Traveling in Cantal with your dogs!
Discover everything you need to know to have a good holiday in Cantal with your dog through the adventures of Julie and her two dogs Naika and Ouna. Between the activities, restaurants and accommodation, you will know this destination like the back of your hand!
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Going on vacation with your dog is Too W'ouf! Today, my dear Wouafer's, I'm taking you to Cantal. We will discover all the activities to do with your dog in Cantal.
I've never been to Cantal with my dog so I found you the perfect holiday guides to discover Cantal and Haute-Corrèze! This is Julie and her two dogs Naika and Ouna. Having left to explore Cantal with her two dogs, Julie shares with us all her tips for unforgettable holidays in this pretty corner of France.
Ready? Let's go for a good dose of Cantal. Please note, I must warn you that once you have finished reading this article, you will have only one desire: to go on vacation in Cantal with your dog! I would have warned you!
Julie, it's up to you: tell us about your adventures with two dogs in Cantal.
Traveling in Cantal with two big dogs!
My name is Julie, I am a PE teacher and I live in Brittany with my dogs ! I have two female dogs who fill my daily life with happiness and who introduced me to the canine club that I adore. A real passion for dogs began to arise. My first dog that I adopted is called Naika, she is a pretty labrador sand colored! She is just over 5 years old and her life is not easy since she has a disease that is making her kidneys sick. But she is a fighter and I am very proud of her! Even if she has an illness, she does not lose her joie de vivre because she is very playful, very cuddly and above all very faithful to her breed since she loves to swim!
As for Ouna, I got him a bit by chance… A breeder I know very well learned that Naika was sick and that he was given little time to live… So he offered me a puppy from the litter that he had just had and that's how Ouna came into my life! Wow it's a cane Corso with a brindle coat who is 4 and a half years old! Ouna is a real glue pot dog, a real glue! I love going for a run with her and she loves going for walks! Naika and Ouna are a real pair! Ouna is a dog with a big heart, she pays attention to everyone and especially to her adoptive mother Naika!
Finally here is a presentation of my acolytes and life companions!
I've never had the opportunity to go on vacation with my female dogs but this year it was the right one! Now that they have grown up, that I trust them and above all that I trust myself, I have decided to take the plunge! And frankly it was GE-NIAL! So with a girlfriend, we decided to go to Bort-les-Organs and of course accompanied by my two dogs.
Sleep in Cantal with your dogs!
For our holidays in Cantal with our dogs, we first looked for a gite rental in France with enclosed grounds. It was essential for my dogs. The lady who took care of this house accepted directly that we came with two big dogs! We decided to rent the rental for a week!
Since it was my dogs' first vacation, I was a little apprehensive about their reaction and stress. So I brought a plaid, a rug, toys with the smell of our home so that they have bearings and feel better.
As soon as we arrived at the rental location, I showed them around the accommodation and they adapted very well! I was immediately reassured and proud of them. For the choice of the gîte, my priority was to find accommodation with a veterinarian nearby because with Naika's health concerns, you never know! And we also took the opportunity to find accommodation with a supermarket nearby.
Musher and Sophie : “If you also want to explore Cantal with your dog, Musher and I's big favorite is Camping Serendipité ! A simple campsite, on a human scale, managed by Célia and Eric and Télica their little ones. The campsite is ideally located for discovering Cantal, between hikes, gorges, thermal area, ski resort and nature. And you can stay there without any problem with several dogs. Up to 8 dogs are accepted per reservation!! This campsite is REALLY worth the detour, a great welcome is reserved for 4-legged friends!
Here is a list of QUALIDOG-labeled accommodation ! Accommodations that are QUALIDOG certified guarantee an excellent stay and welcome for you and your dog!
Also find below a selection of QUALIDOG-certified accommodation in Cantal.”
Activities to do in Cantal with your dog!
First of all, we chose Cantal to have CALM haha! We wanted a change of scenery, a quiet destination, in the mountains, exotic and above all with as few tourists as possible to enjoy with the dogs! So head to the Massif Central to enjoy beautiful landscapes! The destination was chosen somewhat by chance, while watching a TV show, I loved the landscapes of Cantal and I said to myself, let's go! We went to take a look at the Sumène Artense tourist office, which offered us a Cantal guide! It was great because when dogs were accepted, there was a notice indicating it!
We took advantage of our week's vacation to go for walks, enjoy nature and the good weather. We walked every day but didn't always take the dogs. The Cantal surprised me and pleasantly surprised because I found this department super dog-friendly! Even if, like everywhere, there are places where dogs are not allowed, for example for the visit of the Château de Val, but we were able to walk around its exteriors and the dogs were even able to enjoy a swimming area! The castle was beautiful even from the outside!
Musher and Sophie: “Want to visit castles with your dog? here is the Top 10 castles to visit ! And if you want advice on making a visit with your dog, I suggest you discover this article: Visiting a tourist site with your dog ! "
With my friend Charlène, we hiked Puy Mary and by choice we didn't bring the dogs. Indeed, I did not want to take the risk because I had inquired about this hike and I had noticed that the ascent was still quite complicated so with the heat, the full sun and the possibility of meeting herding dogs, I preferred to leave them cool and at rest in the accommodation.
But for all the other hikes, my female dogs followed us!
We took advantage of a nice walk to discover Les Orgues de Bort! It was really cool! And when we arrived at the top of the hike, we discovered a very dog-friendly chalet since there was a doggie bar available to refresh our dogs! It was pleasant as a walk because it was very shaded which is better for our darlings to suffer less from the heat.
Musher and Sophie: “To go on a hike with your dog, it is essential to organize yourself a little bit so as not to take unnecessary risks! In effect, Hiking with your dog cannot be improvised, so a few tips are not always too much 😉 And not to forget anything here is the equipment to go on the mop with your dog ! "
Then we discovered another very nice walk: the Rocher d'Agayrou in Antignac. We did a 3 km loop, it's a very steep hike that climbs well and also descends well but very pleasant! At the beginning, we walked a little on tar but very quickly we joined the forest and took advantage of the shade! Very nice for our dogs!
Another walk that we enjoyed: Lac de la Crégut in Trémouille! In summary: swimming and fun! We hiked around the lake and the dogs were able to swim! I really loved this walk because Naika was happy and took advantage of the lake to honor the Labrador breed and swim back and forth! I saw that she was happy and despite her health problems, it was only happiness! Moreover, in the morning we had strolled in the Peat bog of La Pignole.
In terms of walks, we also did the Ruins of the Château de Thynières which are accessible to dogs. As well as a hike to Saint-Nazaire to enjoy a magnificent viewpoint where we could see the Dordogne gorges! A walk in the forest where we took advantage of the shade!
We were also recommended the Pic de Charlus in Bassignac and the village of Salers but we didn't have time to try! Must say that we had a busy program haha!
Musher and Sophie: “If you are staying in Cantal or its surroundings, here is the list of all the activities to do with your dog ! "
Moreover, when we go on hikes, walks, my dogs are always attached at first. I favor the collar when there are people, a very simple collar that you find in all pet stores but I recommend collars that attach like belt buckles because they break less easily.
When there are fewer people, I prefer to put them their PetSafe brand harnesses. I have a harness with a handle because I find it more practical to hold your dog if you meet other dogs or something. Mine is a harness that slips on very easily over the head 🙂
And then I let them go when I see that there aren't many people and not many dogs. But you still have to know your dogs and always watch them and also trust them. I have leashes with 3 attachments that I can put over the shoulder or as a belt, always from the PetSafe brand, they are very practical! By the way, if it can help you, here is the size of the harnesses of my female dogs, for my labrador I took M and for my cane corso I took L.
Eating at a restaurant with your dog in Cantal!
When we went hiking at La Tourbière de La Pignole, we were planning to eat in the area but unfortunately the restaurant we had spotted was full. So we improvised and went on a more touristy route towards Sarran! And that's when we fell in love with a restaurant: la Grange aux Fleurs in Sarran! It was great ! A Too W'ouf welcome for our darlings, very welcoming, kind people, with good food but above all water for my dogs and a lot of taste buds! THE BEST! The managers even recommended some hikes to do with the dogs!
Musher and Sophie: “If you want to enjoy a restaurant outing with your dog but have never had the opportunity to take him to a restaurant, I invite you to take a look at this article for some advice: Go to a restaurant with your dog !
Tips and anecdotes for going on vacation with your dog!
To go by car with your dog, I think you have to think about your safety in the car. And think about your well-being by taking regular breaks, choosing quieter motorway areas to take a leisurely stroll. It is necessary to provide water for the journey but also for walks, I always take their water bottle with the bowl attached.
Pay attention to the heat, don't go for long walks when it's too hot and remember to cool them regularly on strategic points on the pads and belly! Really adapt to your dog, follow his rhythm and go at his pace, it's important 🙂
And especially to go on vacation, you have to think of a few important little things like a necklace with a medal with your first name and your telephone number, you never know, your health record and check if a veterinarian is in the corner of your home. your holidays, it's reassuring and if there is a problem, it's less panic!
Musher and Sophie: “If you're worried about forgetting something essential in your pooch's suitcase, maybe this list will help: The checklist for going on vacation with your dog ! "
For the little anecdotes, it's rather moments that I loved with my female dogs! For example, when Naika bathed, it was a real pleasure for me to see her so happy, it was very moving for me to offer her her first vacation without knowing if there could be others. And I was overjoyed to see her overjoyed.
For Ouna, I loved seeing that she was waiting for us during the walk around the Rocher d'Agayrou. It was very steep and she was very careful and above all she watched us to see if everything was going well. She proved to us once again that she cared about us and that made me happy.
In fact, I'm proud of my female dogs for the first vacation! I can leave with confidence because everything went well! Going on vacation with your dogs is possible and it's pure happiness!
Thank you Julie for sharing your great adventure with us! It makes you really want to go to Cantal! A destination Too W'ouf to fully enjoy nature and our dogs! I'm sure many Wouafer's will book their next vacation in Cantal after reading your testimony! Besides the Wouafer's, if you want to ask questions to Julie and follow her adventures, it's here: Tit Juju on Facebook ! Another big THANK YOU Julie!