[sambhav.jain]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Couldn't resist posting some pictures of my own female golden - 4.5 years old, champion pedigree and won a couple of dog shows way back in 2008-09. Her name is Ginger. She is extremely arrogant (typical female dog behaviour) and puts up sulking/tantrums regularly if she's not allowed to do what she wants to do. Loves eating, playing with the neighbourhood children, hiking and jogging.


Attachment 1032098

Random snaps running across meadows during a Sakleshpur hike. Happy to run!
Attachment 1032099

Attachment 1032100

At another trek : Fur all ruffled up after a splashing swim in a forest stream
Attachment 1032104




Fantastic photos . I am a sucker for Golden retrievers, one of the most beautiful and intelligent pedigreed breeds ever. Your golden devil looks fab! He has that typical male golden's commanding look. How old is he? Do post more pictures.

He was 2 years old when those pics were taken. Now he is almost 3.

I love Golden Retrievers too, they look absolutely magnificent. There is something in them that just makes me go WHOA!!

Ginger is absolutely beautiful!! I can imagine my dog go nuts just seeing her!! and me drooling over your sexy Punto!! I wish we were in the same city we could have had a Dog's Day Out!! Would have been great Fun!!

[alstonlobo]

Hi team,

We are planning a trip to Goa in February for a week and are looking for a reasonably priced villa preferably, we are a family of 4 members plus a month old baby and 4 pet dogs. Mainly looking for a pet friendly accomodation.

Guys please point me in the right direction.

Thanks,
Alston

[hooloovoo]

Originally Posted by alstonlobo

Hi team,

We are planning a trip to Goa in February for a week and are looking for a reasonably priced villa preferably, we are a family of 4 members plus a month old baby and 4 pet dogs. Mainly looking for a pet friendly accomodation.

Guys please point me in the right direction.

Thanks,
Alston

Try looking on airbnb.com. We were planning a trip to Goa with friends (which had to be cancelled, unfortunately) and found many places that fit our criteria (4 dogs + a 3-month old baby). Even some listings that did not explicitly mention that pets were allowed were OK with them once we emailed/ called.

[sidkun]

Originally Posted by alstonlobo

Hi team,

We are planning a trip to Goa in February for a week and are looking for a reasonably priced villa preferably, we are a family of 4 members plus a month old baby and 4 pet dogs. Mainly looking for a pet friendly accomodation.

Guys please point me in the right direction.

Thanks,
Alston

I would highly recommend "La Casita Vacation Home https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/48294", an old, Portuguese style villa in Candolim village. It is owned by a German couple, who rent it out when they're away in Germany.

My wife, 2 Indian dogs and I drove up there from Bangalore and stayed there for about 10 days. It was awesome. We went in Nov 2011 and we paid a weekly rate of 5600 INR (i.e., 800 INR/night), or, if you stay less than 1 week, 850 INR/night.

The villa is located in Candolim village, just off the main road across Candolim beach, opp the Lemon Tree Amaranthe resort.

Since it's located in a village, there's lot of place around the villa for your dogs to run around. They will have the company of Elliott, the owners' super friendly and beautiful dog, and also Catsy, their cat, who might occasionally pop in.

Just to clarify, it's a genuine old Portuguese style villa, not a modern imitation constructed to look like one, so don't expect ACs, jacuzzis or flashy decor; the electrical fittings, plumbing, etc are not exactly modern, but fully functional with running water and a geyser (not that I needed one in Goa).

About the only concerns we had were the mosquitoes and red ants. There are mosquito nets in the bedrooms, but I recommend liberal use of Odomos in addition. And the red ants will be all over any food that you leave uncovered, and some do find their way over your arms and legs and their bite is quite irritating, so take suitable precautions.

Since it is in the middle of nature, you'll share the house with other creatures like a few fat lizards and frogs (thankfully, no rodents were seen in the house, though). Also a beautiful multicolored frog (I thought it was beautiful, the wife said scary) seemed to have made itself at home in one of the toilet bowls. It had a tendency to suddenly jump around in the bowl spasmodically when anyone turned the flush on, thus scaring the s**t out of us, literally .


There's a caretaker couple living in the nearby house, and the lady would come in daily for sweeping. There's a kitchen stove, refrigerator and kitchen utensils, which you can use to cook and store your food. Clothes and dishes would be needed to be washed by yourself by hand (or maybe you could try requesting the caretaker lady, we didn't). Food,groceries, clothes, and about everything you would need for a longer term stay are available in a big super market oriented towards tourists (read foreigners), and it is within walking distance.

In case you're not looking at this kind of villa, but something much more modern, then there's a huge and swanky villa just down the road owned by a certain Mr. Vijay Mallya, but I suspect you'd have to be a supermodel to get in.

I'll try and attach a few pics of La Casita for your reference.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by sidkun

I would highly recommend "La Casita Vacation Home [

The villa is located in Candolim village, just off in.

fittings, plumbing, etc are not exactly modern, but fully functional with running water and a geyser (not that I needed one in Goa).

About the only concerns we had were the mosquitoes and red ants. There are mosquito nets in the bedrooms, but I recommend liberal
Since it is in the middle of nature, you'll share the house with other creatures like a few fat lizards and frogs (thankfully, no rodents were seen in the scaring the s**t out of us, literally .

There's a caretaker couple living in the nearby house, and the lady would come in daily for sweeping. There's a kitchen stove, refrigerator and kitchen utensils, which you can use to cook and store your
In case you're not looking at this kind of villa, but you'd have to be a supermodel to get in.

I'll try and attach a few pics of La Casita for your reference.

This setting is like My Family and other Animals by Gerald Durrell where he outlines his adventures in Corfu, Greece as a young boy of ten, along with his somewhat eccentric family and lots of pets.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by sidkun

I would highly recommend "La Casita Vacation Home https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/48294", an old, Portuguese style villa in Candolim village. It is owned by a German couple, who rent it out when they're away in Germany.

Awesome setup! Thanks for sharing this. But just to make one point clear, the link doesn't give the price you mentioned - rather the prices range from 2800 to 3200 per person (or more) per night, tried multiple dates across the year. Also there is an additional cleaning charge of 1433 too.

But still for someone with pets, I am not sure what are the prices or options in Goa, so I guess one can take a final call accordingly.

[Googleman]

Originally Posted by sidkun

Also a beautiful multicolored frog (I thought it was beautiful, the wife said scary) seemed to have made itself at home in one of the toilet bowls. It had a tendency to suddenly jump around in the bowl spasmodically when anyone turned the flush on, thus scaring the s**t out of us, literally .

I hope no one uses that toilet. Poor frog, I can't think of any other who would have a Sh**ier life than this frog.

[sidkun]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

This setting is like My Family and other Animals by Gerald Durrell where he outlines his adventures in Corfu, Greece as a young boy of ten, along with his somewhat eccentric family and lots of pets.

Yeah, also "Marrying Off Mother", "Birds, Beasts and Relatives", "Bats in the Belfry" et al. All of his books are wonderfully entertaining as well as educational.

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Awesome setup! Thanks for sharing this. But just to make one point clear, the link doesn't give the price you mentioned - rather the prices range from 2800 to 3200 per person (or more) per night, tried multiple dates across the year. Also there is an additional cleaning charge of 1433 too.

But still for someone with pets, I am not sure what are the prices or options in Goa, so I guess one can take a final call accordingly.

I gave the airbnb link to the place since that's the first link that was shown by Google. I had sent a booking request via tripadvisor, and was offered the price I quoted. But I'm not sure about the current price. If anyone wishes, they're free to negotiate, but please do NOT give my reference to negotiate the rates.

Originally Posted by Googleman

I hope no one uses that toilet. Poor frog, I can't think of any other who would have a Sh**ier life than this frog.

Well, the frog wasn't there when we first arrived. Fortunately I saw it before using the toilet (but after turning the flush on before using the toilet in a strange place). Tried coaxing it to leave, even leaving a small wooden stick in the bowl that could be used as a ramp . In fact, short of putting my hand in the bowl and plucking the damn fellow out, I tried everything, so I assume he's either swum his way out the way he came in, or crawled out hence.

Come to think of it, I think I should have called this frog "Software Engineer", because his situation seems so much like us cubicle bound frog-in-a-blender types stuck in a lot of services companies, eh? :P

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by sidkun

Yeah, also "Marrying Off Mother", "Birds, Beasts and Relatives", "Bats in the Belfry" et al. All of his books are wonderfully entertaining as well as educational.

frog-in-a-blender types stuck in a lot of services companies, eh?

Nice to see a fellow Durrell Fan here! I have all his books and have been collecting them since I first discovered him courtesy my mum and aunt, in 1979!

[Googleman]

Originally Posted by sidkun

Well, the frog wasn't there when we first arrived. Fortunately I saw it before using the toilet (but after turning the flush on before using the toilet in a strange place). Tried coaxing it to leave, even leaving a small wooden stick in the bowl that could be used as a ramp . In fact, short of putting my hand in the bowl and plucking the damn fellow out, I tried everything, so I assume he's either swum his way out the way he came in, or crawled out hence.

Come to think of it, I think I should have called this frog "Software Engineer", because his situation seems so much like us cubicle bound frog-in-a-blender types stuck in a lot of services companies, eh? :P

I was just figuring out what if someone did not notice the frog and sat to attend his call The frog in the picture "Bites".

La Casita looks very good and I am planning to book it for end of Jan. However, the charges mentioned on their site is 15763 /week, much higher than what you paid. Do you know them personally to get me the same rate too?

[sidkun]

Originally Posted by Googleman

I was just figuring out what if someone did not notice the frog and sat to attend his call The frog in the picture "Bites".

La Casita looks very good and I am planning to book it for end of Jan. However, the charges mentioned on their site is 15763 /week, much higher than what you paid. Do you know them personally to get me the same rate too?

No, I don't know the owners personally and have never even met them, that's why I requested others not to use the rates I quoted as a benchmark to negotiate, since I don't want to disadvantage the owners, in case they had offered us a better discount as a one-off, pre-season discount. I was referred to the place by a Goa based member of another travel related forum that I follow.

[alstonlobo]

Originally Posted by hooloovoo

Try looking on airbnb.com. We were planning a trip to Goa with friends (which had to be cancelled, unfortunately) and found many places that fit our criteria (4 dogs + a 3-month old baby). Even some listings that did not explicitly mention that pets were allowed were OK with them once we emailed/ called.

Originally Posted by sidkun

I would highly recommend "La Casita Vacation Home https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/48294", an old, Portuguese style villa in Candolim village. It is owned by a German couple, who rent it out when they're away in Germany.
.................................................. ....
.................................................. ......
I'll try and attach a few pics of La Casita for your reference.

Guys thanks a lot for this! Sidkun, that's one detailed reply . Good to see that you got a good deal on the rental there. I'll keep you posted on what our plans are. Could you PM me the contact details of the owners if you got it?

Cheers,
Alston

[swiftnfurious]

Guys, need some lessons for my Labrador.

This is a girl, some 5 months old, and is healthy now. Pretty lovely and playful. It does run around me, jump on me and try to bring down my shorts by biting (may not be intentional).

The problem is she BITES! Probably trying to play with me, but the bites are sharp and her nails easily scratches & cuts your skin. Had a nice scratch & bite couple of days back, now have been trying to keep away.

We have another daschund, though he jumps and licks, have never bitten me. Even if he bites, it never hurts.

What could we do to reduce the bite of the lab? I also see that she pulls almost every bloody stuff lying around and places it in front of the house. Have seen trying to bite all footwear, probably she needs the calcium bones for chewing.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Guys, need some lessons for my Labrador.

This is a girl, some 5 months old, and is healthy now. Pretty lovely and playful. It does run around me, jump on me and try to bring down my shorts by biting (may not be intentional).

The problem is she BITES! Probably trying to play with me, but the bites are sharp and her nails easily scratches & cuts your skin. Had a nice scratch & bite couple of days back, now have been trying to keep away.

Don't worry, this is absolutely normal. She is teething and the baby teeth are itching for her while they slowly fall off in exchange for her adult denture, hence the biting habit at this age. She will grow out of it very soon. The baby teeth are like crocodile teeth, watch out when playing.

Did I read NAILS somewhere? If the claws are too long, you need to get them clipped by a vet since you are new to this. If you know how and where to clip their sharp claws, you can buy a canine nail-cutter at the pet store and do it yourself.

We have another daschund, though he jumps and licks, have never bitten me. Even if he bites, it never hurts.

Adult teeth will rarely cause harm, because the teeth themselves aren't as sharp as puppy teeth; also because the daschund is older and knows how much pressure and how to use the teeth without causing pain . Your lab too will learn this as she grows up. The next time she nips you, scream out loud enough to startle her and stop playing momentarily. She will soon learn that biting hard on someone is not tolerated. Most pups learn this in their litter while they are playing with their mother and siblings, during the first few weeks of their lives. If you brought your pup home at a very early age, she will learn it from you instead of from her mother *winks*

What could we do to reduce the bite of the lab? I also see that she pulls almost every bloody stuff lying around and places it in front of the house. Have seen trying to bite all footwear, probably she needs the calcium bones for chewing.

Shoes are among the favourite targets, because they are tough enough to last for a while. Purchase rubber toys that she can chew on - these should be available at your nearest pet store in different shapes and colours. Every time she bites on footwear, scold verbally and hand out the toy to bite on, instead of the shoe. Buy 2-3 of such toys, and you will soon find her gradually shifting to her biting own toys instead of meddling with shoes.

Again, this biting/teething phase is temporary and will only last for the first 6-7 months of their lives. Enjoy the funny puppy phase while it lasts. Females usually grow up to be docile, overly confident and independent adults (no goofy behaviour like male dogs), losing a lot of their playful self after the first 8-9 months. They will put on a lot of attitude though, hehe. Wait and watch!

[Enigmatic]

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” ― Josh Billings

Miley and Victor popping in to say hi

I wont stop staring till you give me a treat...



Treat,treat,treat,treat....



Gulp...



Yummy



Okay Now my turn ..