Meet Cassie the Wine Tour Dog!
If you have been following us on social media since June of last year, you have seen our Bernese Mountain Dog pup grow from a 12 lb baby to a 65 lb adolescent. This breed is well-known for their friendly personality and we have encouraged these traits by socializing her from Day 1. We have taken her on wine tours to dog-friendly wineries with dog-friendly guests and encourage people to pet her as well as introduce her to dogs who are friendly too. She loves hopping into her crate in our van or into the back of our Volvo wagon where she can see the world pass by, knowing that she is going somewhere to meet new friends!
The majority of wineries in the Willamette Valley allow dogs and many have their own winery dogs. At Bells Up, Cassie’s first winery visit, where dogs are allowed inside the tasting room, we interrupted a tasting with Dave & Sara’s permission and Cassie made friends with everyone!
At Monksgate, Cassie met Fizzy, Rebecca’s mascot airedale terrier who shared his tennis balls and even his bed with Cassie as she chased him around the property.
She has been welcomed at Compris, Rex Hill, Cana’s Feast, Domaine Divio, and Styring with bowls of water and plenty of love from tasting room friends and winery guests.
Cassie, short for Cascade (Oregon’s beloved mountain range) is our second berner. Our first, Sierra (named after the Sierra Nevada mountains), was the perfect kids’ dog— loving, gentle, — while our children were small and also loved being in the middle of everything. Cassie is the same, always following one of us around and trying to sit in our laps or scooting under the sofa as we watch TV.
Her manners improved immensely when we took her to a board and train program through Charlo Dog Training (a recommendation from a winery friend) where she learned to come, sit, heel, stay in place and stay “off” when she is jumping, or otherwise misbehaving. It’s a work-in-progress but essential for her wine tour duties and our plans to train Cassie as a therapy dog.
What would you expect if you check the “doggie” box on our wine tour questionnaire? Cassie will ride along in our van, safely secured in her dog crate, where she happily waits as we pick up guests and drive to our first destination winery. When we arrive she comes out to greet guests and winery folks/dogs and John walks her around while I take you to your table for tasting. We typically stay outside and hang with Cassie while our guests are busy wine tasting. Repeat for winery 2 and 3, with plenty of walks and treats while you concentrate on enjoying the wines.
She is typically exhausted by the end of the day and sleeps on the ride home.
Not a dog lover, or allergic? No issue: we have dog sitters on call, and she does not roam around the van, so without the crate in the van no dog scent lingers. Even then, some wineries do not allow dogs so she cannot join every tour.
Did I mention she makes for a great photo opp? She is happy to pose with guests for a unique photo souvenir!
We look forward to touring with you and Cassie! The 2024 season is gearing up—schedule soon, and remember weekends book up first! Cheers!