Meet the Barks

Just a quick post introducing one of the stars of this blog, the Barks!

Barkly/ The Bark Man/ Barky boy is a 7 year old silky terrier cross god knows what.  He was rescued from the pound when he was 6.

In my view, Barkly is of course, undeniably the best dog in the world!  He's very adaptable and just as happy to go for a two hour hike as he is chilling under my desk at work all day.  Generally though, he's a quiet, relaxed little dude.

However, whilst he is the perfect dog for me...he's not really the perfect dog for anyone BUT me because when Barkly is left alone, he turns into demond dog.

Barkly has separation anxiety.  For those who don't know what it is, a quick google can teach you more about this heartbreaking and stressful condition.  

I won't go into the details in this post about what happens when I leave or what tips and tricks I've tried,  but lets just say he spends a lot of time at doggy daycare!  When he's not there, this is what I come home too:

We've come a long way in a year.  He's a lot more confident around strangers and most of the time he prefers his own space rather than being attached to me all day.  However, being left alone is still stressful for us both.  But hey one look at that litte face and I know it's worth it.

xx

Sunny Saturdays at Gilpin Park

This morning I took Barkly to one of our favourite dog parks, Gilpin Park in Brunswick.

Gilpin Park, Brunswick

Such a glorious sunny morning, it's a shame more people weren't taking advantage of it (yes, I'm a smug early riser!).  As you can see in the pic above it was practically empty!

Gilpin Park is here:

View Gilpin Park in a larger map


It's one of my favourite off lead parks for a couple of reasons.

Firstly there are trees!  Most off lead parks are ovals or random large patches of grass which are taken over by bootcamps and sports clubs at a whim.  Plus, ovals must be so boring for dogs.  Unless there are other dogs to hang out with, there's not much to explore on a flat bit of grass.

The other reason I like Gilpin Park is that there are no fences.  Sounds counter-intuitive, especially as it's between two busy roads, however in my experience the dogs are generally well socialised and listen to their owners, that's why they can be trusted sans leads and fences!


Here's Barkly enjoying the sun, looking like butter wouldn't melt:

...and here's him after his favourite activity, rolling in spores...

xx

Welcome to Barks and the Bike!

Hi all,

Welcome to my new blog, Barks and the Bike.  This blog will chronicle the adventures of my dog and the lovely bicycles he travels in.

xx Clare (and Barkly)