Discover Auvergne with your dog
Today, I tell you the story of two inseparable partners, Marlène and her faithful canine companion Louna who travel through Auvergne together. Be careful, the story of their story may make you want to discover Auvergne too with your dog! And you would be right because it is a hyper dog-friendly region. Ideal for your next vacation with your dog. Ready to follow them?
A shocking dog-friendly duo
Marlène adopted her first dog, Louna, a 5-year-old Australian Shepherd. Since then, they have been inseparable and they do a lot of activities together.
“When I adopted Louna, she was rather timid at first, she needed to get to know humans before she could let herself be petted and be comfortable. ”
Marlène therefore went to a dog training club with Louna, so that she could have a good education. After that, they started doing lots of activities together.
Louna and Marlène then visited children with multiple disabilities for a year. This experience was very enriching for them. Louna has become less reserved and cuddly with the children.
Their greatest passion is hiking. They are both nature lovers. They love to browseAuvergne together, especially Puy de Dome and the chain of Puys.
That's not all ! In addition to hiking, Marlène paddles with her dog on the superb lakes of Auvergne, they also do canicross and snowshoe walks in winter. Marlene also bivouac with his dog twice, and they intend to do it again together many more times. You understood: they are really inseparable!
Musher and Sophie : “Besides, I remember the time I camped out with Musher! We had loved sleeping in the middle of nature, in a tent under the stars. I share with you all my tips for a successful bivouac with your dog in this article. The very first piece of advice I can give you is to make sure that you have the right to bivouac where you have planned to stop. The bivouac is a very regulated practice.”
Places in Auvergne to visit with your dog
Auvergne is a magnificent region. It is full of lakes, mountains, waterfalls, forests and valleys. Auvergnats are very warm and proud of their traditions. There are many beautiful places to visit in Auvergne and Puy de Dôme: the mountains with the Chaîne des Puys and Sancy, the many lakes and waterfalls to cool off in, the forests, the streams...
Here are the favorite dog-friendly places of Marlène and her dog in Auvergne:
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My two favorite Puys are the Puys de la Vache and Lassolas, with a view of the Puy-de-Dôme.
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My favorite lake to paddle with Louna is Lac Chambon, with a view of the Puy-de-Sancy. But there are many lakes to discover which you can go around like the famous Lake Pavin, chambon lake, Aydat Lake, just 20 minutes from Clermont-Ferrand, the Gour of Tazenat, and many more!
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There are also many waterfalls to discover such as the Mortes du Guéry waterfall and Vaucoux waterfall.
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There are so many places that I love in Auvergne that I can't name them all!
Hiking with your dog in Auvergne
For hiking, Marlène recommends her must-see places, accessible with the family, such as the plateau of Gergovie, that of Corent, the summit of the Puy-de-Dôme, the Pariou, the Puys de la Vache and Lassolas.
“Auvergne offers a wide variety of hikes for all levels. One of the most beautiful hikes I have done is the Sancy loop which starts from Mont-dore. It goes through the GR30 – the long-distance hiking trail – where dogs are allowed, but only on a leash, as we cross a nature reserve.
Certain sublime places are forbidden to dogs because they are nature reserves: the Vallée de Chaudefour, the Val de courre, the crests of Sancy, the Vallée de la Fontaine Salée and certain puys are forbidden access to dogs during the period. pasture.”
Musher and Sophie : “ Besides, if you like hiking, Musher and I give you the pro advice to prepare for a hike and we also tell you the hikes authorized or prohibited for dogs in the Mag'. For the safety of your dog and ours, you should never go hiking without being properly equipped.
Reminder: to go hiking with your dog, you need hiking shoes, enough water for you and your dog, a bag of bats for dogs or hiking bag for your dog, his food and his bowl and also a first aid kit for you and your dog. And yes, hiking with your dog cannot be improvised ! "
Marlene and Louna's next destination is the Cantal. This department ofAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes is full of magnificent places, in particular the Cantal mountains with the Puy Mary.
To go hiking in Auvergne with her dog, Marlène advises avoiding the summer season because it can be very hot and tells us that her dog's favorite season is winter! However, each season has its own charm in this magnificent region of France.
“If you like hiking, wide open spaces and nature, it is better to be equipped and have good shoes! Always plan something to drink for you and your dog depending on where you go. It is also important to preserve our beautiful region and its magnificent landscapes by respecting citizen gestures, such as picking up human waste and dog waste. In some places, it is essential to stay on the trails and not to leave them for the respect of the fauna and the flora.”
Auvergne, a dog friendly region
Did Marlène's tips make your mouth water? It's decided you will spend your next vacation with your dog in Auvergne? Marlène recommends the Sunêlia La Ribeyre campsite, located towards Murol, which has bungalows that can accommodate a dog.
You can of course find other dog-friendly accommodations in the accommodation section of EmmèneTonChien.com
As far as restaurants are concerned, all the restaurants she has eaten in have always accepted her dog and generally serve her a bowl of water. Auvergne is really the perfect place to go with your dog!
As for the visit, Marlène and Louna visited the gardens of the monastery of Bost together, and they also recommend the castle of murol, which you can visit with your dog.
“Each year, since 2007, artists from a wide variety of backgrounds exhibit works in the heart of the Massif de Sancy, playing with nature. They are generally easy to access but be careful of the exhibition site because some are in nature reserves which may be prohibited to dogs.”
Thanks to all the details from Marlène, we now know that Auvergne is the ideal region for nature and dog lovers! About 3 years ago, I had planned a weekend trek and bivouac in Auvergne with friends and Musher in the middle of summer. We had to give up this expedition because they were announcing heat records. I feared the heatstroke for Musher and we weren't sure we could supply enough water for everyone along the chosen course. But Marlène's testimony confirms my desire to explore the Chaîne des Puys with my dog.
If you want to follow the adventures of Marlène and Louna more closely, subscribe to their Instagram account @lesbaroudeuseauvergnates. And if you want to ask them for details on some of their favorite spots, they will surely be happy to answer you.