A Dog’s Trip to the Scottish West Coast.

Pontus, the German Wirehaired Pointer, wrote:

This weekend I went with my family to the seaside. It was a trip to a little house in a boat. I had no idea what was happening. One minute I was sound asleep in one of my best dog beds in our house, next minute, while it was still dark outside, I was taken along in a car for a few hours drive till we got to a harbour. We all had to get on board on this relatively small vessel. I had a dog bed with me, but it was wrapped in a plastic bag and I was just loose in boat. Interesting to look out at the sea, but a bit worrying and I was glad to have my mum there.

Sniffing the sea air is lovely.

The biggest scare was that we seemed to have stopped the boat and then my mum jumped off the boat!!!! I was absolutely terrified. I think I made myself rather unpopular by whining and barking. She kept swimming away from the boat and I thought I was going to be stuck on it with the two blokes, never to see her again. Not knowing where I was and not knowing how to get home made me utterly panic stricken.

Mum swimming off the boat leaving me in total panic.

However, Mum came back with a rowing dinghy and I got in it with her. It was also very odd and worrying, but Mum kept telling me that I am a German Wirehaired Pointer and should not be such a wimp. I am sure I could have swum that distance better, but heho, I was on a dinghy.

We finally got all the paraphernalia off the boat including my stuff such as food and my bedding. It was delightful to be there. After much running about outside I was given the prime place inside to put my bed. It was by the low window and I could sit in my cosy waterproof nest dog bed and look out over the water. Just perfect.

Perfect position for my dog bed. I can look out the low window from here.

The next day the weather was GREAT and I followed Mum round the coast at low tide. She was raking for cockles and I could just run about enjoying the sunshine and peace and the fact that there is nobody around and no roads.

Standing on the beach sniffing the air. Great.

Enjoying the view of snow clad mountains and the loch.

Enjoying the sea while Mum rakes for cockles.

The very interesting thing was that Mum took all these cockles home and at low tide she also picked some mussels off the rocks. They all got cooked, but I was not invited to the feast, which is just the usual unfortunately. I do get my lovely dinner at 5pm, so I am not too worried. In the afternoon everyone was relaxing outside and I discovered that all the open cockle and mussel shells had been poured out in the grass near the beach. I investigated and found the smell very tempting. By mistake I took an open cockle shell, but gave up on it as it was obviously now without anything edible. However, I went back and found a closed mussel shell that the people had not eaten. I thought it could be investigated and took a look at it up on the grass. I sniffed it and tried to break it open.

A closed, cooked mussel is worth investigating.

Not easy to break a big mussel shell.

It’s a matter of keeping on trying to open the shell.

And amazingly, it opened in the end, revealing the most orange fish-smelling creature inside. I was baffled and not sure what it was. At the end of the day I am not really all that keen on fish and was not sure what to do with it.

As the mussel shell opened, an orange creature was revealed.

And what DO you do with a thing like that? Smelling of fish? The first thing that crossed my mind was to roll in it……

Tried to roll in the fish smelling mussel, but missed….

Missed again.

So the next thing was to try and eat it, which I succeeded in at the end. I didn’t go back for more.

The mussels are tasty, but not moorinsh. I left it at that.

I didn’t get an outdoor dog bed although it would have been nice just to have a waterproof mattress dog bed with a cover sitting in the sun. Instead I got in touch with my old instincts and made myself a natural grass nest. If you go round and round in the grass and dig a little all the time you eventually create a natural nest to lie in. It’s great, but obviously not as perfect as a Tuffies nest.

My natural grass nest outside by the house.

The trip was only for a couple of nights and we then had to get back on the boat. I found the whole experience a little worrying and I do in particular dislike the bigger boat, so I was clinging to Mum in the beginning. I was also cold and exhaused, mainly because I am definitely a mollycuddled wimp….

Clinging to Mum.

Eventually Mum gave me somebody’s jumper so I could stay warm and curl up in the bottom of the boat.

I would really like a Tuffies Travel dog bed in the boat and I am sure I will be allowed one at some point.

I didn’t have my nice fleece jumper with me, so somebody’s jumper was second best. Very cosy.