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Children, teenagers

Our animals to accompany you

Two dogs ofbreed Jack Russell, the mother, named Saga, and her son Sacha, animate our riad for rent. They guard and keep our guests company.
 

Jack Russels are wonderful animals, particularly popular with children and very expressive. Be careful, they also turn out to be very good guards if you touch their territory! Our mascots are however immediateable to recognize friends, in this case the hosts of the Jardin aux Etoiles.

 

For three years, Saga lived the perfect love with Pacha, a small male of his age, passed away on June 30, 2017 following a nasty illness. 

 

A happy event had previously occurred, on September 17, 2014:Saga gave birth to four puppies, two females and two males. They are all four the exact replica of their parents! During the first three months, their mother developed a maternal instinct as strong as it was unexpected! 

 

four fates

 

The first of the little ones found a buyer in mid-January 2015 with a French resident inAgadirection, now established atMarrakesh. This little male was named Jook.

 

The two little females, Finette and Zoé, brought joy to two families in Agadir, before the first of them disappeared while chasing a cat. Was it stolen? Was she the victim of an accident of one kind or another? Unfortunately, we have not heard from this little dog, so charming.  

 

Zoé, she gave birth to two little puppies, so that Saga and Pacha had become grandparents.

Saga, Jack Russell, dog, Switzerland, Morocco

Born in Switzerland, in the countryside, at the Ponts-de-Martel, in mid-August 2013, Saga is a nice and cute tricolor female. Independent in character, she is endowed with an assertive footwear temperament. She loves the heat of the sun. She also does things too often on her own, and then she has to be reminded of her obligations.

 

Saga is also an athlete! With longer legs than her Swiss brothers and sisters, she runs at the speed of a greyhound! She also easily jumps over an obstacle and moves with extraordinary flexibility.

Saga, Jack Russell, dog, Switzerland, Morocco

Sacha is therefore the son of Saga and Pacha. His name, everyone will have understood, is the contraction of that of his parents.

 

Our Jack Russells understand their name perfectly and do not confuse it. A dog has ears! More than many humans...

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As an adult, Sacha is less of a player than he was when he was young. He calmed down, as did his parents in their time. Sacha is rather slender, almost as much as Saga, and very fond of cuddles, like his father Pasha was.

From the permanent niche to the Souss 

 

Initially, our dogs lived in the specially designed hard doghouse betweenthe entrance to the garden and thepool. The interior of their doghouse was cozy. A soft "Special dog" blanket had been laid there.

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A metal barrier had been installed all around the niche, to form an enclosure of about fifteen square meters including two trees. All around we had planted sage, rosemary and lemongrass. These varieties are known to be good tick repellents. Our dogs are thus better protected, being also treated against these undesirables. 

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Over time, however, Saga and Sacha expressed a desire to get closer to the villa. Their permanent niche no longer seemed to suit them. We have therefore installed two very comfortable dodos to the right of the entrance, in theSouss gallery. They are comfortable there and love to sleep there, both day and night.

Request Ayoub

 

Few people can resist the crazy charm of our two four-legged guardians! Our visitors are allowed to give them food when eating outside by the pool. Thank you for soliciting Ayoub, with a view, if necessary, to settling the details of the cohabitation between our dogs and our visitors. When you go out, as well as in the evening, please store your belongings in the riad, so that our dogs are not encouraged to play with them. Similarly, when going out and before going to bed, you must place the cushions in the trunk located at the back of the Souss gallery, in order to avoid the deposit of hair, which is always unpleasant.

 

Saga and Sacha particularly enjoy playing in the Souss gallery (see ourfirst video below). On occasion, we took them outside the riad, for walks, for example on the beach ofKsar Massa, as we did with Saga and the late Pacha (videos below). However, it turned out that Saga does not support car journeys. From then on, only Sacha accompanies us. Saga sees no inconvenience, being accustomed to these comings and goings.

 

Some practical rules to follow

 

If our duo were to be noisy during the night - because they do their job as watchmen at the slightest alarm - throw them a powerful"Saga (or Sacha), calm down!"

 

Our dogs should not enter the house. If they do, our hosts are encouraged to entice them out. We must tell them with conviction:"Saga (or Sacha), in your place!" The best precaution is to close the French windows. Our animals will thus be prevented from entering the riad.

 

Saga and Ash have been trained not to drink or dive in the pool water. Please do not violate this rule. They don't like the water in the shower when it's time to shampoo!


The place of their meal should not be changed. They have a bowl for water mixed or not with milk and a bowl each, reserved for their croquettes, sometimes accompanied by an egg or other treats, as well as food brought by Ayoub, whether fish or meat.

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Both Saga and Sacha crave the company of children. The latter often enjoy playing with them. Very communicative, our Jacks nevertheless remain animals. Absolutely avoid your grandchildren attacking them by putting their fingers in their eyes, for example.

If you really don't like
dog company,
please do not come to us!

In Memoriam Pacha, very nice dog, faithful companion of Saga

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Our little male named Pacha, companion of Saga and father of Sacha, unfortunately died prematurely, on June 29, 2017, at the age of three and a half. He was a victim of a disease called leishmaniasis. Treated for two years by a veterinarian from Agadir who turned out to be totally incompetent, he was only diagnosed with this disease a little over a month before his death, by the veterinarian Hafida.  
Saga, Jack Russell, dog, Switzerland, Morocco

The circumstances that led to his disappearance were dramatic. Veterinarian Hafida indeed askedto Pasha's owner to get a life-saving drug called Milteforan, which can only be found in Switzerland and Germany. No sooner said than done. The Milteforan was sent from Switzerland, by registered mail, at the end of May 2017.  It only reached Poste Maroc Casablanca 15 days  later (!).

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Worse, it has been proven that this package stayed for 15 days in Casablanca! The Milteforan finally arrived, exactly one month after dispatch, to the recipient. It was unfortunately too late. Leishmaniasis had eaten away at this  poor Pasha, who must have been put to sleep the same day, June 29. Thank you Morocco Post...

 

Pasha now rests in the Jardin aux Etoiles, alongside the remains ofastro, a magnificent German Shepherd dog who also disappeared far too soon.

 

The Pasha of Marrakech

 

Pacha came to us from the neighborhood ofMarrakech train station. This determined young male was born six weeks after Saga. Shorter on legs, Pasha was nevertheless the head of the pair and the dominant male of the family, especially towards his son Sacha.

 

He was the one who often barked first, was the most obedient and best protected his food! He knew how to make himself respected! His name is a nod toPasha of Marrakech, who reigned until the independence of Morocco.

 

He loved walks

 

Pasha was a ball of muscles that accompanied Saga wherever she went inside the garden. Courageous, he was also voluntary! He loved being cuddled for a long time and going for car rides with his master, as well as visiting places he had never seen before!

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The circumstances of his disappearance have been the subject ofdozens and dozens of expressions of sympathy on Facebook.

In memory of Astro

Saga and Pacha were very young: they liked to chase each other!

Grown up, they still liked to have fun!

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The litter of the four puppies of Saga and Pacha seen by Webcam in 2014

Our six dogs when they were all together (until early 2015)

And also our discreet turtles ;-)

Anchor 6

In Memoriam Astro (very good) German Shepherd Dog

For just over two years, Astro has been the gracious yet impressive caretaker of our rental riad. Coming from a Spanish breeder and arrived at the Jardin aux Etoiles in the summer of 2011, our German Shepherd dog, once past the little follies of his early youth, had become an animal as peaceful as it is magnificent.

Astro unfortunately died suddenly, in the early hours of November 1, 2013, at the age of only two and a half years, which corresponds to about twenty years of a human being. A few days earlier, he had again accomplished magnificent walks with his master, with whom he maintained very strong communication.

 

Was he suffering from an illness that had gone undetected or was he poisoned in some way? We will probably never know, his veterinarian not having advised the planned autopsy.

 

Astro's discreet tomb is at the northwest corner of the property, surmounted by a Souss stone to which his necklace was attached, before succulents came to replace it.  

 

We haven't forgotten you, Astro! You will have been a very good dog!

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