Why we decided to leave the Crazy Poodle in Melbourne.
It’s not easy leaving a family member behind when you move overseas.
No, not the kids, they are either well set up living the London dream, or are very happy for Mum and Dad to walk out and toss them the keys to the family house! Our Crazy Poodle was less impressed.
Our Cavoodle:
is a designer mutt. A cross between a King Charles Cavalier and a Poodle, known to be the most loving, adoring, crazy stress heads on the planet – well in my opinion. Every second dog in Melbourne has some poodle in them and they are generally a ball of fun.
The moment we left the country, he turned into a moping ball of misery.
We paid a fortune in vets fees last year which could have been put down to a dog virus, or the woes of abandonment.
Why did we decide not to take him to Bangkok?
We could have taken him to Bangkok and plenty of people do choose to have their pets in Thailand. But we felt the travel would have been traumatic for him.
My Thai life is sadly one where I try to avoid being outside it’s a steamy hot, polluted, and humid city. Walking a dog, something that I adore in Melbourne would have had him a hot, panting mess and been an unpleasurable chore, in Bangkok. Finding a tree for a pee, an equal challenge!
Finding pet-friendly accommodation in Bangkok:
You can find apartments that are pet-friendly, but this limits your choice. Looking for a house with a garden either means a huge cost or living more on the outskirts of the city.
Traffic is an issue, Bangkok is one of the most congested cities in the world. Ideally, you need to be close to work and friends, it is not an easy commute from the suburbs.
Doggy daycare is easy if you want a live-in maid:
He could have become an indoor apartment dog and I’m sure he would have adapted to that idea, but we would have needed a live-in maid just for the dog! Something after years in Hong Kong, I was happy to avoid.
Our extensive travel means we are out of town more than we are here, and my day to day life when I am in Bangkok generally leads me to be out of our apartment all day long… A Thai expat is a busy life! A dog does not easily or happily fit and it breaks my heart.
How well has he coped?
It just was not a good option to take him to Thailand and so instead he has lived a life slightly bored at home, becoming more and more determined to enjoy life with whatever he can get away with.
My recent return saw has seen the need to reinforce previous training. We had to remind him that once he’d been awarded a junior manners certificate from the RSPCA! He has been happy to recreate the rule book and was sneaking off to find a nice bed for relaxing, and had no intention of spending the night in his own bed in the laundry.
He was a fast learner and soon he was obliging, although it wasn’t without its sleepless nights for me.
All in all, whilst I miss the dog dreadfully. I know he is better off being slightly bored at home in Australia, rather than trying to adapt to a life indoors, largely looked after by a maid.
We are very fortunate to have some lovely Melbourne friends who are helping out with walks and at the moment we are muddling through!
More on our Crazy Poodle is found at:
Toodle-loo to the Crazy Poodle
24 comments
Hello, your Crazy Poodle is adorable. I am sure he misses you and loves when you come back home to him. Wonderful photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend. PS, thank also for leaving a comment on my post.
Hi Eileen
Thanks so much for your visits and for hosting Saturday’s critters! I’m counting down the days to my next visit to Australia.
Wren x
I’m in love! So cute!
Me too!!
Thanks for your visit Betty.
Wren x
This is such a tough question Wren. Just know that there are dogs in far worse situations than your sweet pooch, and you are doing your very best.
Hugs to you and your puppy,
Andrea
I am lucky Andrea to have a cute dog and some lovely friends who also help out with walks. A few people have said get another dog and they’ll keep each other company, but then I have two dogs that need walking when I am living in another country! My kids have been good too, in fact that’s the deal they get the nice house with the dog!
Wren x
Hello Wren, I couldn’t take my two to Bangkok. They love the great outdoors. They get one walk a day, a long walk along country lanes and around farmer’s fields, off lead running around. As for the heat, with long coats they wouldn’t cope very well. I know you miss him, but he is being well looked after, and if he’s anything like mine, as long as he has food and a comfortable place to sleep he’s happy! 🙂
Haha, Polly, I think you’re right, food and a comfortable place to stay and they soon adapt!
The other day, we hadn’t quite got the return routine worked out and he got two dinners – the little devil, happy downed both and was clearly hoping he wouldn’t be found out! Obviously he thought that makes up for all those occasions dinner was late!
Wren x
Glad he has you back! Poor pup had to be confused but it sounds like he was well taken care of. Such a cutie!
Thanks Marie, we love him to bits and for sure he does a good act of woe is me! It’s a blooming good job he doesn’t have to deal with a garden full of raccoon visitors like at your place, he’d go bananas! Mind you it would keep him entertained, I’m sure!
Wren x
I think you took the right decision, Bangkok is not a place for a dog like yours, apparently it’s even not one for you, lol ! I read the other blog, but there I couldn’t comment because of the Google+ ! It’s certainly nice for tourists to visit, but to live there is another story. Hope it will be better now ! I certainly don’t watch football, I hate it and my husband doesn’t like it either. Even my son who had done all existing sports in his life never played football ! And now my grandson hates all sports, he only plays football ! Isn’t that funny !
I just have gathered all my documents for the Russian Visa and now I am ready for my roundtrip through the Eastern countries, 10 countries in 18 days !! I have never been to the East.
Wow Gattina, that is quite some trip! I can’t wait to read all about it. Well, I don’t suppose you will get very far without seeing something about the World Cup football in Russia. I am sorry you have found the visa application for Russia so tricky. Of course, if you’d bought a ticket to watch Belgium play like we have, you would have got a Fan ID visa no problems! They are saying Belgium will be the most exciting team to watch, I will cheer for you haha!
Have a wonderful holiday.
Wren x
Tricky x
Yep, the trails and tribulations of moving overseas!
Hope that sun is still shining, I’m on my way over!
Wren x
Such an adorable doggie ~ Xox
Happy Week ahead to you,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
We love our dogs don’t we Carol? I hope Art-muse dog is doing well.
Wren x
oh he looks so sad next to that green pillow 🙁 And that first photo even worse. You mean mommy, you 🙂
Just kidding / no easy choices 🙂 He’s healthy and cared for and that is what counts 🙂
I know, he has completely perfected the ‘woe is me look’ hasn’t he? I reckon he’d win an Oscar for his performances 🙂
Wanna another dog?!
Wren x
So sad to leave him behind, but it sounds like it was the best option. At least there are people to look after him there. It’s be worse with you, I’m sure.
I do miss him Liz for sure, once you have a dog in your life, life is awfully quiet without them! My husband has me on a tight leash here in case I adopt a street dog!
Thanks for stopping by.
Wren x
Aw! He’s adorable and he is also a very lucky doggie to have such caring and considerate humans to think of his comfort and happiness. x Karen
Haha thank Karen, I may need you as a referee for when I’m reported to the RSPCA for abandoning a dog! Mind you at the moment he is doing rather well after the other day when he got two dinners through an unfortunate lapse in family communications, today he had two long walks because it’s a public holiday in Australia and my daughter walked him then our gorgeous friend came to give him his regular Monday walk!!
Wren x
I am not sure how fluffy dogs cope with the humid heat? Your pup is probably more comfortable back home. I bet he is delighted when he sees you after a long period of absence. He won’t think it was long because dogs sense of time is different from ours. x
Hi Christina – well fluffball in a bit of a pampered pooch when it comes to Aussie heat, he is partial to a bit of aircon when we hit 30 degree days plus, like his owner. I’m not sure how he’d go in the humidity, probably flop like the rest of us too!! My husband tells me he has the memory of a goldfish… But it is reassuring to think he has a different sense of time to us, so thank you 🙂
Would you leave Jack or take him?
Wren x