Last week I told you about our quick trip to Iceland and all the dogs we met on that leg of our trip. From there, we headed over to Helsinki, Finland. 

Unlike the dearth of dogs in Reykjavik, we saw plenty of pooches everywhere in Helsinki. From the minute we stepped off the ship, we saw signs indicating dogs working in the terminal.

Although the weather could not have been better,  I was a little disappointed that we were there in the summer because winter is for the dogs in Finland. Everywhere you go are pictures, advertisements, stuffed animals, and statues of sled dogs. I’ve touched on my love of sled dogs in previous posts, so you know how much I wish we could have visited the reindeer farms and mushing centres. We couldn’t make that happen this visit, but there’s always next time. 

They also have a very dog-friendly city culture. We saw dog parks, dogs at cafes and restaurants, dogs on the subways and strolling in the markets. As the last picture indicates, being so dog-friendly also requires some rules.

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I’ve also decided that our world travels are just opportunities for my partner and me to wander around saying, “Puppy!” and pointing at doggos in new places.

From Helsinki, we boarded an overnight ferry and sailed off to a place once called a heaven on earth for dogs. That story has a tragic new chapter which I’ll talk about next week. 

Until then, have a great week and get out there and do something with your dog.