Day 20 - Zoey’s Big Day Out: Her First Dog Festival & First Time at the Beach! 🐾🌊

If you’ve been following Zoey’s Chow Chow adventures, you already know she’s brave, curious, fluffy, and occasionally dramatic (Chow things!). But nothing prepared us for her first ever dog festival — which also turned into her first time at the beach and in the water.

Let’s just say… it was a big day for a little lion girl. 🦁💛

🌟 Zoey’s First Dog Festival: New Dogs, New Smells, New Everything

The moment we arrived, Zoey froze — tail slightly stiff, eyes wide, taking in hundreds of dogs wagging, barking, playing, sniffing… basically, dog chaos in all forms.

At first, she wasn’t sure if she should run, hide, or judge everyone silently like a true Chow Chow. But slowly, she warmed up — sniff by sniff, wag by wag.

What happened next?

She did what Zoey always does:

✔️ Started licking every dog she met (her love language!)

✔️ Made friends with dogs of all sizes and breeds

✔️ Wiggled with excitement when someone called her a lion

✔️ And of course… she found her best friend Chanel.

Zoey and Chanel turned into the festival’s inseparable duo — two fluffy queens walking around like they owned the place. Watching them together was the highlight of our day.

🌊 Zoey’s First Time at the Beach: Scared, Curious, and SO Brave

After the festival, we decided to take Zoey to the beach for the very first time — which was honestly another mini adventure on its own.

🌬️ Her reaction when she saw waves:

Total confusion.She did her classic “lean back and blink slowly” move — the universal Chow Chow sign for “I don’t trust this.”

But she tried.She really tried.

We took her gently into shallow water, holding her securely and letting her take her time. At first, she was scared — she lifted each paw dramatically like the water was lava. 😂 But then…

Something changed.

🐾 Zoey started exploring!

She sniffed the foam, touched the water with tiny steps, and looked up at us as if saying:

"Okay… this is not so bad after all."

Soon enough she was:

✔️ Walking in the shallow edge

✔️ Getting her paws wet

✔️ Splashing a little

✔️ Watching kids and dogs play in the water

It wasn’t a full swim, but it was huge growth for her first day.

🧼 Zoey’s Beach & Festival After-Care

Once we were done exploring, sniffing, greeting strangers, and splashing, we made sure Zoey got the right after-care:

✔️ Cleaned her eyes (saltwater & sand can irritate Chow eyes)

✔️ Wiped her paws to remove sand and salt

✔️ Checked between her toes (Chows trap moisture easily)

✔️ Brushed her coat lightly

✔️ Gave her extra water and lots of cuddles

Chow Chows have sensitive skin and thick coats, so this step was important. She was exhausted — but blissfully so.

❤️ The Best Part? Zoey Had FUN.

Even though she was nervous at first, Zoey:

• Explored a new environment
• Interacted with so many dogs
• Tried water for the first time
• Made memories with Chanel
• Surprised us with her courage

Watching her confidence grow throughout the day was truly special.

This day reminded us that every Chow Chow learns and explores at their own pace. It’s okay if they’re scared at first — what matters is giving them space, love, and gentle encouragement.

🐶 Final Woof: Big Days Create Big Memories

Zoey’s first dog festival and beach day was a beautiful mix of:

• Fear
• Curiosity
• Friendship
• Exploration
• And a whole lot of fluff

If you’re a new Chow Chow parent, here’s what Zoey wants you to know:Your pup may be scared to try new things — but with patience and support, they can surprise you in the sweetest ways.

We can’t wait for Zoey’s next big adventure… and yes, Chanel will be invited. 💛