How I did a Road Trip with 2 German Shepherds !!!

Since I got my pups a year back, I’ve been wanting to go on road trips with them. Finally, with our offices closed as an extended 4^th of July weekend, this plan started taking shape and finally materialised.

Honestly, I didn’t google much about what all I need to take for the dogs but being an avid traveller I have a habit of writing down a check-list of things I need and I did the same for the dogs. I did research some travel stuff for them on Amazon and on HeadsupforTails.com, which is really my go-to place for anything dogs. 

 

Well, it was supposed to be 2 grown up shepherds and 2 grown up human kids with 1 driving adult in a Renault Duster. But eventually, it turned into a fam-jam with 3 cars, 6 adults, 2 teenagers, 1 mini-me and 2 grown up Shepherds. With more space, the luggage was shifted into the Duster along with my son, father, driver and my niece. My brother, his wife and my mom were in the Creta.

 

My little swift – was converted into a 2 seater with the rear seats pulled apart and made into a flat bed for the dogs. We cushioned it with old carpets and quilts to make it soft so that the impact of bumps was minimal on the dogs.

 

The Swift had only essentials for me, my daughter and the dogs.

 

Pre travel : Both my dogs love car trips. They will just hop in and are ready for a drive – whether to the vet, the kids school or just a long drive if the weather is good. Such frequent short trips, proved to be a blessing for this 300 plus kms trip we had planned. Before the day of travel, we took them on a few short trips to get them used to the Dog seat belt. 15 days prior travelling ,every day for walks, they would be walked on the harness. So when D-day finally arrived, they handled it like a pro – barring the excitement to meet the grandparents and jump out of the car when the car stopped 

Any travel with dogs, requires a fair amount of planning in terms of what all needs to be carried for them. Things like their accessories / dog food etc may not be easily available. Most holiday places tend to be a little away from the cities so one needs to plan for all the days you are out with them with a few back ups in place.

 

Essential Dog accessories : which we used and which I feel one must have during road trips ( or any holiday )  with dogs :

 

1. Collars & Leashes ( carry an extra of each since these are difficult to buy immediately ) – I actually had 3 collars for each ( a back up for a back up )  and 2 leashes. Pro-tip - : keep a long leash ( about 20 ft ) if you are planning on going trekking with them - you have control and they can still wander off a little and sniff around ! 
2. Pet Harness – very useful to attach the dog seat belt. Also easier to handle the dogs when they are out of the car and a little high on energy in new places.
3. Dog car seat belt – I picked up mine from HeadsupforTails. An absolute must when doing long trips with dogs. Its keeps them in place especially during trickier parts of the drive like up-hill/down-hill.
4. Name tags with mobile numbers : again from HeadsupforTail

 

There were many options of the harness and dog car seat belt available on Amazon but I didn’t want to compromise on the quality so picked up things from HeadsupforTails. They have amazing stuff for dogs. Maybe a little expensive but excellent quality and finish. It’s my go-to-shop for anything which is a more like a one-time buy for the dogs.

 

5. Pet Water bottle – there are some neat options on amazon which come with a small drinking bowl attached to the bottle. It was super convenient for my daughter to give them water without having to stop. The bowl attached is small enough for them to have a few sips while on the go without spilling. Absolute must have.
6. Dog food bowls – remember to carry whichever ones you use at home. 

Part 3 : Food -before and during travel.

 

Dog Food :

 

Before travel time : I fed the dogs a light meal of some bread and curd before we left so that they weren’t totally empty stomach, about an hour before we started. Before they got in the car, I have them an anti-acid tablet and about 5ml of Phenargan – to ensure that they were a little dull during the trip. They also went for their morning run and relieved themselves as usual which also ensured that the morning burst of energy was out of their system.  

 

En-route – apart from giving them water regularly, when we stopped for breakfast, the dogs seemed to be very hungry. I had picked up vegetable and chicken rolls for them again courtesy @HeadsupforTails. I managed to get fresh curd for them. I mixed the roll with the curd and have them half a bowl each. The bowls were the 250ml disposable bowls we usually get. They lapped it up hungrily and had fresh water.  When we stopped for lunch, the dogs had nice, cool, plain Lassi to beat the heat.

 

Post lunch, they were not given anything more to eat .. except water at frequent intervals and toilet breaks.

 

Pro-tip : always better to travel when the dogs come on 1-2 meals a day and have better control over the bladder. I didn’t have to worry post breakfast about the dogs being hungry. Post the lunch lassi, they had their meal only after we reached the resort.

 

Food during stay : We had made packets of dry dog food for the entire duration ( I feed with Pedigree ProExpert Large Breed Puppy dog food )  – since I have 2 dogs, we had 4 packets for each day plus a few extra. Our resort owner was kind enough to give us fresh boiled eggs and curd for each meal – which mixed with the dry dog food, made for a hearty meal for Diego & Elsa.

 

On the return trip I followed the same pattern with them. We didn’t face any issues of motion sickness, vomiting which helped us immensely. 

Additional good-to-keep stuff :

 

I also carried the following stuff for the dogs :

 

1. Vaccination cards – just always a wise thing to carry their updated vaccination cards
2. Tick meds – they were administered Bravecto ( the anti tick-tabs that I give them ) a week before we travelled. This ensured that the medicine was in full effect during the travel and they didn’t get infested with ticks during their entire stay.
3. De-worming – Luckily they were due for their de-worming a few weeks prior travel, which was great, because they played in the mud a lot 
4. Toys – Balls, Frisbee, tug ropes – whatever they like to play with, we carried.
5. Medicines – very important – we carried basic medicines like Paracetamol ( for fever / pains ) , Pan40 and Digene ( for acidity ), Perinorm / Avomin ( for vomiting/ motion sickness ), Norflox ( for loose motions ), a small first aid box with gauze rolls, micropore tape, betadine, T-bact cream, Neosporin powder ( for any nicks,cuts,wounds)  - Thankfully other than the anti-acidity tablets, we didn’t use anything else for them.
6. Chew bones – to keep them entertained in the car or at the resort – but they didn’t even look at them
7. Dog biscuits
8. Poop bags and lots of newspapers – for any kind of usage. 

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Kashmir: Tick it off your bucket list,you won't regret it !

What does one write about a place on which so much has already been written ? How many more adjectives can one add to the already long dictionary of praises showered by writers through the ages ? How can one top up “Agar firdous baroye zameen ast, hami asto, hami asto hami ast.” ?

So I decided not to. Because my repository doesn't have any new words to describe Heaven on Earth, I decided to make this blog a journey of my recent trip to Kashmir, through photographs. Kashmir is a photographers paradise. There is not a turn, which isn't a picture post card view. There isn't a place, where you will not want to stop, fill your lungs with clean air and start clicking. The place is so stunningly beautiful, that it's almost overwhelming. 

We traveled during the first week of June. A short 1 hour flight from Delhi, Srinagar was our base. We drove down straight to Gulmarg. Crisp, cool mountain air, with a light drizzle, we needed to pull out our warm jackets. The drive was our first tryst with the beauty of the place. 

Gulmarg, famous for the ski slopes during winters, was a huge field of green meadows, ideal for walking around and doing nothing. We took up the Gondola to Mt. Apharwat - at a height of 14,500 ft above sea level. Covered all year with snow, the base point of the peak, is a short trek away from the LOC.  The views below have been taken from inside the cable car cubicle. I can only imagine the snow here during winters. 

Drive to Sonamarg - Sonamarg is again a huge green meadow with the mountains in the background. The drive to Sonamarg, was sight to behold. Travelling along the ancient Sindh River ( also known as the Indus river ), the road to Sonamarg goes on ahead to Kargil, Drass and Leh. Enroute, you can find Army training camps. Spotting the Gang of Harley Davidson's or BMW bikers going ahead to Leh is a frequent sight here. 

Pahalgham - by far, the most favorite part of my trip, Pahalgham stole my heart away. Majestic snow covered peaks, the gushing waters of the Lidder River, a drive through the clouds to Chandanwadi, Saffron farms, cricket bat factories, Apple orchards, Walnut trees, and a gourmet cheese factory, Pahalgham packs in a punch and yet manages to retain it's quaint village feel. A welcome flat-terrain drive to Pahalgham, we went sightseeing ahead to Aru Valley, Betaab Valley and Chandanwadi. The Betaab Valley gets it's clear waters from the Sheshnag Lake, 12kms ahead of Chandanwadi.

Aru Valley

Betaab valley - where the flows down from Sheshnag Lake

Cheese produced from locally sourced milk - Himalayan Cheese Factory

Chandanwadi needs no introduction. The last motorable road, before the arduous trek to Amarnath, reaching Chandanwadi, was magical. We were almost cutting through the clouds. The weather further up was deteriorating,  with the winds picking up, it was hard not to be in awe of the place.  

Srinagar - a city of gardens, rose bushes everywhere, maddening traffic and the peaceful Dal Lake. We did most the major touristy things - a visit to Chashmashahi, Shalimar Gardens and even the Royal Springs Golf Course, rated the most beautiful Golf course in India. The stay on the house boat was as cozy and quaint as can be. Made out of Walnut wood, its an experience not to be missed. 

Royal Springs Golf Course, Srinagar 

Shalimar Garden

View in twilight of the Dal Lake from the Houseboat 

Dal Lake at Twilight from the house boat

The natural water spring at Chashmashahi Garden

My only issue during this trip was the incessant pestering the guides everywhere. They just refused to take no for an hour. At Sonamarg, we could barely enjoy the beauty of the place, as they kept on nagging to take us to Thajiwas glacier and LOC. The same thing happened on the Shikara ride on the Dal Lake, with the shikarawala's coming to sell their stuff. Even in a place like Betaab valley, where there is nothing much to see in anycase. The only place where the rates are fixed and the guides don't bother is in Pahalgham. Regulated by the union, the rates for the taxi are fixed and non-negotiable. 

Kashmir must be on your bucket list to travel. It's a state of unparalleled beauty and if you are mountain lover, you don't be disappointed. With snow capped peaks, abundant lush green forest cover, gushing rivers and the crisp mountain air, Kashmir is feast to the senses. 

“Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb.” -Greg Child​ ​