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

This week’s Clicks pick up where last week’s left off — this time, it’s Wine & Food Travel offering tips for pet-friendly fun in Napa Valley, CA. If you’re visiting sunny SoCal, check out the Lavender Inn in Ojai — it gets rave reviews on TripAdvisor, and this week added a post to its blog highlighting its pet-friendly rooms and amenities.

Heading east, we cross paths with the Take Paws team, which wrote an excellent post about visiting Yellowstone with their two dogs — not an easy task, given the numerous restrictions on dog activities, but Rod & Amy & the boys found plenty to do. Scattered across the U.S. are a variety of E-ticket attractions (including Tombstone, AZ, the Crazy Horse Monument, Gettysburg, and the National Mall) that welcome dogs, msnbc.com reports. Read carefully, though, and consider double-checking: The article implies that dogs are allowed inside Seattle’s Pike Place Market (a picture shows the famous fish-flinging stall), but the actual Market policy is pretty restrictive. Another article describes four dog-friendly waterside getaways around the U.S., including Virginia Beach, VA’s First Landing State Park, Spring Branch, TX’s Guadalupe River State Park, Sheboygan, WI’s Kohler-Andrae State Park, and Long Beach, WA’s Long Beach Peninsula.

On the East Coast, Helen and Raja of Travels with My Dog visited an upstate New York 4H fair and farm festival, took great pictures, and offer useful tips for other dog-owners hoping their dog will be welcome at harvest events. Practically Posh posted a fun and informative video, starring Benny the Poodle, about visiting the Hamptons with a dog (including restaurant, hotel, dog park and beach recommendations).

Heading south, ohmidog! highlighted a favorite Mexican restaurant in South Baltimore, MD. Miguel’s wins points not only for its divine guacamole, but also for its dog-friendly patio and its proximity to Locust Point Dog Park. All is not cold beer and fresh guac in the South however: Key West The Newspaper reports that Key West‘s new ordinance allowing dogs to join their owners in outdoor eating areas may be too “restrictive and cumbersome” — and costly — for restaurant owners.

How are you going to get to all these great places? Choose an airline that gives your pet frequent flyer miles — How To Travel With Pets runs through the four airline programs that award pet owners frequent flyer miles (please note that aside from Pet Airways, a pet-only airline, only JetBlue offers frequent flyer miles to pets traveling in-cabin).

Photo Friday: Sparky the Dog

This week’s photo follows on the heels of my friend Edie Jarolim’s post about fire hydrants in her past (with a bonus hydrant photo from our mutual friends Amy & Rod Burkert). It was taken in 2005, “outside the fire station in Montreal West,” and it charms my socks off.

Photo by Robbie1

I’d love — but LOVE — to see your dog travel photos! I used to ask you to attach your photos to my weekly Photo Friday post, but I think it would be easier for you to post them on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page, so that’s my new plan. Please let me know what you and your dog have been up to this week — you stepped out the door, and then what happened? 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!)

SeatGuru info about pet travel: Has potential, but out-of-date

This post was prompted by a reader’s comment, asking if I’d seen the “Pets” feature on SeatGuru. I had, and you can too if you go to SeatGuru’s site, click in the left column on a part of the alphabet (I chose Frontier, at random, so I clicked on the F-K range and then on “Frontier Airlines”). Once the airline of your choice is featured, look at the tabs at the top of the page — on the far right is one called “Pets,” and if you click on it, you get that airline’s pet policy.

Only, unfortunately, the feature doesn’t seem to be well-maintained by SeatGuru. A quick look at their Frontier page, for example, reveals that the fee ($100) is wrong (for Frontier, the fee is currently $75 each way for an in-cabin pet, and $150 each way for a pet in cargo), and they provide only limited information about the kind of carrier you use for a pet in cargo, and no information about an in-cabin carrier. I believe, in fact, that the page has not been updated since Frontier began carrying pets in-cabin, which was in May 2010.

So let’s try another airline. The wheel turns, and lands on Delta Airlines, and…the SeatGuru fee information is wrong. According to SeatGuru, the fees are $150 each way for in-cabin pets, $275 for a checked pet within the U.S. and associated islands, and $550 for a checked pet outside the U.S. The current Delta fees are instead, for in-cabin pets, $125 each way within the U.S. and $200 outside the U.S. (except for travel to Brazil, a steal at $75). For checked pets, the current fee is $200 each way, except, again, for Brazil ($150).

Believe me, I love SeatGuru for its primary purpose, choosing the best seat for your flight. I like it so much I’ve bookmarked it. I wouldn’t rely on it, however, for current information about traveling with your pet. Instead, feel free to check Dog Jaunt’s guides for U.S. airline pet policies and international airline pet policies — although I work hard to keep my guides current, I’ve provided you with links to each airline’s published policy (which SeatGuru doesn’t, alas), and I urge you to double-check at the source before finalizing your plans.

And if SeatGuru is listening, please consider adding to your list of features information about each seat’s workability for an in-cabin pet. I’ve started doing that myself — measuring the under-seat spaces I encounter and publishing the results on Dog Jaunt — but with SeatGuru’s fan base, the job would be done in no time.

Seattle farmers markets: Some are dog-friendly, others aren’t

Photo by the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance

I thought I’d get this post in before the end (sob!) of the farmers market season. Seattle has farmers markets in various neighborhoods every day of the week. Seven of the most popular markets are organized into the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance: Capitol Hill (Broadway), Columbia City, University District, West Seattle, Magnolia, Phinney Ridge and Lake City. Some markets allow dogs to join their owners, and some don’t. The Alliance not only has a written dog policy, but also publishes it in a place where you can find it. Take a look at the whole policy for an explanation of why some markets welcome dogs and other don’t, but the short answer is that dogs are allowed at all of the markets except the University District market.

You’ll want to keep your dog on a short leash, since these markets are all crowded. Since Chloe’s small and easy to trample (or trip over), and since I need both hands to choose, bag, and pay for my purchases, I typically put her in a backpack while I’m in the market.

There are other farmers markets in town that operate independently of the Alliance umbrella — for example, I visited the South Lake Union (Terry Avenue) farmers market last week while I was hunting down the Sweet Treats dessert truck — but their dog policies are unpublished. If you are associated with a Seattle neighborhood farmers market I haven’t mentioned, please leave a comment letting me know whether dogs are allowed to shop with their owners.

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

I’m indebted to @Andrea_Arden, the source of the first two links in this week’s collection. She found an NY1 article about a new pet resort near Porland, Maine called The Inn by the Sea. It sounds enchanting — take note: “The best time for a dog lover to take a vacation at the resort is in October when the beach is no longer off limits. And get this, before they drain it, the pool literally goes to the dogs for both sunning and swimming.”

Andrea’s other link? A really interesting article from NewsyStocks.com about the difference between European and American attitudes towards pet ownership. Here’s a quick quote: “Pet ownership involves more responsibility in Europe than it does anywhere else in the world.”

This week’s links about places to visit with your dog include clipcleany.com‘s rave review of a visit to Michigan’s Mackinac Island (be warned, though — the famous Grand Hotel is not dog-friendly); Dog’s 2 Cents‘ argument that the city of Napa, CA is much more dog-friendly than Sonoma; and — in time to get ready for Halloween — Haunt Jaunt‘s list of sixteen pet-friendly haunted places to visit.

I’ll leave you with a funny link from Trevor’s Tracks about sneaking a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel into restaurants — Chloe’s relaxed in her stealth carrier, but we’ve never had to deal with this issue!

Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas: New pet-friendly hotel/casino on the Strip

Things change, and that’s a fact. By chance, I took a look today (5/10/14) at the Cosmopolitan’s pet policy, and it’s a little different than reported below. Now, the hotel charges a $50/night pet fee, and dogs up to 25 lbs. are welcome (for more details, click on the link).

When I wrote this post in August 2010, it was entitled “Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas: New hotel/casino, not pet-friendly” — I had called the Cosmopolitan, which was slated to open later in the year, and learned that it would not be welcoming pet dogs. How surprised and pleased I was, therefore, to receive a reader’s comment in December 2010 (below) telling me that my information was wrong! I called the Cosmopolitan back this morning, and learned that the hotel is indeed pet-friendly: Dogs (one per room) under 20 lbs. are welcome, and although the hotel charges a one-time $250 pet fee, $200 of that fee will be returned if your room is left clean and undamaged. My thanks to reader Jen for bringing the policy change to my attention — it’s great to have another pet-friendly hotel on the Strip, and so well-located.

Original post: The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, slated to open this December, will be located next to the Bellagio and across from the Paris. It’s part of the Marriott Group’s Autograph Collection, and promises to be a glamorous addition to the Strip. I confirmed this morning, however, that it only allows service dogs through its doors.

Photo Friday: Giveaway winners!

I know, there’s supposed to be only one winner this week, but the prize was a (heavy) locking leash, and two pups posted travel pictures: Eva, a Papillon, and Sandy, a Golden Retriever. What on earth would Eva do with the leash, if she won? So here’s my solution: Sandy wins the locking leash, and I’ll send Eva a PurrfectPlay.com felted ball (I had two that were new in their packaging, and gave one away a week ago). Congratulations all ’round! Genny, please send me your mailing address, and I’ll send you and Eva your ball (I have your address already, Lanae).

And that brings us to this week’s picture, taken almost exactly a year ago, of a Barcelona dachshund cooling his belly on the sidewalk. I know exactly how he feels.

Photo by pixonomy

A second pet-friendly hotel on the Las Vegas Strip

Although it’s possible to find several attractive dog-friendly Las Vegas hotels close to The Strip, until now the only dog-friendly hotel on The Strip was the Four Seasons. Mandalay Bay’s THEhotel has changed that, however, with an announcement that it too will accept dogs as guests (when I called, the customer service rep told me that the designated rooms are in the “800 wing of the 22nd floor”).

The new THEhotel pet policy allows up to two pets (with a combined weight of less than 30 lbs.) to stay with you, for a fee of $50 per day, per dog. That’s a pretty stern policy — the Four Seasons, by contrast, has no pet fee — but I thought you should know about the option.

Paris resources for dog owners, including another English-speaking veterinarian

I just love Dog Jaunt’s readers. In the past week alone, you’ve told me about an outstanding dog-friendly beach near Rome, crawled around an Alaska plane measuring its under-seat spaces, and prompted me to check out a new in-cabin dog carrier. The latest wonderfulness? Jessica, an expat living in Paris with Birkin, her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, has sent me several helpful tips, and here they are.

Another English-speaking veterinarian

I’ve told you in the past about an English-speaking vet that I found through an on-line contact, located in the Hoche-Friedland neighborhood (8ème). Jessica’s vet is also located in the 8th arrondissement, and she recommends them highly. They have someone in the office 24/7. Two of the vets speak English, as do most of the assistants. Their English may not be perfectly fluent, but Jessica says she’s never had a problem communicating with them.

La Boetie Clinique Veterinaire
15, rue la Boetie
75008 Paris
T: (33) 08.11.09.65.65

A fun neighborhood, and a great café

“A great area for people-watching and lots of dog patrons is Rue Cler in the 7th near metro École Militaire. There are dozens of cafes with terraces and lots of pooches strolling along. My favorite cafe in all of Paris is here; it’s called Tribeca. Great food (good-sized portions and great prices). We’ve taken Birkin there and had no problems. Except I think our waiter was afraid of dogs. But he never gave us a hard time and most of the patrons were reaching their hands under our table to pet Birkin and tell us how ‘gentille’ she is. So I’m sure Chloe will be equally admired. :)”

Tribeca
36, rue Cler
75007 Paris
T: 01 45 55 12 01

Jessica confirmed that eating in the outdoor portion of a restaurant with a dog is usually no problem, “and it’s always good to ask if it’s ok to take her inside, but usually it’s no problem.” The falafel restaurants in the Marais might well decline to let your dog inside, given their concerns with keeping kosher, but — as Jessica points out — you can easily order your falafel at the take-out windows and park yourself and your pup elsewhere.

Grocery store etiquette

I asked Jessica if I could get away with bringing Chloe into grocery stores with me if she were in her carrier, over my shoulder. Nope, said Jessica, probably not — grocery stores are, apparently, quite strict about the no-dogs rule.

Places to walk your dog

“We’re lucky that we live next to the huge park the Bois de Bologne, and it is very dog friendly. Usually the dogs run around off-leash and are pretty well behaved. I will let Birkin off her leash, but usually take her away from the main path and stay close to her so she doesn’t try to make friends with people in the park (who are usually pretty grumpy about a dog being in their way, though some are very eager to meet her too).

As far as places I’ve taken her in the city, she’s been to the Tuileries (in the part reserved for dogs) and in the park between Place de la Concorde and the Champs Elysees. At the time, I didn’t realize that dogs weren’t allowed there, but no one said anything to me and I go by there often and have seen dogs playing fetch off the leash and no one saying anything. Playing the lost American tourist can certainly work to your advantage if you’re ever approached by someone, but for the most part it’s usually full of tourists and people tend to keep to themselves.”

Pet stores in Paris

“There are a lot of dog stores scattered throughout Paris, and most of them usually sell pets as well. Please note that most of the prices are way above what you would pay back in the US, so only buy if absolutely necessary (I ordered most of Birkin’s supplies from the US). BHV is the large department store located at Hotel de Ville. Behind the department store is the pet supply shop (also owned by BHV). They sell dog and cat accessories and some select brands of food.”

Jessica also told me about Chez le Chien, a pet boutique in the 7ème, which not only has lovely things but is also owned by an American lady, who’s “a great resource if you’re looking for groomers, dog-walkers, trainers, etc.”

BHV (La Niche)
42, rue de la Verrerie
75004 Paris
T: 01 42 74 94 31

Chez le Chien
10, rue Villebois-Mareuil
75017 Paris
T: o1 44 09 78 34

Pet Gear “World Traveler” wheeled carrier: Almost, but not quite

Photo by Pet Gear

As you know, I’ve long been searching for a good wheeled dog carrier that will work for in-cabin plane travel. I own one — the Creature Leisure Pet Pilot XL — but it’s just a hair too small for Chloe. I was excited, therefore, when a reader asked me what I thought of Pet Gear’s “World Traveler” carrier: It sounded like it was about the right size, and it had wheels. I was intrigued enough to order the bag and check it out in person.

The verdict is: Almost, but not quite. It’s a fairly attractive bag, and it’s not cheesily-made. It depends, structurally, on one very long zipper, which is annoyingly balky but seems substantial enough to do its job. The point of the long zipper is that between uses, the carrier can be collapsed into a flat packet. It doesn’t have a mesh panel on top — always a pet peeve of mine — but it does have sizeable mesh panels on all other sides. One effect of that? There are only two tiny pockets, located on one of the ends. Between the two pockets is a single, short vertical strap, through which a seatbelt can pass. I prefer a carrier with at least two seatbelt straps, and on the long end, so that your dog is secured at two points to your car.

The dimensions provided on Amazon are nearly the same (in fact, a hair smaller) as those for Chloe’s SturdiBag: 18″L x 11″W x 11.5″H. In actuality, the bag is bigger. The internal space is 11″H; overall, including the wheels on the bottom, the bag is 13″ tall, 18″ long, and 12″ wide. [Please note that it also comes in a size Small; Amazon’s dimensions for the smaller bag are 15″L x 9.5″W x 10.3″H.]

Although it’s about the same size as the large SturdiBag (it’s an inch taller), it doesn’t compress like its competitor. It would have to rest on its side under your seat, which would mean you’d have to de-Velcro the base pad and move it around to the side (the sides are, like I say, mesh panels — not padded), or carry some additional padding with you. However, the stiffness of the ends and the bottom mean that it cannot compress, even lying on its side, to fit in a space shorter than 11″ tall — and too many airlines have spaces that are shorter than that. You could turn the bag around and poke it in, on its side, top first (so the fattest, bottom end was pointing towards you) — that way, you could jam most of it into a space that was 10″ tall but no shorter. But then, of course, none of the mesh panels would be facing you, which I think would be pretty horrifying for your dog, even just for takeoff and landing.

This carrier’s shoulder strap doubles as its handle — you remove the strap, then clip both of its ends to a loop on one end of the bag. The resulting structure rolls, but at a great distance behind you (which is awkward in a crowded airport); it’s difficult to steer; and it wants to topple over. On balance, I don’t think the wheels make up for this bag’s drawbacks.

Amazon link:
Pet Gear World Traveler Carrier