Destinations in Crete: Richtis Gorge

 Hello furiends! 

Excuse me for the silence on the blog but the hooman writers where occupied with life responsibilities.Don't worry, even if they did not had much free time, I am still the queen of the house! They also took me on a pawtastic roadtrip in East Crete. Let me show you where we went for a hike:

Our adventure started with a long drive from our home to Richtis Gorge. If you come from the middle of the island towards the East you will meet Richtis and afterwards the city of Sita.

There is a parking spot on the mainroad (right next to the highway, it has big plates with info about Richtis) but if you have a 4x4 car you can follow the path to the entrance of the gorge. You will recognize the entrance by an old stone bridge and parking spots for busses. If you go off season you will find spots to park near the entrance. If you go in the middle of the summer you might have to stop next to the highway and start your hike from there. 

Richtis gorge is know for it's magnificent waterfall and pleasant walk in the forest. We went in the middle of May when the temperature wasn't too hot for my royal paws and the amount of tourists was handleably. In high season you might stumble upon groups of tourists which makes it a bit less comfortable to hike as some parts of the path are really narrow. 

Now on to the good part! The gorge is about 10 km in total so it takes the average hiker around 2 hours to complete. Now if you love to dive under the waterfall count some extra time to swim in the crystal clear waters and have a snack stop (You can never have enough snacks!!). 

The hike difficulty was easy peasy lemon squeezy for me but ofcourse since I am a dog maybe my opinion doesn't count. If I ask the hoomans they would say "you need to be in a good condition and able to climb some stairs/bridges. There are slippery stones so good shoe wear such as hiking boots are recommended". 

My favorite part: THE WATERFALL! Honestly it isn't the biggest I've ever seen in my life but still it was pretty decent and a unique piece of natural beauty. Be aware that the water is ice cold but oh so refreshing after the long hike! You can even make a little swim. The closer you go to the waterfall the deeper the water is so be careful if you are a cute doggo like me or a small child. 

To conclude: Richtis gorge is an absolutely must if you are in the East side of Crete. The hike is dog friendly (a fit dog can easily follow the trail and there are lots of shady parts). One thing to keep in mind that this hike might give you muddy paws/shoes so make sure to bring a clean pair to enter the car. 

Destinations in Crete: How to book a hotel with your dog?

Hi furiends! It's me Luna again. Long time no see here on the blog side. I hope you're all doing great!! 

Today I want to bark a little bit about hotel howlidays wif the humans. 

In Crete tourism is big business, in 2022 the inbound arrivals were roughly 4.7 million. 

As tourist come in all kinds of styles unfortunately not everyone is happy to see my cute furry paws walking in their hotel. 

If you want to go on holidays in Crete and take your pawrents, I have the following tips for you:

1. Check apps (my personal favorite is booking.com) with petfilter to see which hotels are available and petfriendly.
2. Sent the accomodation a request and ask if they have a calm room with outdoor space/balcony and clarify that your experienced with traveling so the dog is trained in sleeping calmly and not destroying the room
3. Upon arrival in the accomodation clarify what are the rules. Does the owner accept letting a dog alone in the room? Can breakfast be served in the room? Can you exit the hotel early in the morning to let the dog out?
4. If you are not feeling 100% confident call before arrival so there are no surprises. Sometimes smaller hotels also advertise to be not petfriendly but make an exception if you show up with a well behaved dog. We had this experience once in Kalamaki in South Crete and because we had such a nice time we return yearly! 
5. Put on a note on the door "Do not knock dog in the room + telephone so they can call you if needed." In Greek this would be something like: "σκυλί στο δωμάτιο, παρακαλώ μην χτυπήσετε την πόρτα." The receptionist can write the Greek version 😉
6. Take your own dog blanket and bowls as most basic hotels do not have this as a service. Petfood can be found in every minimarket/supermarket. Ofcourse it's the best to take the food your dog is used eating at home. In big cities such as Heraklion, Chania, Agios Nikolaos, Rethymnon you can find petshops with "high end" dry food brands such as Acana, Purina, Orijen, etc..
7. Enjoy the moment! If you don't like to be petted by strangers let your human advocate for you as Greeks tend to pet every single dog without asking haha 😆

Luna in Spili Rethymnon

The impawtence of chewing!

 Helloooo furiends, It's me Luna again. 🐶 New year means new blog posts!

Hope you are all keeping up those wonderful new years resolutions. Mine are simple.. more treatos, more naps and more tennis balls! 

For New years I got a lovely present, a new chewstick. Did you know that besides of annoying the humans with loud smacking noises it also has several other benefits??

• Most impawtently it relieves stress and anxiety. Because I don't like to be left alone at home but sometimes the humans don't have any other choice. In that case once they return home my chewing stick gives me the opportunity to chew the stress off (of course you can also shake it off like Taylor swift used to sing 😁)
• They say it reduces plaque build up, to be quite honest I still have a little plaque build up but ok maybe it would be worse without chewing. 
• Burns excess energy: Well this one is quite impawtent too, as a working doggo I need to have something to do. Cannot sit still all day alrighty!
• It shows we feel good, if we stop chewing maybe their is something wrong with our teefies our general health. 
• Jaw training, because you never know when you need to bite a burglar in his leg 😈

So now you have read the most impawtent benefits it's time to send the hoomans to the petshop! 

In case you are wondering what I am chewing, it's the Kong Chewstix (NO spon!)

Luna chewing her large Kong chewstix

Ps. Thanks for visiting my little dog blog, feel free to follow me on insta or leave your feedback at lunathecretanbordercollie@gmail.com

Happy howlidays! 🎄⛄❄️🦌

 Hi furiends, it's me Luna again! 🐾

I just want to stop by to wish you all pawtastic howlidays! 

Enjoy your time with family & furiends! And I hope santapaws is passing by with lots of gifts. 🎁 

Also I want to send a virtual hug to everyone who is missing a loved one or is feeling lonely ❤️ 

Dogsport in summer, is it possible at all?

Hi furiends, it's me Luna again!🐾 After a little social media break (the humanager was not available due to family visits and work) I am back on social media and on my blog! I hope you're all doing great and having a pawsome Summer. 

Today I would like to bark about a topic that is very essential here in the mediterranean and also in other area's during summer: 

Sporting in Summer!

Just like the humans we can overheat also if we go sport in the middle of the day when the sun is shinning and the outside temperature is very hot but with the correct modification or adaptation all sports can be done. It also strongly depends on the condition of the athlete whether it is possible at all. 

Here are some top sports for summer:

1. Watersports: Kayak, canoe, SUP, dock-diving
2. cani-hiking, you can use the same gear set up as with canicross but you adapt the tempo and distance 
3. the most obvious is swimming ofcourse! whether it is in a river, lake or sea bring a squeaky fetch toy for extra fun. 
4. Scent work, it's one of the newer sports but it requires a lot of focus from your dog so it will definitely make they feel fulfilled.
5. agility/obedience in indoor arena, some dogclubs have airconditioned indoor arena's. If you're a lucky member of one of this clubs you can keep training at an high level even in the hottest august days!

Now that we have seen some good sport ideas for summer we can dive deeper into how to sport and what is the best preparation:

- To begin with the best is to start building your dog's condition before the summer months arrive, the better the condition of the animal the easier it is to cope with summer sporting. Keep in mind that certain breeds such as huskies, pugs, bulldogs, samoyeds, Bernese mountain dogs, etc.. are recommended to avoid intensive activities in summer at all costs.

- If it's your first time you start sporting with your dog or if it's a while ago you have paid a visit to the vet it's highly recommended to do a routine check up and mention you are planning to start sporting. Sometimes the vet gives some extra attention to certain areas that might be extra important if you want to sport with your dog. 

- Learn to observe your dog, how quickly does my dog heat up? How long does it take to cool down and get a normal heartbeat again? Is recovery going good or has the dog problems with walking the next day? etc.. One good way to feel the temperature of your dog is inside the ears, if your dog doesn't accept this you could check the temperature at their chest also. 

- Climate considerations: Keep a close eye to the weather reports and most of all the humidity index and ofcourse the heat. Also observe yourself how you feel in the weather, if it feels warm and humid for you it might be super hot for your dog! 

- Do proper preparations:

Give your dog that summer haircut if possible, make sure they are hydrated before the activity and provide necessary equipment. I personally only use light weight equipment such as our canicross harness and provide a cooling bandana. A vest is also an option but be careful as some vest actually cause overheating if the fabric isn't breathing well. 

- Also don't forget to do a good cooldown aswell this can be done with a brisk cool-down walk or a refreshing swim. If swimming is not a possibility you can cool down your dog also by splashing some water on their chest area. Your dog should always have a cool and wet nose. Does the nose feel dry? Make sure that your furry furiend drinks water as soon as possible. Once home you can provide a cooling mat to relax on, some dogs like this while others like me Luna prefer to lay on the floor. 😁

- Study the signs of heatstrokes and dehydration before you go on adventure so that you are prepared to take immediate action if necessary. Cary your mobile phone with your vets number and another vets emergency number

Last but not least don't forget to have fun! Do you have more tips for summer sporting? Let us know by email or send a DM at @lunathecretanbordercollie on Instagram. 

Paw from me,

Luna 🐶

Luna working out in the park 😜

Luna's favorite type of harness and why you could consider it too..

Woof Woof, welcome to my blog furiends. 2022 started for me with lots of walkies in the park and one impawtent tool for great walkies are comfy harnesses.  Therefore I would like to bark my opinion on dog harnesses. Are you ready?

First and foremost you should know that I had an shoulder injury in my younger years. Luckily  I recovered from it but it made my hooman reconsider recently what she could have done to help the healing process.

And that's where the harness choice pops in, it's such an important piece of equipment we dogs wear every single day (for more then an hour). We run, jump, turn and so much more so it should be comfy right?!

So my mama decided to do some research and after a while she realized that the harness I was wearing was actually restricting my movement. Now what kind of harness is then good?

Picking the right harness has a lot to do with the way your dog is build but overall the "Y or H shaped harnesses"' have shown to be the most comfy and they're also recommended by many Chiropractic professionals.  It makes sure that the forelimb can move freely back and forward and when the dog pulls hard on the leash it doesn't make any damage to the neck or other sensitive parts. Beside of the harness shape it is also very impawtent to have a look at how the harness fits your dog, not every Y or H type of harness is a good one. 

Some tips to check when picking a new harness:

- Is there room enough behind the forelimb and doesn't it sit too tight in the armpit?

-The middle of an Y harness sits on the chest bone, if you put your hand on the front of your dog you will feel a bone sticking out and that's also the point where the middle of your harness should sit.

-The shoulder front should be free, straps should not sit on top of the bone.

-The part between the forelimbs should be soft fabric and not too wide (otherwise it might rub the forelimbs)

-The second strap should be approximately 2-4 fingers behind the forelimb but make sure that the end of the harness doesn't go behind the last rib (it can not hang on the soft abdomen area)

- Are there any metal parts/buckles that hit while running? 

- What kind of material is the harness made from? lightweight fabric with plastic buckles or with metal buckles? In case your dog needs to run long distances (such as in canicross) lightweight options are better. 

If you have checked all the above this and your dog looks comfy you have found your new harness ✅

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that a harness is not a tool to teach your dog to stop pulling, the only way you can stop this is by training consistent with a professional to guide you. Also keep in mind that using tools such as the front ring of some harnesses might harm your dog because when they pull all the force comes on 1 side/leg.

Luna's current harness:

At the moment we are very happy with the ZeroDC Short harness, this harness is made for daily walks aswell for dogsports like canicross and fits Luna greatly. (Not sponsored) Each dog is different so always measure before purchasing online, we hope you find the pawfect harness too! 

Paw from Luna 🐾

which harness not to buy

ZeroDC Harness "short"
(not sponsored)

Me in my new pawfect harness
(lots of space behind my forelimb)

Destinations in Crete: Heraklion

Hi furiends! It's me Luna 🐾 In this article I would like to show you around in the capital of Crete: Heraklion. Beside the fact that this is the biggest city in Crete it's also the 6th biggest city in whole Greece with a population of 211,370 people! 

Heraklion was also the Europe's fastest growing tourism destination of 2017 according to Euromonitor with an 11,2% growth in International arrivals.

For me Heraklion and it's parks are like my backyard. In the beginning I had to get used a lot to the hustle and bustle of the city dog life but now I can say I am pretty much adapted (still struggle with some reactivity but it improved a lot)

How to reach Heraklion?

With the ferry:

There are all year round daily ferry trips from Athens to Heraklion (in summer/touristic season also from Greek islands such as Santorini, Anafi, Ios, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Syros, Thira, Tinos)

The big benefit of coming with the ferry is that you can literally walk in 11min to the heart of the city center. I have been on the ferry from Athens already! 😊

Before booking your ferry tickets we recommend you to call and ask specifically about bringing furry furiends on board. Some small ferries might have different rules then the big ones (with kennels) Generally dog's must always be leashed and accompanied onboard but sometimes they ask also to be muzzled in buzzy areas. 

With the airplane:

The airport is located 4km from the city center, if you are a fervent hiker the walk is possible to do but most people prefer to take bus or taxi. In the bus only small dogs are allowed inside a bag, taxi drivers might accept you if you guarantee them that the dog will sit on your lap (and not scratch their precious car😁). Right next to the airport are also many rental companies located, since it's pretty busy there I would recommend to book your car beforehand. 

How to spend your time in Heraklion:

Shopping!:

There are lots of lovely boutique's with jewelry/clothing but also bigger shops such as Mango, H&M, Bershka, Pandora, Sephora,... In many stores we have seen dogs already since most people don't really mind. If you explain that you travel with your dog and can't let him/her alone in the hotel most staff will understand and let you take the dog inside. 

Also a very important thing to notice is that this city has lots of different petshops and vets so if you start your trip here don't forget to stock up on food and medication for your furry furiend since small villages in the mainland might not have the exact product you want. In every super or mini market you can always find some very basic dog biscuits but for specialised food (grain free, allergy, etc.) you need to visit a pet store. 

Visiting Restaurants:

Crete (and whole Greece) is known for it's pawtastic mediterranean cuisine. Another benefit is that because of the mild climate it is pawsible to sit outside for most of the year! On every outside terrace dog's are allowed,  everytime we bring Luna they welcome us and bring some water and sometimes even a little snack for her. 😄

City walkies:

After a nice walkie in the city center you might want to visit one of the parks in Heraklion. It's a nice place to meet other dog's and their humans, play fetch, do a sniffari or even visit a closeby monument! 

The best spot for walkies are the Venetian walls of Heraklion also called the fortifications. The first city walls where build in the middle ages and where build to protect the city Candia nowadays called Heraklion. The walls remain largely intact and are a very popular places for citizens to relax and walk. Click here to check a short video of my walkies to the Northside of the walls. 

If you walk to the North sea side the end of the walls is at the beginning of Talos area. Talos is a small shopping center and on the opposite side of the street you can find "Yuri Gagarin Park". Here is an organized off leash field for your dog with some agility obstacles and you can enjoy the beautiful seaside view. If you have a reactive dog keep in mind that in the evening hours it might be extra buzzy. 

If you walk the walls more landwards you will meet the "Grave Monument of Kazantzakis". Nikos Kazantzakis was a famous Greek writer some of you might know him from the worldwide known book: "Zorba the Greek". The Grave monument is surrounded by a beautiful garden and the place has a stunning view over the whole city. A perfect place for a pick nick or reading a book! Dog's are welcome in the garden, please respect the place with keeping your dog's on leash and poop in the poo bag. 

Our second favorite space for walkies is Koule and the surrounding walking paths next to the sea. The Koule area starts from the Venetian harbour of Heraklion on your walk you will pass by from the beautiful Rocca Mare Fortress which is visitable in the morning hours but unfortunately no dog's are allowed inside. 

Luna's final verdict 🐶😜:

All in all Heraklion is a small but wonderful place to explore, because of it's size it's possible to walk to the most important shops/restaurant/monuments/etc.. Dog friendly accommodations are found mostly on platforms such as booking and airbnb. 

I hope you have lots of fun sniffari's in the city!