Camino with a dog: experiences and tips

Can your dog come with you on the Camino? In forums and pilgrims' accounts, the answer is usually: better not. Our author dared to try anyway – in May 2010 she spent about five weeks walking the Camino Francés from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago with her husband Rainer and their dog Bobby. Here she tells you what went well, what was difficult and what she advises other pilgrims with dogs. At the end, other pilgrims who have walked with a dog have their say.

Everyone advised against it – we tried it anyway

After seeing a lot about the Way of St. James on TV and reading quite a bit, it was clear to me: I absolutely want to do this one day. I love being outdoors – not least because of our dog Bobby, whom of course I wanted to take with me.

What I found online about walking the Camino with a dog, however, wasn't very encouraging. In every forum I was advised against it, mainly because it was supposedly very hard to find places to stay. Spain is very particular about public facilities, restaurants and public transport: dogs are rarely allowed there. I'd be better off enjoying the Way alone, or at least taking a tent.

I'm a very positive person and thought: it'll work out somehow. And if not, I can always stop and go home. At first my husband wasn't really keen on the adventure – but the deeper I got into the planning, the more interested he became. At some point he said he wanted to come along. Shared experiences are simply much better!

Preparation

I bought new hiking boots and broke them in every day on walks with Bobby. For him I got a collapsible bowl, a dog backpack and dog boots – in case anything happened to his paws along the way.

We set off at the beginning of May 2010: by train from our home town of Nufringen to Stuttgart, via Paris to Bordeaux and finally to Bayonne. After one night there, we took the bus to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, where we started our first stage.

On the way: mud, encounters and a sore dog

Every day was full of wonderful encounters, impressive scenery and, of course, plenty of exercise. Bobby threw himself into it with great enthusiasm. However, many of the paths were extremely muddy and wet, so after a few days his front legs were rubbed sore under his dog backpack. Rainer then carried Bobby's backpack for a few days, and the sores healed very quickly.

Finding a place to stay: call in the morning

At first we did what most pilgrims do: we decided on the day's destination in the morning and looked for accommodation there. But in many places we couldn't get a room with a dog and had to search for a long time.

Then we changed our strategy: we called the possible stage towns first thing in the morning and planned our stage so that we'd have a bed at the end of the day. That helped enormously – because walking lots of extra kilometres every day eventually pushes you to your limits.

That worked quite well every day. The fact that I now speak good Spanish was a big advantage. Sometimes several calls were needed; often it worked the first time. Passers-by were also very helpful when we were looking for something or couldn't find our way around the towns straight away. Every day, a little door opened somewhere.

Once it seemed almost hopeless: we were sitting in a bar in Villoval having the pilgrim menu, I phoned every option and got nothing but refusals. In the end we were allowed to sleep privately at the bar owner's home in the next village – hospitality that couldn't be beaten. If you embrace the adventure of not being able to plan everything, you'll be surprised at what's possible.

What the Way gave us

For us, having often holidayed on the Spanish coast, the scenery was absolutely wonderful. Galicia is reminiscent of the Allgäu: very green, lots of farms, cultivated fields and meadows full of cows. That's almost what I liked best. The variety between towns and nature was lovely too. Burgos and León with their cathedrals are of course highlights, but there are also many smaller, very charming places. It's best to experience it for yourself.

And we realised: a person's life fits into a backpack.

All that matters is eating, drinking, sleeping, blister-free feet and a dry place to stay. Everything else you carry with you – for five weeks. The days take on a completely different meaning than at home; the elemental things come to the fore. The time together as a couple, with just our dog, was very lovely too.

Difficulties with a dog

Of course there are difficulties you don't have without a dog – above all with accommodation. Without a dog you can stay in any albergue without knowing in advance exactly how far you'll get in a day.

There was also friction with other dogs now and then, especially in rural villages.

That's why we always kept Bobby on the lead in villages: one of us walked in front, the dog in the middle, the other at the back. If a strange dog approached, we fended it off with our trekking poles – usually successfully. Outside the villages, Bobby ran free, which he really enjoyed. Every few days we rubbed a little deer tallow into his paws to keep them supple – all that walking really dries them out.

Stage lengths

On average we walked 25 kilometres a day, sometimes more, sometimes less; we took one day off. The longest stage was 40 kilometres – we only really realised it that evening. Around the third week I got my first blister, even though I'd broken my boots in well; maybe it was simply too much. Shin splints also bothered me for quite a while. But with creams, ibuprofen, a day off and gritted teeth I got through it.

Our verdict

The Camino was an absolutely wonderful experience for us – above all because we walked it with Bobby and in the end it worked out well.

I kept a diary every day: what we experienced, where we slept and what it cost. With a dog it's of course more expensive than if you only sleep in albergues.

After we got back, I put together a list of places to stay and offered it in pilgrim forums – demand for walking the Camino with a dog keeps growing. Because I kept answering questions about how food, paws and so on work out along the way, I wrote up our journey: not as a guidebook, but as a personal account. That's how the book "Auf vier Pfoten nach Santiago" came about. It's meant to encourage everyone who – despite the many opinions that you should leave your dog at home – wants to take the risk. This special challenge is absolutely worth it.

Beautiful places and dog-friendly accommodation

Pamplona, Burgos, León and Santiago are very beautiful cities. We particularly liked Logroño, the capital of La Rioja: it has lots of lovely tapas bars that are considered the best in Spain – definitely plan an overnight stay! Other beautiful places: Villava, Sahagún, El Acebo and Sarria.

These places took us in with our dog in 2010. Whether that still applies today, you should definitely check by phone beforehand:

Hornillos: a converted mill, a little off the Camino, but stunningly beautiful
Austrian albergue in Los Arcos
Albergue in Ventosa
Casa rural near Tosantos/Belorado
Casa rural "Molino Galochas" near Villar de Mazarife, also a converted mill
Albergue in Foncebadón
Swabian albergue in La Faba
Albergue "Paloma y Leña" in San Mamede
Albergue in Mercadoiro

Five tips for pilgrims with dogs

Call ahead. Check in advance with albergues, guesthouses or hotels whether your four-legged friend is allowed. A little Spanish helps. Expect somewhat higher accommodation costs, because dogs are banned in many albergues.
Get your dog used to strangers. Your dog should be used to unfamiliar people. In some albergues it may only sleep in the hallway or courtyard and has to manage a night without you. Leave it a T-shirt or one of your shoes so it knows you're still there.
Look after the paws. Every now and then, rub a little deer tallow or olive oil into the paws in the morning before setting off so they don't dry out, and check the pads regularly for small injuries. A microfibre towel for drying and cleaning is also useful.
Save weight and practise. Consider switching to dry food before the trip – it saves precious weight in your backpack. Practise walking with the dog backpack a few times beforehand. A collapsible bowl is very handy because it folds up really small.
Plan breaks. Give your dog enough rest and watch for signs of tiredness so you don't overdo it.

Other pilgrims' experiences with dogs

Not every pilgrim with a dog comes to the same conclusion. Readers sent us these experiences:

Olaf

I started the Camino in Jena in 2013, had my daughter pick up my dog in Speyer after 550 km and then walked on solo. The reason: the dog was completely exhausted. During the day he walked for me, and at night he watched over me. Breed: Australian Shepherd, male, 8 years old.

If you walk the 830 km in Spain, bear in mind that dogs aren't welcome in any albergue. It was awful to see dogs tied up outside albergues overnight and, understandably, holding a night-time concert. If, on the other hand, you just camp outdoors with your dog, you won't have any problems apart from a few strays.

Mic Roba

We did it too. In 2010 we walked about 240 km with our dog Bobby, a 12-year-old Podenco mix.

We only got into two albergues; the rest of the time we slept in a tent.

Dogs aren't allowed in restaurants either, whatever the weather. The paws suffer on the rough ground. We reached our destination after 8 days; otherwise Bobby would have needed a break. The heat (in September) was at times borderline for the dog too.

Anyone who takes this on and looks after their dog along the way will have a wonderful experience with their dog! It was really great, nobody can take that experience away from us (especially as Bobby is no longer with us), but I wouldn't do it again.

Tobh Nava

Well, I walked the Way of St. James with my dog Luna from Tyrol to Fisterra, through Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France and Spain.

I have to say, up to France it was pretty easy, and in Italy especially most people were extremely friendly to dogs.

When I started, Luna was just under 2 years old, and we covered about 3,000 km – which means Luna surely did 6,000 km, because she always ran ahead and back again *grin*.

Except for Spain it's pretty easy with a dog, but in Spain itself it's not so great any more. Constant dog bans, whether in restaurants, bars etc.

Even on the journey home I had big problems. I wanted to travel by train at first, but that was impossible because dogs were banned on buses, trains etc. – really bad. In the end the only option left was the plane, because that was the only sensible alternative.

As for albergues, all I can say is: mostly problematic too, but because I had a tent with me, it wasn't so bad.

What you obviously need to keep in mind is having enough food and water available, which soon adds up to an extra 5–6 kg.

To find out what a walk with a dog in Germany feels like, read the pilgrim story Eifel Camino with a dog.

Have you walked the Camino with a dog too? Write to us at info@caminoninja.com – we'll be happy to add your experience to this page.

Walking the Camino with a dog: experiences and tips from the Camino Francés