dogs and cars

[donald]

i hope to do the camino in August this year with my springer spaniel Murphy,we are leaving from Scotland and we are driving to St Jean,can anyone tell me do they have an area for long stay parking or are there any other safe options for leaving your car there. i'd also like to know if id have problems in hostels or any other accomodation for Murphy,if push comes to shove i'd take a tent but for obvious reasons i'd rather not Any advice would be greatly received thanks and enjoy your experience on the way

[HuskyNerd]

Sadly, the Camino is no place for dogs. It's brutal to ask them to walk the long distances (until they invent a good hiking boot that will satisfy canine preferences) and the hostels (albergues) do not allow them inside. That would put you into camping, exclusively, which is itself a drawback (more gear to carry, fewer choices of where to stay, lack of showers and pilgrim community). I did meet a Frenchman with a dog that made it all the way to SdC last year, but he slept under bridges and in parks, sometimes against the wishes of the Guardia Civil, and his dog needed naps a couple of times each day. It was tough on both of them.

For parking, take a look at the ideas on the webpage for L'Espirit du Chemin (a private albergue in SJPP) travelinfo . Buen camino!

[geraldkelly]

I completely agree with Sandy. Any dogs I've seen on the Camino obviously were exhausted and miserable.

Also, to add to the joys you and Murphy will experience (lugging a tent, sleeping in the wilderness, sleep deprivation for Murphy) is the fact that every farm dog along the way (who generally ignore pilgrims because they're so used to them) is going to go mad when he sees Murphy on his territory. So I would advise you to have a heavy stick at hand at all times to defend Murphy.

And farm dogs in Spain are not the cute sheepdog you see on One Man and His Dog.

Ger

[Shaun]

Hi Donald, I lived in Spain for quite a while on my farm. The Spanish have very different views on dogs. To the average farmer, a dog is not a pet, but just another piece of 'equipment' needed on the farm. Its main task.....to protect property and livestock. Although most are kept on a permament chain or wire, many are left to roam around. IF you happen to walk past with Murphy, I have no doubt that your dog will be attacked. If there's a pack, he will be in big big trouble. His instincts will be to run ( if unleased ), and I wouldn't like to see the outcome of that senario. I had a large male Malamute (husky type) dog, and on numerous occasions had to have him taken to the vets for some serious surgery. Hitting the attacking dogs does very little to deter them, and the best course of action is a bucket of cold water over them. But, I doubt if this would ever be to hand.
During July/August he would sleep most of day, under a bush/tree/car. Anything to keep out of the intense sun, and come alive in the evening about 8.30. And you think that you could walk all that distance with your pet, in August? Although it sounds great, I can only see a very poor outcome. You may not of wanted this type of advice, but you should really think about it.
Sandy and Gerald have both seen the pain that dogs go through, and I've lived amongst the farmers, that would shot a dog that bothers their livestock without a second blink. Its down to you to take this advice on board or not.
Whatever you decide, I hope it goes well for you.

Shaun

[donald]

thank you all for your advice i will take it on board,there is no way im going to put murphy through anything that will bring him any harm,its going to be a tough one leaving him behind he is my best walking buddy we have covered a lot of miles together,but i understand it is another country and culture and no matter what you think is right or wrong you have to respect it,that is the beauty of a forum you can work out your mistakes before you leave,thanks again for the advice its much appreciated