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

This collection of dog travel links is all about destinations, starting with — why not? — the San Francisco Bay Area. Reader Joan pointed me to Dining with Sophie, a site she found useful when she was visiting S.F. recently with her two dogs. Check out its listings of dog-friendly shops and “restaurants that have outdoor seating areas where pets are welcome.”

Dropping south, the Los Angeles Times posted a list of TripAdvisor‘s top-rated pet-friendly properties in the U.S., including B&Bs and inns in Twentynine Palms, CA; Asheville, NC; Tyrone, PA; Montgomery Center, VT; St. Augustine, FL; Crested Butte, CO; Newport, RI; and Eureka Springs, AK. That link takes us eastward, but be sure to pause en route and consider the dog-friendly options available in New Mexico, per Traveling Jack (guest posting on Fidose of Reality).

Fodor’s offers you a “perfect day…on foot, and with your dog” in Portland, ME — and any day that includes good food, a good independent bookstore, and Chloe is a perfect day in my eyes. Less happy is the news (via ohmidog!) from New Hope, PA that the Bucks County Department of Health has started enforcing its no-dogs policy, to the dismay of some restaurateurs: “‘I feel like New Hope is such a dog friendly place that it’s definitely going to hurt business.'”

On the brighter side, A Brooklyn Dog’s Life pointed me to an article highlighting the increasing visibility and market power of pets and their owners. That New Hope restaurant manager has the right idea.

Another good idea: Tracking not only airline cargo incidents involving pets but also commercial shipments of animals (the proposed rule only lists dogs and cats — hopefully future iterations will expand coverage to all shipped animals). Thanks to reader María Elena for the link!

And speaking of flying, I end with a couple of links from Gigi Griffis, traveling abroad with Luna, her Schnauzer-Yorkie mix. Gigi’s posts are packed with practical info — so helpful for travelers with dogs planning visits to Belgium and Germany.

Reader’s report: Pet relief area at Dallas’s Love Field Airport (DAL)

Reader Cheri, traveling with pups Lexie and Madison (a 5 lb. Maltese and a 7 lb. Yorkie, respectively), wrote to tell me that not all Dallas airports have heinous pet relief areas (I had posted an outraged report about the ones I found at DFW’s Terminal D). Dallas’s Love Field Airport has “a great pet relief area,” Cheri tells me, and it’s easy to find, too: “Exit the last baggage claim door, turn right, and you can’t miss it.”

DAL now has two terminals (Terminal 1 for Continental and Delta, and Terminal 2 for Southwest). Given that there’s a white cylindrical structure in the background of Cheri’s picture, I believe that she exited the baggage claim area in Terminal 2, and turned right. [I’m returning to this post in July 2014 to note that DAL has had a massive overhaul in the past couple of years, and this info is out of date. If your travels take you to Love Field, would you send an updated report?]

Pet relief area at DAL (blurriness my fault for blowing up Cheri’s picture a bit)

It has the features I look for in a pet relief area — “fenced, gated, trees, a bench, lots of grass, poop bags and waste can” (a water source is also nice, but I’m not going to throw a hissy fit over its absence here) — and Cheri found it “[p]erfect for traveling dogs.”

Thank you, Cheri, for your report — the picture and information are so useful to other travelers with dogs! I’ve added this post to Dog Jaunt’s ongoing series of reviews of airport pet relief areas. To see others, visit Dog Jaunt’s handy guide to airport pet relief areas.

Securing your pet’s carrier to the top of your wheeled suitcase: The Bag Bungee

When I reviewed the Sleepypod Air pet carrier, I mentioned that the width of its luggage strap (or slip over sleeve, or pass-through slot, or piggyback strap) was controlled by a pair of zippers that “sometimes shift, allowing the bag to swivel around on top of the supporting suitcase. Happily, Chloe is a dog with a sunny outlook on life, and doesn’t lose sleep over sudden swoops. I suggest looking back frequently as you roll along to make sure everything’s in place.” It’s a problem with most pet carriers, since luggage handles come in a range of sizes. Chloe’s preferred carrier (the large SturdiBag) doesn’t have a luggage strap at all, so we hook its handle over our carry-on’s handle, and keep an eye out for signs that it’s about to swing off its perch.

Since I’d like Chloe to regard her carrier as a place of comfort and safety, I was happy to find a solution to the problem in the Bag Bungee. Rolled up, it’s small enough to tuck into the end pocket of Chloe’s SturdiBag. Unrolled, it has a black nylon webbing strap on one end (on the right, in the picture below) that can be passed around the handle of your supporting suitcase and clipped in place. Stretch the Bag Bungee around your pet’s carrier (a central panel keeps the cords under control), and then pass the end panel (on the left, in the picture below) over the handle of your suitcase.

Photo by Travelon

I wish it were an inch or two longer, since it puts a bit of a waist in Chloe’s SturdiBag when it’s in position, but I can live with that (and, more to the point, so can Chloe). Knowing that Chloe is securely in position behind me, and that I needn’t keep a piece of my mind on how her carrier is handling my maneuvering, is a relief.

Amazon links:
Travelon Bag Bungee (black)
Travelon Bag Bungee (zebra)

Couchsurfing with your pooch

About a week ago, fellow blogger Gigi Griffis posted a link on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page to a post she’d written about traveling with her pup Luna in the Flanders region of Belgium. She mentioned that they had “couchsurfed” in Ghent — that is, they found a place to stay through the peer-to-peer site CouchSurfing. When I looked at the site in 2010, there was no way to search up front for pet-friendly homes (though you could generally see if your host had a pet, and you could ask if yours would be welcome). Things have changed, Gigi told me in a comment, and I asked her if she’d write a guest post for Dog Jaunt about her experiences using the site. She kindly agreed, and here it is.

In case you aren’t familiar with it already, Couchsurfing.com is a website where you can offer your couch to visitors in your city or find a free couch to crash on when you’re doing some traveling of your own. It’s a great resource for not only finding cheap/free places to stay, but also meeting locals and really getting to know the city you’re visiting.  And it’s also pet-friendly.

Yep. You heard me right: pet-friendly.

Luna, hanging ten

In fact, there are three different ways I’ve used Couchsurfing.com to find pet-friendly places to stay.

The Advanced Search

After you enter the place you want to visit and click on the Search button, just scroll down and look left. At the bottom of the left column, there’s an Advanced Options button with a plus sign beside it. Click on that plus sign and you’ll see an option to search for only hosts that allow pets. Your search will refresh and show you all the pet-friendly options in your destination.

If you don’t get any results, never fear, there’s more than one way to…err, house a dog…

Couch Requests

Even people who don’t check the pet-friendly box might be open to hosting a pet. For some people, hosting a shedding dog would be a problem, but if you have a hypo-allergenic breed, that obstacle is eliminated. Other hosts might be hesitant to host a big dog, but have no problem with a small one. You never know until you ask.

So, when you send that couch request, introducing yourself and letting the host know why you want to meet them, just be up front that you are traveling with your dog and make sure to give plenty of information about said dog. Things like:

  • Is your dog a hypo-allergenic/non-shedding breed?
  • How big is your dog?
  • What breed is it?
  • Is it therapy trained or a service dog (even in countries that don’t have therapy or service animal designations, people may be more open to hosting you)?
  • How does it get along with other animals?
  • How does it get along with people/children?
  • Does it have any fun, endearing qualities you can share? (For example: I trained Luna to bring me my slippers, so I always end with something like “And she’ll even bring you your slippers in the morning.”)

Give people an idea of your personality, your dog’s personality, and why you guys make great houseguests.

The “Other Nearby Hosts Can Send Me Invitations to Stay With Them” Box

This is the newest feature on Couchsurfing.com and it is one of my favorite things about the site. By checking this box when you send an email to a possible host, you allow other area hosts to see the email you just sent about you, your dog, and your travels. This gives pet-friendly hosts the chance to reach out to you, instead of you trying to track them down through trial and error.

And if you don’t want to email any hosts directly? No problem. Just click “Post Your Travel Plans” after you log in. This will let you post your travel plans on the site for all area hosts to see…without emailing anyone directly. (Don’t forget to still include all the info about yourself, your dog, your trip, and what you are looking for in a host/house.)

*  *  *

And while you’re using these three methods to find a couch to crash, here are a few other tips that will help your request stand out:

Be Willing to Pay

If I’m looking for a place to stay for more than a few days (read: two weeks or more), I let people know that I’m not just looking for a freebie. I say that I want to rent a spare room for me and my pooch.

This is how I found a gorgeous two-bedroom apartment up against the Black Forest in Freiburg, Germany for just 100 euro per week. It’s also how I ended up staying a whole month in Ghent, Belgium for just 300 euro.

Get Your Dog Some References

You aren’t the only one who should have references on your couchsurfing profile! Make sure your friends and hosts mention your dog too. That way hesitant hosts can see that you are telling the truth about your sweet, well-behaved pooch.

Be a Great Couchsurfer

When you do find a place to stay, make sure you leave a great impression. In addition to the obvious (no creating messes, behaving badly, allowing incessant barking, etc.), here are a few things you can do while you’re staying in someone else’s home:

  • Do something nice for your host (take them to dinner, make them dinner, clean the house, treat them to a spa day, etc.). You are probably saving hundreds by staying with them, so don’t be stingy with your money or time.
  • Be social. Most hosts are on couchsurfing.com because they love meeting new people and learning about new cultures. If you surf, you should also be social. Let your host show you the town, have a leisurely dinner or drink together, etc.
  • Make sure to poop scoop as you go. And always ask where you should toss the poop (in Europe, most people will have compost piles; in some other places, it should go in the trash).

Now go forth and surf! (Or stop by and ask us any questions you might have.)

Gigi Griffis is a writer, humorist, and full-time traveler. In early 2012, she sold her stuff, packed a bag, and hit the road with her 12-pound Schnauzer-Yorkie mix, Luna. She frequently blogs about working from the road, traveling with a dog, living like a local, and funny stuff that happens on the road. And she just published her first memoir — about dating on two continents. She’d love it if you stopped by the blog and said hello.

Photo Friday, and reader’s report about pet relief areas at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport (ORD)

It’s been a long time since I’ve transited through Chicago’s O’Hare airport, so I was very glad to hear from reader Rebecca that things are different now. Let’s start with the Photo Friday part of this post, because Keeney, Rebecca’s Cavapoo, will make you smile:

Rebecca and Keeney had a layover in ORD recently, and Rebecca tells me travelers with pets no longer have to make do with the (very lovely) lawn of the airport Hilton. Now there are two official pet relief areas, one outside Terminal 1 and the other outside Terminal 5. They are both on the lower, baggage claim level. You can see the icon for the Terminal 1 pet relief area in this map [PDF] just below the bottom corner of the blue rectangle representing the baggage claim level; in this map of Terminal 5 [PDF], the icon for the pet relief area is just above the line of eight yellow squares representing the taxi waiting area.

I believe that Rebecca and Keeney went to the Terminal 1 pet relief area. They kindly sent a picture, and as you’ll see, the ORD pet relief areas are fully fenced, and equipped with a poop bag dispenser, trash can and bench — and there’s blessed, blessed shade.

ORD pet relief area (Terminal 1)

This is all good news, but keep the Hilton’s lawn in mind if you’re arriving at Terminals 2 or 3 and don’t have the time it takes to walk to the official pet relief area at Terminal 1 (Terminal 5 is far enough away that you wouldn’t walk to it from the other three terminals). As you can see in this Google Maps view, it’s centrally located, and it offers your pup grass, which the official pet relief areas don’t (be sure, of course, to bring a poop bag):

Yep, that whole big curved building is the Hilton.

Yep, that whole big curved building is the Hilton.

Thanks so much, Rebecca and Keeney, for the report and the pictures! Dog Jaunters’ effort and input make this blog useful, and I really appreciate it. I have added this update to Dog Jaunt’s handy guide to airport pet relief areas.

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

Another small but choice collection of links this week (well, month, but who’s counting?) — starting with a hoot of a link from reader Chelsea, who rightly thought that I’d be enchanted by an article from the Austrian Times about a hotel offering city dogs “training courses in country life,” including “how to use a chairlift and how to avoid trouble with cows.”

Speaking of hazards, The Bark posted a useful article about the risks to dogs of foxtail grasses, and the Center for Pet Safety caught everyone’s attention with a series of videos showing what happens to a crash-test dummy of a Boxer wearing a number of safety harnesses/tethers (makers unidentified) in a 50 mph crash. I was so horrified by the videos that I swapped Chloe’s harness and tether and Snoozer booster seat out in favor of the Pet Tube from PetEgo. It’s not winning points from Chloe, who can no longer see out the window, or from my husband, who can no longer canoodle with Chloe, but I’m feeling better.

After that, we need fun, and you’ll find fun in Charleston, SC — reader Mia directed my attention to Petside.com‘s praise for Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ (sixth on their list of the top 10 pet-friendly U.S. restaurants — here’s the entire list, in an irritating slide-show format, but worth clicking through if you plan to be near Charleston, Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Miami, Dallas, San Diego, Minneapolis, NYC, Alexandria, or any of the locations of California’s Lazy Dog Café. You will also find fun, and great beauty, at The Great Jean-Larose Waterfalls, outside Québec (secret location revealed by the Montecristo Travels team); in Taos, NM (suggestions from Carol Bryant at Fidose of Reality); Stowe, VT (the Take Paws team covered the ground — and the air — thoroughly); Nice, in southern France (the Jet Set Pets team traveled, as always, in style); and Port Townsend, WA (the You Did What With Your Weiner team happily spent a day getting to and scouring Glass Beach).

An alternative to a wheeled carrier, for your larger in-cabin pet

If you have a very small dog — say, under 10 lbs. — you have it made, as far as flying goes. There are any number of charming over-the-shoulder carriers that slip easily under your seat, and if you (like me) have an iffy back, you can find wheeled carriers that also work well. If I were you, I’d buy the Creature Leisure Pet Pilot XL, and call it done. [1/31/13 Phooey!! It looks like this product has been discontinued.] In fact, I did buy the Pet Pilot XL for Chloe — but it’s just a hair too small for a 13 lb. dog. Sadly, so is every other wheeled carrier I’ve found — except the large wheeled Sherpa bag, which is way too vast to fit comfortably under an airplane seat and wobbles horribly behind you if you walk at anything faster than a trudge.

Fine, you say, I’ll just put my dog’s carrier over the handle of a wheeled carry-on, and the carry-on will let me roll with my dog through the airport. Although that’s an excellent solution if you’re traveling with a companion, it won’t work if you’re on your own. Your dog’s carrier officially takes the place of your carry-on, leaving you with room only for a “small personal item” (which has to be stowed in the overhead bin, since your dog’s carrier is in the under-seat space).

So imagine my excitement when I saw, in the Magellan’s catalog, a wheeled carry-on that has a detachable shoulder strap and looks plausibly like a small personal item — here it is on the ground, with its handle extended:

And here it is with handle tucked away, and strap attached:

I’m not going to say it’s small, but it’s no bigger than some purses and backpacks I’ve seen. The strap is the key feature, I think, that makes it seem less like a carry-on — plus, once it’s over a shoulder, the handle and the wheels are out of sight. Roll to the gate, then board with it over your shoulder and your dog’s carrier in your other hand, and I can’t see anyone stopping you. It’s a nice design, too — there’s a big central area, uncluttered by internal pockets or file folders, a Velcro-closed pouch under the lid for your 3-1-1 bag, and several outside pockets. One word of caution: Despite what the product description says, the side pockets could fit a slim umbrella, but a water bottle? Not any water bottle I’ve ever seen.

Actually, two words of caution. Part of the reason the Getaway Wheeled Under-Seat Tote is plausibly purse-like is that it’s not as deep as most carry-on bags. Instead of being 11″ deep, it’s only 7.5″ deep. Chloe’s preferred in-cabin carrier, the large SturdiBag, is 12″ deep, so it sticks out about 4″ when it’s in place above the tote (pet carrier sizes vary, but yours too is likely to stick out a bit). Keep an eye — and, more importantly, a hand — on the assemblage, once your dog’s carrier is resting on top of the tote, so the whole thing doesn’t tip over.

Reader’s tip: Purchase a “comfort seat” for extra space, on airlines that allow it

Earlier this year (okay, much earlier this year), reader Diane sent me a message about how she’d handled a trip from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles with her pup Biscuit. They flew on an Alaska Airlines 737-800 (check out previous Dog Jaunt posts here and here about the under-seat space on an Alaska 737-800), and Diane was concerned that Biscuit’s large Sherpa carrier (19″ long) would be too long even for the middle seat space.

Alaska Airlines, it turns out, allows any passenger to purchase a “comfort seat,” that is, a second seat next to them. Some airlines only permit passengers of size to purchase second seats, but Alaska (and other airlines too, according to this Wall Street Journal article) makes the option available to anyone — and a clever idea it is too, especially on a long flight.

“What I did,” said Diane, “was purchase two seats, the window and the middle (the one-way fare was $129 per seat). This is a new policy on Alaska and it worked out great. The second seat is called a ‘comfort seat’ and the first couple of reservation agents that I spoke to had never heard of it so I had to be persistent (this type of reservation can only be made over the phone). It used to be that you could only purchase two seats if you were unable to comfortably fit within one, not so anymore. Anyone can buy the second seat.”

“The carrier fit under the middle seat pretty well, though I did have to reach under the seat and hold the lifejacket up while I slid the carrier under. Once I did that it was fine. Also, as another person noted, the carrier needs to be turned lengthwise first, which normally would mean encroaching on your neighbor’s space for a second or two but with the comfort seat not an issue.”

Diane wanted, at very least, to have “the option to have the carrier lengthwise once in flight — i.e., completely out from under the seat, lengthwise at my feet, which would not have been possible with a 19″ long carrier and a person next to me.” Things worked out even better than that, however: “The best part about the comfort seat was that during the flight I was able to take the carrier out and put it on the seat so Biscuit could sit right next to me in the carrier. I don’t know if this is technically allowed but the website says that the carrier must remain under the seat during takeoff, taxi and landing — it doesn’t say anything about in flight. In any event, the flight attendants for Alaska are the nicest in the air so it wasn’t a problem. Also, the person sitting on the aisle was very sweet and a ‘dog person.'”

As Diane says, “If you can afford it, this is really a great option and made the flight so much nicer.” Thanks so much for the report, Diane! It’s so helpful to hear details about your trip preparation, and about the day of travel.

International travel: Last-minute glitches on a trip to Finland

Reader Heather wrote to tell me of two glitches in her preparations for international travel with Sisu, her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy. Heather’s husband is Finnish, and they spend time in Finland every year with their children and, this year, their dog.

Heather had all of her ducks in a row — paperwork, timely tapeworm treatment — but couldn’t get Sisu’s travel papers stamped by the local USDA office for two reasons:

Glitch #1: “[M]y dog had a microchip — correct 15-digit type — and got his rabies vaccine after the chip was in place. But the microchip had been placed by my breeder’s vet before I picked him up, and I had no signature or official record of the date. This was extremely important to the USDA official.” Make sure your pet’s chip is properly documented, with signature and date; otherwise, you’ll need to re-chip, and potentially re-vaccinate, your pup.

Glitch #2: “[M]y vet and her two colleagues all claimed to be USDA certified. They were not. All of them had overlooked a new class that needed to be done in order to retain their certification.” Heather suggests “hav[ing] your vet double check with the USDA office that they are still on ‘the list’!” And you can check too, by calling your local USDA office and seeing if your vet is on the list. If not, ask the USDA office for names of certified vets in your area.

This could have been a very sad story, since both problems presented themselves at the last moment, on the Friday before Heather’s Monday departure. I was relieved to see there was a happy ending: “[A]fter a very nervous weekend, I was able to get all the signatures and paperwork in place again, revisited the USDA office at 9am Monday, and boarded our SAS flight with no hitches.”

And the happiest ending of all? “Sisu was a terrific flyer, got to walk around in the Stockholm airport, and relieved himself in Helsinki 12 hours after being put in his Sturdibag. Of course, no one checked his papers when we got there! Sisu is enjoying the freedom of a cabin on an island and will be shocked to return to city life.”

Thank you so much, Heather, for letting me and other Dog Jaunt readers know about these two hazards — and how to avoid them.

Readers’ tips for in-town stuff to do with your dog

This post is distilled from a bunch of wonderful comments that Dog Jaunt readers left as entries in a recent giveaway — you can find them there, of course, but I feared they’d get lost as the memory of the giveaway dims. So here they are, clumped geographically for your convenience:

West Coast

Albany, CA: “We are regulars at Albany Bulb just north of Berkeley — there’s amazing ever-changing art and at one point you’re surrounded by water on three sides, it’s incredible and so relaxing.” (Bruin & pup)

Benicia, CA: ” I personally love walking through our local state park/wildlife preserve on warm spring mornings to catch glimpses of wild quail and pheasant and their young bustling about, while my pup and I take advantage of their endless and challenging hiking trails. My other favorite activity is to take a leisurely stroll down the historic main street in Benicia’s downtown area that is full of dog friendly restaurants and boutiques. Perhaps the dog gems of Benicia are the two off-leash dog beaches at the end of the main street (First Street) where you can play fetch with your dog while watching boats sail by as you watch the sun set under the Carquinez Bridge.” (Alex & pup)

Malibu, CA: “I love taking Wrigley to Malibu Bluffs Park, in Malibu. There’s a great loop for walking, lots of grass for him to sniff and play on, and gorgeous views of the ocean and of Pepperdine University. I also like taking him to Mayor’s Park, in La Canada. Though it’s not technically an off-leash park, it’s fully fenced in, often completely empty on weekdays, and the perfect size to give a small dog a good run.” (Amanda & Wrigley)

Mill Creek, WA: “Alfie (Rat-terrier mix) and I love going into Mill Creek (a small community north of Seattle), where after walking the trail, a mandatory stop at the Paddywack Pet Shop, and a little bit of window shopping, we usually settle down for either a coffee (for me) and a pastry or ice-cream (to share) at the Spotted Cow, or if it’s happy hour, we settle on the patio of McMenamins for a beer (for me) and a burger (to share). Did I mention that both Alfie and I are under strict orders from our respective doctors to lose weight :-)” (Gery & Alfie)

Portland, OR: “Off the top of my head, my favorite things are any sort of ‘festival’ time things that I find on portlandpooch.com – Doggie Dash (OHS fundraiser), Bark for Life (dog version of Relay for Life), Canines Uncorked (wine tasting with activities for your dog), etc! They love it!” (Kelly & pups)

San Diego, CA: “[O]utdoors is his favorite event especially when joining us for brunch at one of the several pet friendly places in San Diego like Empirehouse Urban Palate in Hillcrest. He has never been fed any human food so he behaves himself while we eat. He only barks to greet other dogs.” (Melanio & Apricot)

San Francisco, CA: “Just yesterday, we were shopping downtown in Union Square & all the stores welcome leashed, well-behaved dogs. Biscuit did tricks for the treats the store folks offered. We also love taking the ferry from SF to beautiful Sausalito for a lovely day trip.” (Ivy & Biscuit)

Seattle, WA: “No matter how Seattle cliche it is, walking around Greenlake is still my favorite to do with my dog – and we always end at the dog friendly coffee house whose name I’m forgetting that sells me a cup of tea (iced or hot) and gives Ceri a biscuit.” (Yvette & Ceri)

Western U.S.

Manitou Springs, CO: “My dog Scout – a Lhasa Apso – and I enjoy strolling the streets of Manitou Springs CO. There is plenty of dog friendly shops and dog friendly restaurants to walk to! Scout really enjoys meeting the locals and sitting outside in a cafe. There is always music playing and it is so nice to get outside for the day!” (Jennie & Scout)

Central U.S.

Houston, TX: “The Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens (in Houston) allows dogs as long as they are kept on leash. Owners are expected to clean up after their dogs. It’s a beautiful place, a real haven within the city. My husband does photography as a side business and as a hobby, and it’s always fun to make an outing of it with a picnic afterward. (Not this time of year when the days are 100+ degrees, of course.)” (Catie & pup)

Minneapolis, MN: “Get a burger with the family including Quogue at The Galaxy Drive-In. Where they love pets!” (Pam & Quogue)

Waukesha, WI: “I love to take my dog to Friday Night Live. It’s in downtown Waukesha, Wisconsin. There is live music, lots of dog-friendly people and there are always doggie treats and bowls of water!” (Liz & pup)

Northeastern U.S.

Cambridge, MA: “I love to take my dog browsing at the Harvard Bookstore. The employees there are super friendly and love to give him treats.” (M & pup)

Cambridge, MA: “We like to take our Cavalier to the Fresh Pond Reservoir in Cambridge. The path is partly shaded, chipmunks will scamper past you, and there’s a small dog beach for dogs to swim in!” (Vivian & pup)

New York, NY: “Riverside Park in NYC with a stop at the Pier Cafe at 72nd — SUPER dog friendly dining.” (Kristina & pup)

New York, NY: “We usually start our adventure with shopping in SoHo (for me) then we hit up Petsmart on Broadway & Houston St (for the pup), we make our way up to Union Square and visit the dog park there, followed by a walk & shop thru the Farmer’s Market and we make a stop at Petco on 17 Street. There’s plenty of restaurants around Union Square with outdoor seating, so we have some dinner before walking thru Washington Square park before heading home. By the end of the day, we’re all tired and happy! =)” (Susan & pup)

Rochester, NY: “I love to walk the trails of Tryon Park with my dogs. I usually take one of them with me when I run errands (not so much now that the weather is getting warmer) and we walk the loop around our small downtown area.” (Twylla & pups)

Southeastern U.S.

Bethesda, MD: ” We like to go to Mia’s Pizza in Bethesda. We sit at the outdoor tables, and Bo and Tip each get a chair. They sit happily on their chairs (a nice fine wire mesh) while we eat dinner, drink wine, and watch the world go by. The staff bring over water bowls and dog treats and coo over them. Including Mia, the chef.” (Jennie & Tip & Bo)

Durham, NC:  “Piper enjoys going downtown to catch the Durham Bulls games and for burgers with us at Bull City where she is welcome on the outdoor patio!” (Lizabeth & Piper)

Louisville, KY: “We enjoy taking our dog to the local minor league baseball games. We live in Louisville and 2-3 times a season they have dog days where everyone is welcome to bring their dogs no matter the size. Our dog loves being out with her parents and getting to puppy watch!” (Andrea & pup)

Nashville, TN: “I would take my beagle mix, Oscar, to the dog bakery here in Nashville TN [perhaps this one?]! There are many of these bakeries and they are just so cute!” (Lisa & Oscar)

St. Augustine, FL: “We haven’t had our mini schnauzer puppy long, but we love to take him to any of the outdoor restaurants in downtown St. Augustine. There are a lot of pet friendly patios with water bowls and treats for all the pups.” (Christin & pup)

Washington, D.C.: “I love to bike around the monuments in DC with my dog in my Muttmover (which I bought after reading a review on Dog Jaunt, by the way), and then take pictures of him as a ‘Flat Stanley’ in front of them.” (Betsy & pup)

Washington, D.C.: “On weekend mornings, my husband and I like to walk our dog to Georgetown and visit one of big dog-friendly parks. Afterwards, we would find breakfast/coffee somewhere with an outdoor patio on Wisconsin Ave. Our outings typically end with all of us hopping into a bus, with the dog in the OllyDog Tote (which works well but the straps are too short for my husband’s shoulders), to take us home!” (Jennifer & pup)

General U.S.

“Home Depot seems to be one of his favorites, a very close second to PetSmart. He loves to smell all the plants and flowers at Home Depot and all the attention he gets from everyone!” (Diane & Pico)

International

Belgium: “[W]e love to take our dogs to local canal walking paths where they can ‘chase’ the birds and bark at everything that moves.” (Kate & pups)

Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada: “A nice walk along the Harbour Passage is our favourite in town thing to do. A 3.5 lb Papillon gets lots of attention along the way:)” (Patty & pup)

Edinburgh, Scotland: “[M]y favorite in-town thing in Edinburgh is to walk stretches of the Water of Leith walk. It’s in the middle of the city, but it’s surrounded by greenery and nature. Totally wonderful.” (Gigi & Luna)

Stockholm, Sweden: “Me and my darling Yoko, a 10 lb mixed breed from Spain, usually just stroll around town looking at people or play in one of the many dog-friendly parks.” (Cecilia & Yoko)