Shhh, don’t tell my dog! According to new research, one in 10 Brits buy their pets a holiday gift and I’m not one of them. Would you buy a holiday pressie for your pooch?
Don’t get me wrong, my Patterdale terrier gets a good deal – a walk in the park every morning at 6.30am no matter the weather, a nice blanket to lie on in the living room instead of cold floorboards, and a tasty bone to eat at the weekend.
But when it comes to buying a present for her to bring back from my holidays, I’m afraid it just doesn’t happen.
Sparing time for souvenir shopping
On reflection though, I don’t really buy many holiday gifts at all. I’m still quite traditional and send postcards to family and a few close friends, but aside from buying the person looking after my dog some sweets, and the compulsory biscuits for my workmates, I don’t spend valuable holiday time in shops searching for presents.
The new Thomas Cook research, however, claims that more people bought a £6 chew toy during flights than the women’s fragrance ‘Gucci Guilty’. Perhaps this happened on the journey home, when dog owners were looking forward to the much-missed warm welcome they’d soon get from their excitable four-legged friends. Or perhaps they suddenly felt guilty at leaving their pooch in kennels for a fortnight while they’d been treated and pampered.
Give your woof the gift of travel
Me and my dog have been best friends for nine years now, and during that time we’ve had many a great holiday together (I take my husband too). She’s a wonderful traveller and enjoys a car trip, which is just as well, as it was an 18-hour drive to the tip of Scotland! I still go on holidays abroad, but over the past few years I’ve also discovered a whole host of great destinations on my doorstep (OK, maybe the Outer Hebrides aren’t quite on my doorstep). The best bit is – they cater for dogs.
We’ve climbed mountains, waded through rivers and enjoyed a game of frisbee on the beach, staying in amazing dog-friendly hotels and self-catering properties along the way. On occasion you have to pay extra, but many accept dogs at no extra cost, as long as they are well-behaved. And fortunately, my terrier hasn’t let me down.
So would she really want a present from any future hols? No, I think she’d prefer to join me! Do you believe in buying souvenirs for pets?
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