By Porter & Aspen~
When mom and dad adopted us and brought us home, some of the first doggies we met were our cousins; Lexi and Jenny. Mom and dad had known them for many years, and they became frequent play partners with many overnight stays, long camping weekends, and family dinners.
By Aspen ~
Ever since mom and dad first took me to the beach, I have suspected I was a beach dog. Oh, I am a lab, which means I love doing pretty much ANYTHING, but the beach is my favorite. I tend to get so excited I hop around and mom calls me her bouncy puppy. I must admit I feel young and free when running the beach!
Today we offer up an interview with Tulku who travels around the world by BIKE. This is a first for us so please enjoy this insightful inter-view. You can find their info on facebook or on their crowdfund page.Please offer up a short blurb about who you are? Age? Who else is in your family? I am Tulku - almost 8 years old west highland white terrier. I live and travel together with my humans Kira and Sven. My latest adventure is 25.000 kilometers by bicycle from the southermost point of South America to the northermost point of North America. Last year I became blind and had 3 surgeries in Colombia to fix my legs, but that didn't stop me from loving traveling and exploring new things!
Tell us a little bit about where you have traveled with your family. Have you traveled internationally? Within the US?
I started traveling from the first day I met Kira, my human. At first, we were traveling in my home country Lithuania. On my first birthday, I took my first international trip and haven't stopped traveling ever since. I traveled more than 100.000 kilometers in Europe, Asia, South America and now North America. 2 years ago Sven joined us and I started my latest adventure: taking a front row seat while my humans cycle from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina to Alaska, USA. Cycling touring is not the only way I've traveled. I also tried hitchhiking, buses, trains, planes, boats, ferrys, cars. You name it - I've tried that!
What is your favorite place to travel? Do you like hiking the mountains? Running on the beach?
Yes! All of that! My two favourites are snow and mountains. Running on the snowy mountain top is the best! Besides that I love sand. I found that deserts are the best sand pits one can find. I love beaches too, but I'm not keen on open water. Despite that, when my humans took me to a week long trip on the sailing boat where we crossed open water for days, I had a blast! My seasick humans could not keep up with me exploring the boat. I like big cities too, all those different smells keep my nose busy. I especially loved chasing pigeons in Venice, Italy through the crowds of tourists and meeting cows in Mumbai, India. Cow in the city center, how cool is that? When you're traveling do you camp? Stay at hotels? Rent houses?
Yes, all of that and even more: camping, hammocking, couchsurfing, warmshowering, being invited to private homes of random strangers. Also: hotels, hostels, motels, love hotels, police stations, fire stations. Oh, I even stayed in a five stars hotel once! It had a llama in it's private garden. Yet mostly it's either camping or cheap zero starts hotels. I don't care much, my home is where Kira is and my bed is always Sven's pillow. Fancy and fluffy or skimpy and rag-like, as long as I can pull some of Sven's hair overnight - I'm happy!
Do you have a hard time finding good quality food and water on the road?
In some countries - yes. My humans usually buy 3 kg bag of dog food "Proplan" and carry it on their bikes for me. So nice of them! And yet in some places it's not enough and I end up eating human food until good quality dog food can be foung again. I love human food! My favourites are fruit and vegetables. Sadly for me, good dog food is available in most of the places we visit. It's easier with water, I drink same water that my humans drink. Lately I have a problem with water though: we cycle in hot blazing sun for hours and all the water gets warm. Yuck, I'm not drinking that! I'd rather drink some cold coconut water. Have you had any problems with other dogs, either playing at dog parks, or street dogs when traveling?
I'm not very fond to other dogs. I am a perfect guard dog and take my duties very seriously. Stray dogs notice that and don't even dare to look at me when I'm sitting in my basket high up on the front wheel. And yet I was bitten by two different dogs on two different occasions and had a total of 3 additional holes in my body. It was a pain in the ass, literally! What don't you like about traveling? A different bed? Strange water?
For me traveling is very natural. I started traveling on my first birthday and haven't stopped ever since. I don't know any other - non traveling - way of life. I don't like being left behind, even if it's for a second!
Thanks Tulku and happy tails!
Aspen & Porter
By Porter ~
This week was Aspen’s 3rd birthday as a Delameter, and I have to say, I can’t imagine a happier dog.
Hi from Mexico! While we Black Dogs are currently on the road ourselves, we still like to keep in touch with our traveling dog friends. Next up in our Dogs on the Road interview series is Sophie of Nomadistan! Sophie and her crew are currently in Central America and having a fantastic time.
By Porter ~
Today marks two weeks since mom & dad packed us up in the truck/camper and headed out on the road and I couldn’t be happier. Well, I could be if that CAT at the campsite next door didn’t keep giving me the eye and, perhaps, if I liked the looks of one particular german shepherd loitering around more… but other than that Aspen and I are in heaven.
Tarantula Pippilotta Gasolina Scorpio Mc Junior. A.k.a Tara, was born in a gas station in Lago Agrio, Ecuador, a small town bordering Colombia at the edge of the Amazon forest. She joined the team of Nonurbia when she was only one and a half months old and has been traveling with her humans Sarah and Erdem for a year now. You can follow them @nonurbia on Instagram, Facebook and nonurbia.com on their blog.
Porter and I are super excited to be hitting the road ourselves in just ONE WEEK! But we will keep sharing interviews from our fellow, traveling dogs. Next up is Malta of From Here until There. Malta and her family are currently in Mexico and we hope to be meeting her in person shortly.
By Porter ~
Lately, I’m feeling a little bit nervous. It has been a year of upheaval for our little pack, and I have a feeling another BIG change is coming soon. Mom and dad just keep getting RID OF STUFF! Now, all the important stuff remains. Aspen and I still have our bowls and pads and rain jackets, much needed during these last few days. But it seems like we now live in a mostly empty house. It’s already a much smaller house than we left a few months ago and nearly all the rooms are empty…. as in totally empty!
As we are on the final countdown to our own life on the road, we continue to enjoy bringing you stories of other pups out there roaming the world with their parents. Next up, Emma of Together we Roam! Welcome Emma.
Please offer up a short blurb about who you are? Age? Who else is in your family?
Most say that I’m a Mini Aussie, I personally like to consider myself human. I hear my Mom say I’ll be 5 in January, feels more like 35 to me.
I’m currently living the #vandog life with my Mom and her main man – Parker. Don’t tell Mom, but I usually favor him. Most days are chalk full of naps on the bed in the back, but it’s the hiking and beach days that I love the most. That fresh salty sand on your paws … nothing beats it!!
For the Holidays we are heading back to NJ to visit Grandma, Grandpa, Sairy (12 yo Springer Spaniel) and Remi (5 yo Aussie) as well as various other barnyard animals. Remi and I share a language that is unknown to most. No one else seems to understand why I chase after him while biting at the scruff of his neck, but he does. I’d even go as far to say that he likes it!! I think we’ll also see my cousin Tela (5 yo Springer Spaniel) during Thanksgiving. She’s traveling down from Vermont.
