“DT here, raising a paw from Pawsburg! One sec I’m slurping Daisy’s beef stew at home, the next I’m playing beach volley with Barney and Bella then eating stew at Pup-Cakes. Oh, also met Whiskers at Choco Chihuahua Castle, we’re buddies here, no joke! 🐾🌙”

Listen to the story here

Ah, Pawsburg. One moment I’m lazing about in Griffin Valley, soaking up the affectionate scratches behind my ears from Daisy, and the next? I’m whisked away to the tantalising land of doggy delights known as Pawsburg.

Once the human world quietens, the unmistakable rumble of the time tunnel calling us to our secret retreat vibrates through our hearts. Let me take you through my most recent jaunt there, a tale filled with high adventure and tantalising tastes.

Though time travelling is an affair most dogs take to like a Pug to a belly rub, it’s still an extraordinary scene. One moment, I was slurping the last licks of beef stew, Daisy’s latest culinary masterpiece, in Griffin Valley while the homely smell of home and comfort lingered. And the next? I stood on the sun-kissed grains of Brown Boxer Beach, the red ball – my faithful companion – clenched in my jaws.

My arrival didn’t seem to stir much attention. After all, an Alaskan Malamute on a beach – it’s not as unusual as say, a Chihuahua pulling a sledge, but in Pawsburg, it’s just another bit of fun on the tapestry. I cantered down the sandy beach, exchanging tails with Barney and Bella who had apparently elected a game of beach volleyball with some of the local Seaside Pointers.

Such games are an esteemed tradition in Pawsburg; there are rivalling teams from Beagle Beach, of course, but we treat it all in good stride. My blue eyes danced with merriment as I watched the beach-goers, and I decided that now was a good moment for lunch.

In Pawsburg, no one bats an eyelid as dogs of all kind, from lithe greyhounds to stocky bulldogs, wander into Pup-Cakes. As I walked in, a wave of heavenly scent hit me – they were making beef stew, and the cooks had apparently mastered Daisy’s recipe. My tail wagged so enthusiastically at the aroma, you would’ve thought I’d discovered a thousand red balls.

It was a terrific stew, warming and hearty and giving you this happy feeling in your stomach as if you’ve just spent a chilly night curled up by Daisy’s feet. I queued, placing an order for two portions, knowing well that Barney and Bella would end up sharing.

As evening fell, we found ourselves at Choco Chihuahua Castle. There, even I performed the impossible: a rendezvous with Whiskers, the very same cat that lived next door. Our rivalry a futile charade in Griffin Valley, here in Pawsburg, we became the best of friends. We told tales into the moonlit night, toasted marshmallows, a silly human habit that I found rather amusing, and barked at the moon.

By the time I returned, Daisy didn’t have the slightest idea of my fantastic interlude in Pawsburg, and life in Griffin Valley resumed as if I’d never been away. And as I settled down beside her, the taste of adventure still tingling on my tongue, I let out a big yawn. Curled up at the foot of the bed, dreams of far away Pawsburg called. Such is the life of a dog in Griffin Valley, tightly woven with secret tales of Pawsburg.

The End.