a UK requirement, and this needs to be administered by a vet, and the date and time documented on the AHC and signed by the vet. Treatment needs to be given at least 24h and max 120h before return trip.

If you are travelling in from other countries, then check what documentation is required beforehand.

Getting there and back

  • Car (Private or Hired) +/- Taxi
How will I get to the start point of the camino? In short summary: it is not possible to travel with dogs >10kg using public transport in Spain, so the easiest way is by car.

Since I was coming from the UK, and I have a Eurotunnel crossing voucher to use (from a pandemic cancelled trip back in 2020), then I’ve decided to drive to Sarria, leave the car at the hostel’s secured garage for the week, then take a bus back to Sarria to pick up the car after our camino (my friend will meet us in Santiago and she can dogsit Fuji while I go pick up my car).

It is also possible to take a taxi, specify in your booking that you will take a dog with you. And it is also possible to rent a car (see my Google sheet for list of car hire companies that allow dogs and their terms and conditions). Spanish perregrinos that Fuji has befriended on social media seem to have done similar things. Some were dropped off/picked up by friends/families, or dropped off by family then hired a car to get back home.

If you are planning to bring your dog into Portugal, the rule is different to Spain and France. Apart from the standard: microchip, rabies vaccine, pet passport/animal health certificate, Portuguese authority requires you to notify them of your arrival at least 48h beforehand, and a fee of €40 is applicable for veterinary examination, the fee is waived for assistance dogs.

However, despite the initial extra cost and examination, it is possible to travel with a dog on trains in Portugal. So I guess if you are planning to do Camino Portugues with a dog from Lisbon or Porto and leaving your own car in Portugal… on the way back you could hire Spanish car and drive to Tui, return the car there, then cross the bridge into Valença then take a train from there? Just an idea, I’ve not done CP before.

Fuji has been in the car with me loads and I am happy with how she is secured in the backseat and has a comfy hammock to rest and not fall into the footwell. For some cars like SUVs, it is possible to secure the dogs in the boot. For info on how to secure dogs in the car (in Spanish) click here.

  • Train
Renfe has different services:
- Cercanias (commuter) trains - pets are allowed, no weight limit, travel for free, do not need to travel in cage/carrier, but dogs must wear a muzzle.
- AVE and long distance: only small animals <10kg allowed. They have to be inside a carrier with max diameter 60 x 35 x 35 cm. You need to get a pet ticket, and the cost varies depending on your type of ticket (from free up to €20, and despite paying for this they are not allowed to occupy a seat).
- AVANT and medium distance: same as AVE, the pet ticket cost is 25% of human ticket and cannot occupy a seat.

Guide/assistance dogs travel for free.

During my initial research, I remember reading that someone used to travel within Spain and did multiple caminoes with their dog and had no trouble taking the train. Maybe the rules were different back then or not enforced. But in 2021, a British pilgrim living in Barcelona took her dog to do the full Camino Frances. They then had to skip Leon which was going into local lockdown, and so decided to take the train… and almost were not allowed to be on the train because her dog was a large dog. See their story here.

  • Bus
Dogs need to be <10kg and travel in a crate and in the luggage compartment.

  • Plane
In general, if you want to take your pet in the cabin with you they have to weigh <10kg and fit under the seat in front of you inside their crate. There will be exceptions for guide/assistance dogs. Emotional support dogs have variable acceptance status in differing countries, I understand it is protected under the law in the US and they have the same/similar status as guide/assistance dogs, but in the UK and other European countries it is not the case. But I have read that Virgin and a few other airlines may allow emotional support dogs in cabin. Also check that the rules for flying out is the same as the rules for flying back in.

There was a US pilgrim Colby who did the Camino Frances and Via Francigena with her German Shepherd Maverick - IG @adognamedmav.gsd. Maverick was initially her emotional support dog and then became a certified assistance dog, so they always travelled together in cabin.

Accommodation
Perhaps this is the bit most forumites most look forward to! I have put together my list here.

It is an active list which continuously get updated. When I see a perregrino doing the camino and listed a new albergue, I will add that onto the list.

In Spain, they have a list of dangerous dogs (Perros Potencialmente Peligrosos/PPP). There are more restrictions in travelling and staying in accommodation with these breeds of dogs: Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffodshire Terrier, Rottweiler, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa Inu, Akita Inu.

How to train yourself and your dog for the Camino
It will be physically more demanding to do the camino with a dog as you will have more things to carry in your backpack. The dog also needs to be adapted to the physical challenge.

Fuji is a labrador, she seems to be quite a petite one, with a very slender yet super toned figure, rather than the stocky English lab type. She has boundless of energy (!). So from the beginning of 2022, we started going on weekend hikes. Soon after that, I came across the Welsh Camino (North Wales Pilgrim’s Way). And thought that it would be a good training walk for our Camino Frances. It is 134mi/215K long and I could collect stamps along the way.

We started at the end of January and finished by mid March. We went on weekends initially, and then I used some of my annual leave to do longer stretches like 3-4 consecutive days of walking. I also got Fuji her own backpack and she was progressively carrying more weight on the backpack and seemed to have no issue with covering the distances (around 20-24K per day) and with backpack.

It was actually a very nice experience because the Welsh Camino was beautiful, and also very quiet. We passed through small villages with medieval churches and abbey ruins, read stories about Welsh Saints, the impact of the reformation, encountered a lovely outdoor (churchyard) meditation bench, grottos, pilgrim churches, etc. At the end, I received a certificate of completion, and the caravan owner where I had stayed with Fuji even gave me a printed watercolour painting of the local beach area as a memento!

Nutrition wise, Fuji has been on this brand of dog kibble Orijen. It is high in calories which meant she requires smaller amount of feed for her weight, which is good for the Camino. I also saw that one of the perregrinos who did the Primitivo also consumed the same brand, so the brand is available in Spain too. She is very easy with food though, she will eat anything and hardly ever have any issues. But as we were only doing a short Camino, I plan to bring all her kibbles and she can have extra treats (healthy human leftovers). Portion wise, for the Camino/during days of intense activity I give her 200% of her daily recommended requirement.

Credencial Canina
Yes!!! Fuji can have her own credential too. It is created by APACA (Asociacion Protectora de Animais do Camiño) an NGO which works to protect animals, I paid €3 for the credential and she can also get an animal compostela when we get to Santiago for another €3. You can get the credential online from APACA website, from turismocanino, or from some dog-friendly albergues.

Luggage Transfer or an Organised Tour
Everyone does their own camino. It is easy to pass judgement against others, and I have to admit I have done so too at times though I try to keep it inside because the other part of me refused to allow me to say it out loud! My opinion of them is that these services enable those who would otherwise not be able to start or complete their pilgrimage. There’s nothing wrong with that.

For this Camino I was carrying my own backpack (and later on Fuji’s backpack too, see my later posts). And when it was hot, and you have been walking long distances, you do question your decisions! I met quite a few perregrinos on the first day, the fittest looking pawrent by far was a young man who looks like he goes to the gym a lot, he was walking with his miniature poodle, and had no pack (!). But this means that when the surface is too hot or the dog is tired, he can easily carry his dog. I have had to carry Fuji over a short distance in the Welsh Camino when she was spooked by cows and refused to move. Have to say - it was not easy to carry a 10kg pack and a 23kg dog altogether (that is more than half my weight)!

If you google “camino de santiago with a dog” you will find a lot of tour companies offering a self-guided camino with them organising your accommodation and luggage transfer. So that is one hassle-free options. If you want to organise your own stages and accommodations, and simply want luggage transfer service, then there are plenty of companies that have been mentioned elsewhere in this forum, with reviews from those who have used their services (Caminofacil, Correos, JacoTrans, NSC, etc). I didn’t personally use any tour companies or luggage transfer service so cannot comment on them.

Useful resources
APACA https://paradoxahumana.com/
Turismo Canino https://www.turismocanino.es/camino-de-santiago-con-perro/
(Mercé did the Camino Frances from Roncesvalles a few years ago with her fur baby Futt, they have now established a very good website and social media account helping pilgrims wanting to do the camino with their dog, and general info for travelling with a dog. She has also published 2 books on similar topic).

Also, I have found that brushing up on my rusty Spanish was incredibly useful for this trip! I used Duolingo, but there are plenty other options to learn Spanish for your Camino.

View attachment 127476View attachment 127477
Most interesting... thank you.
 
I admit to not reading much of this thread as I do not have any pets(allergic spouse), but it is nice to read an upbeat, positive report on a pet making it all the way to Santiago on the Camino as I usually read that it is better to leave the pet at home due to hardship for both dog and its owner.
We did encounter hardship along the way and I really did feel terrible bad and guilty about the whole thing. ("Oh no, this is exactly what I've been advised against...") But I'm glad it all turned out really well in the end! Fuji has many friends who were walking the camino at the same time, some together, some doing different caminoes, and some past perregrinos. And they all gave really good help that enabled us to finish our journey! -> will come in later post. I think now I must do grocery shopping and mow my lawn, they have grown so much in the time I was away!
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
Day 0 - Arrival in Sarria

I broke up the driving into several parts. Drove down from the North West of the UK to a friend’s place in Kent and stayed overnight. Picked up a BlaBlaCar passenger from near Manchester and dropped her off near Heathrow. The next day, took an early morning (7am) Chunnel crossing to Calais. It was so nice to travel early morning as the queue was minimal. The pet reception and check-in process for Fuji was very straight forward, and afterwards we spent time doing agility training in the pet exercise area (hey, still in “camino prep”). Chunnel crossing only took 35 minutes and there was even wi-fi available! From Calais, our route took us to Rouen (picked up another Blabla passenger) - Tours - Poitiers - Bordeaux. I dropped her off in Bordeaux and I stayed overnight there. The next morning I carried on driving into San Sebastian and took a Blabla passenger for half the journey. Originally was supposed to have another passenger from Bayonne to San Seb but her previous ride from Toulouse to Bayonne was cancelled by the driver at last minute.

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(Fuji at the Eurotunnel pet exercise area)

We then spent a few lovely days in San Sebastian and the surrounding area!! As it is also on the Camino del Norte, I thought I will write a little bit about our experience here. Our hostel, Pension La Perla, was amazing. It is located next to the Cathedral (Buen Pastor/the Good Shepherd) in a pedestrian only zone. It is within minutes walking distance to the beach and close to all the eating places. Even so, on our street it is mostly stores which closed around 8-9pm so at night it was quiet. The pension gave us a dog bed and 2 bowls. The staffs were so pleasant and we had such great time here. San Sebastian is also very dog friendly, I saw locals walking their dogs everywhere (or were they all tourist dogs too? From France?) and the dogs were all well socialised (or “tranquilo” in Spanish). There are plenty of dog friendly restaurants/bars/cake shops but because the weather was nice we mostly sat outside and when you sit in the outdoor terrace then dogs were always accepted. Even the local department store FNAC also allows “educated dogs” to go inside the store(!). There is an FNAC next to our pension and I did go in there to buy a doggy book for Fuji but I did not feel I had to bring Fuji everywhere with me. I thought she would be too distracted with all the new sights and smells and it would be simpler if I nipped into the store for 5 minutes to buy the book I was looking for.

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(Fuji studying places to visit in Spain)

Fuji enjoyed swimming on the beach, drinking sea water until she had umm not so nice after effects, and finishing the meat and tendons off my txuleton from the famous Casa Julian in Tolosana. We also took a day trip to Gaztelugatxe, the hermitage is finally reopened after being closed for quite some time following a landslide. I rang the bell 3x for myself and 3x for Fuji who wished for more chticks, more chuletons, and more churros.

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(Pre-camino exercise of self-control *drools*)

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(Guess where we were?!)

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(Churros, Chuleton, and Cshticks)

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(We didn't see Daenarys or her nephew Jon Snow)

On Sunday, we drove from San Sebastian to Sarria, pretty much following the Camino Frances route and I can see how dry and flat and hot the Meseta was :O. I picked up another passenger from Burgos she was travelling to a village just outside of Sarria.

Unfortunately my check-in at the hostel in Sarria was not a very nice experience at all. The man at reception looks like a temporary staff as he had to ask his colleague via WhatsApp every single time. I had 2 problems here:

Firstly, I thought I had reserved a space for my car for a week, but the hostel had not reserved anything and their garage was full that day but would be available from the next afternoon. Well that’s no good for me. The man’s initial suggestion was, “You can wait until 1pm tomorrow when my colleague will arrive”, err no. So I asked him for his colleague’s number and contacted her directly via WhatsApp. Turns out it was a comedy of error/lost in translation case: in my Britishness I asked “if it would be possible to book a parking space for my car for a week” and the reply was “yes it is possible”. Followed by details of the cost etc. I thought that meant, I have asked to book it and they have booked it! No, in Spain you have to be direct “I want to book this” “Ok, call this number to book”. Bugger. The lady suggested to park in Eroski. My recce found that it seems the parking space is free with no time limit, and is used by many drivers as a long-term car park. As the same cars had been left overnight. The area (by the bus station) may look a bit rough, but I felt it was probably better than leaving the car on the street in Sarria with people constantly walking past it.

Secondly, I bought some books from turismocanino (not planning to carry it during our camino but will leave them in my car). I had asked the hostel if I could send the parcel to them, and they had said yes, and Merce had done exactly so, with tracked delivery. The man at reception and lady on WhatsApp both said nothing has been received. I checked the tracking online and it said it had been delivered, and Merce helped me find the date and time it was signed for. So after further communication, I found my parcel! It was right there on the reception desk *face palm*

Anyway, with all those initial problems resolved, I set out to wander around the town, it was 9pm and raining so only Spanish people were outside (or I mean, INSIDE the bars) as it was clearly way past pilgrim’s bed time jajaja… Did a little recce with the route out of Sarria and also some streets in the old town for potential parking space but I think I have settled with the Eroski.

Fuji has been studying hard….
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Day 1 - to Portomarin!

Finally we set off on our camino! We were so excited. Yes, I had to leave my car in Eroski, I chose to park next to the best looking car in the car park, which was a BMW. With all that faff, we only set off at 7AM, which was “late” in the perregrino bible. We passed by people still having breakfast though, so we were not *too* late, one group was a Spanish couple with their Weimaraner Blue, who stayed in the same pension as us last night.

I felt that we were managing a good pace as we tend to overtake people, but we stopped more often to take pictures, to buy banana from a donativo fruit/drink seller, to give water for Fuji, etc. So we had to retake the same group of people again :D Other pilgrims were friendly, they all wanted to play with Fuji and Fuji would present them with sticks. So she probably did 4-5x human distance. I had prepared a wide necked water bottle as a “container” for her poo bags, but actually the bins were located quite frequently and I don’t know if this happened just by coincidence or Fuji did it on purpose, but she always did her business near a bin. So her poo container water bottle became just a water bottle. After about 2 hours of walking, it started to rain. In fact, the whole week is forecasted to be wet. I finally settled at a bar to stop for “breakfast” but in fact they only served coffee, so coffee it is for breakfast!

When I stopped to check my phone, I found that @Richard of York had left me a message about my car. Pre-camino we had been messaging on this forum about his English tea shop on the Camino, and I had brought some fresh supplies of snacks that he had run out as I was travelling by car anyway. So when I had the issue with lack of reservation for my car, I contacted him for advice. It was really lovely to check my phone and saw that Richard had messaged to say that I can leave my car in his village and that he’d keep an eye on it.

Post energising cafe con leche (not sure if it was the caffeine or the sugar that gave the buzz), I rejoined the Asian squad that I had spoken to before. Fuji seemed to be especially affectionate to this Korean/Singaporean duo *rolled eyes* more so than to other pilgrims! Soon we passed the 100km mark and so we had a symbolic photo taken here by our new friends. They had been walking from SJPP so were quite seasoned pilgrims and very au fait with all the latest apps. They told me there was a donativo breakfast place that we would encounter soon and we should stop there as it had a good rating (!) What was this, Camino Yelp? (I think it was in fact Camino Ninja, which I also have on my phone, but during our Camino I had all these apps and never looked at them even once!). It was indeed a very good breakfast and Fuji could also sit with us and had some cheeky chorizo pieces.

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(Yay! 100K to go)

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(Mommy, can I have one for my backpack please?)

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(Fuji's new friend)

On this day (Monday), we saw at least 4-5 other perregrinos (doggies walking the camino with their pawrents). There was Blue, a Weimaraner walking with her Spanish pawrents, Luna a very mature yellow lab cross (?pit) with her Spanish dad Daniel, a young Spanish guy with his miniature poodle, and Coco a black Yorkshire terrier mix walking with her pawrents. So I thought, okay wow… and these are just pilgrims in my “bubble” as we were all within half an hour of walking on and off, I suspect.

Soon, we arrived at Vilacha, the royal seat of the House of York of the aforementioned Richard Duke of York. So we stopped for a cuppa and our new Asian friends marched on towards Portomarin, which was only about half an hour walk’s away. The weather has just started to improve as well. So after a really nice brew and Penguin biscuit, our mission was as follows: Richard was going to take us to our car at Eroski and I could then pass him the boxes of Tunnock’s tea cakes and caramel wafers for his shop, and he would then go to Mercadona for his weekly shopping (because it was better than Eroski clearly!). I was then given specific instructions where to park my car so as not to block the village traffic as my car was, emm, rather wide (Red Baroness went on the “large vehicle” queue at the Eurotunnel). So I also left him my spare fob into his “donativo” collection box and a quick text to make sure it wasn’t misunderstood as I have donated my car and the whole of its contents for his hot beverage camino endeavour!

Afterwards we had a pleasant stroll into Portomarin, the bridge did indeed look very pretty. The whole town was very pretty too. And our Albergue PortoSantiago was superb! Our room has aircon, the shower had really high pressure hot water and the the floor inside the shower cubicle had these patterns that were very good to massage my feet. I went to pilgrim’s mass at 8pm and dinner of padron peppers and pulpo afterwards. I thought, it wasn’t bad at all and I could do this on repeat everyday!

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(Mommy, let's go dancing!)

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Day 2 - the worst day ever

So after quite a successful first day, I woke up the next day only to find that on close inspection, Fuji had torn her paw pad in 1 place. Argh! How could I have not noticed it before, as in yesterday? I quickly trimmed the flap with my most useful piece of surgical kit, my nail clipper, applied antimicrobial spray, and put some coconut oil paw balm to all her paws. I turned my back to find her booties in my rucksack, and when I looked back, Fuji was busy licking the coconut balm and had nearly finished the whole container(!). Oops. Quick text to Fuji’s friends’ pawrents who later reassured me that the coconut oil is 100% natural and she would be fine. I was still a bit concerned with the amount of fat she had consumed in one go. Anyway, I put on those booties and off we go. We were already late, quite late in fact. 7.30AM (argh!!!).

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(These boots are made for walking)

This turned out to be the beginning of a series of unfortunate events that were to unfold very quickly later…

With our late departure from Portomarin, we ended up smack bang in the middle of all the large group tours who just finished their breakfast. Nothing against them personally, but it was very difficult for us to walk amongst big groups. Contrary to our experience on the first day, quite a few people here did not like dogs or the presence of a dog on their camino. And to be honest, I sympathised with them. One middle aged Italian couple already looked to be struggling with the ascent off Portomarin, despite carrying a very light day bag, or no bag at all only holding a bottle of water. I feel that if I were in their position and my brain and body were already at nearly 100% capacity focusing on the task of walking, then suddenly being approached by a very friendly dog, is not a welcome “intrusion” to my personal space. To be clear: Fuji never did anything to harm them, or jump at them. She was walking around these people, eyeing up who the softie who would play with her. Sometimes she might approach with a stick. And if someone expressed their displeasure at being around a dog, I would put her on the leash. I initially gave them space, and would take pictures or give water to my dog. But soon we would get closer to them again. So instead I had to overtake about 10-15 people to be clear of the group. And when we stopped to take a break, we were overtaken by the same couple again! There was also a young Korean girl who seemed to be way behind her pack, she also did not enjoy Fuji’s presence and I think she was already finding it hard and struggling with her walk that day.

I also found that water supply was a bit scarce on this stretch of the Camino. I carried 1L of water in my camelback, a 500ml water for Fuji, and another 500ml water bottle (initially for me). Fuji quickly demolished her water supply after the first ascent, so we were sharing the 2nd 500ml water. When we finally came across a cafe, it was quite packed with pilgrims so we carried on and stopped at the 2nd one. We spoke to a German pilgrim who had walked from SJPP and is missing her dog who was at home with her husband. Apparently she stayed at the same pension in Sarria, and heard Fuji whimpering in my room when I went to use the shared bathroom.

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(I was later told the sign was saying hostal/restaurante for workers, not for labrador dogs)

Not long after that coffee break, the large groups seemed to have stop for lunch, so I was having a slightly improved experience. It started to rain though, and it didn’t stop raining… for the rest of the day. We reacquainted with Pablo, a Chilean pilgrim we met on the first day. He works in advertising but is a photography lover. On the first day, I saw him carrying 2 backpacks, the front one for his cameras. He looked happier today as he had ditched his large backpack (for luggage transfer) and was only carrying his daypack. He was also using his mobile phone on selfie stick to do some vlogging, no idea what he has done with his DSLR! I think that’s one of the lessons from the Camino, to shed away things which are not really very essential in our life, it’s amazing how very little we actually need to carry on walking for days and days on end. Fuji seemed to have replaced Shaun/Peter (the Asian squad) with Pablo today, so they were playing sticks for ages and ages. How fickle!

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(Another friendly local dog and Pablo, Chilean pilgrim)

We passed through a quaint little village and I saw pilgrims buying cheese from a local lady’s window. Looks interesting, I thought. But alas! Fuji was chased by a very vicious looking German shepherd dog. Grim! And this happened right after an Irish pilgrim told me that on her first day out of Sarria yesterday, she saw 2 dogs fighting and they were both bleeding and were still attacking each other despite the owner of one dog’s best efforts to separate them. So we tried to get away as quickly as possible from this GSD. And soon it seemed he had stopped chasing us and returned to his home. But no, he returned! At this point, ahead of us was a narrow trail/rocky steps going down, so I let her go off leash as the trail was very narrow. She quickly made her way down and I was following closely behind, the other pilgrims gave way to us. I think Fuji was very bothered and shaken by this experience because after reaching the bottom of the steps, she then jumped off a low bridge, onto the field/river below! It was a good 4-5m drop and I would not have been able to pick her up. Next to the bridge, the field was fenced off with barbed wire, so I could not see where I would be able to get down to help her safely. But while I was still looking for options, she had managed to climb up the steep hill/rock and squeezed in the gap between the barbed wire and the stone wall of the bridge. Well done Fuji!

The day really started to feel like it was dragging on us. The constant rain was annoying. And then… just when we were not very far off from Palas de Rei, Fuji lied down on the grass, and did not want to continue walking. It felt to me like quite a drastic change, one minute she appeared fine and happy as always, the next she was tired and could not go on. I gave her water, food, everything to help. The way she looked at me was like, “I really have tried Mommy, but it’s just so hard…” So I took off her backpack, my God it was heavy. The rain and the time she jumped into the river made the bag completely soaked and was heavier than before. I put the backpack inside mine, and after we both rested for a while, we tried to go again. After a few hundred metres, she lied down on the grass again. Okay, so I knew. This was the end of our day. We found an outdoor bench under a roof where we could take shelter and called a taxi. While waiting for our taxi, I saw her shivering. Bless her! She was cold and wet, and was not moving so was getting colder and colder. I opened my bag looking for her towel, and despite taking out most of the things in my bag I couldn’t find it. So I laid down on the floor with her and hugged her tightly, hoping my body heat will be able to warm her up a little. We were waiting outside an albergue and opposite us was a cafe but both places would not let her inside. I wished our taxi would come very very soon.

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(Tired doggo)

At our hotel, I took off her boots. To my horror, I found that despite the rest of her body being wet and cold, her paws were overheated and felt very warm but sweaty/clammy. Dogs sweat through their paws so I think she was unable to cool down while wearing boots. The boots were also very wet from the rain and the river, and it caused frictions. Because she ended up with multiple blisters on all her feet both on the walking surface (the pads) and also on top. Argh!!!

I felt so terrible. Like super guilty. I worked with children in healthcare and I see it plenty of times that when their children fell ill, the parents told me they felt so guilty like it was their fault for not recognising the symptoms earlier. Or maybe that they did but their concerns were dismissed by previous health providers, and yet they still felt guilty for not making a bigger deal of it and insisted on further checks. I was feeling exactly like that. That I have failed, that I was so stupid for thinking that it was a good idea to bring my dog all the way to Spain to do the Camino with me. And also embarrassed because despite all the warnings from people not to take the dog, I did it anyway and look where we are now. That Fuji had done exactly what dogs do as our best friends, with their unquestionable loyalty and love, to follow us, wherever we go and whatever we ask them to do. And yet I have made the wrong decisions for her and now she is suffering, because of me. That look of “But I have tried my best Mommy, really, but it’s just tooo hard” will haunt me forever. It was such a terrible feeling but I also must quickly put my personal feelings aside and act quickly. Because Fuji needed me to help her and not to cry over her.

So I quickly cleaned her wounds, trimmed away any loose flaps which can drag and get yanked and create further problems, treated them with either the antimicrobial spray if I felt it was deep or angry looking enough, or this other spray which contained tea tree and chamomile to soothe blisters/hot spots/minor irritations and help promote healing. Our hotel was so lovely but it was in the middle of nowhere, with no reception, and very weak and intermittent wi-fi signal. Exactly not the right place when I was trying to find information. So I spent most of the evening sitting in the lobby to try to get the best wi-fi. Also it didn’t help that it was still raining, I think the signal was weaker in the rain.

Pre-camino I had made a list on Google map of the vets along the Camino Frances, and unfortunately there was none in this area. Like the only one without one. The nearest one was in Melide and it had closed for the day, would only reopen the next day at 10.30. Lugo has a 24h vet but really, Fuji’s injuries were not that serious that warranted a 24h emergency vet appointment. I found that I was able to do a search on Google, but every time I tried to click on the result, it would not open due to the poor internet connection. I was able to text my friend in California who is a dog mom herself, and she helped me search for the things I was looking for and sent me their numbers.

At that point, I was looking at options to see whether I can find a place that will look after Fuji safely while she recovers, and I could continue the Camino. I was in contact with a residencia canina (kennel) nearby as well as APACA in Santiago. The kennel was about 20km away and actually able to pick up Fuji the next morning before 7.30AM (very early for Spanish time), because he was occupied the rest of the day. The cost for 4 days of boarding and the pick up was not expensive at all. But something just did not feel right. It was my fault to let her initial injury worsened, and now that she was in a lot of discomfort, how could I abandon her? I am sure the kennel would be professional so it was just my own personal feeling that felt I could not/should not leave my dog in this state. It felt very selfish if I had done so and I probably would turn back within the first hour of walking alone.

I burst into tears thinking about all this at the dinner table, and for those who believe in the magic of the Camino, this was when it happened. Sitting next to me was the Spanish guy Daniel who was walking with Luna, the labrador cross. So I explained to him my situation and asked for help. Maria, the awesome hospitalera (also driver, receptionist, waitress, and unofficial therapist) also helped me. Daniel put me in touch with his friend who is a vet in Gran Canaria. We did a WhatsApp call and I sent some pictures of Fuji’s paws. Maria gave me the number of her friend who is one of the tour operators that organised camino with dogs. According to Daniel, I could put a lot of vaseline on Fuji’s paws and she would be fine to walk. I knew I was not going to do that, but it was an indication to me that her injuries were not *THAT* bad and with the right treatment I hope she would recover quickly. But where should Fuji stay while she recovers? And what should I do??

One of Fuji’s Instagram friends is a German/South African couple who were walking the Camino themselves and is a professional dog sitter. So they advised me against the kennel, admitting they were of course biased. They instead suggested that I stayed put in one place, maybe in a more pilgrim albergue like place and help out by being a hospitalera for a few days. That way, I can stay by Fuji’s side and make sure her recovery was on track and still get the “Camino experience” somewhat. Hmm, not a bad idea, I thought. And I think I might know who to ask about this, hmmm…

So I reached out to Richard, asking if his neighbour Casa Banderas might need an extra help with cleaning/cooking/etc and if they had space for me and Fuji to stay put for a few days. Instead he offered to let me stay at his place next door, and that he normally helps the hospitalero there run the place while the owners were away and so I could help out as much as I want to, etc. How generous! But I was still undecided, it felt a bit wrong to receive random act of kindness from a stranger. But what are my other options? As nice as my current hotel was, it was in the middle of nowhere with no connection to the outside world, should I need to arrange to get supplies or go see a specialist etc.

So I went to bed, feeling super shitty but trying my best to move on, sleep, and get a clear thinking head tomorrow.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Day 3-6 - the recovery time

I woke up and wiped away dried tears which have partially glued my eyes. I was still undecided. So I looked at Fuji. And there she was wagging her tail!!! Suddenly I felt a huge weight lifted. I went for breakfast and Maria asked me how I was feeling and what I have decided to do. So I told her I was going to stay for a few days in Vilacha and refigure my plans. Of course, the downside to this is that most likely this would be the end of our Camino for this time.

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(Still in pain but already looking for cuddles)

After breakfast, I was sitting at the hotel lobby, again looking for wi-fi signal, when Fuji came out of our bedroom and walking towards Maria and Daniel who was checking out. And she asked for cuddles from them! Awwwww…. first sign of recovery. Although she was walking slowly, but she was walking. When she asked for cuddles she would wag her tail, and make a twirl with her head and body lightly brushing against the other person. If he or she responded positively, then she would lie down and ask for belly rub. Who could say no? Later on she was walking up the stairs because I think she was looking for/smelling Luna (the labrador cross) who stayed upstairs.

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(Grim Galician morning with thunderstorm and heavy rain)

It was a very grim morning with thunderstorm and heavy rain. If I needed further justification that I had made the right decision then this was it. Soon after, Daniel messaged me to say that he and Luna had stopped walking because of the heavy rain, and were currently bunkering down in a shelter. There was a twitch of regret that I won’t meet the people I had spoken to on the first 2 days, but what else could I do?

Once I arrived and settled down in Vilacha, the rain stopped and we had a beautiful afternoon welcoming weary pilgrims to Richard’s tea shop. We had a visit from Russell, a permanent pilgrim who had been walking up and down the Camino for 15 years after a personal tragedy. He was in a good mood and was playing with Fuji. In the evening, we went to Casa Banderas for dinner. Throughout the day, Brian, the American hospitalero, told us that they were only expecting 1 American pilgrim that day. But at around 4PM, suddenly we had an elderly Italian lady, and a French/German family (French father, German mother, and a daughter raised in Germany to speak German as her main language). This was when Brian and Richard displayed their impressive language skills (each of them speaks 5-7 languages) and we were speaking English/Italian/French/German on the table. And Pentecost was 4 days away, lol.

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(This would've been such a cute picture but I was worried about the state of her paws! She should be resting...)

Today I also had to rethink about my camino plans. I cancelled my reservations for the next few days. But on Friday, my friend from Kent was flying in to Santiago, on what was supposed to be our celebration of finishing the Camino. We had reservation in Santiago for 2 nights which was non-refundable, and communication with this particular hostel had been tricky so I wasn’t even going to attempt to request to make changes. And looking at the progress that Fuji has made in one day, there was a small fire of hope inside me that was starting to light up. Could we even resume our Camino, would she be ready in time? But what would my friend, Trisna, want? After all, our plan had been to party in Santiago, road trip to the Rias Baixas region, drink plenty of wine, and carry on with pretty much the same in Bordeaux? I told her about what had been happening, and asked if she would even consider walking the rest of the Camino with us if Fuji improved in time…. and she said “Yeah, sure, I’ll do it”. *hearts* So Trisna is a seasoned marathon runner and horseriding champion. I have no doubt that she will be more than physically ready to do the last 3 days of the camino with us. But it was still at times hilarious when I had to help her repack and prepare for the camino, in 24 hours. “No, no, it’s not quite a wilderness hiking trail…. it’s like a long-distance walk from village to village with frequent stops for coffee or beer” (Note: I am in no way taking the piss about the Camino but merely trying to paint a picture of what it would be like for my physically very fit friend). It was also interesting that while preparing for this Camino, I had invited Trisna to join us for the whole thing, but she politely turned me down and said she would join us for the celebration afterwards but not the walk. And now she was walking with us, the universe is calling... jejeje…

On the 2nd day of rest, I decided to be a bit more strict with Fuji’s so-called “bed rest”. The previous day, I was letting her come out of the house to meet and greet and entertain pilgrims. But to be honest, outside the house it was dusty/muddy/gravelly. And I was cleaning her paws and reapplying all her treatment after each sortie outdoors. And I felt that if this was a recovery time, then she should really rest and recover. Sorry Fuji! But it really was for the best. So I made a little nest for her in the living room, where the floor surface was clean and she would feel comfortable to lie down to rest, with her toys and water around her.

During this time, I had also reached out to Ruffwear, the manufacturer for most of her outdoor gears, about the boots. Somewhere on the internet fountain of knowledge, someone had recommended not wearing boots for longer than an hour, and to give the dog’s paws time to “breathe”. Ruffwear replied to me to say that they have no specific guidance as to the maximum time the boots can be worn, but recommended boot liners to protect against friction. Of course! Socks! We all knew about why humans get blisters, so it’s the same with dog’s booties. And of course, they recommended me to buy even MORE of their products.

We went to Lugo, the pet shop didn’t have doggie socks, but I saw a closing down sale at Eroski and found 3 pairs of baby socks for €1, bargain! We also did some food shopping as it was the Queen’s Jubilee the next day.

Dinner tonight was another multi-national mix of pilgrims. But English was the lingua franca at the table of Dutch, German, French, Spanish, New Zealand, and Belgian Flemish pilgrims. One of the German girls was wearing sandals and had her toes bandaged up. Apparently people had found the humour in the fact that “the dogs got blisters!” because apparently, usually, it is the humans who got injured. It might be funny to some but this particular human felt like she was carrying the letter L on her back (for Losers). When Fuji managed to escape from her confinement (she is descendant of Houdini), she often visited the neighbour’s dogs which caused such a commotion amongst all the dogs. I could see day by day that she is improving, although she was still walking gingerly especially with her front paws.

Friday/day 3 of “bed rest” was the Queen’s Jubilee. So we made fry ups or “English breakfast” consisted of sausages, bacon, black pudding (morcilla actually), grilled mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans, fried eggs, and fried bread. YUMMM… Richard made scones with special secret recipe from his Mom. Brian got the lecture about the difference between Cornish (and therefore the REAL) cream tea vs Devon, so in the name of research Brian tried both methods and was diplomatic at which he thought was the better way. Our neighbour Mari Carmen joined us for our Jubilee celebration and I think from her expression she was thinking, “What are these crazy Brits doing and they call this thing food? Much too sweet. Spanish food much better.”

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(Jubilee special pilgrim's breakfast at Casa Banderas... NOT!)
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(Everyone please come visit Casa San Xulian Km 94, Vilachá 4D, 27611 Paradela, Lugo, Spain)

After the Jubilee celebration, I left Vilacha to pick up Trisna at Santiago airport and we spent the next 2 days as tourists in Santiago. It was weird, because of course we have not walked into Santiago. But this would be the only time we have to shop for souvenirs. On Saturday we went to the Pilgrim’s Office to get a credential for Trisna. Lo and behold! We found Peter, one half of the Asian squad from my first day! He told me that they were both wondering why they haven’t seen Fuji and I in the last few days. I told him what happened and later on I arranged to meet Shaun at the Plaza. We visited the tomb of St James and attended the pilgrim’s mass at the Cathedral which was led by the Archbishop. We were standing at the side, and could see men dressed in red robes getting ready. They were the tiraboleiros! So yes, the botafumeiro was swinging after the mass, dispensing clouds of incense right next to and above us. The homily from the Archbishop was emphasising forgiveness during this Holy Year, and courage to carry out our faith. I felt that in a very strange way, this was how my first Camino was meant to be, in a funny order of sequence. If I had carried on walking as initially planned, on Saturday I would be on the bus back to pick up my car from Sarria.

IMG_1244.jpg
 
Day 7 - Buen Camino!

I think Fuji was ready! I wasn’t under pressuritis or get-there-itis, she was really genuinely full of energy, very affectionate, and was ready :D So we resumed our Camino, with fresh brand new energy from my friend Trisna and we really felt quite invincible today. I had to explain about the way markers and like me on my first day from Sarria, I was taking pictures of my friend at every initial way markers :) hey you can only do this kind of thing once, this feeling you won’t get it again next time.
IMG_1339.jpg
(Back to being a happy perregrina, this was on a complementario route, completely empty!)

We passed some cute small villages with neatly lined stone-walled houses. Soon I could recognise these houses as albergues/pensiones for pilgrims. Villages with camino money tend to be better presented and the roads also better preserved than some others. We had some lovely empanadas at Ribadiso, I was also tired of cafe con leche so instead had carajillos (Spanish for courage, it’s basically coffee with a shot of whiskey or cognac, to give Spanish soldiers the courage to go fight). Fuji went for a dip on the river and all the pilgrims were watching and recording from the bridge. I love that my little dog could bring so much joy and entertainment in them by simply just being herself.

IMG_1342.jpg
(Quick dip to cool off those precious paws)

We also met a group of horseriders! They certainly gave inspiration to my friend Trisna, hmmm horseback camino?

Soon we arrived in our destination Arzua. Took all the typical pilgrim photos in front of the sign displaying the town name. The weather gods have been on our side as we had nice cool mornings, at times drizzly, but nothing too major, followed by sunny afternoon in Arzua. Unfortunately it was Sunday so most grocery shops were closed, but we found one that was open to buy supplies for breakfast. I had also saved some good restaurants in town, but alas! They were closed. Bummer. So, a late lunch at a random bar and it felt more like filling our belly with fuel rather than savouring a good meal.

IMG_1352.jpg
(Hello Arzua!)

Our private albergue was very nice, Los Tres Abetos. It was run by a Swiss German family. They gave us a private room downstairs, with a little doggy rug for Fuji to sleep on. It is attached to a disabled toilet/shower. Other pilgrims can access this toilet/shower too but apart from only once when another pilgrim wanted to wash her clothes, we pretty much had a (semi) private use of the bathroom. The dorms were located upstairs over 2 floors, and each floor had their own shared bathrooms. The family has a pet dog, Abe. They were quite cautious at explaining Abe’s personality, but both dogs actually got on quite well and enjoyed playing together. As the afternoon drew and more pilgrims were arriving, I had to put Fuji inside our room as I wanted her to rest and not to continuously be distracted by arriving pilgrims. She was exactly like a little child!
 
Day 8 - Long March to Lavacolla

I was dreading this day. This was a longer stretch than my original plan, because under our new time constraint we now had to reach Santiago early in the morning for me to catch the 11AM bus to pick up my car on the same day as our arrival into Santiago.

During Fuji’s rest days, I was also talking to a lot other successful perregrinos and their pawrents, and discussed strategies to make our 2nd attempt a successful one. All of them unanimously advised that we really should leave early, the earliest suggested time was 5.30AM, but I settled with 6AM (in Spanish/Indonesian time, it meant 6.30AM in real actual time). I also decided Fuji should wear just her harness and I would carry her stuffs. We did not have much left to go, so there was less food to carry. But I seemed to have picked up more things for Fuji. I also got a fresh tube of vaseline (it was in a tube so she couldn’t sneakily lick it all off behind my back).

IMG_1390.jpg

With our new plan, plus we were delayed by 4 days, we managed to avoid the huge crowds of pilgrims that I had encountered before. We were scheduled to arrive in Santiago on Tuesday, and midweek is always quieter in Santiago than at the weekends. Because we left early, we met few pilgrims on the way. Usually just groups of 2 people walking together. I put Fuji on her leash a lot more, and only let her go when there was nobody around. This was to prevent her from running too much, in multiples of human distance in a day.

IMG_1392.jpg
(Empty stretches of trail in the last 100K to Santiago, de verdad?!)

We got into O Pedrouzo at exactly midday, and I was disappointed again that the steak house that was recommended to me, was closed on Monday! So we chose the first restaurant we encountered, and I had the menu del dia. Spaghetti bolognese, a lomo with really yummy cheese/pepper sauce, and flan for dessert. The spaghetti was the size of a main dish, but I was very hungry. And I needed all the energy I could muster to push through to Lavacolla, haha. Again, we had nice cool weather with some drizzles but nothing too heavy. The afternoon was dry but due to the morning rain it was nice and cool most afternoon - because this was also another thing I was dreading! The heat and Fuji’s paws. Whenever we came across a puddle of water, or fresh water, I let her cool her feet down.

Because of our early departure and going off stage, we encountered a lot more bikes during these last 2 days. Bicigrinos. Luckily, my friend Trisna tends to walk behind us and she was a good spotter for bikes. So we always had time to move away and the paths we were on had always been wide enough for peregrinos, perregrino, and bicigrinos.

The last 5K was a hard slog for me. And Fuji was still full of energy! So she and Trisna could play fetch together, while I was taking a break, in a shaded area. I was so pedantic with making sure she had enough rest the day before, that she wasn’t sleepy at night, and now so full of energy. My friend was physically fitter than me and she had a lighter pack as I had all the extra stuffs for Fuji. She even cancelled her post camino massage, as she felt she didn’t need it, and suggested maybe we could do the last 10K and just make it to Santiago today? I replied with a resolute NO.

IMG_1414.jpg
(I just said, my feet/soles are starting to hurt! And Fuji came bringing the inner sole of shoes for a giant)

Our hotel was a typical business/airport hotel. And after the usual routine of washing and drying clothes, I squeezed in a power nap before dinner. Food was very good, but service was very slow. They had 3 servers and about the same number of hotel guests as the casa rural off Palas de Rei, who only had Maria serving all the guests. Neither Trisna or I could finish our main meal, so we asked for…. wait for it… doggy bags! Fuji had an extra helping of entrecôte and rice on top of her usual dinner that night. And for breakfast, an extra portion of magret de canard a l’orange! Lucky girl.

IMG_1434.jpg
(Good nutrition and sleep are important for our recovery)
 
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Sticky? Excellent and detailed thread.

Next steps.

CoarseReadyHart-size_restricted.gif
 
Last edited:
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Day 8 - Long March to Lavacolla

I was dreading this day. This was a longer stretch than my original plan, because under our new time constraint we now had to reach Santiago early in the morning for me to catch the 11AM bus to pick up my car on the same day as our arrival into Santiago.

During Fuji’s rest days, I was also talking to a lot other successful perregrinos and their pawrents, and discussed strategies to make our 2nd attempt a successful one. All of them unanimously advised that we really should leave early, the earliest suggested time was 5.30AM, but I settled with 6AM (in Spanish/Indonesian time, it meant 6.30AM in real actual time). I also decided Fuji should wear just her harness and I would carry her stuffs. We did not have much left to go, so there was less food to carry. But I seemed to have picked up more things for Fuji. I also got a fresh tube of vaseline (it was in a tube so she couldn’t sneakily lick it all off behind my back).

View attachment 127575

With our new plan, plus we were delayed by 4 days, we managed to avoid the huge crowds of pilgrims that I had encountered before. We were scheduled to arrive in Santiago on Tuesday, and midweek is always quieter in Santiago than at the weekends. Because we left early, we met few pilgrims on the way. Usually just groups of 2 people walking together. I put Fuji on her leash a lot more, and only let her go when there was nobody around. This was to prevent her from running too much, in multiples of human distance in a day.

View attachment 127576
(Empty stretches of trail in the last 100K to Santiago, de verdad?!)

We got into O Pedrouzo at exactly midday, and I was disappointed again that the steak house that was recommended to me, was closed on Monday! So we chose the first restaurant we encountered, and I had the menu del dia. Spaghetti bolognese, a lomo with really yummy cheese/pepper sauce, and flan for dessert. The spaghetti was the size of a main dish, but I was very hungry. And I needed all the energy I could muster to push through to Lavacolla, haha. Again, we had nice cool weather with some drizzles but nothing too heavy. The afternoon was dry but due to the morning rain it was nice and cool most afternoon - because this was also another thing I was dreading! The heat and Fuji’s paws. Whenever we came across a puddle of water, or fresh water, I let her cool her feet down.

Because of our early departure and going off stage, we encountered a lot more bikes during these last 2 days. Bicigrinos. Luckily, my friend Trisna tends to walk behind us and she was a good spotter for bikes. So we always had time to move away and the paths we were on had always been wide enough for peregrinos, perregrino, and bicigrinos.

The last 5K was a hard slog for me. And Fuji was still full of energy! So she and Trisna could play fetch together, while I was taking a break, in a shaded area. I was so pedantic with making sure she had enough rest the day before, that she wasn’t sleepy at night, and now so full of energy. My friend was physically fitter than me and she had a lighter pack as I had all the extra stuffs for Fuji. She even cancelled her post camino massage, as she felt she didn’t need it, and suggested maybe we could do the last 10K and just make it to Santiago today? I replied with a resolute NO.

View attachment 127577
(I just said, my feet/soles are starting to hurt! And Fuji came bringing the inner sole of shoes for a giant)

Our hotel was a typical business/airport hotel. And after the usual routine of washing and drying clothes, I squeezed in a power nap before dinner. Food was very good, but service was very slow. They had 3 servers and about the same number of hotel guests as the casa rural off Palas de Rei, who only had Maria serving all the guests. Neither Trisna or I could finish our main meal, so we asked for…. wait for it… doggy bags! Fuji had an extra helping of entrecôte and rice on top of her usual dinner that night. And for breakfast, an extra portion of magret de canard a l’orange! Lucky girl.

View attachment 127578
(Good nutrition and sleep are important for our recovery)
What a beautiful report of Fuji’s and of course your camino.
Love the stories and Fuji is so cute.
I don’t think my Cavalier King Charles will do this 🐕. Thanks for sharing your camino story .
 
Only if the plant walked the last 100kms by walking, on horseback, airballoon or boat or 200 kms by bike .And two stamps a day and watering .🤓
And must be on an approved camino route by the Cathedral? What if I want to take my plant via the Variante Espiritual? Jajaja...
 
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Day 9 - Santiago

We had extra spring on our steps as today we will reach Santiago! Plus we only had 10K to do! That really put big big smiles on our faces.

IMG_1446.jpg
(Bonus for starting in the dark is that we could turn around and watch the sunrise, when it's not raining in Galicia!)

AND… no more rain! Sunny arrival into Santiago!

We stopped at Monte de Gozo, which was actually a bit of a detour off the main camino route. The air was fresh and the sky was blue, it was lovely to be there with you… Fuji, my best friend, my fur baby, my loyal companion.

IMG_1463.jpg

Oh wait, we had to stop somewhere for our 2nd stamp, so we got our intravenous caffeine somewhere just on the outskirts of Santiago. Our previous hostel in Santiago was actually along the Camino Frances route, so we know the way into the Cathedral very well already, and actually the last bit of the Camino Frances wasn’t as well marked as it had been the rest of the way. So we felt we had a slight “home” advantage, in the race to get to the Plaza and the Pilgrim’s Office!

IMG_1488.jpg
(2 pilgrims and a dog)

After taking our obligatory arrival pictures and obtaining my compostela, I had to quickly dash to the bus station. Trisna was looking after Fuji and they were napping at the Plaza. I was half running half power walking to the station, and made it with 20 minutes to spare for the 11AM bus. I picked up my car, drove back into Santiago to pick up Trisna and Fuji, and headed to the APACA office to get Fuji her well deserved canine compostela. The APACA staff asked me if this was the same dog that had injured her paws a few days before, and I said yes! They wanted our pictures for their social media, but we were also in a rush to get to our prebooked wine tasting, that I had left my wallet/passport/Fuji’s paperwork on the desk at APACA. Again, this was another lesson for me to slow down, inhale and be mindful of the surroundings. Once I realised my mistake, though, I was strangely very calm. The place was very quiet and I could trust APACA that they would keep everything safe for me. We were quite far from Santiago by then that we would not be able to come back until the next day, when we drove across Spain back to France. So instead, we chilled by the swimming pool at our lovely villa in Meaño, sipping Albariño, snacking on chorizo and cheese, and taking a quick dip at the pool. We had another lovely meal at this hotel too.

It was the perfect way to relax and unwind, because to be honest my anxiety and stress level was quite high in the 2nd part of my Camino. I think if we had continued and Fuji again got sick, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. We also made the stages very long, rather than making them shorter, for a dog who was recently recovered from injuries! We couldn’t delay our return date as Trisna had prior commitments. So we were limited with the time we have left. But, as always, Fuji delivers. She really truly is, a wonderful dog. We have been through some rough and really awful times together and she has always been there to protect me. She is a quiet dog (“tranquilo”) but she would bark at one particular bad neighbour and at people who tried to harm me. Having said that, she also barks at a neighbourhood cat who uses our garden (Fuji’s territory!) as her toilet, and at random birds, so >.< sometimes she is also just a dog, jaja.

This camino was our camino together, as my appreciation for Fuji, because I believed she would enjoy the walks, the swimming in the sea and river, all the different smells and tastes, and all the special foods and treats she was getting. And of course, all the new people she gets to see. At home she was only with me most of the time and her face lit up and tails wagging like helicopter blades each time I got up from my desk, putting on my walking shoes, and picking up the leash to take her out. I’m glad that she recovered quickly from her injuries, and that she was genuinely very happy to continue our way together, because we are a team, we are family.

IMG_1779.jpg
(Her proud Compostela Canina! It was number 282... so 282 dogs have completed the camino so far this year, who registered, and got the compostela from APACA. Out of the 5 dogs departing from Sarria, 1 other dog registered with the APACA and has gotten the compostela, I think Daniel/Luna were old skool and didn't bother with this, they carried on to Finisterre, not sure about the others)
 
Day 9 - Santiago

We had extra spring on our steps as today we will reach Santiago! Plus we only had 10K to do! That really put big big smiles on our faces.

View attachment 127583
(Bonus for starting in the dark is that we could turn around and watch the sunrise, when it's not raining in Galicia!)

AND… no more rain! Sunny arrival into Santiago!

We stopped at Monte de Gozo, which was actually a bit of a detour off the main camino route. The air was fresh and the sky was blue, it was lovely to be there with you… Fuji, my best friend, my fur baby, my loyal companion.

View attachment 127584

Oh wait, we had to stop somewhere for our 2nd stamp, so we got our intravenous caffeine somewhere just on the outskirts of Santiago. Our previous hostel in Santiago was actually along the Camino Frances route, so we know the way into the Cathedral very well already, and actually the last bit of the Camino Frances wasn’t as well marked as it had been the rest of the way. So we felt we had a slight “home” advantage, in the race to get to the Plaza and the Pilgrim’s Office!

View attachment 127585
(2 pilgrims and a dog)

After taking our obligatory arrival pictures and obtaining my compostela, I had to quickly dash to the bus station. Trisna was looking after Fuji and they were napping at the Plaza. I was half running half power walking to the station, and made it with 20 minutes to spare for the 11AM bus. I picked up my car, drove back into Santiago to pick up Trisna and Fuji, and headed to the APACA office to get Fuji her well deserved canine compostela. The APACA staff asked me if this was the same dog that had injured her paws a few days before, and I said yes! They wanted our pictures for their social media, but we were also in a rush to get to our prebooked wine tasting, that I had left my wallet/passport/Fuji’s paperwork on the desk at APACA. Again, this was another lesson for me to slow down, inhale and be mindful of the surroundings. Once I realised my mistake, though, I was strangely very calm. The place was very quiet and I could trust APACA that they would keep everything safe for me. We were quite far from Santiago by then that we would not be able to come back until the next day, when we drove across Spain back to France. So instead, we chilled by the swimming pool at our lovely villa in Meaño, sipping Albariño, snacking on chorizo and cheese, and taking a quick dip at the pool. We had another lovely meal at this hotel too.

It was the perfect way to relax and unwind, because to be honest my anxiety and stress level was quite high in the 2nd part of my Camino. I think if we had continued and Fuji again got sick, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. We also made the stages very long, rather than making them shorter, for a dog who was recently recovered from injuries! We couldn’t delay our return date as Trisna had prior commitments. So we were limited with the time we have left. But, as always, Fuji delivers. She really truly is, a wonderful dog. We have been through some rough and really awful times together and she has always been there to protect me. She is a quiet dog (“tranquilo”) but she would bark at one particular bad neighbour and at people who tried to harm me. Having said that, she also barks at a neighbourhood cat who uses our garden (Fuji’s territory!) as her toilet, and at random birds, so >.< sometimes she is also just a dog, jaja.

This camino was our camino together, as my appreciation for Fuji, because I believed she would enjoy the walks, the swimming in the sea and river, all the different smells and tastes, and all the special foods and treats she was getting. And of course, all the new people she gets to see. At home she was only with me most of the time and her face lit up and tails wagging like helicopter blades each time I got up from my desk, putting on my walking shoes, and picking up the leash to take her out. I’m glad that she recovered quickly from her injuries, and that she was genuinely very happy to continue our way together, because we are a team, we are family.

View attachment 127586
(Her proud Compostela Canina! It was number 282... so 282 dogs have completed the camino so far this year, who registered, and got the compostela from APACA. Out of the 5 dogs departing from Sarria, 1 other dog registered with the APACA and has gotten the compostela, I think Daniel/Luna were old skool and didn't bother with this, they carried on to Finisterre, not sure about the others)
When I was volunteer at the pilgrims office beginning of April this year there came a group of about six militaires with their dogs for their Compostelas , walking too from Sarria.
so they must have been 6 of the 282.I did write out the Compostelas of the men only 😊
 
I don’t think my Cavalier King Charles will do this 🐕
You can do it this way? (I saw one carried like this on our Camino. I also saw a couple with 2 dogs, 1 walking and the small one one a sling hehe)

 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I enjoyed reading your story! The love you have for Fuji is so apparent and touching. Your Camino was not without some difficulty, as many mention in past threads best to leave pets home. Thankfully all has ended well as you know your little darling and you took good care of her, and doing a shorter Camino was wise. I thought it great how she loved meeting other people along the Way and often enjoyed a good rub by their hand!
P.S. I loved all the pictures, too!
 
You can do it this way? (I saw one carried like this on our Camino. I also saw a couple with 2 dogs, 1 walking and the small one one a sling hehe)

That is a good idea and I carry my 50 liter Osprey pack at the front.
Perfctly balanced Thanks for sharing 🙏
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Hi Fuji and mum! I am so glad that you described your experience. I have been met with a lot of negative comments so it's nice to see that I am not the only one thinking about this. My main concern is about other stray dogs. Have you had any problems? I heard that dogs in Spain live mainly outside so I am not sure how I would protect us..
 
Hi Fuji and mum! I am so glad that you described your experience. I have been met with a lot of negative comments so it's nice to see that I am not the only one thinking about this. My main concern is about other stray dogs. Have you had any problems? I heard that dogs in Spain live mainly outside so I am not sure how I would protect us..
Hi there! I find that linking with other perregrinos and their pilgrim pawrents have been very useful. There were people who have done it in the past (even wrote a book about it), or people currently on the Camino. So we share what works for us, the troubles we were having, and how to deal with it, etc.

I met perregrinos (pilgrim dogs), they were all friendly. One dog showed the usual doggy hello/sniffing nose and tail, but somehow he was reprimanded harshly by his owner who expected 100% obedience! To be fair, this dog was following the owner to heel 99.99% of the time and was not even leashed when crossing a carretera (I personally would not do so), and the only time he was “disobedient” was when he was near Fuji!

The other category of dogs would be the local dogs. 80% of them would be chained or behind the fence. They would bark as we pass by, but that is harmless, and Fuji doesn’t show reactivity to it. There were 2 times we came across loose dogs, one was in the village where a lady was selling cheese. And maybe my anxiety was heightened as a pilgrim just told me she saw dogs fighting the day before and there was blood everywhere. So we tried to walk away as fast as we can, but I think Fuji got pretty spooked by that experience, she jumped off a bridge and only just able to climb back. I wonder whether some of her “injuries” were not just blisters on the paws but also muscle exhaustion. The second time we had this dog coming to chase/sniff her, did not look too aggressive to me, but his owner quickly came out of his house and chased his dog to go inside the field and closed the gate.

Near the Santiago airport, we saw local people walking their dogs (small Pomeranian type), they were leashed. The owner must have known that their dogs are quite reactive because she turned around from the trail and walked on the road (opposite direction to us). When we got to the road, these tiny pomeranians were very yappy, barking and pulling on their lead until we have walked further away!

In Bordeaux and San Sebastián, I saw many local dogs with their owners in parks, cafes, restaurants and they were all calm. In Santiago itself, while I was walking around the cathedral, sometimes I saw other pet dogs too (small dogs) and they tend to be quite yappy.

I suppose the trick to deal with barking dogs is to show no reaction to them and keep walking. I think it was better when my friend has joined as I could keep walking with Fuji and my friend can delay the other dog. If your dog is quite small then maybe you can pick up your dog and carry him. When you are out of sight, the local dogs will stop barking/chasing.
 
I wrote our experience walking the Camino together so that I hope it can be useful to others who are considering doing the same thing. After reading this, you may decide to do it with/without your furry bestfriend, as you like. There are many reasons why someone may choose to bring their dogs, by the first week of June, 282 dogs have already got their compostelas (this is also an undercount because some don't use the credencial canina, or some do but have to apply for the compostela by mail afterwards, as APACA office is quite in the middle of nowhere).

Just as we learn not to pass judgements on others who do things differently to us, I hope this thread doesn't fall into the usual tirade of "don't do it/you should leave the dog at home".

Very happy to answer questions on the practicalities/tips/other info/etc!
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Thanks for your excellent, informative, and very honest posting about your Camino with Fuji. I enjoyed every word! So glad all's well that ended well. 🐶💕

I'm sure it will very helpful to others considering walking with their pets, especially your first post summing up all the preparations. Your straightforward covering of the bad along with the good is refreshing.

I hope you and Fuji share many more adventures! Congratulations to you both.
 
Hi there! I find that linking with other perregrinos and their pilgrim pawrents have been very useful. There were people who have done it in the past (even wrote a book about it), or people currently on the Camino. So we share what works for us, the troubles we were having, and how to deal with it, etc.

I met perregrinos (pilgrim dogs), they were all friendly. One dog showed the usual doggy hello/sniffing nose and tail, but somehow he was reprimanded harshly by his owner who expected 100% obedience! To be fair, this dog was following the owner to heel 99.99% of the time and was not even leashed when crossing a carretera (I personally would not do so), and the only time he was “disobedient” was when he was near Fuji!

The other category of dogs would be the local dogs. 80% of them would be chained or behind the fence. They would bark as we pass by, but that is harmless, and Fuji doesn’t show reactivity to it. There were 2 times we came across loose dogs, one was in the village where a lady was selling cheese. And maybe my anxiety was heightened as a pilgrim just told me she saw dogs fighting the day before and there was blood everywhere. So we tried to walk away as fast as we can, but I think Fuji got pretty spooked by that experience, she jumped off a bridge and only just able to climb back. I wonder whether some of her “injuries” were not just blisters on the paws but also muscle exhaustion. The second time we had this dog coming to chase/sniff her, did not look too aggressive to me, but his owner quickly came out of his house and chased his dog to go inside the field and closed the gate.

Near the Santiago airport, we saw local people walking their dogs (small Pomeranian type), they were leashed. The owner must have known that their dogs are quite reactive because she turned around from the trail and walked on the road (opposite direction to us). When we got to the road, these tiny pomeranians were very yappy, barking and pulling on their lead until we have walked further away!

In Bordeaux and San Sebastián, I saw many local dogs with their owners in parks, cafes, restaurants and they were all calm. In Santiago itself, while I was walking around the cathedral, sometimes I saw other pet dogs too (small dogs) and they tend to be quite yappy.

I suppose the trick to deal with barking dogs is to show no reaction to them and keep walking. I think it was better when my friend has joined as I could keep walking with Fuji and my friend can delay the other dog. If your dog is quite small then maybe you can pick up your dog and carry him. When you are out of sight, the local dogs will stop barking/chasing.
Thank you for your response. It sounds very similar to what you would have to deal with anywhere else too. This has been helpful.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Hi everyone!!!

Just a quick post here about our experience walking the Camino with my fur baby Fuji. Still travelling (another 12h drive day today), so full write up will come bit by bit over the next few days.

While preparing for this trip, I have often found that forum members who posted the question about walking the Camino with their furry best friend tend to receive a lot of negative opinions, so I hope to tip the balance a little bit here.

In summary: It’s been such an incredible experience!! ❤️ But also, doing the Camino with a dog means (a lot more) preparation - but I love planning (!) and most likely will cost you more, but it depends how you like to rough it. We stayed in private rooms in private albergues or pensions (the dorm bed cost €14 or usually €16-30 for private room with 2 beds) and Fuji stayed with me in my room and not outside/in garage/bike shed. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the whole journey with us, but it allowed us to meet many Camino angels who helped us along the way, and I think we had a much better experience, more amazing than what I thought it would be :)

So yes, if you’re thinking about it, just do it! (But do it the right way) 😎

View attachment 127297
Hi - 2 of us are planning on doing part of the Camino del Norte with my dog. San Sebastián to Gernika and staying in dog friendly hotels in October. There are SO many negative comments that I am now wondering if this is a good idea!
 
Hi - 2 of us are planning on doing part of the Camino del Norte with my dog. San Sebastián to Gernika and staying in dog friendly hotels in October. There are SO many negative comments that I am now wondering if this is a good idea!
I'm not seeing any of the negative comments you speak of.🤔
 
Hi - 2 of us are planning on doing part of the Camino del Norte with my dog. San Sebastián to Gernika and staying in dog friendly hotels in October. There are SO many negative comments that I am now wondering if this is a good idea!
The thread you’re on is probably the most complete, positive and helpful ‘dog on Camino’ thread I’ve seen.

Elsewhere I’d say the prevailing response is ‘don’t do it’ - which as a dog owner, I’d concur with.

However! It can be done, it has been done (many times) and you’ll know your and your dog’s capabilities better than anyone..
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
The thread you’re on is probably the most complete, positive and helpful ‘dog on Camino’ thread I’ve seen.

Elsewhere I’d say the prevailing response is ‘don’t do it’ - which as a dog owner, I’d concur with.

However! It can be done, it has been done (many times) and you’ll know your and your dog’s capabilities better than anyone..
Yes, complete and positive input and responses. @Sassygirl doesn't say if she said it "tongue in cheek", but I suppose it's possible.
Or maybe she is referring to other negative threads she has read.
 
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Yes, complete and positive input and responses. @Sassygirl doesn't say if she said it "tongue in cheek", but I suppose it's possible.
Or maybe she is referring to other negative threads she has read.
Also, could this be a bot or troller?🤔
I don’t think we’re supposed to speculate now.

Best to regard the (very welcome) new member as what they purport to be. 🙄

(I was alerted by a moderator to what was a ‘classic’ troll opening post a couple of weeks ago, and to which I’d replied. Shocking, really)
 
Hi - 2 of us are planning on doing part of the Camino del Norte with my dog. San Sebastián to Gernika and staying in dog friendly hotels in October. There are SO many negative comments that I am now wondering if this is a good idea!
Yes, it can be done, just need careful planning, and pay attention to your dog's and your needs. Don't push it, and be prepared to make changes to your plans.

After our first short Camino Frances, we've done Salvador and Primitivo and they were absolutely really great! I paid more attention to Fuji's paws/pads and both human and dog managed to finish injury-free! I keep meaning to write it up but haven't managed to do so yet :S

I haven't done del Norte, I heard there are more "roads/asphalt" than soft natural ground, that's something to bear in mind. In terms of people's blogs... there was a Spanish couple who did it by bikes and they seemed to put their dogs in a trailer, and then there was another Spanish couple who did the last parts of del Norte (after the split with Primitivo) because that's the hometown of the man. So it won't be relevant to you.

From San Sebastian to Guernika... if you can make the detour, I'd recommend visiting Gaztelugatxe! It's a hermitage in a little "island" connected by a stone bridge. It has reopened since late 2022 (had to close due to erosion), dogs are allowed but need to be kept on leash, and the nearby fishing villages are great for lunch spots.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
Hi - 2 of us are planning on doing part of the Camino del Norte with my dog. San Sebastián to Gernika and staying in dog friendly hotels in October. There are SO many negative comments that I am now wondering if this is a good idea!
In the spirit of “the Camino provides…” Fuji found a German pilgrim who walked many caminoes it seems, with her dog Lola, including del Norte! They arrived in Santiago yesterday.

You can follow their journey on Instagram:

I haven’t looked in details, but I’ve looked at the story highlights for del Norte so you can follow their trails! 🐾🐾
 

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