Thursday, August 24, 2006
Oreo on Vacation
This week marked the third time that Oreo stayed at his doggie resort in the country and the first time that I got to see him in his vacation surroundings. The family (minus Oreo) took a mini-vacation in Montreal for three nights and four days. One advantage of this getaway was that Oreo's resort was on the way. So on Monday we headed out on our vacation and about one hour into the trip, we stopped at a rural farm where Oreo was to spend the next three nights.
Much as I am a reluctant dog owner, I was secretly pleased to see that Oreo was happy to be back at the resort once again. In fact, much like a kid being dropped off at his favorite summer camp, Oreo didn't even turn around to say goodbye. He just headed off to the house to meet up with the other dogs already at the resort. I think Cheryl might have been a bit hurt that her puppy didn't even say so long. But, in the end, it's nice to know that he's going to have a good time which wouldn't likely be the case with most kennels which seem somewhat prison-like.
We say goodbye to Pete the resort owner and self-styled concierge and head off to Montreal for an enjoyable three-night stay that will cost considerably more than the $20 a night charge for Oreo's getaway.
Thursday afternoon at 1 P.M., we show up again at the doggie resort to retrieve Oreo. A big white dog is at the gate to meet us, a dog that Pete calls his Walmart greeter. Pete goes back to the house and gets Oreo who races to the gate and greets us with such desperate glee that it seems apparent that he assumed we were gone for good.
Pete invites us in to get Oreo's dog bowls and food and I get my first glimpse of the animal-filled farmhouse. About eight other dogs have the run of the living room complete with beds and sofas to sleep on. The second floor is home to visiting cats who neither I nor the dogs get to see.
Once back in the car, Oreo quickly settled in and relaxed from his busy holiday. According to Pete, Oreo spent most of the time playing with a couple of other dogs and was the first dog out of the house for walks or a swim and the last one in. His tired demeanor was confirmation that he had probably had way too much fun.
Now back home, Oreo is spending a lot of time just lying around catching up on his rest. It's probably somewhat confusing to a dog when his family leaves him for three days and then magically reappears. The goods news, however, is that he spent those three days playing with other dogs and having a great time. All in all, not a bad vacation.
Much as I am a reluctant dog owner, I was secretly pleased to see that Oreo was happy to be back at the resort once again. In fact, much like a kid being dropped off at his favorite summer camp, Oreo didn't even turn around to say goodbye. He just headed off to the house to meet up with the other dogs already at the resort. I think Cheryl might have been a bit hurt that her puppy didn't even say so long. But, in the end, it's nice to know that he's going to have a good time which wouldn't likely be the case with most kennels which seem somewhat prison-like.
We say goodbye to Pete the resort owner and self-styled concierge and head off to Montreal for an enjoyable three-night stay that will cost considerably more than the $20 a night charge for Oreo's getaway.
Thursday afternoon at 1 P.M., we show up again at the doggie resort to retrieve Oreo. A big white dog is at the gate to meet us, a dog that Pete calls his Walmart greeter. Pete goes back to the house and gets Oreo who races to the gate and greets us with such desperate glee that it seems apparent that he assumed we were gone for good.
Pete invites us in to get Oreo's dog bowls and food and I get my first glimpse of the animal-filled farmhouse. About eight other dogs have the run of the living room complete with beds and sofas to sleep on. The second floor is home to visiting cats who neither I nor the dogs get to see.
Once back in the car, Oreo quickly settled in and relaxed from his busy holiday. According to Pete, Oreo spent most of the time playing with a couple of other dogs and was the first dog out of the house for walks or a swim and the last one in. His tired demeanor was confirmation that he had probably had way too much fun.
Now back home, Oreo is spending a lot of time just lying around catching up on his rest. It's probably somewhat confusing to a dog when his family leaves him for three days and then magically reappears. The goods news, however, is that he spent those three days playing with other dogs and having a great time. All in all, not a bad vacation.
