Lust List – We’re all going on a puppy holiday….

We’re planning a little holiday down to the south west at the end of August, and I, for one, can not wait.* We talked about going away somewhere that we could guarantee would be hot, but then the issue was Flash. It’s not that we couldn’t get a sitter for him if we went away, it was that we wanted to take him away with us. We wanted him to have a little holiday too. So we’re heading to Cornwall, via Southampton, for a little jaunt to the boat. We’ll be camping on a cute site 5 minutes from the marina in Mylor so most days will be spent by or on the sea!

Now, Jim and I are perfectly equip for a trip to the boat, or a week in a tent, we have all our camping gear ready to go, and I have enough summer/sailing/Bretton striped/oh-its-not-as-warm-as-we-thought-it-was clothing to last a lifetime, but Flash most certainly needs some new gear for the holiday. Jim says he doesn’t, but what does he know?

The last time he came camping with us we thought sod the sleeping bags and took a duvet and pillows with us, so Flash thought it was just like home, although he was a bit confused as to why he couldn’t get through the fly screen on the tent and also why he wasn’t allowed to run free in this new massive garden he’d recently acquired (that was mostly because he was eating mud. All the time. Oddball!) He even had a life jacket for on the boat which certainly turned some heads. He became the star of the marina strutting about in it. Everyone knew his name!

Here are a few of the bits I think he’d love for his holidays this year though.

1. This navy rope lead would be perfect for trips to the sea, and it’s make my dad happy with the sailing nod too! 2. Would a dog sleeping bag be a bit excessive? (Maybe, I might just make him one). 3. I love these H20 water bottles and maybe this would help on walks to keep him hydrated on the go, rather than drinking dirty puddle water like he does normally. 4. It wouldn’t be a holiday without a treat or two and these cranberry and cheese Barks and Bunnie treats sound just up Flash’s street (as will the be ice cream, whitebait, pasties and everything else we eat!) 5. Nautical bow tie collar for trips to the yacht clubs,

But on a more serious note, here are a few things that we’ve found really useful when camping, sailing and holidaying with Flash;

• EzyDog LifeJacket for when he was on the boat, pontoon or near the sea. He’s not a great swimmer, and he’s a little bit stupid sometimes so it made us feel safer, plus, it has a handle on the back too in case we need to lift him out. We’re getting Flash a new red one this year as he’s grown out of his Camo one (so sad they’ve discontinued that colour!)
• Screw in stake for on the campsite
• Long piece of rope for tying him to the stake or on the boat. 
• A hoodie. Camping and boating gets cold for such a little dog. Although he prefers being inside Jim’s jumper to wearing his own. 
• Lots of treats and treat hiding toys like our kongs – they keep him very occupied. 
• Doggy first aid kit
• A couple of towels. One for mud. One for drying off. 
• His bed for when he wanted to chill out in his own space.
• No spill travel bowl for in the car and for sailing with. 
• Flashing collar for night time walks on dark country lanes. 

*My last break was Glastonbury, last year, as in 2013, and i’ll be honest, I’m not sure I class Glasto as an actual holiday more an endurance test (and a chance to figure out which friend I’ll murder first when I’m kept awake by their 6am shouting for the 5th night in a row.) Hmmm, I really need a break.