June is here again and the show season is starting to take off – let’s hope we have great weather for them like we did last summer. I am really looking forward to meeting up with old friends and seeing their dogs again, as well as making new canine owner friends.Talking of new people and dogs I had a great holiday in Barbados this April which had quite an amusing start to it, although one which I thought may end me up in jail!
Barbados is one of the most beautiful places to visit with blue sky and golden sands, it is one of the safest Caribbean Islands and the vegetation is stunning… it really is paradise. I am lucky enough to have friends who have a house there which they visit regularly the house is in the sugar plantation area and the scenery is beautiful ,very rural and very quiet the area looks rather like a mixture between Scotland and Cumbria but with the sunshine and next to the beach.
When we arrived at the Airport we did all the usual things, went through passport control and then headed off to collect our luggage just as I had just walked through passport control and past the officer who had been looking at the passports he jumped up, left everyone standing in the queue and ran after me shouting for me to come back, I froze wondering what I had done wrong! With everyone looking at me I had no choice but to go back to the desk to see what he wanted, without smiling he asked if I was a dog trainer! I said ‘yes’ and he then told me that he had a young dog who had some problem and could I give him some advice! I stopped having my heart attack, started breathing again and started to smile before I gave him the advice that he needed to sort out his dog. With the queues getting longer the passengers patience were getting shorter I felt so embarrassed to say the least.
It just goes to show that even on holiday I can’t escape from dogs! A lovely funny experience and one that really mirrors just how friendly and laid back the Bajan’s are.
My friends neighbours in Barbados have 3 dogs of dubious origin, they range from very large and intimidating, to medium and very noisy and then down to small and very sweet. The little pack have a lovely shaded garden to play in and a little doggie swimming pool which they hop in and out of all day very happily, they certainly know how to stay cool!
In the morning their owner takes them to the beach for their walk and his run, they usually go out just as the sun is rising which varies throughout the year but is usually about 5.00-5.30am. The dogs all wait at their garden gate to be told to go through it and then they proceed to walk to heel off a lead in a row past our house down the little hill to the roadside. When they arrive there they sit immediately at the side of the road and only cross over when told to do so, once they get onto the beach when given the command to go they take off and have a good run with their owner along the beach. What great exercise for them all! On return home they go through the same routine but once back in the garden they have a wash down before they are allowed to go into the swimming pool.
Some days the little pack went off in the car to a different place for their morning walk, one morning I was watching as the owners were getting ready to go out with them, they had a car boot full of the dogs things a sun brolly, a box of toys, water bottles, bowls , and towels and after putting all the dogs in plus the dog equipment there was just enough room for the owners to get in it ! It just reminded me of packing up children ready for a day at the beach.
I was so impressed with the owners as they had brought up that little pack really well and they all enjoyed each other’s company without any hassles they certainty didn’t need a trainer!
I envied those dogs living so near the beach and in such a lovely place they just don’t realise how privileged they are and how much money some of us humans have to spend getting there just to enjoy a couple of weeks sharing their beach with them. But it’s worth every penny as you don’t often get the chance to see paradise.
