If you havenāt gotten the memo, weāre kind of obsessed with our dogs. In fact, our dogs are one of the main reasons @richardcrill and I chose an RV to live and travel in full-time compared to any other nomadic means of transportation. We knew when we started dreaming this up that our dogs had to be a part of this.
To be honest, RV life would be kind of dull without our dogs. Itās all thanks to them that we explore farther than we normally would. They help us find the best views, hiking trails, and swimming holes. Theyāre always within arms reach if you need to cuddle. And theyāre always game for the next adventure! Sure, dog hair becomes one with your clothes and bedding, but when I look back on the memories weāre making together, itās all worth it.
Without further adieu, weād like to finally introduce you to our wacky pack!
TURBO
If you don't get dirty, did you really even play?
Turbo is an Australian Shepherd and heāll be 8 this year! Heās been my little shadow ever since I picked him up to take him home at 9 weeks. Turbo is always down for an adventure and itās literally impossible to tire him out. Trust me, Iāve been trying his whole life.
He is obsessed with the game of fetch, swimming, and is the happiest when both fetch and swimming are combined. His other obsession would have to be (my) food. Heās wicked smart and I have to basically booby-trap the kitchen anytime we leave.
Out of all the dogs, Turbo is definitely the most āinjury-proneā - this yearās annual emergency trip to the vet was for eating a bunch of rocks. Yes, I did say he was smart BUT his love for food (even if it happens to be on top of a pile of rocks) seems to override his, erm..intelligence š
SOOKIE
My wild child ā¤ļø
Sookie is 4 years old and this is as big as she's getting. She may be small, but donāt let that fool you - sheās really just a big dog trapped in a little dogās body. Sookie is full of spunk and even more serious about the game of fetch than Turbo, although she plays a little differently. Instead of chasing the ball, she chases Turbo with her own ball (or stick, or leaf, or blade of grass - pretty much the closest thing to her) in her mouth - itās the funniest thing to watch and it never gets old.
I have my mom to thank for bringing this spunky girl into my life. My mom, who worked for the Humane Society of North Texas at the time, texted me a picture of Sookie one day. Apparently, 40 dogs that looked just like Sookie were rescued from a hoarding situation. Sookie was in a small cage with her brothers and sisters, most likely her entire life considering the living situation. My mom kept begging me to adopt her because of how cute would it be to have a smaller version of Turbo. My mom remained persistent and thankfully, I caved in.
I still donāt really know what mix she is, but one woman summed her up perfectly after asking me what she was - after saying I'm not sure, she said "Oh, you mean she's just half cute & half adorable." So, Iām just saying that from now on š
GRAYSON
Ike is obviously his favorite - I'm finally coming to terms with it.
Our most recent addition to the pack is our sweet boy, Grayson. He was a total surprise and came into our lives at the perfect time. At the time we got him, Ikeās beloved English bulldog, Cosmo, had just passed the previous year at 10 years old. We only had my dogs after that, and it always felt like something was missing. After a year or so passed, we had talked about the idea of adopting another dog, but nothing ever felt right.
We first met Grayson when he moved in next door at our neighborās house - her brother had just moved to Denver for a job, and couldnāt take Grayson, so our neighbor ended up keeping him. He would bark at us on the porch and run away if we tried to pet him. Eventually, he finally let @richardcrill pet him and the rest is history.
Soon after that, Grayson started coming over to play in the yard with our dogs and heād end up spending all day at our house. We would send him home every night, but even that got more difficult. Our neighbor said he would just cry and sulk when he had to go home.
We eventually all came to an agreement that weād let Grayson live with us if he wanted to - whatās one more dog?! I honestly think he just loved being part of a pack, and now I canāt imagine our pack without him. Heās the much needed yin, calming energy that balances out our crazy Aussies.
Grayson's first mountain hike! He loves wearing his backpack!
Itās been an absolute joy to watch Grayson blossom on this trip! Heās becoming more outgoing and confident by the day. Heās actually been getting so much love and attention from strangers while weāve been in the northwest. And heās 100% eating it up š
Now that youāve met our pack, weād LOVE to meet yours! Please feel free to gush about your furbabies & bonus points if you share their photos in the comments below!
The Dodge Mahal Crew
Co-Pilots - @lindseylambz & @richardcrill
š¶Turbo
š¶Sookie
š¶Grayson