Coping With the Loss of a Dog: Saying Goodbye with a Trip Down Memory Lane

Well, the last couple of months have not been a barrel of laughs that’s for sure and not just because of Covid-19. In my last post I discussed how I was coping with the Coronavirus lockdown situation and what I was doing to stay positive. Unfortunately less than a week after I published it, Mr TJG and I had to say goodbye to our little pooch Roger who passed away suddenly due to a very aggressive form of cancer known as Hemangiosarcoma. Coping with the loss of a dog at any time is awful, but it’s made even worse by the current situation.

I wasn’t going to write about it on my blog at first and instead took to Facebook to share what had happened. However, I have come to the realisation that many of my regular readers do not follow me through Facebook and would probably like to know what happened too. So while I fill you in, I’ll also look at some of my favourite memories of travelling around the UK with Roger with some of the best walks and our most memorable ‘out and about’ times.

My Tribute to a Wonderful Companion

Mr TJG and I didn’t know Roger had Hemangiosarcoma until after he died as this particular form of cancer comes with no symptoms until tumours rupture causing internal bleeding and other complications. Roger went from being fine to dying in just a few hours, though those hours were very traumatic. He stopped breathing while in my arms on the way to the vets and they were unable to resuscitate him.

We have had to comfort ourselves by knowing that he wouldn’t have  been in any pain up until those last few hours and that we gave him a great life for the short time we had him. Roger was only about 5 years old and he’d been with us for the last 2.5 years. He was just taken from us way too soon. We should have had so many more adventurous years to look forward to with him.

It’s safe to say that we are totally devastated and the last 2 months have been so difficult, especially as we’ve been unable to get out and about to keep our minds busy. We’ve also not been able to scatter his ashes as yet.

Looking through all the millions of photos I’ve taken though, I remember what great times we’ve had and what great walks we’ve been on. Roger was certainly a well travelled pooch, going as far south as Hampshire and Surrey, as far north as Cumbria and Tyne & Wear, as well as a million places in between.

He particularly loved chasing a ball (or squirrels) and had great fun running through woodlands and moorlands, as well as on beaches. He accompanied me on some of my bucket list walks like High Cup Nick in the Eden Valley (Cumbria); and it’s just a shame he never got to experience Helvellyn as that is one mountain I’ve wanted to hike with my Dad for years now.

Roger really was such a wonderful companion and so much more than just a pet. He was my best friend, my therapy and sometimes the only reason I got out of bed in a morning! Roger always knew when I was sad and needed comfort and I had so many laughs with him. He brought a smile to my face every day and our house now feels so empty without him. I’m currently choosing some of my favourite photos of him to frame to remind us of all the good times we had with him.

My Favourite Memories and Walks with Roger

You’ll have seen Roger feature in many of my more recent blog posts as my travel habits changed a lot since he came into our lives. I’ve spent a lot more time the last couple of years travelling around the UK with him (and sometimes Mr TJG) in tow.

Alderley Edge Walks

The Alderley Edge woodlands were one of my all time favourite locations to walk Roger as darting around woodlands had to be his favourite pastime (after playing fetch with a ball of course.) A great place to be off lead almost immediately from the car, Alderley Edge provided homes to many a squirrel which Roger took it upon himself to worry, to the point where he would stand at the base of a tree leaping up the trunk desperately trying to reach his prey. You could just tell that the squirrel (like us) would be laughing down at him… ‘As if Mister…!’

Talacre Beach

After squirrel infested woodlands, I think Roger’s next favourite place would have to be a beach; probably because these trips always came with a ball at some point. Some of our favourite beaches would have to include those at Formby and Crosby in Merseyside, as well as Seaton Carew Beach up on the north east coast of England which we go to every time we visit family in Hartlepool.

On reaching a beach, Roger would immediately look for the ball the moment he was let off lead. However at Talacre in North Wales we never had to get the ball out as there were clearly so many intriguing smells, from the lighthouse to the various pools and debris that he ran around like a loon exploring. Talacre Beach is so wide and long and amazingly dog-friendly all year round, it quickly became a favourite of ours and Roger was in his element.

Roger’s First Hotel Stay in Yorkshire

Back in March 2018, we spent a snowy weekend in the Nidderdale area of Yorkshire where we visited Brimham Rocks amongst other places – a truly magical place to visit when under a blanket of snow. Roger bounded around amongst the stones in sheer bliss, much as you’d imagine a young child would when shown this unique and wonderful Narnia-esque landscape.

What made this trip more memorable though (but not for the right reasons) was the whole experience of Roger’s first hotel stay. Neither of us got much sleep as Roger would bark at EVERY person who passed our room and unfortunately our room was near the exit to the car park so everyone came and went that way. We stayed in several more hotels after this and I have to admit Roger really didn’t get any better. We were unfortunately always in for ‘middle of the night’ barking fits. Bless him!

Holidays to the Eden Valley

Far more successful were our self catering weeks away, of which we did many. We started visiting the Eden Valley in Cumbria in 2018, staying in a fabulous cottage in Warcop that fit the bill for our family group with 2 dogs perfectly. We enjoyed our first trip so much that we have returned several times each year since. With a perfect mix of countryside, valley and fell walking; quaint market towns and picturesque castles, the Eden Valley has quickly become one of my favourite areas of the UK and is much quieter than its neighbouring Lake District. All of our trips so far have been with Roger and we’ve loved every one. It’s going to be so hard next time we return, especially if we stay in the same cottage that I don’t think will ever be quite the same without him.

Two particularly memorable walks with Roger were in the Eden Valley last summer with jaunts up Nine Standards Rigg and High Cup Nick.

Nine Standards Rigg

This walk will always be remembered for nearly ending in divorce and a hypothermic dog. Poor Roger! Ever since discovering Andy Goldsworthy’s pinfolds of which there are 6 dotted around the Eden Valley, I’d wanted to visit the inspiration for the project – the 9 large stone cairns on top of a nearby hill, called the Nine Standards. We were faced with a naff weather week so picked the least bad day according to the weather forecast to attempt Nine Standards. The four of us (my Dad, Mr TJG, Roger and I) got dropped off by my Mum at the start of the walk and arranged to meet in Kirkby Stephen later on.

It was only about 20 minutes into the walk when it started to drizzle – you know that really yukky incessant fine spray that soaks you to the bone more than a downpour ever would. About 10 minutes later MR TJG realised his boots had started leaking and his waterproof coat was not providing the best cover with a pretty useless hood. He did not have waterproof trousers either, so within another 10-15 minutes he was thoroughly miserable and his mood went downhill quickly.

We encountered some super boggy ground (we both bought gaiters after this trip!) and were walking at times on compass directions as paths weren’t particularly clear, visibility vanished completely from time to time and trying to find the Nine Standards proved very difficult. Needless to say Mr TJG’s patience was tested frequently and he became voluble about the situation, stating in no uncertain terms he wanted to be ‘off this [enter expletive of choice] hill NOW’.

Once we got onto the ridge that the cairns were on (now windy as well as wet), Roger was also soaked to his core and shivering like crazy, so we stopped to dry him off and wrap him inside my Dad’s fleece to warm him up. We also gave him food and luckily he’d eaten some before Dad offered him flapjack (‘for energy of course’ he said) Well, Roger didn’t want dog treats after that. He always checked to see if flapjack came out on walks in the future before tucking into his own food. He wasn’t daft, that one!

We were all super happy to finally see the cairns emerging from the mist and to make sure my marriage didn’t descend even quicker towards divorce, my photo taking time was cut to about a tenth of what it normally would be at this point. Having photos from all angles possible was not an option when seeing Mr TJG’s deepening scowl! He did however offer to take one of me, Dad and Roger as underneath it all he knew how important it was to me now we’d finally got to see the Nine Standards. Once Roger had finished his exploration and cocked his leg against each cairn, we beat a hasty retreat off the hill and the shower was certainly a welcome sight to us all once back at the cottage. We allowed Mr TJG first dibs!

High Cup Nick

After the disaster of Nine Standards Rigg, we managed to procure a waterproof coat for Roger before any more walking that week and on our last full day in the Eden Valley, my Dad and I set out on a walk that had been on my bucket list for so long – High Cup Nick. Needless to say, Mr TJG hadn’t recovered from his ordeal (and had to work) so he stayed behind. It’s a decent length walk at approximately 8 miles and offered as stupendous a view as I had imagined and seen from millions of photos.

Roger’s waterproof coat got its first airing as it started to lace it down when we reached the head of the valley and we were treated to some very moody and atmospheric conditions. Luckily it cleared enough so we could see the whole famous view before we moved on. Roger stood for so long in this position (above) looking down the valley – he seemed just as mesmerised as we were. And it was so good to complete a walk without a completely wet and bedraggled dog!

Lake District Anniversary at Our Wedding Hotel

I mentioned the Lake District before – well that’s where Mr TJG and I got married at a beautiful hotel on Ullswater. We try to go back every year around our anniversary, so Roger managed to accompany us on 2 stays at the hotel. The first year we took him with us also coincided with Mother’s Day and I even got a card from Roger which was rather a special experience as having no children, I’d never received one before.

We had the same problems at night as in other hotels, but relaxing in the lounge downstairs over afternoon tea or post evening meals, Roger was as chilled out as we were. And we used these trips to introduce him to our favourite UK destination – the English Lake District. With a number of days out and other self-catered trips up there, Roger got to see a fair bit of the Lakes and it is probably where we will head to, to scatter his ashes.

Bala Holiday, Wales

Normally our UK stay-cations are booked well in advance, but in April 2019 we had an unexpected trip pop up. Mr TJG and I were supposed to be flying out to Texas for a 2 week road trip but unfortunately the day before we were due to fly, Mr TJG had to undergo emergency dental treatment that ended up in a trip to casualty so we had to cancel our plans. A few days later when he started to feel a bit better, we were so miserable at having to cancel our holiday that we decided to find a cottage somewhere not too far from home where we could have a bit of a break and take Roger with us too.

We found a place near Bala in Wales which we booked just a day before going. It turned out to be a wonderfully relaxing trip and we visited lots of new places including Chirk Castle, Bala, Barmouth and the UNESCO Pontcysyllte Aqueduct at Llangollen. I did some excellent walks with Roger and he encountered his first steam locomotive which totally fascinated him. I always wondered what he would have thought to a full size loco.

I may have been so down at missing our Texas trip at the time, but now, I’m actually rather glad as it gave us an extra precious week exploring a new place and creating fabulous memories with our little boy.

Winter Hill Walk in the Snow

Towards the end of January 2019, most of the UK woke up to a layer of snow. Dad and I had a planned a walk and we decided to still do it, though our walking gear was altered to include snowy weather gear. Our destination was Rivington Pike and Winter Hill and I urge anyone to do this walk in the snow as it is fabulous. Roger was sporting a slightly longer hair cut than normal. With it being winter, I didn’t get him groomed as short as usual. What I didn’t consider though, was how his fur would react to deep snow. The answer was – not great.

As we strode out across the moor from Rivington Pike to the telecommunications mast on Winter Hill, the poor lad had to contend with balls of ice matting up his fur and adding inches of width to his paws, weighting them down so he struggled to walk. Every few hundred feet we had to stop to knock the ice off his paws. I’m not sure who was happier when we reached the tarmac road leading to the mast –him or us!

Countryfile Live Event

Last year, we decided to visit Countryfile Live at Castle Howard. Our dog-sitting plans fell through so we ended up (against our better judgement) taking Roger with us. I had no idea how good he would be at such a crowded event with lots of other dogs around and on the lead the whole time, the latter being something he was never a fan of. I was feeling quite anxious about it but it turned out to be a fantastic day, although I could have done without the bathing process when we got home to get all the congealed mud out of Roger’s fur.

Amazingly Roger took it all in his stride! There weren’t any altercations with other dogs which I had expected as there were so many there and he didn’t pull on the lead at any point. I was completely baffled and amazed by this. He even looked like he was watching Anita Rani with rapture during her talk and was sat up looking at her the whole time, which amused us both no end.

Roger seemed to love watching the dog agility and sheep racing and we did consider entering him into the dog race as once he sees anything small and furry that looks suspiciously like a squirrel, there’d be no stopping him. There’s no doubt in my mind he would have won. Trouble is, at the other end, he would have expected the man who caught the ‘squirrel’ to reward him with it and would have pestered him till he got it. I didn’t want to have to run the length of the course myself to extricate my dog from the potentially awkward situation.

Walk from Lardon Chase in Streatley, Berkshire

In April 2019, Mr TJG started working down in Reading during the week so Roger and I only got to see him at weekends. As a result, come October we decided to book an Air BnB in the area for us both to go down and stay for 10 days to spend more quality of time with him. Obviously during the week days it was just me and Roger finding things to do, so using my OS Maps online membership, I discovered some walks in the area. One of my favourites from our time down there was a walk in and around Streatley and Goring-on-Thames, taking in National Trust land at Lardon Chase, The Holies and Lough Down.

I think what was so special about this walk was realising how far I’d come with my confidence and how big a part Roger played in this. I’ve struggled with this on and off over the years for various reasons. Prior to getting a dog, I would never have set off on a long walk in an unknown area on my own, but having Roger with me gave me the confidence to do it. He really played the part of a therapy dog well and BAM….it hits me now just how much I’m going to miss him, especially on walks.

Roger will always have a special place in our hearts and wherever he is now, I’m sure there’ll be a red ball with him to chase to his heart’s content!

R.I.P. Roger…xx

Get in Touch!

I hope you’ve enjoyed taking a look at some of my favourite walks and trips with Roger. There are a few others I’ve written about but not mentioned here, so I’ve popped the links below in case you want some UK walks inspiration. I’ll also continue to write about others we’ve been on over the coming months especially as we’re all looking for different places to visit as we emerge from the Covid-19 lockdown.

Please feel free to share some of your favourite walks with your four legged friends in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.

Also, if you’re currently coping with the loss of a dog, get in touch and tell me what you’re doing to get through it. Maybe we can help each other… Sending lots of virtual hugs xx

Further Walks:

Pennington Flash in Greater Manchester

Walking to the Dream sculpture near St Helens, Merseyside

Clock Face Country Park on the Cheshire / Merseyside border

Penshaw Monument near Sunderland, Tyne & Wear

Queenswood Country Park, Herefordshire

If you’d like to support my blog through these difficult times, then please subscribe via email over on my profile page or through Bloglovin’. Then head on over to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to keep up with all my travel related news. Hope to see you there.

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