Dog lovers now emBARKing on pet friendly bucket list adventures
Amy Punshon wants to climb all of Scotland’s munros with her golden retriever Callie
Dog lovers creating a list of life’s ‘must do’ adventures are now more likely to consider inviting their beloved four legged best friends along for the ride. If you are thinking about including your dog in your travel plans, you are far from alone. Whilst we are kept extremely busy caring for dogs whose owners are jetting off to exotic locations, there seems to be a growing trend to also create travel memories with your pet. Some people are even going so far as creating a bucket list of the animal’s very own!
Why do dogs make great bucket list travel companions?
– They don’t complain when things don’t go according to plan
– Dogs are always happy to be photographed
– Your dog just loves being with you
– They don’t ask, “Are we there yet?”
Our dog bucket list plans
Karen Robinson, of Barking Mad’s HQ support team, said: “This summer I plan to walk my Border collie, Paddy, along the silver sands of Charlie’s Beach on the remote Hebridean island of Eriskay. Most of the items on my bucket list include my dog!’ John and Elaine Warburton, franchise owners with Barking Mad Dog Care, said:
“Our dogs are such a huge part of our lives that we obviously want to include them in our bucket list plans. We’d definitely like to walk the West Highland Way, complete a moonlit marathon round Loch Leven and someday the Coast to Coast (Oban to St Andrews). To do these walks with a dog or two by your side would be amazing. We just love being out on the hills with ours!”
John and Elaine Warburton with their dogs
Including your dog in your travel plans isn’t unusual
Famously, author Jilly Cooper admitted she hadn’t been abroad for 22 years because she would miss her dog too much. The bond between a dog and its owner can be incredibly strong and the fear of your dog being unhappy while you are apart, can be enough to prevent some people from travelling abroad.
Barking Mad Dog Care customer Kathryn said (via Trustpilot): “I was so nervous about leaving my fur babies. I had not had a holiday for 11 years so that I didn’t have to leave them. It’s a relief to know there is someone who will care for your dogs just as much as you do.”
Bucket list statistics
Research by Prudential revealed that 90% of over 55s had a bucket list, which is a positive list of experiences to have during your life time. Prudential surveyed over 1000 adults to find out what were the most popular bucket list activities. Unsurprisingly, travel dominated the list with destination dreams making up seven of the top ten wish list activities.
The most popular bucket list wish was to ‘see the Northern Lights’. This is a feat possibly achievable with a dog, from a UK destination such as Scotland’s west coast islands. However, number 2 on the list was to ‘travel on the Orient Express’. This is obviously not achievable with a four legged friend in tow, as dogs aren’t allowed.
We love the fact that dog owners are creating special memories with their pets. For our customers, dogs are real members of the family. Time and time again, we encounter relief that they have found a solution to the guilt of leaving their pet. Owners are delighted that their dogs can have a holiday of their very own with one of our loving host families. This allows peace of mind whilst they are completing the adventures on their travel wish list that aren’t dog friendly.
