Samantha Davies
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Portuguese Camino (2016), French Camino (2015), Northern Camino (2017)
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Ditto....we all love our animals, however making them walk 800+ Km at our pace is too much to ask.PLEASE do not take your dog on Camino. If you walk a thousand paces, your dog must walk many times more paces. The terrain is uneven and very rough on a dogs paws. Depending on the time of year you walk, there is a lot of mud.
IMHO, the relative pleasure you derive from the companionship is not worth the wear, tear and strain you place on your loyal companion.
Dogs are inveterately loyal and will follow their owners into hell and back. Please, for the sake of your best friend, do not do this.
Also, most albergues DO NOT permit dogs inside. Leaving a dog outside, while you are inside is, again IMHO rude to the animal who relies on you for everything.
Working at the pilgrim office for four years, I have seen too many dogs of varying sizes and breeds arrive with their masters with shredded paws, limping, dehydrated, and in obvious distress. To my observation, their condition on arrival is in direct correlation between the size of the dog and the evident wear and tear on the poor animal. Dogs with shorter legs fare far worse than larger breeds with longer legs. Terrier and beagle type dogs fare badly. Shepard, malinois, retrievers, and hound breeds and larger mixes do relatively better. All in all, I strongly advise against this.
If you DO decide to bring your dog with you, PLEASE do advance research to locate veterinarians along your route of march. If your dog requires attention, do not ignore the condition.
Yes, everyone walks their own camino and no one, including me, has the right to judge how you accomplish your camino. But, someone must advocate for the dogs.
I happen to be a cat person. But I have too often seen the result of pilgrim hubris involving their pet dogs.
Sorry to throw a wet blanket on this topic, but it must be said.
Hope it helps the dialog.
I agree. I am a dog lover myself. But even if I could take them, I wouldn't. They wouldn't cope with the heat, the long hours walking and their diet being disrupted. And they are used to being with me all the time, they are house dogs (even though they are very large).I walked with a girl whose mother had to drive down from Belgium to collect her dog. Finding accommodation was the main problem, but also food. Her dog did not take kindly to a change of diet and developed diarrhoea - a common reaction. Dogs stomachs are not as adaptable as ours. The dog became hyper-vigilant and nervous and stressed. Being out in a thunderstorm with heavy rain did not help.
I've also seen other pilgrim dogs that are so thin and raggedly it distresses me. And others with bandaged paws and injuries from the sharp thorny bushes that abound. And sharp rocks.
In contrast I've seen very happy dogs bounding along the path. And a happy white lapdog that was carried in a cat container most of the way. And once a dog in a child's stroller.
Certainly I'd take a dog for the last 100km, without a doubt. Maybe even from Pontferrada. The trail is pretty soft after that. I'd be hesitant to do it from further back on the Frances.
I consider taking a dog not much different than taking a small child. You can do it, but it takes a lot more planning and in fairness to the dog, you have to put its needs first. So that might mean booking ahead with places that will accept dogs, paying for more expensive accommodation, and having a fall-back if things don't work out.
I've always been disapproving of taking a dog along for two reasons - accommodation and distress to the dog walking such a long distance.
We allowed a couple to stay at Rabanal but they tied their dog up in the huerta and it barked all night long and every dog in Rabanal barked back. There are a lot of dogs in Rabanal.
I got up at 1:30 and untied it, the dog then hunkered down in the barn dormitory and peace reigned.
As to the distance canines can travel - I was amazed that a wolf released in Germany has migrated to Belgium and appears to have been walking 35 to 70km a DAY!
Still wouldn't take a dog with me though.
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