What do you do on a weekend when all else seems overplayed?
You take your doggos on an adventure. My friend, Shweta, and I decided to take our dogs to Chakrata for a weekend. Since Chakrata is in Dehradun district and not too far, it seemed ideal for our first little vacation with our fur-buddies. We set off on Saturday morning, packed and ready. Both the dogs, Bugyal and Mooli (short from Moolchand, inspired by Bollywood film De Dana Dan), got into the car, excited that they were going for a short drive. The drive was smooth with lots of pitstops, incase the dogs wanted to relieve themselves, or just sniff around and figure out where they were off to.
The weather was perfect for a day of trekking. Clouds surrounded us with a cool breeze blowing. The sun hid behind the fast-moving clouds, giving us just enough light to see the trail.
Soon enough, both the dogs were wondering what was going on. Since neither of them had been on a drive longer than half an hour, they were getting pretty restless. After each pitstop, getting them back into the car was a hilarious task.
Our plan was to do the trek to Moila Bugyal, a beautiful meadow atop the hill. We drove straight to Budher 30 kilometres ahead of Chakrata, where we first stopped to have a late breakfast. Everyone who crossed us while we ate, looked at the dogs like they were tourists, talking to them, hoping they wouldn't bite. After breakfast, we headed to the trekking trail. Since it had rained the previous night, the road was uneven and mucky. After a twenty minute long bumpy ride, we reached the Budher Forest Rest House, where we parked our car, and gave the doggos a light lunch of pedigree before starting the trek. Both the dogs were very excited to explore new territory, and kept tugging at their leashes to go ahead. We trudged behind them slowly, watching the trek getting steeper with each turn. Moila Bugyal is the easiest among all the Bugyal treks in Uttarakhand and is only 3 kilometres long. Lined with Deodar trees, the trek is beautiful, and not too difficult (even for a beginner). The dogs would find random spots on the trail where they'd decide to start playing, hoping we'd stop and turn back. As we neared the Bugyal, we could see green pastures for as far as our eyes could see. We couldn't believe that past all the tall trees, was such an expanse of greenery. The dogs went nuts. They ran around, played, chased each other, and enjoyed the open space they got after being in the car for such a long time. Looking at them running around, it seemed like even they agreed it was worth the drive.
The dogs ran around and played, while Shweta and I sat under the pine trees and chatted, lying down occasionally and enjoying the weather and the view.
The dogs ran around and played, while Shweta and I sat under the pine trees and chatted, lying down occasionally and enjoying the weather and the view.
After spending around an hour at Moila, we started our trek back down. The trek down was easier and lots of fun. The dogs would never go out of each other's sight, and always waited for one another. We watched other groups of people walking up, mules carrying heavy pieces of wood up and down the path, and locals who'd pass us like this trek was a breeze.
When we finally got to the car, we were starving. We gave the dogs some water, which they finished as quickly as they could. We decided to spend the night at a place called Chaani Churani, 20 kilometres ahead of Chakrata. As we started our drive to our destination, the dogs shuffled around in the car, looking for a comfortable place to sleep. Eventually, Bugyal spread out on the backseat, not wanting to be disturbed, and Mooli came to the front, finding space near Shweta's feet.
We reached Chaani Churani an hour and a half hour later, counting each kilometre that we covered, desperate to be able to lie down. Each turn we took was a surprise as the view kept changing with the light.
Chaani Churani was perfect for us. It is pet-friendly and has individual cottages that dot the entire property. The view from the property is unbelievable. As we settled down, the dogs explored the property, running around and playing again, completely discarding the fact that they were dead-tired. We watched the dogs and chatted for a while, had our dinner, and went to sleep.
The next morning, we got ready to go back to Dehradun. We gave the dogs a heavy breakfast, grabbed a bite and started our descend to Dehradun. The drive back was fun. The dogs looked out of the window with Shweta sitting between both of them. Each time we'd see a pretty view, we'd make a pitstop. Sometimes it was to ensure that the dogs were okay, not getting carsick, or for bathroom breaks. As we descended, the sweet scent of fresh pine wafted into the car. Looking at the dogs, tired and happy, we mutually agreed that this was a good getaway, and its something we highly recommend doing with your pets. Towards the end of the journey, both the dogs almost refused to get back into the car after each pitstop, but once they were home, they were happy, waiting to go on their next big adventure.
Note: If you plan to go on a short trip with your pet, here are some tips.
1) Get your dog a harness. It is easier to manage the dog (keeping in mind that a lot of people around you will be petrified of your fur-buddy)
2) We took one 3 KG pack of dry pedigree and a few packets of wet pedigree (Chicken liver in gravy) with a couple of packets of bread. At Chaani Churani, we asked the people in the kitchen if they could give us boiled eggs. We mixed all of these together to give the dogs a good, heavy meal. This is one option incase you're wondering what to feed your dog.
3) Be mindful of the fact that your dog could be car-sick and take them on a 'test drive' first.
4) Always carry a water bowl for them. Each time you make a pitstop, give your dog some water.
5) Carry something comforting for them, such as a toy they are used to playing with, or bones/chewsticks. Since the environment is new for them, there is a chance that they might be scared, and having something around that they are familiar with is a good idea.
6) Carry a bedsheet for your dog incase they decide to climb onto the bed/furniture at the place you stay at.
7) Take lots of pictures, because trust me, you will want to document this.
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