We didn’t know what to expect by bringing our two Labradors to Canada from England. Would Murph and Milo be able to communicate with their Canadian canine counterparts? Would we watch our beloved four-legged friends chased down stony trails by over-sized, pointy-teethed black bears? Or would we be shunned by our law-abiding neighbours for allowing our pups to run lead-less in the local parks, testes intact?
If I think about a dog’s idea of paradise, it would have to involve lengthy cross-country walks with gallons of fresh air laden with the many smells of the wilderness – the trees and bushes, native animals, and endless natural aromas not found in a usual suburban environment. It would involve deep water to swim in, countless other mutts to run with, and a well-earned sprawl in front of the TV after a hard day’s play.
Vancouver and Canada gave them all that and more.
For a start, it gave our dogs a watery playground. One of their favourite past-times in the UK, Vancouver and British Columbia had the stuff in abundance. We took them to almost every river, beach and lake – and watched them bound around in their newfound paradise. I remember running them along the length of Long Beach on Vancouver Island, not another soul in sight, sharing in their obvious bliss at being so active and so free. I can picture sending the dogs into the water close to English Bay near downtown Vancouver, watching a harbour seal
poke his head up immediately behind Milo in the deep green water. I’d never imagined dogs and seals swimming in close proximity and it summed up what Vancouver and BC gave to us – natural beauty and abundant wildlife thrown in with everyday living.
Canada also gave them off-leash dog parks, a concept I wasn’t familiar with. Rather than restricting your dog to a typically plain sports field as was usually the case, local councils had created designated reserves where the dogs could run free and unrestricted with other like-minded pups in completely natural surroundings.
Vancouver went one step further – it had Buntzen Lake. This freshwater lake, set between the surrounding mountains, had two off-leash areas where the little furry terrors could play in the water to their hearts content, plus an off-leash trail for the more hardcore pooch. Dogs and owners would play in the water for hours – our two Labs pretty much peed themselves with the excitement of it all. Trying to pull them away from the water after a good two hour session in the lake was akin to dragging a kid from his blanket.
Vancouver even introduced us to the notion of a drive-through dog wash. I’d never heard of anything so ridiculous. You’d pull up in your car, walk your dog over to what looked like a bathtub with one end missing, lead him or her up the ramp, tie them up, put your money into the coin slot, pick the first setting on the dial, and off you went. From full soap to rinse, blow-dry to aromatherapy spray, the dog wash had it all. And the dogs were in heaven… End result – two very clean and pampered pups and one reluctantly converted owner.
There were of course downsides to our dogs’ new lives. The interaction between domestic dog and wild Canadian beast had always been my biggest concern. With the racoons, coyotes, beavers, black bears, cougars, snakes and grizzlies, BC had its share of feral creatures to avoid when walking your dog on a wilderness trail. However, one of the biggest problems came in a pint-sized variety found much closer to home. Skunks were everywhere, they smelt real bad, and they had a passion for blowing that rancid, fetid spray all over town. A note to self: in future, avoid taking the dogs out to a downtown park at midnight when staying in a small apartment in a dog-friendly Vancouver hotel. The end result can be traumatic for all involved.
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