Dog Jaunt

Mar 27 2013

Mendocino, CA’s water towers: Quirky, pet-friendly lodging

A friend traveling up California’s coast posted a picture in her Twitter feed that caught my eye: “Okay, people,” she said, “I am sleeping in a *watertower* tonight. And it’s the best thing ever.” And it looked like the best thing ever, too, so I dug deeper. It turns out that Mendocino, a delightful 19th c. coastal town two hours north of San Francisco, was once a town of windmills, built to bring water up from nearby rivers and creeks. The windmills are gone, but many of their towers remain, and some of them have been converted into inns and B&Bs.

My friend stayed at the J.D. House Inn, which is not pet-friendly (nor is the Joshua Grindle Inn) — but there are alternatives. Only two blocks away from the J.D. House Inn is the much-praised Bever-Roberts Tower (you’ll want to check out both the inn’s website and the VRBO page, which has lots of pictures as well as reviews). “Supervised pets are welcome,” the website says, “for a charge of $35/stay.”

The Sweetwater Spa & Inn has three water towers, two of which (the Redwood Tower and the Sears Tower) are pet-friendly (as are a handful of cottages on the property).

It’s more of a splurge, but the Water Tower at the MacCallum House Inn & Restaurant is pet-friendly, and you will swoon over the decor, amenities and view. Are there other pet-friendly Mendocino water tower inns I’ve missed? If so, please let us all know about them in a comment!

The MacCallum House’s water tower: Second floor, and view

At this point, the post wanders off-topic. While I was researching Mendocino water towers, I came across The Stanford Inn by the Sea, an “eco-resort” located just a few minutes southeast of town, and I’m so impressed by its attention to visiting pets and their people that I have to tell you about it. You simply have to love a place that’s been welcoming pets for 36 years, and not just dogs: “Over the years we have had a variety of non human visitors: dogs and cats, of course, but also iguanas, parrots, Vietnamese pot belly pigs, and a tortoise.” There are “no weight, breed or other restrictions,” and every room is pet-friendly.

Since we’re already off-topic, let’s continue to wander: You may, without realizing it, already know Mendocino from watching Murder, She Wrote. The home of sleuth Jessica Fletcher is, in real life, Blair House, a B&B in the heart of town, and if you’d like to stay there, the cottage (once the carriage house) is pet-friendly.

Mar 25 2013

Product review: New, larger Kobi Pet Carrier (and luggage wrap)

Just over a year ago, I posted a very positive review of the Kobi Pet Carrier: I liked its features, and loved how it expanded on demand (with a zippered gusset) from 18″ long to 21″ long, but regretted that even the larger of the two sizes available was too short, at 10″ tall, for Chloe (who’s 12″ tall at the shoulders). Kobi kindly let me offer it as a giveaway, and it went to reader Debra Lee, whose pup is 8″ tall at the shoulder. A happy ending — but then I heard again from Kobi this spring, and learned that they’ve redesigned their carrier and added another, larger size. Would I like to review it and give it away? I most certainly would, I told them, and the carrier promptly arrived. Please note that I have not been paid for this review, and I did not promise (and Kobi did not request) that it would be positive. I will provide the giveaway details in a separate, later post.

That was, what, two months ago. Embarrassed by my delay, I decided to give the new, large Kobi Pet Carrier all my attention, and Chloe traveled in it last week from Seattle to Tampa. The short story is that it’s an excellent carrier, and one that I plan to buy for myself for use on long-haul trips (under my own rules, I cannot keep a carrier sent to me for review if it costs more than $50, and the large Kobi carrier costs $114). Here’s the longer version:

Much about the large Kobi carrier has not changed since my last review, and that’s good. I still like its design and construction — sturdily made of ballistic nylon twill, the carrier has solid zippers and hardware, plenty of mesh ventilation panels, and a truly capacious side pocket. Privacy panels on each end fold tidily away into a shallow pocket when they’re not needed; the privacy panel on top can be rolled back and snapped to the bottom of the carrying straps (a neat solution, and one that I haven’t seen elsewhere). I believe there was, previously, a similar solution for the privacy panel on the long side of the carrier; in the current version, the side privacy panel is secured, when rolled up, only with a single magnetic snap, and tends to roll down.

I still like the mesh ventilation panel on the top of the bag — as you know from other reviews, I feel strongly that you should be able to see down into your pet’s carrier, since she’ll be at your feet for most of your trip. I wish the panel were closer to the bag’s end, however, since it disappears under the seat when your pet is fully tucked in for takeoff and landing.

I like how the provided tether is removable, I like how the shoulder strap doubles, in a pinch, as a leash, and I like the carrier’s seatbelt solution (two straps at either end of the long privacy panel can be passed around the lap portion of a car’s seatbelt and secured with hefty chunks of Velcro). There is still no built-in luggage handle strap, but Kobi sent me their new solution: The Luggage Adapter is a mesh corset (you wrap it around the carrier, securing it closed with a long Velcro strip; because it’s mesh, air still reaches your pup) with two Velcro-lined ballistic twills straps you can slide over your luggage handle. It’s a little unwieldy — it works best to lay it on the ground or another flat surface and secure it closed with both hands, and you’ll need both hands to loosen the Velcro that lines the handle straps. The pay-off for all that work, though, is that the Velcro lining on the straps molds them around any configuration of luggage handle, which means no slaloming around for your pup. And the quicker, less secure solution still remains — the handles are long enough to loop over your luggage strap (just keep an eye on your pup and make sure her carrier remains balanced on your suitcase).

First step: Lay the mesh wrap on a flat surface (note that there are two Velcro strips; the wrap works for all of the Kobi carrier sizes). Folded, the wrap fits comfortably in the long side pocket of the carrier (visible in this picture).

The wrap has been secured around the carrier, and I'm showing you the two Velcro-lined strips now positioned on one of the long ends

The wrap has been secured around the carrier, and I’m showing you the two Velcro-lined luggage straps.

The wrapped carrier on one of our suitcases — please note how the Velcro lining lets the luggage straps conform to the shape of the luggage handle — and indeed, the carrier was held securely in place.

The main new feature, though, is the larger size. The carrier I reviewed last year was 18″L x 13″W x 10″ H; in the new line-up, the medium Kobi carrier is just about that size, at 18″L x 12″W x 10.5″ H. The new large size is advertised as 18.5″ x 12″ x 12″ (a hair longer than the large SturdiBag, but otherwise comparable). Tape measure in hand, I checked, and that’s accurate. However, the bag’s weight (it is noticeably heavier than the large SturdiBag) and a long day of use means that sitting here on my in-laws’ couch, the bag falls into a wider, lower shape, more like 11″ tall and 14″ wide. That’s no problem from your pet’s point of view: When she wants to stand up, she’ll push the carrier “roof” up to the full available 12″ (and beyond) if she wants to. I actually don’t mind the effect, since Chloe really spends all of her travel time lying down, and she appreciates the extra width.

The zippered end gusset (and that zipper really could use a lubricating shot of graphite) adds a full 3″ in length to the bag, which Chloe took full advantage of. We gave her the extra room in the gate area, zipped the gusset closed for boarding and takeoff, unzipped for the flight, then rezipped for landing. While the large SturdiBag has some features I prefer (lightweight, a flexible rib supporting the bag’s middle, a “floor” that can be shortened, a top mesh panel you can reach through while the bag is under an airplane seat), it simply cannot get any longer — this carrier can, and those extra three inches are a dream. Two other carriers I’ve reviewed, the Sleepypod Air and The One Bag, can also be extended in length (well, the Sleepypod Air starts out long and can be shortened, but the available length is what I’m focusing on), and they each have admirable features. The large Kobi carrier is unique, however, in providing the extension option in combination with a generous, but still workable height and a workable basic 18.5″ length.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, however, and here’s a picture showing the carrier in action on one of our recent Southwest flights:

The large Kobi Carrier, end gusset zipped closed, in a window seat on a Southwest 737-300

The large Kobi carrier, still under the same seat, but now with the end gusset unzipped. Because the center of the bag needs to squish a little to dodge the under-seat fixtures, the ends are pulled inwards and you can’t see the entire gusset.

Still unzipped, but this time I’m pulling forward on the upper edge to show you how much room the gusset actually adds. You can just see Chloe’s white snout and black nose through the mesh, to the right of my hand.

The carrier comes in charcoal, with black trim, and chocolate, with pink trim. The all-black option I reviewed last year has been discontinued, but the charcoal is very discreet (because the carriers I use are pushing, or busting, the upper limits of most airlines’ stated maximums, I choose them in slimming black).

Mar 20 2013

Reader’s report: Xylitol poisoning puts her dog, critically ill, in the ER

You’ll remember that at the end of February, reader Debra shared a lot of useful information about flying with two dogs at once in a divided carrier. She and her husband traveled with their pups Raisin and Mia, both Mexican Frenchies, to Ft. Myers, FL. Imagine my dismay when I heard from Debby, only a couple of weeks later, that Raisin was fighting for her life after eating some Orbit gum that fell out of Debby’s purse. I had heard about Xylitol poisoning, but hadn’t given it the attention it deserves. Here’s what Debby told me:

“I wish we were still in Ft. Meyers! I want to inform you and your readers of a generally unknown about poison that many of our dogs have easy access to.

My sweet girl Raisin has spent the last 30 hrs. at the pet ER/hospital battling for her life. It is Xylitol poisoning, in our case she got into some Orbit gum that had fallen out of my purse. It has been an extremely heartbreaking and expensive lesson to learn.

She was rushed to the vet with violent vomiting, when we arrived she took a look at her pale gums, shallow rapid breathing and sent her immediately to the ER vet. I had taken in the vomit, and we detected blue green pieces in it. That led to a quick diagnosis, thank goodness. Her glucose levels didn’t start to drop until about 18 hrs. after ingestion, so time was of the essence in monitoring and blood levels, which they run every three hours. She has been on IV infusions of fluids and glucose to stabilize her.”

A very sick Raisin, a very worried Debra

Debby wrote to me first after 36 hours had passed, and told me that “the effects unfortunately are insidious and can continue for at least 72 hrs after ingestion.” She was able to bring Raisin home after about 40 hours — and after spending $1400.

“She was one VERY sick little girl and still at about 48 hrs. now, not out of the woods. I brought her home late last night, the vet had me feed her every 3 hours and give her a tsp. of Karo syrup to help keep her glucose levels up. So far she is acting fairly normal but will have more levels drawn over the next couple of days.

Mia (on the left) working hard to help Raisin, now home, feel better

I will post a link to an informative explanation of why this product reacts as it does. The hospital ER said they are seeing up to two cases a month now and by the article’s graph it is apparent that this has just gone from nothing to almost epidemic proportions in the last few years. Very few people are aware of the impact of Xylitol. I also just thought your dog could get sick from this, but NEVER dreamed the extent and seriousness of the consequences. I am incensed that Xylitol carries no warnings at the VERY least. I will NEVER have anything with Xylitol in my home again and will be contacting this company to demand some type of warning label.”

As Debby emphasized in a follow-up message, one of the reasons Raisin survived is that they rushed to get her care when she began vomiting. Other indicators, per this article from the San Francisco Chronicle? “Lethargy, staggering, tremors or seizures, or unconscious[ness]. Some, but not all, dogs also vomit and have diarrhea.” Every article I’ve seen on the topic stresses that reacting within the first half-hour after exposure enormously improves your dog’s chances of survival.

Also, and it turned out to be crucially important, Debby saved and took with them the towels they used to clean up Raisin’s vomit:

“I threw all the paper towels with vomit and the vomit from the car ride into a plastic grocery bag. This was HUGE. They were able to search through it and pick out blue pieces of gum. She had gotten out of the electric fence earlier that day and I thought she had found some kind of poison. They said they thought it was gum and I realized I had caught her with a packet of Orbit gum earlier.”

What the article Debby linked to emphasizes is that Xylitol is an ingredient in a huge number of products you may have right now in your home — not just sugar-free gum. As the San Francisco Chronicle article says, it’s “widely used in all kinds of dental products including sugar-free gum, breath mints, toothpaste and mouthwash; even some veterinary dental products intended for canine use contain trace amounts of xylitol (which is safe).” But that’s not all — it’s also a common ingredient in food products, including “muffin, brownie and cookie mixes, as well as candy, energy bars, Jell-O, pudding and ice cream. It’s even sold in bulk for use in baking and beverages. In fact, just about anything sweet may contain xylitol.”

Any product with more than trace amounts of Xylitol is a danger for your dog (not so much for your cat, by the way). I plan to read labels closely from now on, and keep the stuff out of our house entirely. My warmest wishes to Debby and Raisin, and my thanks, too, for raising my awareness of this hazard. Keep it in mind as you travel! Even if you eliminate Xylitol from your home, the friend you’re visiting may not have! This is another reason to identify, ahead of time, an emergency vet at the place you’ll be visiting, and to program into your phone the number for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

Mar 11 2013

Long Beach, CA dog-friendly hotel: Residence Inn Long Beach Downtown

Another February, another — and the last — TED conference in Long Beach, CA (next year, the conference is moving to Vancouver, B.C.). In past years, I’ve reported on staying with Chloe at the Hilton Long Beach, the Renaissance Long Beach, and the Hotel Maya, the last of which was, until this year, our favorite. I still yearned a bit for the Hotel Maya as I walked past it, but my favorite things about it (its evening lighting, and guacamole & chips on the patio of its restaurant) I could still enjoy while staying at another hotel — and the fact is there’s only so much food prep you can do with a Keurig coffee maker. Facing another week of hotel room meals, I decided to try the hotel next door to the Hotel Maya — a Residence Inn, and be sure to include “Downtown” in its name, because there’s a second Long Beach Residence Inn in an entirely different part of town. Please note that we paid our own way at the Residence Inn Long Beach Downtown — I will always let you know when something I’m reviewing has been paid for by someone else.

Put briefly, the RILBD — I simply cannot keep typing out its full name — is a comfortable, pleasant place to stay. It lacks the Hotel Maya’s wacky charm, but for us, the fully-equipped kitchen tipped the balance in the RILBD’s favor.

I suspect the RILBD is in the midst of a gentle rehab — the lobby was fresh, but the carpets elsewhere were a little frayed. All was spotlessly clean, however, and the front desk staff could not have been kinder or more welcoming to Chloe (and to us). Our room, a one-bedroom suite with a king bed on the 4th floor, looked like this from the front door:

How I love my panorama app! But it does leave you with hard-to-parse images like this one. I’m standing in the room’s entryway, pivoting from the kitchen on my left around to the end of the living room. Please note that I’ve already draped the couch with a sheet, and Chloe is snoozing. We’ve been in the room for maybe 5 minutes total, at this point.

Walk through the bedroom door and turn left, and here’s the bathroom/closet area:

Another panorama: Separate, outside sink at left; bathroom (shower but alas, no tub) in the middle; closet on the right.

When we checked in, the guy at the front desk tried to find us a “studio,” since he admitted he liked them a little better — in his opinion, they seem larger because there’s no wall between the bedroom and living area — but they were sold out. We were perfectly content with the room we had, but I am curious now about the studio option.

Things we liked: The kitchen was small but complete, equipped with microwave, a couple of burners, a full-sized fridge, and a miniature dishwasher. I had brought a few items (serrated knife, collapsible mugs and bowl), but never used them; the kitchen was stocked with silverware, dishes, and crucial cookware. Daily cleaning was optional, and we opted out of it. The room smelled strongly of cleaner when we arrived, and I was just as happy not to have that repeated. Dishwashing supplies were provided, so we could keep the kitchen clean ourselves with a minimum of effort. The bed was comfortable, the pillows were workable, and there was satisfactory water pressure. The wifi was free, and fairly satisfactory.

Things we found appealing but never used: A grocery shopping service. The pool. Complimentary breakfast and evening happy hours (the hotel was hosting what must have been all the attendees of a baker’s conference, and the dining area was packed with contented-looking folk).

Things we regretted: I would have liked a bathtub, and perhaps other rooms than Room 409 have one. Be sure to ask, before you settle in and unpack. The couch was uncomfortable. The hangers were odd — they were real hangers, not those wretched alternatives that some hotels have to keep you from stealing them, but the shoulder supports were unusually short. If you plan to bring the Armani suit, pack a hanger for it.

As you can see, the good things clearly outweighed the bad. Add on the plus side of the balance the location — on the same side of the harbor as the Hotel Maya and the Queen Mary — and you can understand why my husband shook his head and asked why we hadn’t stayed at the RILBD all five years.

As I mentioned, the staff greeted Chloe with joy, and as the week went on, all of the shifts learned her name. There’s a quick morning walk option (walk down the ramp, turn left along the water, and cross the top of the boat ramp to the small park you can see out of the hotel’s back windows) and an excellent long afternoon walk option (descend the ramp, turn right, and walk along the water past the Hotel Maya, through the waterfront park, and past the Russian sub to the Queen Mary — for bonus points, turn right around the perimeter and under the front pavilion of the old Spruce Goose dome to the park and waterfront on its far side). We paid a one-time pet fee of $100.

Mar 8 2013

Photo Friday : Two scoop law signs in Tacoma, WA

I love scoop law signs (do a search on the blog for “scoop law,” and you’ll see the collection so far) because they apparently present an enormous challenge to graphic designers. The two I found on a recent walk in Tacoma, WA, a city with character and charm some 40 minutes south of Seattle, are gems.

The first gets points for an unusually realistic pile of of poop (compare and contrast the poop in Vancouver, B.C.’s signs), but forfeits most of them by showing it being gathered by an owner carrying what extensive research has revealed to be a baiting spoon:

Also, the owner's lack of hands (and feet) is strangely unnerving.

The owner’s lack of hands (and feet) is strangely unnerving; I do like, however, how the dog is completely ignoring the activity behind her.

The second (and I can’t tell which of these signs is the current model) sidesteps the poop issue by turning the clock back — perhaps too far back, because this dog (the same dog as in the other sign, which must have saved design dollars) looks like she has no urge whatever to poop. Her owner, equipped this time with what I have to believe is a hoe, seems on the point of giving her pup a frustrated poke in the butt.

On the bright side, this owner’s jazzy stance and wacky Matisse-like silhouette makes her lack of appendages groovy rather than grim.

And so the collection grows. If you run across a scoop law sign I haven’t posted yet, please send it to me! They fill me with joy.

Mar 5 2013

New in-cabin pet carrier: Smart Space by Brinkmann Pet

I’m updating this post yet again. It was first published on 10/5/11, and in late February 2013, reader Monique pointed out that the carrier I reviewed has apparently been replaced by one 2 inches shorter — 17″ long instead of an ungainly and, really, unworkable, 19″ long. That’s an intriguing size — not so much shorter than the large SturdiBag Chloe uses (18″ long) that it would cramp her, yet short enough to fit sideways under many airline seats, potentially allowing its pop-up “tent” to work during flight. The old carrier (the one reviewed below), however, still appeared on the Costco site (until this week!), so Monique and I scratched our heads over whether there truly is another, smaller version of it. The only thing to do was order it and see, so I did. It is indeed smaller than the one I originally reviewed, and for many owners of small pets, that’s cause for celebration.

For me, not so much — the carrier turns out to be 17″ long overall, perhaps, but that includes an end pocket and some generous measuring. The available internal space is only about 15″ long (the inside space is also 10″ tall and 9″ wide, much smaller than the measurements Amazon provides). That’s just too small for a 13 lb., 12″ tall dog who’s about 16″ long from neck nape to base of tail. If you have a smaller dog, though, this carrier would be a very appealing choice. Same issues and workarounds as described below, except that the side braces for the pop-up tent really do need to be Velcroed into place on the small carrier. The overall exterior height of the carrier is only 9.5 inches, though, so less squashing will be required. The overall width (with the pup tent closed) is 11 inches.

With the pup tent open, the carrier gives your pet a total of about 17″ by 15″ to stretch out in. The height varies from the 10″ of the main compartment to the 6.5-7.5″ of the pup tent (its roof slants). That’s a generous space, and would make all the difference on a long-haul flight — and like I say, with a carrier only 17″ wide (on the outside), you’ll be able to position it left-to-right under your seat, then open out the pup tent into your foot area once you’re underway. If you have a dog who weighs, say, 10 lbs. or less, and is 10″ at the shoulder or shorter, think about adding this carrier to your collection. At just shy of $70, it’s not a big investment.

Noemi, a friend of Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page, posted a picture of a new pet carrier sold by Costco and asked if I’d seen it. I hadn’t, and I was totally intrigued: The size looked plausible — a little long, at 19″, but otherwise about the same size as the large SturdiBag I love so much — and the side of it opens like a tent to almost double the available space. I ordered one, and it arrived about a week ago.

The Smart Space carrier, fully extended, with Chloe inside, and Bella on top

I’m getting ahead of myself, but that picture makes me smile. Let’s start with the carrier itself, not yet talking about the double-wide option. As you can see in this picture, it’s about the same size as Chloe’s large SturdiBag:

This time, Fran the Cat is inside the Smart Space carrier. As I write this post, our cat Charlie is in residence. It’s been a popular hangout from the moment I set it up.

Fitting under an airplane seat

Unlike the SturdiBag, however, its upper corners are actually corners, and its edges are stiffened, not flexible. Where the SturdiBag’s rounded configuration and flexible ribs allow it to squish into under-seat spaces that are lower than its 12″ height, the Smart Space bag won’t. It’s also a crucial inch longer than the 18″ long SturdiBag.

All is not lost, however. A modification helps: The short ends of the top of the carrier are stiffened by two short rods that live in zipped sleeves. If you unzip the sleeves and remove the rods (don’t lose them, though! There’s no obvious place to store them in the carrier, but keep them safe and at hand), you can coax the carrier into a space that’s much lower than 12″, because the top now tilts. It doesn’t bend, because the support rods in the long sides of the carrier can’t be removed, but the tilting is pretty effective.

Alternatively, you could take advantage of the fact that the carrier is an inch narrower than it is tall, and put it under your seat on its side. You’d likely want to trim an inch or so off the long end of the stiff board that forms the base of the bag, and consider at least unzipping and loosening the short rods I mentioned above, so that the carrier can pancake a little to fit under a seat. I don’t love this approach, because it’s fussy. You can unzip and loosen the rods before you walk down the jetway, that’s no problem, and you’ve trimmed the base board long ago, but you have to tilt the carrier on its side and move the padding onto the new “floor” of the carrier, all while your dog is inside and other people are trying to get into their seats around you. And you have to do it all again once you’re in the air, in reverse, if you want to take advantage of the carrier’s pop-out side.

Using the pop-out side

The only reasonable way to use the pop-out side is if the carrier itself fits under your seat oriented left-to-right. Why not oriented front-to-back? With the pop-out opened, the carrier is a whopping 23″ wide, which would only fit in those few planes that have shared under-seat spaces (and only, in that case, if you’re sitting next to someone with no need for storage space). How about pulling the whole contraption out into your legroom area and then expanding it? It’s too long for that, unfortunately, unless you’re traveling in Business or Economy Class (and even then, you’d have to be sitting next to a friend, since the pop-out will extend into your neighbor’s space).

For most of us, therefore, that means that you can only take advantage of the pop-out in a seat whose under-seat space is a full 19″ wide. As I mentioned, the rods supporting the long sides of the carrier cannot be removed, and they create firm corners at 19″. For the same reason, it wouldn’t do any good to shorten the board that stiffens the bottom of the carrier, since the edge rods will still maintain the carrier’s original length.

If that kind of space is available, the carrier is a traveling pet’s dream. The entire side unzips and folds down, opening a mesh tent that, supported by side braces that flip up, essentially doubles the available space. It’s fiddly to do: You have to unzip one edge of the top of the carrier, reach in past your dog and raise the two braces. (There’s a tiny Velcro loop on each side that’s meant to secure them in place, but that’s just way too fiddly to do in the position you’ll be in. Happily, friction’s good enough.) Then you’ll have to move one of the two stacked padded bases over into the new space, so your dog has something soft-ish to lie on.

I say “soft-ish,” because the pads are really just thin, stiff boards with the thinnest of faux sheepskin around them. My best solution for adding padding to the expanded space (or even the original space)? I bought a small sheepskin at IKEA (it’s called RENS, and it costs $29.99). It’s smaller than their normal sheepskin rugs, and it’s as flexible as cloth — so you can fold it up and carry it in your small personal item (since your dog takes the place of your carry-on), or in a large vest pocket.

Costs were clearly cut on the padding, and the shoulder strap, too, is a little cheesy, but given the great price of this carrier ($33.99 from Costco, $55.95 from Amazon), its quality is impressive. The zippers and mesh are solid, and a couple of sewn-on carabiners are provided if you want to secure the zipper ends. There is a mesh panel in the top of the carrier, so you can at least see your dog from above. There’s a built-in tether, and there’s a substantial pocket on one end and another small pocket on one side.

You may recall that I’ve suggested traveling with a Pet Dome, so that you can move your dog into a large lounge during really long flights. A couple of readers have done that, most recently Kristina, traveling to Paris with Kara, her Chinese Crested. This carrier would save you from having to carry the PetDome with you — but keep in mind that it will only work if your under-seat space is 19″ wide. Otherwise, you’ll be better off boarding the plane with your dog in a shorter carrier, and then transferring her to the Pet Dome.

[1/31/12 I just found in my in-box a message from reader Marianne, who traveled last year with Finnbarre, her Miniature Poodle, in a Smart Space carrier. Here’s what she had to say about it: “On a trip to the US last month, I purchased a ‘Smart Space Pet Carrier with Flex Room.’ It measures 19 x 12 x 11 and was about $55. I carried it home on the plane to see if it would fit under the seats. It fit under the seat on an American Airlines 767-300 (with a little flexing) and it fit on a Delta 757-200, again with a little flexing. This carrier opens up with a side zipper to almost double the space, and although it really couldn’t be doubled on the plane, it works great in the house and on the backseat of the car.”]

Amazon link (to 17″ long carrier):
Brinkmann Pet Smart Space Carrier, Small

Mar 4 2013

Ashland, OR dog-friendly hotel: The Ashland Springs Hotel

On our recent road trip from Seattle to San Francisco, Chloe and I were traveling with our friend Chandler, a truly remarkable illustrator, who wanted to draw Mount Shasta, and neon signs in Dunsmuir and Redding, and the olive and almond trees in the Central Valley — so south we went on I-5 and Hwy. 99. We spent two nights on the road, in Ashland, OR and in Colusa, CA. Chandler found a lovely pet-friendly bungalow to stay in in Colusa (a town east of Williams and west of Yuba City), but in Ashland we chose to stay in the historic Ashland Springs Hotel. I should mention that I paid for this hotel stay — I’ll always let you know when something I’m reviewing has been paid for by someone else.

Called the Lithia Springs Hotel when it was built in 1925, the building has been a landmark ever since. The last time I was in Ashland, for the Shakespeare Festival, it was full, so my parents and I stayed elsewhere and gazed wistfully up the street. Rightly so — the Ashland Springs Hotel turns out to be comfortable, old-fashioned, and friendly, and not terribly expensive either. It’s located in the heart of Ashland’s adorable downtown, and no more than a block away from the theaters.

Here’s the lobby, furnished with comfortable armchairs, palms, and cabinets of antique natural specimens like shells and bird’s eggs:

Breakfast is served up on that balcony; some tables are over the front desk, but most are behind the tree branches, and have a view out the window.

And here is a panorama of my room, small but cozy, and with an updated (and spotlessly clean) bathroom:

The bathroom, behind that door on the right, is small but charming, and blessed with great water pressure.

Breakfast (essentially continental, with a few extras) is included, and is served on the mezzanine balcony over the lobby. The pet-friendly rooms are on the third floor, which has a convenient back entrance for quick bathroom runs. I felt perfectly welcome with leashed Chloe in the lobby, however — the front desk staff and the concierge all fell to pieces over her (and the concierge positively stuffed her with excellent organic jerky treats). The pet fee was $30 for the stay (the hotel accepts up to two pets per room). I’ll return happily, and the sooner the better.

Mar 3 2013

Chloe’s Clicks: This week’s best dog travel links

“This week” is a bit of a fiction, I know, given that the oldest link in here is dated January 25, but a more accurate headline wouldn’t be nearly so catchy. The link is certainly attention-grabbing: Australia turns out to be darned pet-unfriendly in many ways, but the Sunshine Coast Daily reports that the Sunshine Coast Council (representing a large urban area north of Brisbane) recently decided to let local café owners choose whether to allow dogs to join diners in outdoor dining areas.

While we’re in Oz, I should tell you about an e-mail I got from a representative of TransferCar, “a car relocation company in Australia and New Zealand providing travellers with cost effective transportation while on vacation in exchange for driving car back to the destination of origin.” She is well aware that the travelers I’d be passing her info on to are dog owners (“I am always looking for dog-friendly ways to travel. We have two pawed-children.”). If you’re planning a road trip with your pup in Australia or New Zealand, and you’re flexible about timing and route, consider car re-lo as a possible transportation alternative: “The traveller has a low-to-no cost, reliable vehicle to use while on vacation without the out of pocket cost of paying for a rental car. In many cases, using TransferCar includes insurance, ferry charges, and the first tank of gas.” It sounds a little odd, but the on-line consensus seems to be that the company is respectable.

Speaking of abroad, I got an e-mail from the founder of We Welcome Dogs, who urged me to take a look at his site, “a comprehensive guide to dog friendly businesses in Scotland.” I’m all in favor of guides like these, and happy to report, too, that the company offers an iPhone and Android app. Kenzo the Hovawart wrote a useful post about what an appealing place Norway is for travelers with a reactive dog, not least because of the way Norwegians are urged to be responsible dog owners.

Heading south, Animal Café is hosting a four-part series from Sheron Long about her travels in France with Chula, her Sheltie (star of the e-book Dog Trots Globe: To Paris & Provence), and Gigi Griffis (now in Paris, but then in Italy) has written a “small dog’s guide to Perugia.” A British couple wrote about their campervan vacation in Spain with Daisy, their Westie (including helpful details about taking the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander with a dog). On this side of the pond, Pet360 hosted a guest post from Luxury Paw‘s Janine Franceschi with tips for a fun Canadian weekend in Toronto.

And that brings us to a big heap of delightfully miscellaneous links. On the helpful tips front, check out this very sensible post from GoPetFriendly about preparing for your pet sitter. While researching my answer to a question a reader sent, I came across this site about traveling abroad with a service dog. The Bark reports that Rhode Island has joined the list of jurisdictions that’s considering a ban on driving with a dog on your lap. Thanks to Petside.com for an article about the new public restrooms for dogs in Shenzhen, China. Take a look at The Constant Rambler‘s favorite dog travel gear from this year’s Global Pet Expo — as you may know from Dog Jaunt’s Facebook and Google+ pages, I find Kurgo’s new kibble carrier very appealing, and the car crates from 4Pets look amazing.

I got a message from JetCharters.com, a “worldwide air charter marketplace,” asking me to let you know that they understand the needs of pet owners (witness this post from their blog). You have to engage in the reservation process to get real prices, so I can’t give you a very good idea of the costs involved. The rates, however, for a fictional getaway to Sonoma at the beginning of April, round-trip from Seattle, ranged from $650/hr for a Cessna 303 Crusader seating 4 up to $7200/hr for a Global Express jet seating 14 (I elected not to complete the request form to receive my charter quote).

Also in the in-box: A message from the creators of Dogbook, an “application that’s essentially a combination of Facebook and Foursquare but for your furry companions” — which might well be a useful tool for travelers with pets (iPhone and iPad apps exist; an Android app is in progress). I could imagine arriving in, say, Chicago, and looking for nearby Cavaliers so Chloe could play with them, and I could grill their owners about local resources and pet-friendly things to do. Anyway, here’s a Mashable article about it, if you’re intrigued.

And this link comes last, because what could I possibly follow it up with? I have a horrified fascination with “sneaker wave” news stories, and was struck, reading this one, by the Coast Guard spokewoman’s comment that all of the deaths that had happened since November 2012 “involved people walking their dogs or attempting to save dogs being swept out to sea.” In each instance, “the pets survived. ‘Don’t go in after your dog, because dogs are typically better swimmers than people.'” The other point she makes, and it’s a crucial one, is that when you’re walking on a Northern California beach, keep your eyes on the water!

Mar 2 2013

Laguna Beach, CA dog-friendly restaurant: Maro Wood Grill

We first went to Maro Wood Grill last year around this time, and we loved the restaurant’s fresh, straightforward, delicious Argentinian food. We returned last night, and two things happened. First, the food was still delicious. We had, and recommend, the roasted, salty, gingery edamame, the empanada sampler, the roast chicken, the skirt steak, the mint ice cream brownie, and the bread pudding. Note that you can order a roast chicken picnic to take out, and I think you should. The beach is only a block away.

Second, we walked into the restaurant and realized that they’ve expanded its footprint by enclosing a bit of the area in front in a sturdy, clear tent. It’s completely weatherproof, and can be cooled/heated as needed, but it counts as a patio — and the couple at the next table was accompanied by their two Cocker Spaniels. Kicking myself for not bringing Chloe along, I asked if I could take a picture, and the couple kindly agreed. Sadly, I took three of the worst pictures anyone has ever taken with an iPhone. Here’s the best of the bunch, and it’s wretched:

You'll have to take my word for it that Molly and Buddy are beautiful Cocker Spaniels -- Molly's eyes caught the flash in a dreadful way, so all you can see are her lovely paws.

You’ll have to take my word for it that Molly and Buddy are beautiful Cocker Spaniels — Molly’s eyes caught the flash in a dreadful way, so all I’m letting you see are her lovely nose and paws.

The only saving grace is that you can see most of Buddy, the bowl of water the restaurant brought for them, and their mom’s adorable shoes, which I totally didn’t notice at the time. Molly and Buddy’s people travel extensively with them, and alternate between homes in Wisconsin and Laguna Beach. I so appreciate their patience with me, and with this horrible photo!

Actually, a third thing happened too: We were positively cosseted by the servers. Perhaps it’s because we were with locals (who assure us that we also need to try the mahi-mahi, and the gnocchi that are served on the 29th of every month), but I think it’s just because the servers there are utter sweethearts. Here’s a picture of the patio from our table, looking (what was my problem?!) nowhere near as inviting as it does in real life:

And here’s the restaurant’s interior, from the patio:

Maro Wood Grill
1915 South Coast Highway
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
T: 949-793-4044
Serving lunch & dinner Tues-Sun

Mar 1 2013

Reader’s report: Tips for preparing for, and surviving, a long international flight with your in-cabin dog

Reader Rafael posted this content on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page, and I immediately asked if I could turn it into a blog post, so it wouldn’t just scroll away into oblivion. I thought there would be many of you who would appreciate hearing how he prepared his pup Chuck Norris to spend extended periods of time in an in-cabin carrier, and how they handled a long international flight together.

Some background: Chuck Norris is a kaninchen Dachshund (slightly smaller than a miniature Dachshund), “not crate-trained per se” (“He slept in his crate but during the day he was always free to wander around”), and with “anxiety issues when left alone. He was also a bit of a barker, especially when it comes to people approaching an area that he considers ‘his.'” Rafael and his wife wanted to visit family in Raleigh, NC (they live in Oslo), and they wanted to take Chuck Norris with them. They flew on United.

Chuck Norris in the snow

Preparing Chuck Norris to spend time in his carrier

Make that “a heck of a lot of time in his carrier” — the outbound trip was 14 hours, and the return trip was 16 hours. I love everything about what Rafael did, so I’ll just let him take over.

“Our process began about 2 months before the trip. I began putting him in his crate for small periods using positive reinforcement (clicker) and slowly increasing the time. Once he was able to be there for about 15 mins, I kept him crated every time we ate (breakfast, lunch and dinner), placing him at my feet like he would be on the plane, and continuously reinforcing him. After about 1 month of daily training, he was able to be inside his crate for about 3 hours without any issues.

We got a large SturdiBag as recommended by several of Dog Jaunt’s readers. The bag is awesome but very uncomfortable to carry over the shoulder for a long time. I was a bit worried because the size was a couple of inches wider than the ‘official’ size on United’s website and I was scared it would not fit under the seat. However, following the recommendation of trimming the one inch off from each side of the base worked like a charm.

During the last month of training, Chuck was making great progress. He was able to be inside the SturdiBag for 4 hours and was quite relaxed (sleeping mostly, no whining). HE WAS ALWAYS AT MY FEET DURING HIS TRAINING, I had him with me while sitting on the computer mostly. I never left him alone while he was on his bag because I did not want him to associate being alone and anxious with being in it.

We enforced the command ‘Go to your house,’ so he would go in by himself and enjoy it. Two weeks before our departure, we took small trips (around 1 hr) on trains and placed him under the seat for training. The first couple of times he was whining and growling at the people walking through the aisles, but by the second trip he was all better.”

Tips for long international flights with an in-cabin dog

Here too, there’s a ton of useful advice. I’ve highlighted Rafael’s many great tips. The only one I don’t/won’t follow is sitting in the way-back of the plane: It was a good choice for Rafael and his family, but I think the extra engine noise rattles Chloe, so we choose to sit near the front (in front of the engines and the wheels). After a flight or two, you’ll decide what’s best for you and your pup.

“The day arrived and I was incredibly anxious. Our total travel time would be around 14 hours, from the time we put him in the crate until we actually let him out. I should add, I was also traveling with my 26-week pregnant wife! I woke up at 4 am and took Chuck for a walk for about one hour and tried that he would not fall asleep until we were on the plane.

I had bought an airline-approved bag from United when I made my reservation, just in case they said that my SturdiBag was too big. They never checked the size of Chuck’s bag, and also, they did not have my bag. So, important advice here: IF YOU BUY A BAG FROM THE AIRLINE, DOUBLE, TRIPLE CHECK THAT THEY WILL HAVE IT FOR YOU. Apparently there are only some airports where they offer them.

I should add that I do not think it is a good idea anyway, as it is very important that the dog is used to HIS crate.

We put shirts we had worn inside the bag so he would have a familiar smell with him all the time. We also packed his favorite snacks and toys.

After check-in, we took him for a small walk outside so he would pee one last time and put him inside. Show time.

At the gate he was still accepting my treats, which for me meant that he was still calm. Boarding time came and here I made my first mistake: I left the front shade open, so he would be able to see what was going on…eventually, a flight attendant peeked into the bag to say hi and Chuck started barking like crazy. I felt all my training was going down the drain and that he would be like that the whole trip…. [If you know your pup is likely to dislike attention, however kindly-meant, from strangers, get a carrier with privacy panels and use them.]

During take-off I had my hand inside the bag (over the top window) and offered him his favorite treats…. He did not accept them as he seemed pretty worked-up. Chuck eventually calmed down, but did not accept my treats anymore.

We chose two seats all the way in the back for 2 reasons:

1. My pregnant wife and her need to pee every 5 secs. 🙂
2. Engine noise is louder in the back, so less chance for people to hear him if he whined and for him to hear the people.

That was a smart choice…Chuck was softly whining for about 5 hours. Nobody could hear him, but it was heartbreaking for me as I thought he was miserable in there. He was also scratching the shade and at one point managed to push it hard enough to almost escape!! That would have been bad, which brings me to another tip: ALWAYS, ALWAYS, PUT BOTH [of the SturdiBag] ZIPPERS ALL THE WAY TO EITHER SIDE. IF YOU MAKE THEM MEET IN THE MIDDLE, THE DOG CAN PUSH THE SHADE UNTIL ONE OF THE ZIPPERS GETS LOOSE AND SLIDES DOWN.

Chuck stopped crying and accepting food when I took off my shoes and pushed my feet against the door, so he knew I was there. But mostly, he stopped crying when I directed some air into where he was. I think the poor guy had little air during all that time and that is why he was crying! So another piece of advice: TRY DIRECTING THE A/C TO YOUR LEGS SO HE GETS SOME FRESH AIR CONSTANTLY.

I put my hand into the bag with an ice cube from time to time so he could have a bit of water (but not so much that he would need to pee).

We eventually made it to the US and Chuck was still whining from time to time. We had to stand in line for like an extra hour, so this time I had all the screens closed in his bag but put my hand under one of them so he could still know I was close. Rocking the bag also seemed to calm him down.

We took him out to the pet relief area in Newark, and played with him until it was time to take the flight to Raleigh. At this point, all my training paid off: He voluntarily went into the bag again and seemed pretty happy to do so. He had been in there for the past 10 hours, and still…

While we were at the gate waiting for our Raleigh flight, we fed him his favorite food and he ate it in no time. The second plane was smaller (United Express), but the bag fit perfectly.

In this second flight he was amazing…no whining, no scratching, nothing…

On our way back to Oslo, Chuck was incredible, even though we had to be stuck on the plane for 2 more extra hours making it a total of 16 hours trip. I think this was due to 2 things:

1. The flight was at nighttime, so he basically slept the whole flight. The one from Oslo to Newark happened in the middle of the day. So my advice is that if you are making really long trips, try to take one at the times that the dog is used to sleep.

2. We took a 2 hour walk before leaving for the airport. He was really tired!!

My final advice would be to be patient with your dog and try not to stress so much as I did…I am sure he felt that I was super stressed and that made it worse. Finally, knowing your dog, and how he reacts to similar situations can take some of the pressure off. Our train rides really helped, and they gave us an excuse to get out of the city for a couple of days :).

Rafael concluded by saying that they “had an incredible time in the US with our family and the rest of the dogs,” and that while “it was incredibly stressful for me, I cannot imagine a better outcome. I would not do it again though, unless it is absolutely necessary. But if I have to, I know how to handle him.” He said they “were super lucky that [Chuck] was so good,” and of course they were — but they also made their own luck by working really hard to make the experience as comfortable as possible for their pup. I am just overcome with admiration for Rafael, and for his generosity in sharing this information with other Dog Jaunt readers.