Live your life like a dog!

To date I have been living in Radolfzell, Germany for four months. Radolfzell is a beautiful little village in the south of Germany very close to the Swiss border. From where I live it takes me about 5 minutes to walk to the Lake of Constance (the biggest lake in Europe) and 5 minutes to walk to the altstadt. The altstadt, means Old City, and it is located in the centre of the town. The roads are paved with brick and there are no cars allowed. In the center is a majestic church with a tall steeple. If you close your eyes and perfect a quaint, German village, you are picturing Radolfzell.

The altstadt

Radolfzell at night

Needless to say my life is pretty amazing at the moment. I spend my days horseback riding, biking and of course German beer tasting (Rothaus all the way!). The only thing that was missing in my life is my daily dose of dog. Although I usually ALWAYS travel everywhere with my dog Kya (even packing her in the car and driving her across Canada), bringing her to Germany was just not an option. Luckily, I have fantastic parents that agreed to look after her and she has been happily spending her days with them. I miss her like crazy, her constant badgering for a walk, her excited bark when I come home, even her wet, sticky Sunday morning kong on my pillow (or more appropriately on my husbands' pillow hehe).

The solution to my empty doggy hole was my husbands' friends dog Baloo. Baloo is a 2 year old yellow lab that is the happiest dog in the world. Because of his owner's long working hours he was spending a lot of his day inside. I was the perfect solution and I eagerly pick him up every day for his mid-day lunch.

Always playing!

Baloo

To begin, let me say that if you are ever in a foreign country, get yourself a lab. If you have a lab at the end of your leash, if doesn't matter if you speak German, English or Alien, people will want to talk to you. It's amazing! With Baloo by my side I am meeting the entire population of Radolfzell! Not only that, but we are also assembling our own little doggy pack (ok it is really Baloo doing all the work). Almost every day we meet up with friends down by the water and well, PLAY. Although I love Kya to death, I had forgotten why labradors are so special. They are (ok generally) the happiest dogs on the planet. They want to greet people, children, other dogs. Baloo even tried to be friendly with a swan yesterday.

Baloo encompasses the saying "Live your life like a dog". If we were all to live like Baloo we would be much happier and healthier. In fact, I just goggled that saying and found that many personal coaches are using that saying to encourage a more stressfree style of life. Should I start a company called "Rent a Lab"?

If we were to all live our life like Baloo we would:

1. Enjoy 3 daily walks

2. Love to play and always be up for a game

3. Constantly smile at other people (or in Baloo's case smile and kiss)

4. Take naps in the sun

5. Take time to smell the flowers

6. LIVE FOR FOOD

With that in mind I'm off for my daily dose of lab.