Dog Jaunt's new pet travel book is now out! Buy it, or learn more about it here. And please review it on Amazon!

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

This episode of Chloe’s Clicks is long overdue, but I think that just makes it tastier, like giving the lemons more time to infuse the grain alcohol. The oldest link is from Huffington Post, and points you to five dog-friendly hiking trails in and around Los Angeles. Also from Huff Post? A post about three dog-friendly hotels in Portland, OR — I’d add to the list the Heathman Hotel, our favorite, and the funky Ace Hotel.

In the Bay Area, the Mercury News reports that the park service is reviewing its current plan for regulating access for visitors with dogs to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, including the Rancho Corral de Tierra, a new property between the Crystal Springs Reservoir and Moss Beach, where a ranger recently Tasered a dog owner walking his two small dogs off-leash (the area was off-leash until December 2011, when it was incorporated into the GGNRA).

Just a few days later, L.A. musician Arune Kavaliauskaite made the news when she “allegedly attempted to run over an L.A. County park employee who had repeatedly told her to leash her light-colored, mixed-breed dog at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center in Pasadena.” The take-home lesson from all this? Find out what the rules are before you go somewhere with your dog (and rules change, sometimes, from one month to the next); consider, too, that there may be good reasons behind the rules. Even if there aren’t, the place to challenge the rules is not on the trail.

Also on the Left Coast, more or less: Whistler has “gone to the dogs,” according to an msnbc.com article which mentions a couple of dog-friendly hotels (and provides a link to more) and suggests cross-country skiing with your dog at Whistler Olympic Park. Speaking of skiing, the Travels With My Dog team of Helen and Raja recommends Vail, CO, and an Animal Fair post highlights dog-friendly options in Aspen, Sun Valley and Bethel, ME.

Enough of the West Coast — let’s look at Scotland instead, by way of a scotsman.com post (via a tweet from @threestraydogs3) about how more Britons are choosing to vacation at home rather than abroad; many luxury hotels in Scotland are responding by welcoming pets and adding pet-friendly amenities. So far, so good — as one hotel owner points out, “’Most dogs are at least as clean as most humans.’” The BBC clearly thinks things have gone too far, however, at a U.S. hotel (the Loews Coronado Bay Resort, near San Diego) that offers dogs surfing lessons.

Speaking of abroad, a couple from Ormskirk, Lancashire wrote a post about the logistics of bringing Cagney and Lacey, their Yorkshire Terriers, to Spain. Most interesting to me is their observation that it was easy to find dog-friendly hotels in Paris, but hard in Spain. Reflecting on a recent trip to Kenya in a thoughtful article for The Bark, Lisa Wogan regrets treating a couple of feral dogs with the kind of affection she shows her own dog, realizing that her warmhearted gestures altered the norm in a way that might cause them harm.

My eye was caught, too, by a post from the Go Pet Friendly team profiling an individual and two families who are traveling with their dogs to gather material for a book about Americans and their dogs, “to raise awareness about pet therapy and animal rescue,” and to raise funds for financially-strapped military families. Amy Burkert, part of the same Go Pet Friendly team, also wrote a sensible and helpful post about preparing for a road trip with your pet. Less sensible? A blog post by Danielle Steele about emotional support animals. No doubt she meant well, but her post makes it sound easy to convince an airline that your pet qualifies as an ESA, and points out that emotional service animals don’t have to be contained in a carrier, and aren’t subject to the substantial pet fees airlines charge. Given Ms. Steele’s immense popularity, it seems like it would have been more responsible for her to have researched the topic (“You have to have paperwork to back it up, and I’m not sure what that is (maybe a letter from a doctor about being afraid to fly?? I didn’t ask)”). She would have learned that it isn’t easy, or shouldn’t be, to get the certificate an ESA owner must have. Hopefully, the system has enough structure in place to keep it from being misused.

The last link in the collection is to a blog I hadn’t seen before reader Amanda brought it to my attention on Dog Jaunt‘s Facebook page: Ty and Suzanne are sailing the world in Liberty, their 1980 Morgan 461 sloop, along with Rudy, their long-haired Miniature Dachshund, and Rudy the Cruising Canine is not only delightful (the photos! Lordy mercy, the photos!) but seriously useful. Do not miss the Cruising Dog FAQs page or their experiences clearing customs with Rudy.

Photo Friday: Henry, contemplating world travel

This week began with a wonderfully thorough reader’s report from Susan, who researched the heck out of the requirements facing travelers who are entering the U.S. with a pet. I thought you’d like to see the pet behind the research:

Though I adore Chloe, and I know that my life will be, as Dr. Seuss says, Cavaliers all the way down, there are times when the idea of a dog half her size is very appealing. All good wishes to Susan and Monsieur Henri as they prepare for their travels, and I hope they’ll keep us posted.

I also hope you’ll share what you and your dog have done together this week — please post your photos on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page so we can all see them!

Product review: Rain Collar rain jacket for small dogs

This was an impulse purchase. There was a rack of these folded-up rain jackets near the counter at one of our pet stores, the price was right (about $12), and, frankly, I’m a sucker for gear. Too often, my what-the-heck purchases turn out to be WTF purchases, but not this time.

The Rain Collar folds into its own pouch, which snaps around a leash, or around your dog’s collar. Here it is on Chloe’s leash, just below her snap-on poop bag carrier.

Clearly, I’ve gotten over my dislike of things hanging off of Chloe’s leash

Unfolded, it has a hood and closes under the chin with Velcro tabs. They do not interfere with Chloe’s Easy Walk harness, which hooks in front. There is a slot on top of the neck for those kinds of harnesses, but it needs to be snipped open if you’re going to use it (since it’s half-unsnipped, it doesn’t gape open on dogs whose harness fastens in front).

Two elasticized and fabric-covered straps hold the back end onto your dog’s back legs. I was deeply dubious about this feature, but it works — it’s easy to get her legs through the straps, and they don’t appear to interfere with her gait at all. The jacket comes in black and yellow. Both options have a long reflective strip down the center of the back, and around the edge of the hood.

A muddy and damp-eared Chloe in her Rain Collar rain jacket

The only potential awkwardness about the product is the built-in pouch, which rests like a ruff over the back of your dog’s neck. But then, so does your dog’s hood. In any event, Chloe’s never looked annoyed by the fabric behind her ears.

It should be mentioned, too, that the Rain Collar seems to be water-resistant, rather than water-proof. So far that hasn’t been an issue for us, but I wouldn’t choose this raincoat for a long hike in a downpour.

For Chloe, a rain jacket is crucial. She’s a good-tempered, willing and apparently tireless dog — except when she gets wet. Then she stops in her tracks. Combine that with my inability to remember a raincoat for myself, much less her, and you have a recipe for sorrow. Since we snapped the Rain Collar onto Chloe’s leash, we’ve never been unpleasantly surprised by a change in the weather.

Please note that the jacket is for small dogs only. Chloe can get by with a Medium, and did for quite a while, but the Large seems to fit her better (she’s wearing the Large in the picture above). The XL, the largest size offered, is 2.5″ longer than the Large.

Citizen Canine dog-walking hip pack giveaway winner

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway I announced last Monday for a fully-loaded Citizen Canine dog-walking hip pack! I loved your recommendations for dog-friendly restaurants, attractions and hotels — which I’ll list below, so they’re more easily found than in the comments on the giveaway post — and I loved your enthusiasm. Several of you entered the giveaway in every way possible, and many of you sent in three or four entries.

The winner, in fact, is one of those people: Catherine entered the giveaway by friending Dog Jaunt and liking it on Facebook, signing up for the RSS feed, and, of course, posting her suggestion. In fact, she had two: “Camp Dogwood in Ingleside, Illinois, an awesome place for a long weekend with your dog playing every dog sport/activity you could think of,” and a “bonus recommendation — The Ace Hotel in Portland, Oregon…welcomed my Zeke with open arms.” Thanks, Catherine!

Here are your other recommendations, grouped by region:

Northeastern U.S.

“In Portland, Maine there are two wonderful dog-friendly stores: Videoport for all of your home viewing needs, and Longfellow Books for your reading pleasure. It’s nice to be able to bring your dog into a store and browse sometimes, you know? Also, the Snug is a popular local bar where your dog can join you while you socialize. Fun!”

“One of the best places to vacation with your dog is the Lazy Dog Inn in Tamworth, New Hampshire. I have stayed there a week at a time for the past 3 years and it’s wonderful. It’s a B&B so you get breakfast cooked by the owner.”

Southeastern U.S.

“Lost Dog Café in Arlington, Northern Virginia goes above and beyond many of our local restaurants who welcome our four-legged friends in outdoor patio seating with biscuits, treats, and water bowls. In summer, most of the restaurants we enjoy frequenting give the dogs clean stainless steel bowls of ICE water. Yes, the dogs get way better service than we do! Lost Dog Café takes dog-friendly further, rescuing and adopting out abandoned cats and dogs for 13 years. The décor and menu items such as Whippet Pie and The Catahoula remind patrons of the café’s mission. That is the epitome of dog-friendly and a yummy restaurant animal lovers can feel good patronizing.”

“Buster and I enjoy Currituck Heritage Park in Corolla, North Carolina. They have huge fields for a dog to run and play with other dog friends, chase balls or frisbees, and practice training or agility. It is bordered by the Currituck Sound which is a great place for some wet and mucky fun after your dog has worked up a sweat. Your dog can swim or lay in the shade under the live oaks while you fish or crab. On Wednesdays during the summer they have wine festivals, no drinking for dogs allowed, but there you will meet one dog lover after another and their four-legged friends. Wine tasting, live music and lots of new faces and ‘butts’ will make Wednesdays you and your dog’s favorite day of the week!”

“Mainstay Suites in Clarksville, TN. When our house burned down in December, Shiloh and I stayed at Mainstay for a month and they were very dog friendly. It’s hard to find hotels that accept large dogs, but the Mainstay doesn’t discriminate against big dogs, and there were dogs of all sizes and weights staying there when we were there.”

“In Harrisonburg, VA, we like to stay at Candlewood Suites Harrisonburg. There’s also the Harrisonburg Dog Park, which is located at 2702 Spotswood Trail, Harrisonburg, VA. There’s also great hiking right near by, which our dog LOVES!”

“Love taking Piper to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, NC during Bark at the Park. She loves getting her own seat and watching the action on the field!”

Midwestern U.S.

“Over here in Chicago, IL we have Navy Pier that is dog friendly.”

“I’m not sure if I consider it terribly dog-friendly, but our local restaurants (Lafayette, IN) Panera Bread Co. and Dairy Queen allow the dogs to be in the outdoor seating areas as long as they’re not making a nuisance of themselves. They’ve even been kind enough to give us water for the dog’s water bowls. I guess dog-tolerant is how I think of it, rather than dog-friendly (you’re not encouraged to do this…).”

“The patio at Big Chief Dakota Grill in Wildwood, Missouri.”

Southwestern U.S.

“For a year now, a group of CGC graduates and owners get together on the patio of a wonderful Mexican restaurant. El Chapparo is on 1488 in Magnolia, TX. The staff there have been generous in their accommodations and care of our 4-legged companions. They have shown genuine interest in our dogs and happily bring them ice water upon our arrival.”

Western U.S.

“For flyball tournaments, we always stay at Motel 6. Reasonable rates and dog friendly areas! As for a restaurant, well not many in Salt Lake City. However, our local coffee huts always have extra treats for my dogs!”

“My contribution is to let you know that Mt. Baker is a great attraction a bit north of you that offers pet friendly hiking. You can check out more about here: http://gopetfriendlyblog.com/dog-friendly-hiking-at-mount-baker/“

And a shout-out, too, to the reader who recommended…her own house (she fosters dogs):

“I’ve pulled out all the carpets, replaced cloth furniture with leather (easier to clean up marking when new dog is added), baby gates in half of all doors, and two “dog” rooms (one is a bedroom with 10 crates of various sizes to accommodate various sizes where the dogs sleep, and the other is a family room with a large leather chaise & TV where we hang in the evenings). I’ve got frozen meat bones, 5 different cookies at any given time in addition to human food that serves as cookies (cheese, blueberries, etc), and enough piggy cigar rolls to last at least a month…for those times we get snowed in! I frequently have girls night out at my place – which enables the dogs to be socialized while my friends get their fill of doggies and wine in a relaxed casual inexpensive environment!”

Thank you again, and stay posted. I’ll be reviewing a really wonderful carrier soon, and then giving it away to a Dog Jaunt reader.

Bringing a pet into the United States: A reader’s research

Last week I posted a report by reader Marianne about her return to the U.S. from Ireland with her Miniature Poodle. I referenced a post I’d written in October 2010 about the hoops you need to jump through to import a pet. This weekend, I returned to my in-box and found a gem of a message on the same topic, from reader Susan — she’s a lawyer, bless her, so when she’s confronted with a collection of odd federal and state requirements (not to mention the requirements of entities like airlines and pet transport companies), she digs IN, by God. And we all profit, because she very kindly shared what she calls her “treatise” with me, for posting on Dog Jaunt. Here it is:

Federal Law

The Department of Homeland/US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) summarizes the U.S. custom requirements for importation of live animals and animal products at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/clearing/agri_prod_inus.xml.

The CBP website refers individuals interested in importing pets to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) website for specific information on import requirements. That website contains an excellent summary of which federal agencies regulate the importation of animals. (Be sure to follow the link for “Pets” under “Import an Animal or Animal Product”.) For further information or clarification on the importation of live animals, you can also call APHIS at (301) 734-3277 or email at: [email protected] or [email protected].

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is the primary (but not only) federal agency imposing documentation requirements on the importation of pets into the United States. You can obtain further information on the CDC regulations at http://www.cdc.gov/animalimportation/ or you can call the CDC at 1-800-232-4636.

Pursuant to CDC regulations, dogs must have a certificate showing they have been vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days prior to entry into the United States. These requirements apply equally to service animals. A pet dog is subject to 30 days confinement (i.e., quarantine) if the vaccine was performed fewer than 30 days before arrival. The CDC website does not set forth the required form of the rabies certificate but the CBP publication referred to below states that the rabies certificate must (i) be in English, (ii) identify the animal and the date of administration and expiration of the vaccine, and (iii) be signed by a licensed veterinarian. If you are returning to the U.S. before your dog’s U.S. rabies vaccine expires, your original rabies certificate should suffice. (Note: There is no vaccination regulation for cats.)

The CDC does not require general certificates of health for pets for entry into the United States. However, health certificates may be required for entry into some states, or may be required by airlines (see below).

Notwithstanding the lack of a requirement for a health certificate, pet dogs are subject to inspection at the first U.S. port of entry and may be denied entry into the United States if they have evidence of an infectious disease that can be transmitted to human. So, perhaps possession of a health certificate could be useful to persuade a customs inspector of the dog’s good health if there is any doubt. If a dog appears to be ill upon initial inspection, further examination by a licensed veterinarian at the owner’s expense might be required at the port of entry. Note: Pursuant to U.S. Customs rules, all travelers entering the United States are required to DECLARE any animals they may be carrying to U.S. Customs agents upon entry. The declaration must cover all animals carried in checked baggage, carry-on luggage, or in a vehicle. It is through this declaration process that I assume the health inspection will be triggered.

In addition to the CDC-required rabies certificate, the following special circumstances may apply to dogs.

  1. If the dog is coming from a country where “screwworm” is a known problem (no European country was listed on the APHIS list of known screwworm countries as of January 1, 2012), USDA APHIS regulations state that entry into the United States is possible if they meet the following requirements:
    1. The dog must be accompanied by a certificate signed by a full-time salaried veterinary official of the region of origin stating that the dog has been inspected for screwworm within 5 days prior to shipment to the United States.
    2. The certificate must state that the dog is either free from screwworm or was found to be infested with screwworm and was held in quarantine and treated until free from screwworm prior to leaving the region.
  2. If the pet is coming from a country where foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is prevalent, APHIS advises owners to take the following precautions to prevent the introduction of FMD from pets entering the United States:
    1. The feet, fur, and bedding of the pets should be free of any excessive dirt or mud.
    2. The pet’s bedding should be free of any straw or hay, or other natural bedding.
    3. The pet should be bathed as soon as it reaches its final destination.
    4. The pet should be kept separate and apart from all livestock for at least 5 days after entry into the United States.
  3. Per the APHIS website, the U.S. Department of Agriculture also has certain restrictions on the importation of dogs. Collies, shepherds, and other dogs that are imported from any part of the world except Canada, Mexico, and regions of Central America and the West Indies and that are to be used in the handling of livestock must be inspected and quarantined at the port of entry for a sufficient time to determine their freedom from tapeworm.

For additional information in addition to the CBP, CDC and APHIS websites listed in this section, the CBP has issued a useful, albeit poorly cited, publication summarizing various federal regulations applicable to the importation of pets into the United States. The information is consistent with the information contained on the APHIS and CDC websites.

State Law

In addition to compliance with U.S. federal law, you must comply with the relevant import laws of any U.S. state into which you take your animal.

Depending on your route, you may have to comply with multiple state requirements. You should review any published regulations from the relevant state and/or call the State veterinarian’s office to determine the appropriate form of any certificate that may be required.

Be sure to check whether any state you pass through via a connecting flight has an exemption for that purpose (for example, New York has a partial exemption — see below) so you can forego compliance. I’ve summarized a few states below based on my potential routes:

For entry into New York, a health certificate is required and must accompany the dog. In addition, a copy must be mailed to the New York Department of Agriculture prior to the entry of the dog into New York. See the address in the link below. The health certificate shall list (i) the date of examination, (ii) the breed, sex and age of the pet, (iii) the state or country of origin, and (iv) the complete name and address of the consignee and consignor (i.e. owner if the pet is accompanying you). The certificate shall also speak to the health of the animal (see link below for specifics) and must certify that a rabies vaccine has been administered within the previous 12 months. (The latter part makes it unlikely that the dog’s original three-year rabies certificate will work for a return trip through New York if it has been more than one year since vaccination.) The examination supporting the certificate must be within 30 days of entry into New York. Note if New York is not your final destination: Dogs are exempt from the health certificate requirement if they are passing through the State of New York to points beyond provided that the dog is at all times properly restrained and under the immediate control of its owners and is accompanied by evidence of its rabies vaccination. See: http://www.agriculture.ny.gov/AI/Part65.pdf

For entry into California, dogs must be healthy to be moved into California. Dogs over four (4) months of age must be accompanied by a current certificate of rabies vaccination. A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection is recommended, but not required. See: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov//ahfss/Animal_Health/Entry_Requirements.html

For entry into Illinois, the state requires a “Certificate of Veterinary Inspection issued within 30 days, showing freedom from disease, originate in non-rabies quarantined area, and dogs 16 weeks of age and older vaccinated against rabies. Rabies vaccination to have been administered within the time period published in the current Compendium of Animal Rabies Vaccines prepared by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc.” http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_import/downloads/il.html

It is my educated guess that any certificate that contains the same information as the United States Interstate and International Certificate of Health Examination for Small Animals (APHIS Form 7001) will likely be sufficient for most/all states that require a health certificate (but possibly not New York due to mention of external parasites in the NY statute that is not set forth on Form 7001). But note that even if one form of health certificate works for all states, it is still important to check each state’s regulations because the dating requirement for the health certificate may differ state to state.

APHIS has a very handy webpage summarizing the various import rules for the individual states and providing direct links to state government websites (which is how I did the research for the three states listed above). However, the APHIS summary is not controlling law and should not be relied on if you want to be careful. Each state’s regulations should be consulted directly for confirmation of all regulations. [There are links to each state’s rules at the bottom of the APHIS page Susan references; please also note that in the middle of the page there’s a link to “State veterinarian,” so you can confirm that you have the most current rules — and ask any questions you have about them — for the state(s) on your itinerary.]

Transport Companies

As with the exportation of animals, you must comply with all documentation requirements of the transport company you are using for the importation of your pet into the United States. In many cases, a health certificate will be required.

Susan notes: “For some reason, even though the links are correct and I double checked, typing some of the government links into your internet address bar will deliver an error (seems to be the ones with ‘xml’). If that is the case, go to the main page for the agency and do an appropriate search to find the page (i.e., go to cbp.gov and just type ‘import agriculture products’ into the search box).”

Importing Meat Products

And if all that wasn’t enough, Susan added a very helpful note about importing meat products into the U.S.:

“U.S. Customs prohibits the importation of all meat or meat products into the United States, including dried (as an example, soup containing beef broth is technically forbidden). So it is likely forbidden to import your dog’s food into the U.S. If you need to carry some food with you for the journey, you should probably leave any excess onboard the plane or discard in a trash bin upon arrival. If you forget and are carrying it when you get to customs (after picking up your luggage), you should DECLARE it to the customs agents and it will be confiscated (or possibly cleared if it turns out it is not prohibited). Declaring it will not get you in trouble. But if you don’t declare the dog food, you could be subject to significant fines.”

I am speechless with gratitude — all I can say is thank you, dear lady. Susan is planning a long trip abroad with Henry, her Chihuahua (picture on Friday!), and I sincerely hope she’ll continue to share the results of her ongoing research.

Photo Friday: Whiskey in Florida, and a report from Amelia Island

Reader Shaye wrote to me last year — oh, you know the sad story of my in-box by now — and sent me this glorious shot of Whiskey (see what I did there?), her tricolor Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, running alongside a Florida canal.

What she didn’t send was a picture of Whiskey on Amelia Island, where she’d just spent a week, because she’d gone to the island thinking it wouldn’t be dog-friendly. Here’s her report:

“I just finished spending a week at Amelia Island right on the northeastern tip of Florida. This little island is a beach-lover’s paradise and has some of the most wonderful examples of late 1800’s architecture in the state.

When it was suggested I should visit Amelia Island, I asked about the city’s dog policies and whether it would be possible to bring my Cavalier. The person I spoke with was unfamiliar with whether dogs were allowed on the beaches, in the hotels, or in the local shops on the main street. Because of this, I chose to leave Whiskey with his dog buddy Jack.

After arriving, I headed out to Fernandina Beach and was surprised to see at least three dogs (all on leashes) walking in the surf, catching balls, or sitting next to their owners watching the gulls.

One of Shaye's beach photos from Amelia

It turned out that the island was incredibly dog friendly. Over the course of several days I saw dogs welcomed into shops with treats, dogs taking in the sights on a carriage ride, a cute Bichon eating a late dessert on the patio of a bistro, and countless dogs taking walks in the morning and evening up and down the beach. Each time I drove to the little downtown area it was clear that people loved dogs of all sizes. However, some of the shops with more delicate items (antiques) may ask for the dogs to wait outside. I did take a sunset boat tour and it appears that dogs are allowed at no additional charge.

This little town is charming and all the more beautiful for the way it seems to embrace dog owners.

As for where you can stay with your dogs, the hotel I was at did not accept them. However, I did stop a couple with a Briard about where they were staying. Apparently, some of the small beach cottages—right on the shore—do accept dogs with a reasonable deposit. In their case it was $50.”

My mother-in-law is passionate about Amelia Island, so it’s on our list of places to go. I’d look for the pet-friendly beach cottages Shaye mentioned (here’s an adorable one from vrbo.com), but I’d also be drawn to The Hoyt House, a B&B which accepts pets (though a damage waiver is required) and looks lovely. The sunset cruise I found on-line is run by Amelia River Cruises and is pet-friendly.

Thanks so much for your message, Shaye! I like the idea of you and Whiskey going back to Amelia (and I really like the idea of us going there with Chloe). I should apologize again for my delay in posting your report, but the fact is that a Florida vacation sounds even better now, on a grey day in Seattle, than it did back in October….

Reader’s report: Entering the U.S., and transferring to a domestic flight, with an in-cabin dog

Back in October 2010, I wrote a post about the documents you need to re-enter the U.S. with your in-cabin dog. The CDC writes the rules for this situation, and they could be clearer. The CDC does not have any particular form in mind for the rabies certification incoming dogs are required to have. Similarly, if you’re continuing on a U.S. flight and your domestic carrier requires a general certificate of health, it’s not clear what that document should look like.

Reader Marianne faced this situation last fall when she contemplated returning to the U.S. from Ireland with Finn, her Miniature Poodle. They flew on Delta from Dublin to Atlanta, and then from Atlanta to Detroit. Here’s her report on how she handled it:

“The day we flew home, I took Finn for an hour-long walk, then he went into his carrier and we drove to the [Dublin] airport. The only ‘hassle’ was going from the check-in desk to the customer service desk to pay the $200 fee. No one looked at him, weighed or measured him. We got through security pretty easily (if I had not left my cell phone in my pocket, we would have gotten thru on the first pass!). As I was putting Finn back in the carrier, security asked me to wait a minute, then one of the officials came over and wanted to know if the airline knew I was bringing a dog! I showed him the receipt, and he sent me on my way.

Then came US Customs and Immigration [Dublin is one of the world’s airports where U.S. Customs has a border preclearance facility — you go through U.S. Customs at the airport, before you board your plane to the U.S.]. I was sent to agricultural inspection to have Finn checked out. They asked to see my paperwork. There was never any info on the US Customs page about paperwork, but I was prepared. I used my computer to make up a form showing Finn’s rabies information, his healthiness to be able to fly, signed by my vet, and a statement that I was the legal owner. I included a photo of Finn on the paperwork.

That seemed to satisfy them, but they took away the little bit of dog food I had, and one bag of treats. I pleaded that I needed treats to keep him happy on the flight, so they let me keep one of the bags if I promised to dispose of it when I got to the US.

I left and got ready to board the plane, without the paperwork — Customs kept it. I was worried about needing it for the Atlanta-Detroit segment, but was never asked for it at any time by anyone other than US Customs.”

I want to highlight a couple of things in Marianne’s message. First is the information she included in the document she created for her vet to sign — my contact at the CDC told me that the document should include a statement that your dog has been vaccinated against rabies (with the particulars of the vaccine used) on X date (which must be at least 30 days prior to re-entry), and it must be signed by a veterinarian. Marianne also had her vet sign a statement about Finn’s general health, and she included a statement of ownership and a photo of Finn. Given the vagueness of some airlines’ requirements for a general health certificate, that kind of thoroughness makes sense — the resulting document will work for both situations you expect to encounter.

My second point was made tacitly by Marianne: Make a couple of copies of your paperwork, so you have extras when and if the customs agent keeps a set. It doesn’t surprise me that Delta didn’t ask for Finn’s paperwork (per the airline’s website, “Delta does not require a health certificate for carried-on or checked pets”), but it is within the realm of the possible that someone else would have demanded it (the entire sentence from Delta’s site reads “While Delta does not require a health certificate for carried-on or checked pets, upon arrival, the certificate may be required by the state”). Indeed, it’s within the realm of the possible that a Delta agent, unfamiliar with his/her airline’s policy, might have asked for documentation.

Thanks so much, Marianne, for sending the details about your trip back to the U.S.! I hope Finn and Cookie, your Standard Poodle, have become friends by now.

Giveaway: Tom Bihn Citizen Canine hip pack ($100 value)

Last week I posted a review of the new Citizen Canine hip/waist pack from Seattle company Tom Bihn. I liked everything about it except its price (and even that I could live with) and its lack of a way to hold a water bottle (and I came up with a workaround for that). I flat-out loved how it would organize the double-handful of objects I bring with us to dog parks: ChuckIt! launcher, two small ChuckIt! balls, water bottle, leash, and my car keys.

One lucky Dog Jaunt reader won’t have to worry a bit about its price, because I’m giving away the fully tricked-out hip pack that Tom Bihn sent me. They won’t have to worry about the water bottle problem either, because I stopped in REI and bought an S-biner (size 4), that will let you hook your dog’s water bottle onto your new hip pack. The total value of the package is $100, and here’s what it includes: A Kiwi green Citizen Canine hip pack, the optional waist strap, the optional Guardian Dual Function light (with extra lanyard, in case you want to detach the light from the hip pack and clip it onto something else), the optional Krebs Recycle Leash, a Size 4 S-biner, and an extra roll of compostable poop bags.

Thanks so much to Tom Bihn, which sent me the packet in the full knowledge that I would be giving it away to a reader (it’s Dog Jaunt policy to give away products I receive that are worth more than $50), and made sure that it included all the bells and whistles.

How To Enter

One lucky reader can win. If you would like a chance to win, leave a comment telling me about a dog-friendly restaurant, attraction or hotel before 11:59 PM PST on Monday, February 6, 2012. Please fill in the e-mail field of the comment form (your e-mail address isn’t shared with anyone, and I will not send you e-mail unless you win).

How to Earn More Chances to Win

There are more ways you can get additional entries in this contest. Each takes only a few minutes!

  • “Like” Dog Jaunt on Facebook, and leave another comment to tell me that you did. You can do this by clicking on the “Like” button near the top of the sidebar on the left side of this page.
  • “+1” Dog Jaunt on Google+, and come back here to tell me that you did. The +1 button is directly above the Facebook “Like” button, near the top of the sidebar.
  • Become a friend of Dog Jaunt by “liking” its Facebook page, then leave a comment and tell me you’ve done so. To reach Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page, click on the square blue Facebook icon at the top of the sidebar. I use the Facebook page to share how-tos, tips, news articles, and giveaways. As you’ll see, it has different content from the blog, and there’s a lot of direct contact with, and between, Dog Jaunt readers.
  • +1 Dog Jaunt’s Google page, then leave a comment telling me you’ve done so. To reach Dog Jaunt’s Google+ page, click on the square orange Google icon at the top of the sidebar. I’ve just started Dog Jaunt’s Google+ page, and I plan to post the same stuff on there that I do on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page.
  • Subscribe to Dog Jaunt’s RSS feed by e-mail, using the button near the top of the sidebar. Leave another comment telling me you did.

Announcing the winner

I will choose a winner randomly and announce the results here and in Dog Jaunt’s Twitter feed on Wednesday, February 8, 2012.

Rules

Please, only one comment per person per giveaway post (except as outlined above where the comment is related to an extra entry). Duplicate comments and anonymous comments will be discarded. Please make sure that the e-mail address in your comment form is valid (e-mail addresses are never public). Winners must claim their prize within three business days after the date of notification of such prize. A sweepstakes winner’s failure to respond to the prize notification and provide a shipping address within the specified three business days will be considered such sweepstakes winner’s forfeiture of the prize and an alternate winner may be selected from the pool of eligible entries. If an entrant is found to be ineligible, an alternate winner may also be selected from the pool of eligible entries. To enter, you must be a U.S. resident, age 18 or older. Employees, partners and vendors of Dog Jaunt and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter. We will disqualify any entries that we believe are generated by scripts and other automated technology. When applicable, the winner may be required to execute and return within five business days an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability and Publicity Release to be eligible for the prize or an alternate winner will be selected. All prizes will be awarded. No substitutions including for cash are permitted, except that Dog Jaunt reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater monetary value for any prize. Winners shall be responsible and liable for all federal, state and local taxes on the value of their prize.

P.S. If you like this giveaway, and want to share it with your friends, please use one (or more!) of the buttons below.

Reader’s report: Flying with an in-cabin dog on an Alaska Airlines Bombardier Q400 and 737 (-800 series)

The last piece of the report Jen and Troy sent from their trip to California’s Shenandoah Valley wine country focused on their plane flights from Belllingham to Seattle on a Bombardier Q400 (Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air/Hawaiian Airlines), and from Seattle to Sacramento on a 737 (-800 series).

Bombardier Q400 (Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air/Hawaiian Airlines)

“From Bellingham we boarded a Bombardier Q400 turboprop plane with Sophie in her large SturdiBag. The small seats are four across, in two pairs, and there are about 20 rows to accommodate about 80 passengers. The airplane is very fast, smooth, and quiet, as opposed to many other turboprop planes. The actual airtime between Bellingham and Seattle was 20 minutes, although with boarding taxiing, etc. it took about an hour to get from airport to airport. Fortunately, the under-seat space is completely undivided, so Sophie’s carrier fit sideways with ample room to accommodate our large carry-on backpack, too. I don’t think that the SturdiBag would fit as well lengthwise under the seat even though we took [Dog Jaunt’s] advice and cut off the inch of the board underneath.”

Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air/Hawaiian Airlines 737 (-800 series)

“We took the optional upgrade option on this second flight from Seattle to Sacramento because it’s more comfortable for us, and because another reader had noted in a post that there was space between the seats in first-class to accommodate the carrier. There was A LOT of room, as you can see in the picture I included. Her carrier fit lengthwise completely under the seat.

Sophie (along with a new plush squeaky toy and two bully sticks) in her large SturdiBag, oriented front-to-back under a First Class seat on an Alaska Airlines 737-800

Again, our little Sophie slept like a proverbial angel throughout the flight. We flew coach for the return flight and her carrier fit just fine beneath the middle seat.”

All of this is good news, especially the part where Sophie snoozed through her flights. Jen and Troy were completely unhappy, however, with what they saw of Alaska Airlines’ cargo service:

“We checked Sophie’s hard-sided small Grreat Choice Pet Carrier filled with her non-essential gear at Bellingham International Airport. We made that choice because it’s what Sophie is used to and we wanted to be able to leave her contained for a few hours from time to time and not worry about her trying to escape her SturdiBag. We noticed a woman checking her German Shepherd in an extra-large hard-sided carrier at the same time. Upon arrival in Sacramento, Alaska had lost both our carrier and the woman’s German Shepherd. It was a long and stressful hour for us and the other passenger before they finally found her dog and our dog carrier.

Sophie’s Grreat Choice Carrier was in perfect condition when we checked it in Bellingham, and it was dramatically broken when they returned it to us in Sacramento.

Sophie is not at all pleased about her broken crate

Since it was still semi-useable and we were in a hurry, we didn’t raise the issue with Alaska, but being so careless as to ruin her carrier was a large mark against them in our book.”

Thank you again, Jen — this time for the under-seat information and for the heads-up about Alaska Airlines’ handling of your luggage and another traveler’s dog. I’ve added this post to Dog Jaunt’s ongoing series recording under-seat plane measurements. 

Product review: New dog-walking hip pack from Tom Bihn

The last dog-walking hip bag I really liked was the OllyDog Walker, but it’s no longer available and there are days — especially hot days — when I look at it and think dang, that’s huge. I was happy, therefore, to catch a glimpse of the Citizen Canine, a new waist pack from Tom Bihn. Tom Bihn is a Seattle company I love — we own a range of their products, including their TSA-friendly laptop bag, the Imago messenger bag I carried around Paris, and a slew of organizing pouches. I wrote to the company and asked if they’d send me a Citizen Canine to review. I have not been paid for this review, and I did not promise (and Tom Bihn did not request) that it would be positive. Because the Canine Citizen costs more than $40, I will be giving the entire packet Tom Bihn sent me (total value: $95) to one lucky Dog Jaunt reader. I’ll provide the giveaway details in a separate post on Monday, January 30.

The Tom Bihn products we own are beautifully designed and very well made. They wear like iron. They’re also costly, but given their advantages, that’s been a downside I can accept. So it is with the Citizen Canine.

The pack, made of ballistic nylon twill, measures 6.5″ tall, 5.5″ wide, and 3″ deep. I was given my choice, so of course I requested a vibrant lime green (“Kiwi”) twill, lined with a purple check; the pack also comes in black, forest green, gray, navy, and cardinal red.

The top 2/3 of the pack is a compartment with a drawstring top that is primarily meant to hold treats but can hold a ChuckIt! ball (or two of the small ones). Back when we were taking Chloe to obedience classes, the treat pouch would have been welcome — it stays open nicely, so you can quickly reach in, even in mid-walk. These days, the ChuckIt! ball option is more useful. In fact, the opening is wide and deep enough to hold a small H2O4K9 water bottle (the Frog Green bottle matches the Kiwi Canine Citizen, by the way) or a small Gulpy water bottle, but since the bottle might fall out when I bend over, it’s not a perfect option. My preference, as you’ll see, is to hook the water bottle on the side of the Canine Citizen.

The bottom third of the pack holds a roll of poop bags, which dispense via a toothed plastic grommet. Normally, poop bag grommets don’t work because the roll of bags gets wedged inside its compartment. Every other poop bag dispenser I own has to be zipped open so I can unwind the next bag by hand. That’s not tragic, of course, but what joy to find that Tom Bihn’s dispenser actually dispenses poop bags smoothly and reliably. The secret is a center rod that holds the roll of bags like a roll of toilet paper. It works like a charm.

There’s a small pocket above the poop bag grommet; on the other side of the bag, there’s a deeper pocket that will easily hold a cell phone. I hesitate to call either side the front or back, because on the deep-pocket side is a strap onto which you can clip an (optional) Guardian Dual Function light (flashing or steady, depending on how you orient the battery). If I were walking at night, I’d certainly put that side outwards; otherwise, I’d be likely to put the poop bag side outwards for easy access.

The Canine Citizen comes with a shoulder strap. I’m not a fan of shoulder straps, so I was happy to see that Tom Bihn had sent me the optional waist strap, which works well. Please note that it’s devilishly difficult to get the shoulder strap off the hip pack, but it can be done. Whichever option you choose, you’ll end up with a pair of available, unused twill loops (since I’m a waist-strap gal, my unused loops would be the ones on the short sides of the pack). I suggest that you buy a large S-biner (at least a size 4) and pass one end through a loop, allowing you to hook a water bottle onto the other end.

Both kinds of straps have two “leash clips” attached to them, which are sized to hold a(n optional) Krebs Recycle Leash. We have one, it turns out (I’ve long gotten over my concern about trigger-style clips), but Tom Bihn sent me one, and it fits securely in the clips.

The shoulder strap is still attached because I didn't have the energy to take it off for the photo, then put it back on for the lucky winner of the upcoming giveaway. Imagine that it's not there. Please note that I'm wearing the pack with the flashlight (and phone pocket) side facing outwards.

This is a feature I can get behind. When we go to the dog park, I find myself juggling leash, water bottle, ChuckIt! launcher, and at least two ChuckIt! balls — this pack would corral the mess. In fact, the clips are sized to secure a ChuckIt! launcher:

Here I am, demo-ing the shoulder strap option (ignore the waist straps, still attached). You can carry the ChuckIt! launcher on the waist strap too -- it lies horizontally across your butt.

I thoroughly approve of this hip pack. Its only flaw, as far as I’m concerned, is that it doesn’t have a water bottle solution — but I can live with either of my workarounds. At $55 (plus shipping), it is pricey. If you spring for all the add-ons (leash, light, waist strap), you’ll be paying $95 (plus shipping). The workmanship and design are impressive, however, and I know from experience with our other Tom Bihn bags that it will stand up to a heck of a lot of use and abuse.