The VanGlorious Crew has expanded to include our new puppy, Xena!
(A bit of background : She is a rescue pup and we have had her for one month. She is a 7 month old Cane Corso which is an Italian Mastiff, generally smaller than an English Bull Mastiff. Xena is daft and crazy, and loves her tummy being stroked. She is also a big girl (4 stone at the moment), very well behaved and a bit territorial).
We knew that whatever dog we chose would have to fit in with the Campervan, but we were a little nervous as to how a very big dog would work!
Honestly, it reminded me of going anywhere with a newborn baby. Our packing list had increased, and we were worried that we had forgotten something essential. We were only going to Norfolk, and last time I checked they did have shops there, but you know what I mean!
VanGlorious Campervans have always accepted dogs as we know how important these members of the family are, and a lot of people want to take their beloved pets away with them. (No one has asked to take a cat or a gerbil away yet, and I’m not sure I could refuse really!). We wanted to see how taking our own dog works, and if we could offer anything additional to our customers to make the experience better.
Xena has always been a great traveller, so we have been lucky. From the moment we picked her up from her foster home and took her to her new home, she has travelled well in the Campervan. Fortunately, there is loads of space in the cabin part of the van. She happily lay on the floor, clipped into the seatbelt holster with a special lead. There is also an ‘anchor’ that is available for the floor rails in the cabin. These are the rails that the rock and roll bed slides along before it is folded down. You can clip the lead onto it.
We are looking at the option of having a crate in the back of the Campervan, and you would have to remove the bed shelf before it goes in. But the cabin option worked well for us this time.
There was no way we were able to have Xena sleep in the actual van with us (and we didn’t want her to think that sleeping in our bed was going to be a thing for her!), so we took her crate, and she slept in the Drive-Away awning, no problems at all. We stuck to our normal routine of taking her for a quick walk before bed, and she knew exactly where she was supposed to go after that. We put some towels over the crate to make it a bit darker, and I think she liked the cosiness of it.
She loved being on a Campsite!
So many people to fuss over her, and other dogs to meet and sniff. As she is a territorial breed, we knew that she would greet (bark at) anyone passing our pitch, so we invested in the strongest tie-out stake we could find, and it was a god-send. It allowed her to have freedom to wander round our pitch but gave us the peace of mind that we could pop into the van to put the kettle on, and not worry about her wandering off.
As for everything else, it was just like being at home. Feeding and walking were the same, and she got so much exercise she was pooped! Seeing her on the beach was the funniest thing… Sand all over her face and digging a series of huge holes that the kids loved. Happy dog!
All in all, I don’t know what we were worried about. She had a great time, and we can’t wait to do it all over again.
Get in touch today to take your dog away in a VanGlorious Campervan. A holiday they will never forget!
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