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

I have a small but choice selection of dog travel links for you this week. Starting on the East Coast, check out offManhattan‘s list of five dog-friendly NYC bars (in Williamsburg, Long Island City, Brooklyn, Park Slope and Red Hook). Moving briskly westwards, we land in Albuquerque — Robin Soslow, writing for PETA Prime, reports (after a visit with Petunia, her pit bull) that the city is packed with dog-friendly activities and eateries. Another hop, and we’re on the West Coast, following Kimpton Crawl‘s posts about their travels. They’re all good, but don’t miss their answer to the question “Just How Dog-Friendly is California?”

Speaking of moving around the country, Have Dog Blog Will Travel posted a useful overview of the how-tos of dog airplane travel (including a very kind mention of Dog Jaunt!).

Speaking of staying in dog-friendly hotels, here’s a pair of posts you need to see. One, a guest post on Will My Dog Hate Me, was written by Juliette Morgan, a former hotel general manager, who enjoyed her canine guests, and points out that travelers with dogs are an increasingly important source of hotel revenue. I particularly like her suggestion that travelers who are disappointed to learn that a particular hotel doesn’t welcome dogs tell the hotel — nicely, of course — that they would have liked to visit, but were forced by the no-dogs policy to take their business elsewhere.

The other, a guest post on Take Paws written by Raising Ruby‘s Christine Gillow, describes being assigned a filthy room in a dog-friendly Aspen hotel. I like the post for its essential point (that the rooms assigned to dog owners must — MUST — be clean, and hotel management must treat dog owners as graciously as any other guest), for its description of how Christine dealt with the most un-gracious hotel management I’ve ever read about, and for the tips it provides on how to avoid this kind of situation.

Photo Friday: Pammy the Port-a-Pug

I rounded the corner in my neighborhood bookstore yesterday and found myself nose to cardboard nose with Pammy the Port-a-Pug. The kit is published by Chronicle Books, which asserts that Pammy and her littermates have “all the perks and benefits of real dog ownership without the exhausting cleanup or the expensive upkeep” and — here’s the part that caught my attention, of course — are “easy to transport.”

The kit contains everything a cardboard dog might need (including a dog bowl, food, water, bones, and a dog bed), and at 11.9L x 7.1H x 2.1W will easily fit under any airplane seat.

What have you and your non-cardboard pup been up to together this week? Please post your photos on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page so we can all enjoy them!

Amazon link:
Port-a-Pug

Reader’s report: Flying with an in-cabin dog on TAP between Switzerland and Portugal

Remember reader Meg, whose Jack Russell Terrier puppy named Cooper was featured in a Photo Friday not too long ago? (Here he is again, because I can’t get enough of this picture.) She wrote to me initially because she was planning a trip with him, on Portugal’s TAP airline, from Geneva to Lisbon. She was kind enough to send a follow-up report, and here it is:

Regarding the flights, both went very smoothly. Cooper was above the weight limit [TAP’s maximum weight for an in-cabin dog plus carrier is 7 kg, or 15 lbs.] and on the first flight the check-in guy asked us to weigh him — I almost had a panic attack. But I think that because Cooper is small and the carrier bag was within the required size he didn’t say anything, he just charged us for the maximum weight.

On the flight back it was even better — it helps when the people at the check-in like dogs. There were two free check-in counters and I chose the one where the guy was just beaming looking at Cooper. His first question was: “That’s the dog from ‘The Mask,’ right?” He didn’t even weigh him — he just asked us for Cooper’s weight and I said in a faint voice “7 kg” and he replied “You said 5 kg, right?” So I even paid less…

On the flight to Lisbon there were at least three dogs on board and one cat. Everyone at TAP was really nice, one of the air hostesses even came and petted Cooper! We were even allowed to have the bag slightly open during the flight so he could pop his head out… Too bad in Portugal dogs can’t go anywhere…as opposed to Switzerland where dogs are allowed pretty much everywhere (shops, restaurants, trains, buses…).

I know very little about European carriers, aside from the ones that are imported to the U.S. (PetEgo is the foreign brand I see the most), so I was interested to learn about the carrier Meg chose for Cooper:

I couldn’t find the carrier bag you recommended [I had recommended the large SturdiBag], so I bought this one instead: http://www.qualipet.ch/shop/nylon-tragtasche-divina-gross-rot.html. The carrier didn’t seem as comfortable as yours, but it’s very light, so it helps for the weight limit. It was the only one where Cooper could fit in and we just bought it the weekend before travelling (as Cooper is a puppy and still growing we decided to buy at the last possible moment…though I hope he won’t grow much more).

Cooper could easily turn inside the bag, and sleep lying on his side, so he was quite comfortable. We also had the pleasant surprise of finding out, after we had made our decision to buy it, that it was the cheapest one: CHF 39 (around 40 USD).

Thanks so much, Meg! I suspect it will be a while before I travel on TAP or visit Portugal, so I’m really grateful to learn about your trip, and hear about your experiences.

Book review: “Ahound the World: My Travels with Oscar”

Author Joanne Lefson set off from Cape Town in May 2009 with her mutt Oscar, rescued from a local shelter, and visited 29 countries on 5 continents over the course of nearly 8 months — all in an effort to publicize the plight of homeless dogs, and to promote dog adoption and spay/neuter programs. Her book about their trip, published in October 2010, is unfiltered and engaging, and the pictures — mainly of Oscar in front of monuments like the Sphinx and the Taj Mahal — are absolutely charming.

I can’t recommend it as a dog travel guide. I suspect that Lefson would agree that many of the countries they visited were places that she would never return to with a canine companion. Add to that Lefson’s choice not to put Oscar on a leash in any country other than India (despite almost losing him to a crocodile in Livingstone, and almost losing him, full stop, in Split), plus her nail-biting approach to paperwork, and you have a book that had me sweating with anxiety. To be fair, I should add that aside from the leash issue, Lefson was fiercely protective of Oscar’s health and well-being. On their flight from Moscow to Delhi, for example, Lefson inquired about the conditions in the hold so often that the beleaguered crew finally took her to the rear of the plane, pulled up a hatch in the floor, and showed her Oscar’s kennel from above (“The noise from the engine was a little louder than I had expected, but the temperature was perfect and, best of all, Oscar seemed relaxed and content”).

Traveling with a dog, however, was not Lefson’s primary goal, nor was she interested in being an ambassador for pet travel. Her goal was to make a splash — to visit and encourage dog shelters working in the most daunting circumstances, and to show that rescued dogs can be great companions by taking the coolest possible photographs of Oscar. I can’t love her decision to fake blindness so that Oscar, in an assumed role as a guide dog, could be photographed at Machu Picchu, but I have to admire her intensity of purpose and her complete commitment to her cause.

According to the back cover, Lefson plans to produce a documentary and TV series from the footage she and her various cameramen shot during the trip. I’m looking forward to that — I realize that you can’t fill a book’s photo section with pictures of desperate dogs, and I’m guessing that Lefson simply didn’t have time to blog about her trip while it was happening. Behind the outrageous puns and the pictures of Oscar, though, is a very serious story, and I’m interested to see how Lefson is going to present it on-screen. Meanwhile, she and Oscar are touring South Africa to encourage pet adoptions across the country.

Amazon link:
Ahound the World: My travels with Oscar

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

This week’s collection starts with a link from Santos L Halper about the logistics of traveling with a crated dog from Vancouver, B.C. to Paris. I love the details, and I love knowing (from an e-mail I received) that Santos the whippet is now investigating Paris’s parks. An early report: “Carousel de Louvre has been the best for a runner like me. Parc des Buttes Chaumont was a bust (too hilly). Hope to get to the Bois de Vincennes soon.”

Speaking of international travel, reader Jane told me about a new feature on PetVacations.com: Pet-friendly hotels outside the U.S. (previously, the site focused on pet-friendly hotels in California, Arizona, New York and Texas). I’ve never worked with the company, but it looks like a resource worth checking out.

Here in the U.S., Have Dog Blog Will Travel reported on the most romantic (and pet-friendly) inns in California, and Rod Burkert, of the Take Paws team, found his lost shaker of salt not in Key West, but rather just outside Key Largo. Take a look at their new dog-friendly road trip planner — they’ve been using it a lot, now that their RV is their home.

Here’s a blog I just learned about yesterday: youdidwhatwithyourweiner. Subtitled “An Adventurous Weiner Dog Blog,” it chronicles the authors’ adventures — including hiking and snowshoeing — with Chester and Gretel, their intrepid Miniature Dachshunds. I have long wanted to go snowshoeing with Chloe, which I think she’d love. My husband, however, will take some convincing. I’ll leave Chester and Gretel’s blog open on his computer and see if the pictures wear down his resistance.

I’ll leave you with two thought-provoking articles — another one from the Burkerts, about working with your dog to make her a comfortable traveler (Amy and Rod’s dogs both have issues, but travel well with the help of consistent, ongoing training), and one from Will My Dog Hate Me, proposing that dog owners practice “ethical pet travel” — that is, choosing not to visit places that have breed bans and tolerate puppy mills, and letting local tourism boards know the reason for your choice to travel elsewhere.

Photo Friday: Tapas and the Humble Paw

This week’s photo is of Tapas, my friend Richard’s wonderful Chihuahua, waiting to board a plane for their return trip to Seattle. The gorgeous carrier is made by Pet Flys. I admired Pet Flys’ “Enter the Dragon” carrier back in December 2009, but the Super size (which is the size Chloe would need) is too big to work as an in-cabin carrier. Tapas, however, is small enough to fit in the Small size “Humble Paw” carrier, and travels happily in it.

Tapas is also perfectly pee-pad trained. Sigh.

I’d love to see your pup, and hear what you’ve been up to together this week — please post your photos on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page so we can all enjoy them!

A dog-friendly Seattle coffee house: C&P Coffee Company

I made plans with a friend last week for coffee, and she invited me to come to her neighborhood — West Seattle, where the city’s founders first landed (they moved across Elliott Bay, to deeper anchorage, after only a few months). It’s not quite an island, but it feels like one. It’s a great place, and I was happy to agree, particularly since I’d long wanted to check out the C&P Coffee Company, a reportedly dog-friendly coffee house located in a tiny bungalow on California Ave., the backbone of West Seattle.

Sure enough, the coffee was excellent, the vibe was mellow, and no one turned a hair when I let Chloe out of her messenger bag to lie at our feet. No one turned a hair when I carried her around while bussing our dishes. There were no other dogs there during our visit, but my friend assured me that dogs are welcome. I didn’t ask the barista — the owner, perhaps? — who was a complete sweetheart, because I didn’t want to put him on the spot. While there’s no way that dogs can be officially welcome here, I’m grateful that C&P is willing to turn a blind eye. Chloe loved it, by the way. A patch of sun fell on her, under our table, and she snoozed contentedly.

Don't miss the gorgeous tile fireplace surround

While you’re in West Seattle, be sure to take a walk along Alki Beach. If you’re with your dog, you’ll need to keep her on a leash and stay on the sidewalk, but it’ll still be a fun time, with glorious views of downtown Seattle.

C&P Coffee House
5612 California Avenue S.W.
Seattle, WA 98136
T: 206-933-3125
Open Mon. to Fri. 6:30 am to 8 pm, Sat. and Sun. 7 am to 8 pm

Traveling with a pet dog between the U.S. and Canada: The fine print

Last May, the Take Paws team wrote a really useful post about the requirements for taking your dog (and yourself!) from the United States to Canada, which saves me all kinds of work. I’ll just add that when you’re returning to the U.S., you follow the CDC’s rules, which state (in relevant part) that “Dogs must have a certificate showing they have been vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days prior to entry into the United States.” Please note that this is a more stringent requirement than Canada’s (which “does not require a waiting period between the time the animal is vaccinated for rabies and the time the animal is imported into Canada”), and make your plans accordingly.

Last week, however, I learned something new about traveling with a pet dog to and from Canada. In the process of getting our NEXUS cards, which speed up both international border crossings between the U.S. and Canada and (in the form of Global Entry) international arrivals in most U.S. airports, we were told to pay attention to the dog food and treats we bring to Canada and then back again to the U.S.

Going from the United States to the province of British Columbia, you may not bring with you any “Pet food containing beef.” The quoted language comes from the sheet we were given, entitled “For Entry to Canada Province of British Columbia Agriculture Products.” I couldn’t find an on-line link for you; instead, I found the general rules for Canada (look under “Personal Imports”), from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which require that your pet’s food be of U.S. origin but don’t specifically prohibit beef. We are most likely to travel to and from Vancouver, in British Columbia, so I’ll be leaving the beef products at home.

Currently, you may not bring “Pet food and pet treats containing lamb or goat, whether dry, canned, fresh, semi-moist, or veterinarian prescribed” into the U.S. “unless label on bag or can shows US origin. Beef, chicken, fish, pork and vegetarian pet food are currently allowed from Canada with a label listing the ingredients.” The quoted language comes from the sheet we were given (entitled “Bringing Agricultural Products to the United States from Canada”), referencing “the MINIMAL RISK RULE, effective November 19, 2007.” For further details, or if you want to make sure this information is current at the time you’re traveling, call the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office in Blaine, WA (Agricultural Inspection) at 360-332-1831 (alternative numbers end in -2351 and -1640).

One final note: To be on the safe side, we were told, bring your pet’s food and treats in their original packaging, so you can prove that you’re following the rules. And don’t overlook your dog’s treats! They count too, and that’s exactly the kind of thing that would slip my mind.

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

This week we start with a new (to me) blog called DiningWithDogs.com, which posted a short review of the Ice Box Café in Miami Beach. Also in Florida? The Take Paws team — now, in fact, in Key West, but earlier this week they wrote a great post about their visit to St. Augustine, with lots of good suggestions and pictures. I simply cannot see enough pictures of Ty the Shar-Pei, who always looks concerned, but Buster the German Shepherd is also easy on the eyes. Still in Florida (why would we leave?), Sonja Lishchynski, guest posting on And A Small Dog, wrote a very tempting post about her visit to Naples with Montecristo, her long-haired Chihuahua.

Staying coastal, take a look at Christine Buckley’s outstanding post (from The Huffington Post) about her recent visit to New Orleans with Yoda, her Boxer, and a friend and his Pug; at Kimpton Crawl‘s posts this week about their visits to two different Kimpton hotels in San Francisco (the Hotel Triton and the Hotel Palomar); and at Blue Chip Holidays’ round-up of their top ten dog-friendly properties close to dog-friendly beaches. A U.K. company, Blue Chip makes it easy to identify dog-friendly rental properties in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, the Isle of Wight, and Wales. I’ve never worked with them, so I can’t tell you about their properties, but I have to love a site that gives traveling dog owners a helping hand.

The big news from Atlantic City this week is that the Pet Stay program I told you about back in December (“New dog-friendly policy at eight Las Vegas casinos!“) has come to America’s Favorite Playground. Caesars Entertainment, which owns the eight participating Las Vegas casinos, also owns the Showboat Casino Hotel in Atlantic City — welcoming pet dogs as of February 24. The program may ultimately be extended to Caesars’ other Atlantic City properties: Bally’s, Caesars, and Harrah’s.

Moving inland, check out According to Gus‘s review of Los Patios, a restaurant in San Antonio. The pictures of Gus and the food are killer, and the restaurant is a sincere believer in the benefits of “DFD” (dog-friendly dining). Much farther north, Chaos to Clarity posted information and pictures about a gem of a dog park in the Twin Cities: 80 acres of land next to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. It’s tricky for visitors to use Minneapolis’s official dog parks, so I’m particularly grateful that this space is available.

Travelin’ Jack’s Dog Blog wrote a rapturous review of Santa Fe’s Bishop’s Lodge Resort, giving it an impressive five and a half paws for “service.” Which leads me to a thought-provoking post on Will My Dog Hate Me?, listing the nine things that author Edie Jarolim thinks really make a hotel pet-friendly. Be sure to read the comments too — I particularly like the suggestion that hotels allow owners to leave their dogs unattended (perhaps requiring crating) as long as the owners provide the hotel with a cell phone number in case the dog disturbs other guests.

And finally, be sure to look at Helen Asquine Fazio’s latest post on Travels With My Dog, suggesting that owners of small dogs consider giving their pups a small jar of turkey, beef or chicken baby food before flying. We’ve always withheld food from Chloe for several hours before a flight, in the hope of emptying out her system, but Helen makes the excellent point that some small dogs taking very long flights might become hypoglycemic with that approach.

Photo Friday: Chloe and the haircut

One of the many things we like about Halo, our hair salon, is that it’s dog-friendly — the staff coos over Chloe, and the two stylists we see the most bring their dogs to work with them. This is a picture from yesterday morning.

If I leave Chloe on the floor, she ends up covered in drifts of hair. On my lap, mostly covered by the robe, things are slightly better.

I’d love to see your pup, and hear what you’ve been up to together this week — please post your photos on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page so we can all enjoy them!

Halo
1919 3rd Ave.
Seattle, WA 98101
T: 206-256-0715
Open Tues. to Fri. 10 am to 7 pm; Sat. 10 am to 4 pm