Dog days

[Greg: ]  Last Saturday, Katherine and I went to Seoul to visit Bau Haus, a dog cafe in Hongdae.  Dog cafes (and their near relation, cat cafes) are a peculiarly Korean thing (or maybe not since I think they're found in other far Eastern countries too) where people can go and enjoy beer, coffee, kimchi etc in the company of a couple of dozen dogs.

dogs run wild

Katherine is terrified of dogs so it took a Herculean effort on my part to persuade her to go to the dog cafe.  Luckily, my nagging paid off and we finally got to play with some dogs.  I'm a massive (some might say obsessive) dog lover and ever since I've come to Korea, I've really been missing canine contact.  I sometimes skype my dogs back home but it's not the same as getting a hug from someone warm and furry (Katherine doesn't count).  So the dog cafe was right up my street. 

As with everything else in Korea, getting there didn't go smoothly.  We spent the best part of an hour wandering around Hongdae in the blazing sun and both of us were just about ready to give up and go jump under a subway train when we stumbled across the tourist information office who helpfully pointed us in the right direction. 

We were greeted at Bau Haus by a chorus of barking dogs which did nothing to help Kathy's nervous disposition.  We got a table next to the window, a little bit away from the main body of dogs, and we ordered 2 beers and some dog snacks.  Before long, a weird looking, bug-eyed dog came over and sniffed around us.  Katherine was, as you'd expect, terrified.  However, bug eyes was soon followed by an elderly red dog that looked like some kind of Spaniel/Setter cross.  It took an immediate liking to Katherine and promptly laid it's head in her lap and went to sleep.  Needless to say she was smitten and I'm happy to report that, thanks in large part to the affection of that dog, she's now a converted dog lover.  Woohoo!

bug-eyed dog

Katherine makes her first ever canine friend

We met lots of other great dogs at the dog cafe too.  There was a giant, wolf dog (brave, dog-loving Katherine played with it), a really friendly bulldog, half a dozen young Dalmatians who were incredibly curious but also rather nervous to be touched, presumably because they're so young, a funny little dog that may or may not have been a Maltese and had cotton-wool-like fur and, our favourite, a dog with a VERY long face.

fluffy dog

wolf dog

so brave!

dalmatian!!!

spot the difference

loooooooong face

she's got it eating out the palm of her hand...literally

long faced dog trying to eat my shirt

 

beagle mania!

We had a fantastic time at the dog cafe.  It's definitely one of the highlights of Korea, along with Lotte World and the international supermarket.  And we can't wait to go back.

see you again!