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Photo Friday: Canoeing with Moose and Mesa

I don’t know the family that took these pictures, but I’ve learned from their photo captions that they went canoeing this July in Canada’s Wabakimi Provincial Park with their two black Labs, Mesa and Moose. Mesa was a calm and centered companion:

Photo by OakleyOriginals

Moose, however, preferred to lie on one side or the other, tilting his canoe at a jaunty angle. This shot, however, must melt even the most exasperated heart….

Photo by OakleyOriginals

I really love seeing your dog travel photos — I think shifting the venue to Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page is working well, so would you take a quick trip over there and let me know what you and you dog did outside your home this week? Take a picture, and post it where we can all see your pup! (And heck, if you like Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page, please click the “Like” button while you’re at it!)

Product review: Kyjen’s Outward Hound Eco Carrier

Photo by The Kyjen Company

I was given this carrier at last week’s BlogPaws conference — it was the “bag” part of the swag bags we received — and moments later, the Eco Carrier saved my bacon. I hadn’t yet acclimated to Denver’s altitude, and suddenly realized that I didn’t have it in me to walk back to our hotel, so we shoved Chloe into her brand-new carrier and hailed a cab.

I’ve since learned that Denver cab drivers don’t require that your dog be in a carrier, bless them, but most public transit systems do (and I think having your dog in a carrier will improve your chances of being picked up by a cab in less friendly cities than Denver). The Eco Carrier is an extremely affordable, collapsible carrier that could be carried for emergency use (its bottom is a stiff, padded board measuring 14″ x 7.5″, so it would need to be carried in a backpack/messenger bag or a substantial purse).

I like it because it’s cheap (just under $10) but sturdy, and because the four panels sewn around the opening can be brought together with Velcro strips to enclose your pet — which is a typical requirement on pet-friendly public transit systems. Alternatively, you can leave the panel on the shorter end disengaged, so your pet’s head can stick out. There are no ventilation panels, but even when all of the Velcro strips are engaged, gaps in the structure allow your pet plenty of air. They would also allow a small pet to escape, if she was motivated to, but there is a built-in strap and clip to attach to your pet’s collar.

The bottom of the Eco Carrier is stiffened with a removable, padded board. There is no way to clean it, other than by spot-cleaning. Given how inexpensive the carrier is, Kyjen probably assumes that you will simply choose to replace a badly-soiled carrier with a new one.

Though I was grateful to have the carrier that afternoon, the fact is that it’s really too small for Chloe. It measures 14.5″ long by 8.5″ wide, and is either 10″ tall (with the top open) or 9″ tall (with the enclosing panels velcroed together). Although Kyjen says that it will work for “animals up to 25 lbs.,” Chloe (at 13 lbs.) completely filled the carrier, to the point where the Velcro strips did not meet over her shoulders and head. I believe that this is a carrier best suited for dogs 10 lbs. and under.

Amazon link:
Kyjen Outward Hound Eco Carrier, Swirl

Denver, CO dog-friendly hotel: Hotel Teatro

We were in Denver this past weekend for the second-ever BlogPaws, a pet bloggers conference. The conference was held at the Grand Hyatt, a hotel that normally does not welcome pets, but did for the conference attendees. While the Grand Hyatt was a pleasant venue (and a rumor circulated that it might become pet-friendly in the near future), I decided to stay instead at a hotel that welcomes dogs with open arms — and thanks to a deal from Jetsetter, which I urge you to join, we ended up at the Hotel Teatro.

Please note that while our (free) membership in Jetsetter gave us access to a darned good deal at the hotel, we paid our own way — I’ll always let you know when something I’m reviewing has been paid for by someone else.

Goodness, it was nice. We had been staying at an economical hotel in Boulder, so we were particularly susceptible to luxurious touches, but I think we would have liked it just as much if we hadn’t spent the previous night at the Boulder Creek Quality Inn.

The Hotel Teatro occupies a 1911 building that originally housed the Denver Tramway Company offices, and it has both historic charm and modern style. Our room was large and serene, and our bed was seriously comfortable. There was no charge for WiFi. My only complaint was with the shower, which featured one of those directly-overhead rain-shower heads, which I can’t love — but plenty of people do, so feel free to ignore me.

The hotel was within easy walking distance of the 16th Street Mall and of Larimer Square, home of some very fine restaurants, but one night we stayed in and ordered room service. Prima Ristorante, one of two in-house restaurants, did not disappoint — I had the veal ragu tagliatelle one evening, and Kevin Taylor’s signature homemade soft egg ravioli with black truffle butter for lunch the next day, and both were excellent.

The front desk and door staff were friendly and responsive. Although no one fawned over Chloe, dogs seem truly welcome. The room was equipped with a placemat bearing a bowl of treats and a water bowl waiting to be filled from the provided bottles of Fiji water. A staff member, collecting our dinner dishes, volunteered to get a bellman to walk Chloe for us (we declined, but I was impressed that the service was available). There are no size restrictions on visiting dogs, and there is no pet fee, unless your dog causes damage to the room.

There are a couple of small parks, suitable for bathroom breaks, within easy reach of the hotel. The nearest is a block away, at the corner of Lawrence Street and N. Speer Boulevard, just above the Cherry Creek Bike Trail.

Dog jaunt: A Tajik tea house and a creekside walk in Boulder, CO

Corner of the Dushanbe tea house

We were in Boulder last week, and the friend we were visiting suggested that we check out the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House for lunch. In the late 1980s, the city of Dushanbe in Tajikistan celebrated its new ties with Boulder by presenting Boulder with a tea house created by dozens of Tajik artisans — the result is an oasis of roses and grapevines and tile in the middle of downtown Boulder. Every inch of the building is ornamented, inside and out, with colorful tiles, or carved plaster or wood, or intricate painted patterns. There is a fountain inside, and a creek outside, and when all of the roses are blooming the place must be intoxicating. Even in early September, it was a memorable spot for a meal — and it has a dog-friendly patio, so Chloe could join us.

You’ll need an assistant, because the dog-friendly north patio (shaded by grapevines, and on your left as you walk towards the front door) doesn’t have table service. One of you should snag a table (I recommend the ones next to the roses), and the other should go inside and order at the bar. They’ll send you outside with your drinks, and a waiter will bring your food out to you. We had a couple of different iced teas — both unusual and refreshing — and Walter had Chicken with Apricots & Roses, which was excellent.

The tea house is located next to the plaza where Boulder holds its twice-weekly farmers market, so if you plan better than we did (we were too early), you can combine a visit to the tea house with a stroll among the market stalls. The market doesn’t precisely welcome dogs, but it doesn’t seem to forbid them either — all the website says is “we have found in the past that your four-legged friends are happier if left at home.”

Chloe on the Boulder Creek Path

No matter what day you visit, however, you’ll want to cross the street as you leave the tea house and walk along the Boulder Creek Path with your dog. This paved pathway loosely follows the course of the Boulder Creek for about seven miles, and it’s a delightful place to walk (or skateboard, or bike, or run — you’ll want to keep your dog on a short leash, and listen closely for warnings). We liked the views and the cooling effect of the creek, and Chloe liked the squirrels, which are larger and less skittish than their Seattle cousins.

Boulder Dushanbe Tea House
1770 13th Street
Boulder, CO 80302
T: 303-442-4993
Open everyday from 8 am to 9 pm

Hiking in rattlesnake country with (or without!) a dog

This is a guest post from Roxanne Hawn, a freelance writer and author of the wonderful blog Champion of My Heart. Roxanne and her husband share their home with Lilly, a smooth-coated Border Collie, and Ginko, a Lab-Greyhound mix. I asked Roxanne to write this post after I saw a tweet she’d written about the rattlesnake encounter she describes. Rattlesnake country is also, often, gorgeous hiking country — Roxanne’s post is important reading for hikers with (or without!) dogs.

When we moved to a high mountain valley in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, people told us there were not rattlesnakes at this altitude (about 8,500 feet above sea level). People are wrong. Of four known rattlesnake encounters on our own property, two resulted in bites to Lilly’s face. Our snake-to-bite ratio would have hit 75% if my elder dog (Ginko) didn’t have such natural snake aversion.

The lovely Lilly Elizabeth

Not long ago, only a few weeks after Lilly’s second rattlesnake bite in two years, we had another snake right behind the house. When Ginko barked in an odd way, I stepped outside and heard what sounded like a swarm of cicadas buzzing. The sound echoed off the back of the house. It reverberated off the hill behind us. It seemed to come from everywhere at once. Then, I saw Lilly squared off with a coiled, rattling snake. She stood well within striking distance.

After stuffing Ginko through the back door and screaming “Snake!” at my husband, I used “out,” an agility cue meaning move out and away, then I ran like mad for the other end of the deck – in a sort of run-away recall.

It worked. Lilly moved away from the snake, without either of us being struck. Still, I checked both dogs every hour on the hour, looking for pain and swelling. Everyone was fine…this time.

I recently researched and wrote an article for a national dog magazine about dogs and rattlesnakes, and I had the sad duty of interviewing someone whose dog did not survive his one and only rattlesnake bite. That sobering conversation and everything I learned about how rattlesnake venom destroys dogs from the inside out only reinforced how lucky I feel that Lilly has now survived two bites.

I like to think I could protect Lilly when we’re hiking because she is always on leash. I know others love to let their dogs run, but there is just too much dangerous wildlife in our area for me to feel OK with Lilly getting too far afield. We see snakes often on our hikes, and we’ve never had a problem.

Sadly, the dog who died WAS on leash. So, there goes my theory on that.

Roxanne's neighborhood near Boulder, CO

How Snakebites Happen

You’ll find rattlesnakes of various kinds across North America, with some more poisonous than others. The Eastern Diamondback, the Western Diamondback, and the Mohave Rattlers, for example, carry large amounts of super-toxic poison. The ones we have here — Prairie Rattlers — are weak venom-wise, but still a danger. Dogs in Colorado die all the time from snakebites.

Most dog-snake encounters happen by accident. Our dogs stumble upon them. The snake gets freaked out, and dogs – who explore the world with their noses and mouths – get right in there to take a better look. Even the most patient snake won’t take kindly to snuffling or barking for too long before it bites.

Rattlesnake Sensory Perception

Like all snakes, rattlesnakes can literally taste the air with their tongues, so when they flip that forked tongue out there then put it against the roof of their mouths, they’re sampling molecules from the air.

As pit vipers, rattlesnakes have an extra sensory organ that helps them “see” other creatures. It senses heat so that it can tell a rock from a mouse. It also gives them a decent enough “picture” to know big mammal from a small one.

These snakes also can feel vibration from the ground through their whole bodies, so very often they feel us coming. (They do not have ears, so they cannot hear us or the barking, but they feel the vibration instead.)

Rattlesnake Behavior

It’s important to know that there are many myths about rattlesnakes. For example, NOT all of them rattle, and even with those that do … you cannot expect they will always rattle before striking.

And, rattlesnake CAN bite from a flat position, so a rattlesnake need not be coiled up to sneak in a bite. That means if your dog steps on a snake or is standing next to a snake, it can still get bitten on the foot or something.

Bites to the face and leg are most common in dogs. Bites to the chest or abdomen are worse. Bites to the tongue are like getting an IV injection of venom.

Rattlesnake Dos

  • Do keep your dog on leash while hiking in snake-riddled areas.
  • Do use a walking stick to clomp along and create vibrations that warn snakes you are there. (Most will avoid you, if they can help it.)
  • Do use your LEAVE IT cue (or whatever word you use) to keep your dog from poking her head into tall grass, gaps in rocks, etc.
  • Do back up if you see a snake either flat or coiled. Often if you give them enough space, they will slink off on their own.

Rattlesnake Don’ts

  • Don’t step over, try to move the snake with a stick, or pick it up. If you must pass before it gets out of your way, give it wide berth. Snakes can strike a good 1/3 of their body length.
  • Don’t let your dog attack the snake, if you can help it. An injured or dying snake will unload every drop of venom it has. These “agonal” bites can be the most deadly. That’s how the dog from that magazine article died. He tried to protect his mom from a striking snake.
  • Don’t fall for Old-West ideas of what do to for snakebites. They only waste time. Experts say that best first-aid for snakebites is a set of car keys. Walk (don’t run) to your car. Get to the nearest veterinary hospital.

Chloe’s Clicks: Dog travel links we liked this week

This week’s Chloe’s Clicks starts with a time-sensitive link: The second-ever Surf City Surf Dog competition is scheduled for next weekend at California’s Huntington Beach. Even if you don’t plan to attend, check out the photo from last year’s competition!

Speaking of Orange County, the O.C. Register reports that a Lake Forest restaurateur with an unusual idea — a café that not only allows dogs to join diners at an outdoor patio but also provides a doggy play area for them — is having trouble convincing neighbors and the city planning commission to approve the play area.

In the same part of the world, San Diego’s Dog Beach (Ocean Beach) is one of the dog-friendly beaches featured in the current issue of Coastal Living — the others are sprinkled around the country, in South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Oregon.

Another list you should know about is petside.com‘s list of the top ten dog-friendly restaurants in the U.S. The presentation is annoying, but click around the pictures and see if any of the featured places is near you — the collection includes restaurants in Phoenix, Berwyn (IL), Normandy Beach (NJ), Chattanooga, Mount Pleasant (SC), Stowe (VT), New York City, Atlanta, Lansing (MI), as well as the various California branches of the Lazy Dog Cafe (including, yes, Orange County).

The California link is a little tenuous on this one, but it’s there if you look closely: Actress Minka Kelly made the news this week when, boarding a flight from New York to L.A. (see? there’s the link), she was told by a flight attendant that Chewie, her cockapoo, could not travel with her in her First Class seat. The details are a little unclear — she was on a Delta flight, and Delta generally allows up to two pets in a First Class cabin, but perhaps this particular plane didn’t have sufficient under-seat room for an in-cabin pet. A solution was found — style points to her seat mate — but Kelly would have earned style points of her own if she’d stayed in the Coach seat for the entire flight.

Enough of California! Here’s an excellent link, with no hint of California about it, from Preston Walkies, about a week’s getaway near Looe, in Cornwall. The author and his dog shared a vacation that included excellent experiences at the Cabins at Deerpark (with “woodland walks quite literally on the doorstep”), the dog-friendly Perranporth beach, and Pelynt’s Jubilee Inn (“the food was fantastic”).

I’ll leave you with a link to a photo from Munich Daily Photo — I love the anticipation of the Frenchie waiting for his owner to emerge from the shop, but I love even more the dog parking sign just above him. Check it out!

Photo Friday (and a dog jaunt): Boulder’s Chautauqua Park

This week’s picture was taken in the Centennial Garden behind the Dining Hall at Boulder’s Chautauqua. The Colorado Chautauqua opened on July 4, 1898 as part of the national Chautauqua Movement (a “chautauqua” being a place where people gathered to be entertained and educated — at the height of the movement, in the first decade of the 20th century, thousands of communities across the country hosted chautauquas). Though it’s well-preserved enough to be declared a National Historic Landmark, Boulder’s chautauqua is still doing what it was founded to do, hosting performers and educators and encouraging people to spend time in nature.

Chautauqua Park is a delightful place to visit — we loved walking around the main grassy area (a great place for a picnic) and among the historic community buildings and cottages — and the grounds are pet-friendly. Someday we’ll return and rent one of the tiny cottages we passed — they’re very appealing, and most are dog-friendly (for a pet fee of $10 per night, up to $100 maximum).

Chloe by a boulder in Boulder

I really love seeing your dog travel photos — I think shifting the venue to Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page is working well, so would you take a quick trip over there and let me know what you and you dog did outside your home this week? Take a picture, and post it where we can all see your pup! (And heck, if you like Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page, please click the “Like” button while you’re at it!)

Boulder, CO dog-friendly hotel: Quality Inn & Suites Boulder Creek

Boulder Creek Quality Inn

I approached the task of finding a dog-friendly hotel in Boulder with a light heart — Boulder has a reputation for being dog-friendly, so I thought I’d be spoilt for choices. I was wrong. I looked through the (short) list of options, picked the one that looked most appealing, and crossed my fingers. I should mention that we paid our own way at the hotel we ended up in — I’ll always let you know when something I’m reviewing has been paid for by someone else.

I’m pleased to report that the Boulder Creek Quality Inn was a good choice. It has many motel qualities (two floors, outside access to the rooms, parking in the lot below), but it’s a gussied-up motel (attractive furnishings, and eco-conscious). The front desk is friendly — in fact, the staff had to be peeled off Chloe with promises of future visits — and our room, though small, was equipped with a serious TV, a microwave and a small fridge. The guest room pictures on the web site are accurate. We were in a second floor room, and our neighbors were quiet, so we didn’t have problems with noise.

The hotel has a sensible policy about leaving your dog in your room: They ask that you only leave her for short periods of time, and they take your cell phone number to call in case her barking disturbs other guests.

There is an indoor pool and a fitness room, neither of which I investigated. The complimentary breakfast had its high points (Froot Loops, make-your-own waffles) and its low points (egg discs for breakfast sandwiches), but it was there, and it was perfectly serviceable.

The most visible dog-friendly feature is a small enclosed area, lined in gravel, just off the parking lot — available for late-night pit stops if you’re uncomfortable about walking off the property (not that you would be — the hotel is on a busy street, close to the local high school and a couple of colleges). I’m not a fan of gravel-lined enclosures, so we walked along Arapahoe Avenue for a block, crossed the street, and wandered through a really pleasant neighborhood.

Later in the day, we learned that the hotel is only a block or so from the Boulder Creek Path, a paved trail that runs alongside Boulder Creek, and through downtown Boulder, for about seven miles altogether. It’s a great walk. The hotel is also within five (driving) minutes of every store you could wish for, including a Petco and a Whole Pets.

Staying here isn’t a luxury experience, but you can’t beat the location and value. The pet fee is $15 per day, and the wi-fi is free, hallelujah. We’ll certainly return if our travels bring us back to Boulder.

Seine river boat tours: Paris bateaux-mouches with a dog

Photo by BatoBus

Just over a month ago, I wrote a post about the things we plan to do with Chloe in Paris when we take her there this fall, and I mentioned that a classic first trip to Paris includes a trip on a “bateau-mouche,” one of the river boats that let you view the city from the Seine. I breezily included a river boat ride in the list of things you could easily do with a dog, but if you’re going to make plans, you’ll need a few more facts.

I wrote to the five best-known river boat tour companies, and here’s what I learned:

Compagnie des Bateaux-Mouches — The actual owner of the trademark “bateaux-mouches,” this company’s tours depart from the Right Bank, on the Port des Champs-Elysées, between the Pont de l’Alma and the Pont des Invalides. Dogs are allowed on the sightseeing cruises, but not on the lunch or dinner cruises.

Bateaux Parisiens — This company’s tours depart from the foot of the Eiffel Tower. They do not allow dogs on board.

Vedettes de Paris — This company’s tours depart from the Left Bank, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, on the Port de Suffren between the Pont d’Iéna and the Pont de Bir-Hakeim. Dogs are allowed on the sightseeing cruises; I failed to ask whether they are allowed on the culinary cruises, but hope to when we are in Paris next month.

Vedettes du Pont-Neuf — As the name suggests, this company’s tours depart from the Pont-Neuf — more specifically, from the Square du Vert Galant at the west end of the Ile de la Cité. Dogs are allowed on board.

BatoBus — This is the river equivalent of the hop-on-hop-off buses you see circulating around Paris. You purchase a pass for a period of time (1-day, 2-day, 5-day, or 1-year) and ride as often as you like. There are eight stops, all useful (Tour Eiffel, St.-Germain-des-Prés, Jardin des Plantes, the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, Notre-Dame, the Hôtel de Ville, and the Champs-Elysées), and the boats run in a loop. Dogs are allowed on board — I inquired about small dogs in carriers, but you might have success with a larger dog, especially if you have a muzzle on hand.

It would be a shame not to put all this research to use, so I’ll make a point of taking Chloe onto the river. If you and your pup take a bateau-mouche ride, send me a picture and let me know if you had fun!