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A bucket list for my dog

I decided to create a bucket list for Ace, and to keep it to 10 items.

Most of these are actually more about me than my dog. Ace is happy with a 20-minute walk and a tennis ball. He probably doesn’t care about a bucket list.

Still, I decided to create a list of 10 things I’d really like to do with my dog in his lifetime.

A bucket list for my dog Ace

A bucket list for my dog

1. Road trip to Wisconsin.

We moved from North Dakota to California a few years ago, and it would really mean a lot to me if Ace could visit my parents in Wisconsin at least one more time. This is definitely more for me than him, but I would love to see him running on my parents’ property again, swimming in their lake and jumping off their dock.

Obviously, this will depend on our budget, work schedules and Ace’s health. It’s a 2,000-mile drive.

2. Sign up for an obedience class.

I know! It sounds so basic. But since we moved I haven’t taken the time to find a club or trainer I really like, and I haven’t budgeted the $200 (yikes!) for a class.

Training classes are something Ace and I really love doing together.

3. Plan a photoshoot.

This could be professional or it could just be my husband and I with our camera. Either way, I’d like to get some solid, high-quality photos we can save forever, including action shots of Ace chasing his ball, portraits of us with our dog and one of Ace with the cats.

4. Take Ace to a nursing home.

Ace visited my grandma in the nursing home back in 2008. I’m grateful for that, but it’s something I haven’t done since. My dog has the perfect energy and personality for visiting people in nursing homes, and I’d really like to take him somewhere locally if possible.

5. Take more videos of my dog.

This would be to capture all his tricks and goofy traits like howling.

6. Plan a “perfect day” for my dog once a year.

I did this for my senior foster dog Dora because I knew she had limited time, but let’s face it, we all have limited time. We should all be planning lots of “perfect days” for ourselves and our dogs.

7. Spend half the day at the beach with my dog.

You’d think we would’ve done this by now since we live within walking distance of a great beach. Nope. All our visits are about 20 minutes to an hour or so.

8. Go camping with my dog.

Yes, we’ve done this before, but not often enough. It’s been over two years since our last camping trip. Thankfully, we have a camping trip planned next month in northern California!

9. Road trip to Texas.

My brother lives in Texas, and it would be a lot of fun to take Ace to see “Uncle Peter.” For several years, Peter lived in Grand Forks, N.D., while I lived 70 miles south in Fargo. During that time, Ace got to take several road trips to see Peter. It would be fun to do that again, only now it’s a 1,500-mile trip.

10. Visit Montana.

My husband and I have plans to eventually move to Montana where we have a dream of owning a ranch. I’m not sure if this will happen in Ace’s lifetime, but either way I would like to take Ace to that area to check out some property. He’s never been to Montana, and it would mean a lot to me to get him there at least once.

So, as you can see, it’s important to me to be out and about doing things with my dog!

What’s one thing you would include on a bucket list for your dog?

I read about this great idea first on The Lazy Pit Bull. A bucket list for your dog!

Bucket list for my dog

Frank

Tuesday 13th of February 2018

Congratulations on your ultra marathon. I don't even like to drive 50 miles if I can help it. It makes my knees hurt just to think about that. I just got back from skiing in Colorado. I wish I could have taken my 2 year old Lab, Libby with me to experience the mountains and the snow. When it's cold here in Florida, she suddenly becomes hyper-energized. That's on my bucket list. But I'm so afraid of taking her anywhere where she would have to fly in the hold of a plane. So I'll just have to wait until I can take the time to drive - ugh - from Florida. Thanks for all your articles and training tips.

Lindsay Stordahl

Tuesday 13th of February 2018

Thank you, Frank! I know what you mean, I wish I could bring my dogs more places too!

Keith

Thursday 8th of December 2016

Your great Lindsay,I never thought of a bucket list for Emma Lou.We live a few hours from the snow and we have never been in the snow..The training classes too.We were going to classes but have not in a year.I don`t know what else yet to put on her bucket list but going to the snow and a few classes would be a great start.

Scott

Thursday 8th of December 2016

This post really struck me - my fur-baby Shian went finally blind this week - he is around 8 years old - and what I did was have a 'living bucket list' - meaning the things I wanted to do with him while he could still see - in last year - we travelled across country, hiked mountains, spent countless hours at the beach - his inability to see changes what we can do together now - I think all along he just wanted to play fetch - and we can still do that - he follows the ball by sounds and smells - I never appreciated the faculty of vision so much as I do now after watching him go blind - our lives really changed - more than I realized - but our relationship has deepened immensely in many ways...

Barbara Rivers

Sunday 24th of August 2014

What a great idea of creating a bucket list! I love all of your bullet points - minus the camping one, that's not for me as I'm terrified of insects and such :-(

My personal high priority is taking our pups to a beach. Missy loves water, and Buzz enjoys fetching his ball or frisbee out of it. They've been to pools, lakes, and streams, but haven't been oceanside yet. To be worked on!! Thanks for the reminder of following through :-)

Lindsay Stordahl

Sunday 24th of August 2014

I'm sure they would love the beach! I take it for granted that I can visit the beach so often.

Jessica

Sunday 18th of May 2014

Aw, I loved this idea so much that I just wrote up a bucket list for my 1.5 year old lab mix...That dog is my world! Here is what is on our list: Run trails out west at a National Park, take a Rally obedience class (We already took many agility classes), Go camping, swim in the ocean, hike part of the Appalachian trail (possibly this fall!), Run a pooch 5k, eat at a dog friendly restaurant, find a weirdnj.com site, buy a good camera for excellent photos, and go on a night trail run!

Lindsay Stordahl

Sunday 18th of May 2014

I hope you're able to do all of those things!