Ho preso il cane!

Estonia initially welcomes us friendly with the best weather... but already 24 hours after our arrival, we get the feeling that there is a dog problem here!

Our first Estonian accommodation, cozy nestled in rapeseed fields and meadows, 5km north of the border, houses an Australian Cattle Dog. This breed of dog is known for its pronounced herding instinct, which ultimately means that our boys can only walk and not run on the entire premises, otherwise they will get a slight pinch on their heels from the female dog. But she seems to like us and accompanies us on the bike for a while on Sunday. Even the turnoff to the highway does not seem to prevent her from looking for a 'new family'. The local police only wants to speak to me on the phone in Russian or Estonian, so that's not an option either. Eventually we reach the owner - somewhat annoyed, after all, we still have 60km to go! She suggests taking the female dog to the next gas station, which is 20km away. 'No way!' - we drive towards her at 26km/h, our 'new addition' holds up well and after 5km on the highway we say 'goodbye, take care'!

Halfway there, we take a break at a bathing lake. Very idyllic, if it weren't for the dog - another herding dog, again without a collar, distance, and owner, but with a few reprimands from the children. When Stian is then jumped on and pinched in the arm, we've had enough: pack our things and let's go! Then, out of nowhere, an Estonian on his bike appears and takes the polar bear home with him.

An shocking incident in the afternoon unfortunately overshadows the rest of the day: Ettje, my parents' dachshund, who are also on their way to PÄRNU, is attacked on a rest stop by a free-roaming German shepherd so severely that she suffers two broken ribs and several bite wounds. Since the local veterinarian initially suspects that the lung is injured, Ettje has to be taken directly to the animal clinic in Tallinn, 120km away. A surgery there does not confirm the lung finding, but she still has to stay there for observation. Please keep your fingers crossed - we are pretty depressed and shocked!

GET WELL SOON ETTJE!