Ever since we had to say goodbye to Che, our French Bully Murphy has been an only dog. At first it was plain to see how much he missed the play and cuddle sessions with his big brother. By now we've found a balance that makes him happy.
Hundereisen with the Galgo Gang, social and young-dog walks with trainer Sandra, strolls with pug friend Vincent and play dates with Bully friends and family. Last weekend the first Bully & Pug meet-up in Baden near Vienna took place.
How Did It Come About?
Viki Auer is the organiser of the meet-up. Her Frenchie girl Rosi does have Chihuahua girl Shoey as a friend at home, but French Bulldogs have their own way of playing and she wants to give her the chance to let loose with like-minded pups.
Trainer Alexander Minnich from Hundekompetenz Baden kindly provides the perfect venue and so a Facebook event is created. The maximum of 15 dogs is deliberately chosen so the dogs don't get overwhelmed.
The Day Has Come!
On Sunday afternoon at ideal Bully temperatures we both arrive a little early. Murphy knows the grounds from puppy class and starts happily pulling towards them as we get out of the car. Leash manners are rarely an issue these days. ;) But he can remember that sport & fun await him here.
Vicki, her boyfriend, Alexander and Rosi give us a warm welcome. Murphy seems briefly put off by Rosy's exuberant enthusiasm, but is quickly talked into a game of chase while the other guests trickle in one by one.
Getting to Know Each Other.
The two Bully ladies Arizona and Amy first explore the dog pool that Vicki kindly brought along. The four-legged guests are just as well catered for in terms of cooling down as the two-legged ones. Drinks, snacks and seating can be found under the handy sun sail of the dog area.
Murphy watches everyone with great interest until the moment Ivy arrives (she can be seen in the title image). Ivy is accompanied by the laid-back Paolo, who luckily couldn't care less what his young companion gets up to. Because Murphy is head over heels for the blonde girl from the very first moment and finds his first great love.
Up until now he only thought romping around with the boys was cool, but Ivy turns his head so completely that not even pug pal Vincent with his obvious play invitations can win him over. At times I have to put the Casanova back on the lead so Ivy has a chance to meet others and he can calm back down.
Roxy, the 10-year-old Frenchie lady, watches the commotion calmly while the initially rather shy Hope gets flirted with by Paolo. The dark pug girl Adrina makes it clear she won't stand for any nonsense, and Pauli checks out the scene everywhere. 9 Frenchies and 2 pugs romp across the lawn in the pleasantly mild weather and enjoy their time together.
Even More Entertainment!
When welcoming dogs and their humans, Alexander Minnich explains that we're also welcome to use the set-up obstacles and how the full course is to be run.
Most of the dogs present, along with their humans, think it's great and have a go at the A-frame, the see-saw, the hurdles, the tunnel and the slalom. You can really see how agile and athletic Frenchies and pugs are when the temperature and surroundings are right.
A Bully Thank-You.
Thank you to everyone involved for organising and making the first Bully & Pug meet-up happen. We would absolutely love to see it repeated!
Murphy is already dreaming of his beloved Ivy <3
