Sam goes to Mexico
Many of you shared the loss of my dog, Molsen, early in January. He was a devoted companion, who was always there for me. Yellow Labs are notoriously good dogs, and Molsen was the best of the best. There was a terrific void in my life and home without him, and although there will never be another Molsen, in early February I made the decision to get another puppy.
I didn’t want another lab because it would be too much of an unfair comparison to Molsen, and I also didn’t think I could handle another big dog (Molsen was 110 pounds!). My husband, Terry, did some research and found a breed he thought would be a good match: Vizsla’s, a Hungarian hunting dog. Although they can have high energy, they have many of the same attributes as yellow labs, including being very loyal, smart, and fun dogs, while being about half the size, roughly 50 – 60 pounds. I visited 5 different litters of puppies and was surprised how many people get their Vizsla sight unseen – they tell the breeder whether they want a male or female, and the breeder ships the puppy at 6 – 8 weeks of age.
Fortunately I got to pick Sam, short for Samuel Adams, from a litter of 10 puppies from a lovely family in Stanford, Il., about 2 1/2 hours away. He is so stinking cute!!
He is also quickly becoming a world traveler. The first weekend he accompanied us to the UP in Michigan to visit Terry’s dad. It was cold and snowy, two things Sam doesn’t like. I took him to the university twice where he was enormously popular with students and faculty alike.
Sam doesn’t like cold or snow, so he wasn’t too happy going to the UP where it was cold and snowy!
And on March 6 we all boarded a plane for Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Yes, it was very stressful, but he slept most of the trip. No, it’s not difficult to bring a pet into Mexico (another blog about that later). Eight hours after we walked out of the door in Illinois we walked into El Taj Ocean Condo Hotel in Playa. Sam likes Playa way more than the UP! He ran into the sand and buried himself, then kept rolling around in it and literally jumping for joy. When he got crashed by the first wave he decided he is a jacuzzi dog, not a Caribbean Sea dog.
Samuel Adams takes a nap on the balcony after his morning walk on the beach
One of the things I’ve always loved about Playa is that it is very European in numerous ways. In addition to culture and architecture, another example is how easy it is to have your dog here. They are welcome anywhere, so Sam goes with us everywhere. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, shopping, walking 5th Ave have been so much fun with Sam. The condo’s in El Taj Ocean, Porto Playa, El Taj Beach, Maya Villa, and Villas Sacbe allow dogs under 30 pounds. The floors are all marble, so easy to clean and no worry for those who stay in the units later and might be allergic to dogs.
Last night we walked 5th Ave and a large walked by, stopped suddenly and laid down. Her owner explained she was a very friendly dog and wanted to socialize with Sam. Sam crawled up on her and she wrapped her paw around him, then started playing with him. It was an unbelievable sight, and we soon had a large group stopped on the street watching these two.
Sam and his lady friend drew a crowd of people on 5th Ave.
Sam sleeps till about 6 am, then he and I go for a beach walk, then back to the condo for coffee (me) and breakfast. Then another quick walk (a must for him after he eats) and back for his nap.
Sam Adams takes lots of naps and is still a baby at 8 weeks, but watch out when he’s awake!
Contact Laura at drlauraleli@gmail.com for information on taking your pet to Mexico. If you need a dog friendly place to stay, get rates and availability at El Taj Ocean, Porto Playa, Maya Villa, El Taj Beach, and Villas Sacbe, or call Matt at 312-560-3508. All properties are 4 & 5 star, on or just off the beach, and offer complimentary beach chairs and complimentary use of The Gym. Matt and Laura will help you find the best available condo!