Furry FROG Friends

According to a survey conducted by the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), 61% of RV owners travel with pets.  The FROG Rally in Goshen this year certainly reflected that statistic.  In addition to the usual complement of dogs, a number of cats and several birds were in attendance.  I realize that if you are a full-timer, your pet, of necessity, lives in and travels everywhere with you in your rig.  But even for those who still maintain a “sticks and bricks” residence, travelling without your “fur-baby” (or babies) is inconceivable. 

With FROG Bob’s approval, I set out to photograph some of the pets that attended the 2017 FROG International Rally.  I did not take any photos without the pet parent’s permission.  Herewith are just a fraction of them.  If I missed getting your baby’s picture, I apologize…and we apologize, as well, if we got any of the details about your pet – name, breed, or anything else – wrong.  It’s dog-gone hard to remember everything!

Reba, a seven-year-old Schnoodle, a cross
between a Schnauzer and a Poodle

Jolene loves to play with tennis balls.  She and Reba have the same pet parents

This Westie hails from Kansas City, MO.  His
mom says he is "mister independent"

Scooter, a six-year-old, rides in the front seat while traveling

Corgis Kenzie and Nigel (above and below) are "the ultimate camping
dogs" according to their pet mom

Max, a Morkie  (Maltese and Yorkshire Terrier)
is described as having "personality plus"

Lily, a rescue Chihuahua, loves to ride
motorcycles - and apparently bicycles, too

Arya, a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, enjoyed her first rally

Holly, a seven-year-old Boston Terrier rescue...

...and Willow, 8 months old, who is in agility training 

At 14 months and a whopping 5 pounds, Tobey loves people and travels well

Casper, a Beagle / Boxer mix, is a rescue
dog who loves kids

Boxers Bristol and Talladega, named
after NASCAR tracks

Jude, a rescue Border Collie / Flat-Coated Retriever
mix, thinks his first name is "Hey..."

This beautiful, blue-eyed Siberian Husky is Mya

Cindy is a mini-Poodle who has been to 46 states and most Canadian provinces

Rusty, a Red Labrador Retriever and Tootis, a Daschund, hail from Florida

Rico, a Pug, is deaf and nearly blind, but
is a really sweet baby

Hailing from Lancaster, NY is Skippy, seven
years old, who attended with his "grandparents"

Luke, seven years of age, is from Kansas City

Bella, a German Short-Haired Pointer, can balance
treats on her nose, then flip them up and catch them

Little Lady, a seven year old Toy Poodle, marks
her territory by peeing while walking on her front legs

Riley, a Beagle, loves pizza

14-year-old Spanky, has been to 49 states

Jack, a Jack Russell Terrier, is another rescue dog

Miko, a Belgian Tervuren, is seven and is also a rescue dog 

Marley has a beautiful coat

Patrick is now 11.  Sophie and Patrick first met in 2012
and still remembered each other at this year's rally

Ike is a German Short-Haired Pointer who
loves to run

Max (beige) and Buddy (black) (above) and the blue-eyed Pomeranian
(below), whose name we didn't get, are all rescue puppies of the
same pet parents

Vee (shown) and Bev are now full-timers with
Standard Poodles Thudster and Taurus

(L to R) Sam (13 years old); Baily (9 years old);
and Benji (10 years old).  

Cosmo, a 9-year-old rescue dog from New York,
was heading for Yellowstone after the rally 

Misty Mew, a rescue cat, has been a "camper kitty" for 14 years

Harley loves the sun and rolling in the grass

Dudley is a Cocker Spaniel who was left tied to a tree in
a park in Chicago.  He was rescued by the Fire Dept. and
his now-parents were asked to foster him...five years ago.

Sandy, a Golden Retriever

Cody (black) and Bella (white) Bichon / Poodle mixes, are
3 years old and 10 months old, respectively

Despite rumors to the contrary, Casey, a Cairn Terrier,
does not bark with a strong Scottish accent 

Jake and Chloe are 12-year-old Cocker Spanials 

Mixed-breed rescue dogs Bentley and Bernie, from Long Island, NY

Tanner, a Puggle (cross between a Beagle
and a Pug) is six years old

"Meet-and-Greet on Maple Street" - Chopper, Mack and Willie

Bandit, a male Calico cat, surveys the scene from behind the tinted windshield

                      

Chief, a Yorkshire Terrier, and his pal...

Chewy, a white Poodle

Zidney, a beautiful Airedale Terrier, is 10 years old.
He reminded us of Tasha and Fergie, two Airedales
that were once a big part of our lives

Izzy, the Shih Tzu, (above) is "bossy" and is the self-appointed protector
of the English Cream Golden Retrievers, Sherpa and Phoebe (below)

Since this blog is about photos, we thought it appropriate to included Seward
Johnson's sculpture of the photographer, seen on a street corner in Nappanee

This is Missy, a 20-month-old from Florida.  We're
not saying that her daddy spoils her, but it is quite
possible that her feet have never touched the ground

Zoey, who belongs to a couple that we met in Arizona
last winter, attended her first rally, as did her parents

Shetland Sheepdogs Lexi, Walker, and Shelly

Jinx, a beautiful German Shepherd

Smooch is an eight-year-old French Bulldog who is also a rescue dog.

Three of the four of these extremely well-trained dogs are rescue dogs.
Left to right are Logan, Willie, Ruby, and Wesley

Charley, a Standard Poodle, is two years old - in fact,
the day his picture was taken was his birthday

Carney is certified to work as a therapy dog in nursing
homes, and loves to play with tennis balls

Muffin Man, a Maltese, and Ik-Kii, a Yorkie / Maltese / Poodle mix
hail from Louisiana and "love their ice cream", according to their parents

Shiloh (rear) and Sporty and Macy live and travel together

Joey, a rescue, is a Cockapoo, a cross between
a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle

Little Buddy, an Italian Greyhound, is used to being
carried in a pouch - it is how he rides on the subway

Zoe , 11 years old, prefers people to other dogs

Miss Pearl, a Maltese / Poodle mix, hails from
Florida and is, according to her mom, "spoiled"

Pepper loves to ride on scooters and golf carts

Holly, who comes from Ohio, seemed to be enjoying
the music of the "Bulldogs" on Friday evening

A family affair:  Andrew, Sarah, Kay and Brice, pose
with Bentley, a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel

Greta, a three-and-a-half-year-old Poodle who is
"spoiled beyond rotten", according to her mom

Moose is an Aussie-Doodle with beautiful blue
eyes, who is "very friendly and really smart"

Old English Sheepdogs Lilo and Paris.  Paris (r) is just a
puppy.  We once had a very sweet sheepdog named Maggie

Diane, from Georgia, with Remington and Sue Ellen,
two of her four Golden Retrievers.  Missing from the
picture are Smooch and Bullet, along with Gayle

The head FROG dog...Rascal, FROG Bob and Mama FROG Cindy's fur-baby

Our own "little white dog" Sophie, a seven-year-old Bichon Friese.  She
has traveled with us to forty-two states and five Canadian provinces

It is amazing how many of these dogs are “rescue” dogs.  How anyone can mistreat or abandon these sweethearts is unimaginable.  Thankfully they have now found their “forever” homes.  Quite a few of the dogs are certified therapy dogs, logging countless hours in nursing homes or hospitals.  A few are even certified as “reading” dogs (“Tail Waggin’ Tutors”) who spend time reading with children.  Still others are champions, having won "best of breed" or "best of show" honors in competitions.  But all of these dogs and cats are, undoubtedly, loved unconditionally.  And if you know just how to listen to them, they may even tell you their own Road Stories.

A fitting end to our dog story...artist Seward Johnson's sculpture
of the mailman in front of the Middlebury Post Office

Editor’s Note:  For those readers who are new to our blog, we have been publishing it for about three years.  It is generally about travel – both in North America and abroad – and topics range from Arizona to Zimbabwe; antiques to zebras.  We invite you to browse and read at your leisure.