Talley Your Adventure – The Blog

Though Clinton and I had been traveling and exploring for years before we got a dog, we knew that when we did get a dog we wanted them to travel with us as much as possible. That’s why you get a dog – it’s your loyal companion and wants to go on adventure with you! When we got Kyzer we were living in Spokane, Washington. We lived close by to a large field where we were able to train him well, both on and off a leash. We follow the rules wherever we go in regards to leashes but it is also very important to us to be able to have them listen closely when off the leash. Many of the areas that we visit where the dogs are offleash are remote. We could come upon a ledge, a wild animal,or something poisonous. They are dogs, so of course they are going to be curious, but safety is a priority so good training is a necessity.

Kyzer has now lived in four states: Washington, Arkansas, Maryland, and now Arizona. Kyzer loves being outside, enjoys running and sniffing everything, and adores making friends. He’s five years old now and has really aged well, especially considering how adaptive he has had to be for the family. He’s also very good at being the guinea pig for many of the random “adventuring” ideas that Clinton and I went on early in his life.

When traveling with dogs always remember to pack water and snacks, and in the case of water you probably should pack more than you’re thinking. Kyzer sometimes wears a backpack that holds water/treats and his doggie bags. This helps for quick water breaks and the little bottles are easy to refill. As a harness, it is also great for maneuvering when he’s back on the leash. Kyzer absolutely loves swimming, so we make sure that when we consider a campground that we try and camp near an area where he can swim, or we stop by areas for him to swim along our travels.We don’t really let him swim in really cold water but just because I won’t go in doesn’t mean I’ll prevent him from swimming! What WILL prevent him from swimming are considerations like it’s dark and we plan to head into our tent soon. 🙂

Kyzer is a German Wirehaired Pointer, so he has a keen nose and loves looking and smelling for birds. He’s about 70 lbs and is a big lover, wanting nothing more than to lay right in your lap or on your feet in bed. He’s very observant, and is vocal about things that he thinks are incorrect or that we should be paying attention to, so he’s really a valuable member of the pack. He loves camping and learned his boundaries around a fire and in the dark around a campsite easily. He’s also one of the best trainers himself – when we got Kiraly, she followed him around and learned from him. It was one of the easiest training’s I’ve even done with an animal!

Personality wise he’s a total softy who wags his entire body when he meets someone, or recognizes someone he knows, or really anytime he is excited around others. He also loves meeting dogs – we routinely brought him to the dog parks in the places where we lived. I know I mentioned adaptive earlier, but consider this: His first living situation was a one bedroom apartment with a tiny third floor balcony. We purposely asked for a larger apartment when in Arkansas,and chose the area because there was another large field close by where we took him for walks most mornings. We did evening walks, weekend excursions, and always tried to bring him for a car ride.When we moved to Baltimore we were ready for a second dog, and had more space (at least up!) and an urban backyard (mostly concrete). Now we have a large backyard with grass, trees, and a front yard with large spaces to run. Very adaptive!

Along the way he’s made plenty of friends and is usually the pup we recommend if someone wants to pet one of our dogs. (Kiraly comes to you!) We always watch his attitude as well and can tell when he’s acting depressed, upset, or seems off. When we are in close proximity to each other, like when camping, we watch for when he wants to “be alone”. Yes, Kyzer will put himself to bed! And that’s okay, we just let him in the tent or bring a bed and put it on the ground near the fire and he’s out. What a cutie pie!

We can’t wait for more adventure with our pups. I’ll write a post about our other little one so you get a better idea of the#TravelingTalleys and the #AdventurePups. Until next time!

Recent personal events have lead me to planning my next trip to Europe! The#TravelingTalleys thought this is a great time to talk about personal experiences traveling abroad and a few tips from our adventures.

Thefirst time that I traveled internationally was about a year out ofcollege to work for Lindblad Expeditions. I had previous experienceworking on a ship, so at least I knew about boat life. The firstcountry I ever visited was Panama City, Panama. (Photo disclaimer –I did not have a cool, high tech smart phone back then so no pictures– this one is when Clinton and I first went to Europe in 2010!)From there I got into a taxi and drove a few hours to Colon, Panamawhere I stayed in a hotel for a few nights before getting on theboat. Our destination was through the Panama Canal to Costa Rica, andfrom there Mexico. While those stories are for another time, lookingback on my travels I remember trying to be as smart as I could beforeleaving to a country where I would have no communication for possiblya few weeks. No cell phone plans that I could afford included thesame things they do today and most hotels did not have internet. Igave my parents the information that Lindblad provided (shipinformation, flight itinerary, even emergency contact information)and told her that I would send her an email when I got internetaccess. I ended up getting internet access for free when I got on theboat because as a new crew member I received internet credit. 

After that you paid for internet while working on the ship. If you actually got internet! We were on a boat in remote areas, remember! I actually typed my letters in a word document so that when/if I got internet access I could copy/paste my letters into an email and send it really quickly. I finally was able to contact my mom about a week after I left the United States. During my travels, I tried to make sure I was as safe as possible.I had specific instructions from Lindblad on where and who would be driving the taxi. I verified that information before I got into the taxi. When I got into the hotel I met the other new employee as well, and she was from the area. She walked around with me that night. I did not travel or walk away from her, and she in turn stayed with me as well. We both walked back to the hotel together. We communicated and had a plan!

Clinton’s first time traveling was when he was sixteen and he flew all the way to Tasmania, Australia! Under a great program called Youth for Understanding, Clinton lived with an older, retired couple close by other kids in the program. They studied the culture and history, including hiking Ayers Rock.. He was even more cut off from contacting his family back in the United States because of the time (1999) and it was literally on the other side of the world. Immersion in the program provided a great opportunity to really connect to the area and learn as much as possible while away from family. Many of the friends that he met during this time in his life he still remembers fondly because of the shared experiences they had. Programs like this we highly encourage because we’ve found that the best times are spent with others out in nature. One of the most important thing to remember with long trips such as the United States to Australia is to give yourself a break and make sure that you don’t overwhelm your brain. If you need more time for a layover, take it. If you need more time after you arrive and need to take a day extra off, do that as well. Don’t forget that you’ll need to go through customs and FOLLOW THEIR LAWS. They are not kidding and don’t be disrespectful!

We have lasting friendships with many of the friends that we’ve met throughout our travles or those who’ve used a program to come to the United States. We’ve both been to Europe twice and many different states throughout our travels. We always try and make sure that someone, usually my mom (thanks mom!) knows where we are going or a general camping area if out in the middle of nowhere. If she doesn’t hear from me after a few days she starts calling. We keep tabs on things like what we are packing, how everyone feels, and what energy level we really have. If you do end up traveling internationally alone, just be smart about it, and have fun! Don’t let language, custom, or food hold you back from visiting places! Get out there and #TalleyYourAdventure #International soon!