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Breaking the rules: Sneaking your dog into forbidden territory in a “stealth” bag

Yesterday I wrote a review of the Fundle Ultimate Pet Carrier, and mentioned that I’d been asked by a reader to evaluate it as a potential “stealth” bag for her Cavalier puppy. One of my more dedicated readers objected to the word “stealth,” commenting that the “tag implies you are using the bag to take your dog where it is prohibited. Doing so, and getting caught, may further hold back people and places from adopting a pet friendly attitude.”

If you look back through my posts, you’ll hear me deploring the poor behavior of dog owners who sneak dogs onto planes, or into hotels that do not welcome pets. I’ve urged readers to follow the rules while they’re traveling with their dog, so that people who dislike dogs won’t have a reason to be offensive. However, you’ll also learn that we have snuck Chloe into several restaurants around the country. I took her into a small museum at Shiloh Battlefield. I’ve given serious consideration to sneaking her on board an Amtrak train. Making a full confession, I will tell you that we also brought a very young Chloe, concealed in her messenger bag, to a high-school musical we found ourselves attending in Brooklyn.

How do I reconcile those two kinds of behavior? Not comfortably, since I am by nature an obedient person. At the same time, however, not every rule makes sense to me in every situation. I understand that, generally speaking, rules forbidding a dog’s presence in a particular location are meant to prevent people from being annoyed or hurt by the physical characteristics or behavior of a dog. I make the choices I do in the belief that I am observing the intent of the rule even if I am breaking the actual rule.

In her messenger bag, Chloe is invisible and completely contained. She cannot lick, drool, chew, pee, poop, jump, or shed. She is also — and this is our good fortune — silent (she finds her messenger bag comforting, and immediately goes to sleep in it). Please note that this would not work for every dog. Large dogs cannot be be tucked into a discreet carrier, and many small dogs are too active or noisy to “disappear.”

The only possible objection there could be to Chloe’s being present in a particular location while she’s in her messenger bag is that some dander may escape the bag and cause trouble for an allergy sufferer. I think it’s more likely that an allergy sufferer would be affected by the thick coating of cat and dog hair that typically covers our clothing (we own four cats and a dog), but nevertheless I would never sneak Chloe into a hospital or a health care facility, where people are grappling with health issues and may be extra-vulnerable to allergens.

I would also never sneak Chloe onto a plane. The air filters in planes are remarkably effective, despite all their bad press, but the fact is that airplane passengers are locked for hours at a stretch in a room high in the air. An allergy sufferer should be given the chance to be relocated before everyone is settled into their seats. I would not sneak Chloe into a hotel that does not welcome dogs, because a hotel like that may not have the deep-cleaning equipment that pet-friendly hotels have (and wouldn’t realize that deep cleaning was necessary).

A restaurant, by contrast, is located at ground level, and has open doors. We never spend more than 45 minutes on the kind of meal we’ve eaten with Chloe at our feet, but we could leave sooner if our presence caused another diner concern or trouble. I spent no more than 10 minutes walking through the Shiloh Battlefield museum, and I could have left instantly if Chloe had caused a problem. In each instance, I evaluated whether Chloe (in her carrier) was likely to cause the kind of problem the rules are designed to prevent, and decided that she wasn’t — and that I could easily cure the problem if I had made the wrong decision.

As my husband points out, we make similar decisions all the time. I think speeding, for example, is unsafe, but I will drive over the speed limit when I believe that I am not creating an undue risk for myself or for others, and when I don’t anticipate being caught. But what about the bigger question my reader raised — if I am caught breaking the rules, will I set back the cause of pet travel?

I don’t think so. I believe that businesses become pet-friendly because they think that they will bring in more revenue by welcoming pet owners. A restaurant that asks us and Chloe to leave is no less pet-friendly than it was when we walked in the door. If anything, the incident might remind a restaurateur that he could enjoy our patronage, and that of other dog owners, if the restaurant became pet-friendly. I think the real harm happens when a business — like a hotel — declares itself to be pet-friendly, and then pet owners abuse the situation by making unreasonable demands or by failing to control their pets.

Product review: Fundle Ultimate Pet Sling

Chloe in the large Fundle sling

Longer ago than I’d like to admit, a reader wrote to me and asked what I thought of the Fundle pet carrier. She wanted a stealth bag for her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, but thought that the PetEgo messenger bag I’ve recommended would be too big for her (she’s petite, and she has some neck/back problems). I’m on it, I told her, and I sent away for a large Fundle carrier (the carrier is available in Mini, Standard and Large).

As you can see from the picture, it too is an over-the-shoulder carrier. Its particular claims to fame include its shape, which cleverly supports your dog in a comfortable sitting posture, and a heavily-padded rim on which she can rest her chin. Chloe did indeed seem to find it comfortable to sit/lie in the carrier, with her chest fully supported by the sloping bottom of the bag. That feature gives this carrier a distinct advantage over, for example, her Wagwear tote.

I don’t know what she thought of the cushioned pads around the rim. They are somewhat rigid, and although they curved out of the way when I left the carrier open on top, when the stealth cover was zipped into place they pressed closely around Chloe’s face. She didn’t like that at all. A smaller dog might feel less trapped by the cover (which does have a nice ventilation panel, providing air and some visibility). Chloe, however, is at the upper limit of what even the large-sized bag will hold. To fit in the bag, she pretty much had to have her neck and head poking out the top.

It’s an effective stealth bag with the cover zipped in place, especially in black. I like the four generous outside pockets, and I like how it’s made. It’s also quite light. Unfortunately, although the shoulder strap is nicely padded, the padded area is fixed in place — so if you (like me) are tall and have to extend the strap to its longest length, the padded area shifts off your shoulder and hangs uselessly behind your back.

If you are petite and your dog weighs, say, 10 lbs. or under, this is a carrier to consider. You’ll have to get her accustomed to the zipped cover over time — I would not count on your dog taking to it straight out of the box. For a dog Chloe’s size, I still prefer the PetEgo messenger bag. Please note that the Fundle sling will not work as an airplane carrier — it’s meant for short trips around town, and doesn’t give your dog the space to turn around that an airplane carrier is required to provide. The ventilation panel, too, is really too small for a long trip.

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

I’ll start with the most time-critical link: Inspired by the legendary Burning Man event, held every year in Nevada, a Santa Cruz resident known for planning dog events is holding the first-ever Burning Dog Festival near Big Sur, CA. The event will include dog-friendly hikes and agility classes, sightseeing trips, numerous outdoor eating opportunities (including a luau!), and live music. It will take place June 11-14 at a campground just south of Big Sur, and space is limited.

While you’re thinking California, think Napa Valley: Dogs are welcome at Napa’s Westin Verasa, as Nicole Hockin reports in an interview posted on Travel Smart.

Don’t miss an inspiring article from Dogs in Canada, which sketches out a variety of fun dog-friendly vacations all over North America, including a beach weekend in Kennebunkport, Maine, a visit to Montreal, and canoe excursions in the Ontario wilderness. And check out these blogs I’ve just discovered: Keep Austin Dog Friendly has lots of useful info about dog-friendly businesses and events in Austin, TX, and Outbound Hound focuses on dog-friendly outdoor adventures in the Washington, D.C. area.

If you too are driving between Brighton, on England’s southern coast, to Hull, in the northeast, you’ll want to read Yak & Natter‘s posts this week and last fall about places to stop and walk with your dog en route. If you’re driving anywhere with your dog and you know (or suspect) that she’s prone to carsickness, take a look at Will My Dog Hate Me‘s excellent post about diagnosing and treating carsickness in dogs.

I’ll leave you with another article you should bookmark, about exercises you can get your dog to do in your hotel room while you’re traveling. Nothing can replace a good morning walk, but what if your dog needs to get rid of some excess energy later in the day? A second walk would do it, but I’m sometimes reluctant to leave the hotel again, especially in the winter when it gets dark early. I hurl a ball around the room for Chloe to chase, and we work on her clicker training exercises, but Fido Friendly‘s exercise ideas are excellent.

Photo Friday: Keeping your dog safe on the water

This photo was taken last July at Devil’s Lake (or “D Lake”), just outside Lincoln City, Oregon. I love how both the boy and the dog are wearing life jackets. I often hear people scoffing about life jackets for dogs (“dogs can swim!”), but they’re really an essential item for dogs who go kayaking, canoeing, boating or sailing with their people. Not all dogs can swim, in fact, and even if they can, they can’t swim for long, especially in cold water or a current. (I’d bet you anything you name that the boy in this picture swims like a fish, but he has a lifejacket on because he’s not, in fact, a fish. Same goes for a dog.)

Chloe is not a strong swimmer, to put it mildly, and her fur weighs her down once it soaks through. We bought her an Evolution Marine One life vest because we liked the way it fit around her neck, and because it happened to be available (I can’t remember where — West Marine? Mud Bay?). It has the crucial grab-handle on the back, but I don’t know how it stacks up against the other dog life vest products out there. If you have a life vest for your dog that you really like, would you let me know about it in a comment?

Photo by mrsparks

Please send me links to your favorite dog travel photos! They’ll get listed below, for everyone to click on and view. Here’s how it works:

  1. Every Friday, I’ll put up a post like this one, sometime during the morning (Pacific time).
  2. If you have a blog or a website, post a dog travel photo on your site on Friday and link back here to the current week’s “Photo Friday” post so that your readers can see other great dog travel photos. Please take a moment to make sure that you are linking directly to your photo post instead of your homepage.
  3. If you don’t have a blog or a website, simply post your photo to Flickr (or Facebook, Twitpic, etc.).
  4. Using the inlinkz button below, paste in the link to your photo or your blog post. That way, Dog Jaunt will link back to you. Please include a few words in the “Name” box describing where you took the photo (in this case, “Name” refers to the name of your photo, not your name!).

Newark Liberty Airport Express to NYC with a small dog

Last August I told you that small dogs in carriers are allowed onboard AirTrain Newark, which takes you from Newark Airport to New York’s Penn Station or Trenton (via a connection with NJ Transit) for much less than the cost of a taxi.

Another inexpensive alternative for passengers arriving at Newark is the Newark Liberty Airport Express, a bus that leaves from Terminals A, B and C and takes you to three stops in the city: Port Authority Bus Terminal, Bryant Park (the corner of 42nd St. and 5th Ave.) and Grand Central Station. Buses to Newark Airport also depart from each of those stops.

One-way fare is $15; round-trip is $25. You’re encouraged to buy tickets on-line, but you can also buy them on the bus. The buses run every day of the year, and aim to “come to every stop every 15 minutes during the day.” The site says nothing about dogs, but a customer service rep told me in a phone conversation that small dogs in carriers are allowed onboard.

Dog jaunt: Three hidden attractions on Seattle’s Capitol Hill

I’ve told you in the past about Volunteer Park, which serves as a front lawn for Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood — leashed dogs are welcome, and it’s a lovely place for a stroll. I’ve also mentioned that you can wander the neighborhood streets, particularly Millionaire’s Row and the Harvard-Belmont Historic District, ogling the gorgeous old houses. All well and good, you say, but give me more — so here are three hidden places to discover with your leashed dog.

Start your walking tour at Volunteer Park, in front of the conservatory. Turn left out of the front door of the conservatory and walk out of the park (you’ll find yourself at the intersection of 15th Avenue, which borders the park, and Galer Street). Consider walking two more blocks downhill on Galer to the Volunteer Park Café for a quick meal or snack — it’s our home away from home — or simply turn left and walk north on 15th.

The first thing you’ll see (and pass, alas, since dogs are not allowed) is the Lake View Cemetery, which borders the park to the north. It’s lovely, especially when the cherry trees are in bloom, and its inhabitants include Bruce and Brandon Lee, as well as representatives from Seattle’s founding families — including Princess Angeline, daughter of Chief Sealth. Take a soothing sip of your latté and cross Garfield Street to find the first of the spots I want you to see: Louise Boren Park. The bulk of it is a nearly vertical hillside leading down to Interlaken Park (the trail is officially closed), but the overlook at the top is spectacular. From here you can see the sports complexes at the University of Washington, the 520 bridge, a big chunk of the Laurelhurst neighborhood, and much of the north end of Lake Washington, with distant views of Bellevue and the Cascade Mountains.

Walk north on 15th, or — better — take the little dog-leg of Olin Place until it brings you back to 15th, and then turn left at the north end of the cemetery, onto Howe Street. Walk west one block and you’ll arrive at the Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery Park, a tiny city park sheltering the gravesites of 526 Confederate War veterans. This is the second place I want you to see. Leashed dogs are allowed in the park and in the central memorial area. It’s a pretty place in a quiet neighborhood — dogs love the park, and I love reading the old gravestones and thinking about the history at my feet.

Chloe and hubs at Streissguth Garden

Keep heading west and leave the park on Howe Street. Turn left on Federal Avenue (Federal, by the way, is another street of big, old houses to admire), then turn right on Blaine Street. Cross 10th Avenue, which is a busy arterial, and on the other side you’ll find the top of a steep staircase. Descend. About 2/3 of the way down, on the left, you’ll see an opening in the stair railing. Step inside with your leashed dog (and I am serious about the leashing — you’ll soon see why, when you visit), and you’ll find yourself at the top of the Streissguth Garden, the third place I want you to see.

The garden started as the private project of a couple of neighboring landowners, and has recently been given to the city for the public to enjoy. A narrow, precipitous trail leads you in a series of switchbacks down to the bottom of this 1-acre garden. Watch your step, keep an eye on your dog — and take your time. The garden has been meticulously planned, and is packed with exquisite details.

If you want to return to Volunteer Park, I recommend crossing back over 10th and turning right on Federal Avenue. Walk down Federal, then turn left (and uphill) on Prospect Street. By the time you get to the water tower, at Prospect and 14th, you’ll know where you are — and where you left the car!

Another raw dog food that travels well

You know from past posts that Chloe is a picky eater, but she’s mildly fond of frozen raw dog food (which is a challenge to travel with) and of ZiwiPeak’s air-dried raw food (which travels well). She toyed briefly with Stella & Chewy’s freeze-dried raw food, but completely rejected Honest Kitchen’s entire line of dehydrated raw food.

Here’s another product you should consider: Addiction, based in New Zealand, offers a range of dog food products, but the ones I’ve tried on Chloe are from its line of dehydrated raw food. She likes both “Fig’licious Venison Feast” and “Perfect Summer Brushtail,” and if Chloe likes them, your dog may well adore them. They both rehydrate rapidly and smell appealing. Portion sizes are small (about 1/2 c. per day for a dog Chloe’s size), so dog food won’t take up much of your packing space. Addiction’s only drawback is that it’s pricey (by this point, however, I’d pay for larks’ tongues, if Chloe would eat them reliably).

I was interested, by the way, to learn that the Australian Brushtail Possum is the kudzu of New Zealand — the critters were introduced to the country for the fur trade, and have become a serious pest. What a clever idea to address the problem by making them a key dog food ingredient!

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

Photo by Port of San Diego

Surf was up this week, and dogs were hangin’ 18 at the fifth annual Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition in San Diego. “The dogs are divided into weight classes and then judged on length of ride, confidence and overall ability. They have ten minutes and will be scored on their top two waves.” Heat One (for small dogs) was won by Abbie, an Australian Kelpie. Here’s a picture of a dog learning to surf, with his owner’s help.

In somewhat related news, a local paper reports that Northumberland (as far north as you can go in England before you cross over into Scotland) is bringing in more tourism dollars because most of its beaches are dog-friendly (unlike those in Devon or Cornwall). Check out the second half of the article for a list of the county’s beaches that are “included in this year’s good beach guide published by the Marine Conservation Society.”

Dogs on beaches only work, of course, if dog owners are responsible about picking up poop and keeping their dogs under leash or voice control. And not all beaches are dog-friendly: When no-dogs-allowed signs are posted, we need to look elsewhere. An article from this month’s Seattle magazine expresses one beachgoer’s (rightful) anger over dog owners not only disobeying local beach signage but also giving him grief for mentioning the rules.

Speaking of crossing borders, the Take Paws Winnebago headed north this past week, and the Burkerts posted a really helpful how-to for people planning to travel to Canada with their dog.

Back in the U.S., pawnation posted a useful article about finding dog-friendly hotels and places to visit — check out their links to dog travel sites and their suggestions for Austin, Boston, Hudson Valley, Santa Barbara, Scottsdale, and Maine’s Cape Elizabeth. Journey etc. listed its choices for the “7 Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in the US,” including L.A.’s Hotel Palomar, which gets applause for its complimentary dog “beer” (made from malt barley and beef broth, but convincingly packaged). While I was looking for more info about the dog beer, by the way, I came across this list, from Oyster.com, of the best pet-friendly hotels in Los Angeles — not necessarily posted this week, but too good not to mention.

Versatile Blogger award!

How fun! Dog Jaunt won the Versatile Blogger award from Vanessa and her furry cohorts at Nico & The Bandit, a delightful blog of “creative canine content” I recently discovered. Thanks so much! I’d put N&B on my list (see below), but I have to follow the rules, which are as follows:

1. Thank the person who gave it to you.

Thank you, Vanessa, Nico and Bandit! I love writing about traveling with a small dog, but it wouldn’t be any fun without an audience and colleagues — I really appreciate the shout-out.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

  • Chloe is my first dog since childhood — I grew up with a St. Bernard and a Dachshund (yes, at the same time!)
  • I yearn for a second Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, to be named “Flora” (after the heroine of Cold Comfort Farm), but I yearn in vain (my husband requires his under-seat space for his legs)
  • We nearly named Chloe “Clementine,” but a three-syllable name is really too long — she’d end up “Clemmie” or “Teenie,” neither of which speaks to me
  • While Chloe’s pee-on-command phrase doesn’t have much of an effect on her, it works like a charm on me — time and again I find myself crossing my legs anxiously while she considers her options
  • We also have four cats. Chloe respects them.
  • I’d move to Stockholm, Copenhagen, Rome or Paris in a heartbeat
  • Given the choice between lemon and chocolate desserts, I’ll choose lemon every time

3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and you think are great:

(I’ve known about some of these bloggers for a while, so I’m breaking the rules a little bit. Nevertheless, here’s my list.)


Photo Friday: Keeping cool in Milwaukee

Yesterday’s guest post from Helen Fazio about taking a dog to Rome got me thinking about dogs cooling off in fountains. This picture was taken nearly five years ago in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, a vibrant historic warehouse district of shops, galleries and restaurants — stroll the district with your dog (here’s a walking tour), and then set off on the RiverWalk.

Photo by Beige Alert

Please send me links to your favorite dog travel photos! They’ll get listed below, for everyone to click on and view. Here’s how it works:

  1. Every Friday, I’ll put up a post like this one, sometime during the morning (Pacific time).
  2. If you have a blog or a website, post a dog travel photo on your site on Friday and link back here to the current week’s “Photo Friday” post so that your readers can see other great dog travel photos. Please take a moment to make sure that you are linking directly to your photo post instead of your homepage.
  3. If you don’t have a blog or a website, simply post your photo to Flickr (or Facebook, Twitpic, etc.).
  4. Using the inlinkz button below, paste in the link to your photo or your blog post. That way, Dog Jaunt will link back to you. Please include a few words in the “Name” box describing where you took the photo (in this case, “Name” refers to the name of your photo, not your name!).