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Neue Galerie “Hund” line of dog products

Photo by Neue Galerie

New York’s Neue Galerie is a small but glorious museum specializing in German and Austrian art. The building itself — completed in 1914 by Carrère & Hastings for industrialist William Starr Miller — is an important part of New York’s architectural history, and the collection (and visiting shows) are superb.

The museum’s gift shop is also superb — and the fact that it’s called the “Design Shop” is your first clue that everything in it is unaffordable. A new line of dog products and accessories includes a dog tag, a collapsible travel bowl, a couple of jackets, a dog bed, and two carriers. (When I tell you that the dog tag costs $1200, you’ll understand why this post is categorized under “Dog-friendly luxury.”) To view the “Hund” line, click on “Design Shop,” then click the “Browse/Order” button. Click on “Neue Hund” in the menu or scroll down to the “Neue Galerie Hund” square.

Photo by Neue Galerie

I do admire the two carriers. Both are leather with nickel-plated brass hardware, and the Design Shop doesn’t sell anything that isn’t beautifully-made. Happily for me, the Travel Carrier doesn’t provide the kind of visual access to Chloe I like (it has solid sides, and only large grommet holes on the ends) — and at 19Lx15Wx10H, it’s a touch too large for in-cabin travel. Also happily for me, the gorgeous Rucksack is too small for Chloe.

I hesitate to call it a bargain, but if you positively must buy something from the “Hund” line, check out the $95 hooded rain jacket. It’s the first hooded dog jacket I’ve seen that I think Chloe would tolerate — and she’d be a much happier pup if I could figure out a way to keep her head dry in the rain we’ve been having in Seattle this winter.

Giveaway: Outward Hound “Backpack Pet Carrier”

Last Thursday I reviewed Outward Hound’s “Backpack Pet Carrier,” and today I have the pleasure of offering it to a Dog Jaunt reader! Please note that the picture shows the backpack in black, but the prize backpack is a bold, fearless red. Many thanks to The Kyjen Company for sponsoring this giveaway.

Photo by The Kyjen Company

How to enter

Using the form below, please tell me about a favorite dog-friendly place — a park, hotel, shop, or restaurant that you and your dog have enjoyed together. You may enter once per day.

If you subscribe to Dog Jaunt or follow @dogjaunt on Twitter, you will get additional chances to win. Subscribers, please insert the secret code at the bottom of each post and type it into the form. Twitter followers, please type in your Twitter name.

Please include your email address in the comment form (your email isn’t shared with anyone, and I will not send you email unless you win).

Deadlines

Please submit your comments before 11:59 pm (Eastern time) on Tuesday, Jan. 19. We will choose a winner randomly, and the results will be announced in a post here on Dog Jaunt on Wednesday, Jan. 20.

The fine print

To enter, you must be a U.S. resident, age 18 or older. Only one comment per person per giveaway post. Duplicate comments and anonymous comments will be discarded. Please make sure that the email address in your comment form is valid (email addresses are never public). Winners must claim their prize within three business days after the date of notification of such prize. A winner’s failure to respond to the prize notification within the specified three business days will be considered a 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. We will disqualify any entries that we believe are generated by scripts and other automated technology. Winners shall be responsible and liable for all federal, state and local taxes on the value of their prize. Employees, partners and vendors of Dog Jaunt and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter.

[Form removed — giveaway is over!]

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

This week’s links are a real grab-bag — all over the map, and lots of different topics, but all fun. Here we go:

Pet Airways brings us not only pet-only flights (now also to Omaha, Atlanta and Phoenix) but also write-ups of pet-friendly activities in areas served by the airline. This one, by guest author Arden Moore, describes a variety of great dog-friendly activities and places in Ventura County, CA.

Farther north on the California Coast, Bay Area Hiker has posted a useful list of dog-friendly Bay Area hikes. Love it! Thanks to @allaboutpaws for finding it and tweeting it!

Switching coasts, Dogtopia of Alexandria posted a tempting article about taking a dog-friendly walking tour of historic Alexandria, VA.

Heading farther east, all the way to England, I learned this week about Bark ‘n’ Ride, offering dog-friendly motorhomes for hire in England and beyond (Ireland and Europe require an additional insurance premium). Take a look at the dog-friendly features of the motorhomes — they really seem to have thought of everything. Chloe doesn’t need all those features, but a bigger dog does. Love the idea, even if it means simultaneously mastering driving an RV and driving on the left side.

Finally, complete your spin around the globe in Hong Kong, where Mr. Know-It-All of HK Online offered his thoughts on some dog-friendly places to eat in the Central and Western District of Hong Kong (the reader who asked for recommendations also offers some of his own).

Photo Friday: Dog travel pictures wanted!

Today’s photo is inspired by yesterday’s post about the Outward Hound backpack carrier — remember my mentioning the Flickr photos you could find of people carrying their dogs in backpacks? Well, here’s one, and it’s adorable.

Photo by greeblemonkey

Please send me links to your favorite dog travel photos! Here’s how it works:

  1. Every Friday, I’ll put up a post like this one, sometime during the morning (Pacific time).
  2. On Friday you post a dog travel photo on your site. If you don’t have a site, post your photo to Flickr (or Facebook, Twitpic, etc.).
  3. If you’re writing a blog post, link back here to the current week’s “Photo Friday” post so that your readers can see other great dog travel photos.
  4. Enter a link to your page or your blog post in the form at the bottom of my post. That way, Dog Jaunt will link back to you. Please include a few words in the “Link Title” box describing where you took the photo.

Review of Outward Hound “Backpack Pet Carrier”

Kyle Hansen of the Kyjen Company sent me three different Outward Hound carriers to try out and review. Kyjen has not paid for these reviews, and when I warned Kyle that they might not be love-fests, he said, essentially, “let ‘er rip.”

Dog Jaunt’s review policy requires me to give away freebies valued at over $50, and Kyjen has agreed that the products will be given away to Dog Jaunt readers. The Sling-Go Pet Carrier, reviewed on December 24, was won by Amanda of Austin, TX.

Here’s the second review, of Outward Hound’s Backpack Pet Carrier. It has a retail value of $50.99 and will be given away to one lucky reader in a giveaway starting on Monday, January 11!

Photo by The Kyjen Company

If you do a search on Flickr for dogs in backpacks, you’ll see that a fair number of people carry their small (and not so small!) dogs around with them in the kinds of backpacks that kids carry to school. Outward Hound’s backpack is the same size as a school backpack, but it’s been optimized for your small dog’s comfort and for your convenience.

I’ll just say up front that I like this product a lot. The sides and top flap consist nearly entirely of mesh panels, so your dog has plenty of ventilation. The side seams have been reinforced, so the bag will not collapse onto your pet if the bag is laid on its back, and since the bottom is stiffened, the product retains its shape pretty well when a dog of the appropriate size (see below) is on board. Nice details include a lanyard inside to clip to your dog’s harness, and a clip that allows you to roll back and secure the top flap, in case you want your dog to poke her head out the top. There are three generous pockets, one of which includes a key clip. The shoulder straps are padded, and there are chest and waist belts to distribute your dog’s weight.

The only downside, from my point of view, is that the carrier is too small for Chloe. I believe it would also be an awkward configuration for a long dog like a Dachshund. If you own a fairly petite dog — say 10 lbs. or under — this is a carrier that might fit nicely into your life. It’s lightweight, which is both its curse (a heavier-weight bag might keep its shape under a heavier load) and its blessing (why add more weight to your back?).

Though it’s not mentioned on the packaging, this would work as an in-cabin airplane carrier for a small dog. The back, which would be on the ground when the bag was placed under a seat, is sufficiently padded and the padding appears to be water-resistant. The mesh panels give you a good view of your dog, and the double zipper around the top panel allows you to unzip it a bit to reach in with treats, ice cubes, etc. And the backpack straps would be a big help during layovers, as you dash outside to reach a pet relief area. Here too the carrier’s lightness is a positive, since it reduces strain on your back and gives you a better chance of meeting an airline’s maximum weight requirements (see Dog Jaunt’s Guides).

Amazon link:
Kyjen Outward Hound Backpack Pet Carrier

Carrier on lap during flight or not? Second thoughts

A while ago, I wrote a post about whether you can or cannot bring your dog’s carrier out from under the seat during flight and rest it on your lap. All airlines agree that your dog must stay completely in her carrier, but some appear to allow you to hold the carrier on your lap except during takeoff and landing.

It was a popular post, so I know that a bunch of you like having your dog’s carrier on your lap whenever it’s permitted. I do too. However, I’m having second thoughts about it, and here’s why. Chloe’s carrier is at the upper end — size-wise — of what’s acceptable. Putting her carrier on my lap is feasible, if I’m very, very careful to keep my arms out of my neighbors’ personal spaces, but it’s awkward and I suspect it discourages my inboard neighbors from asking to step out into the aisle.

That’s important, because I think when you’re traveling with an in-cabin pet you should be as low-impact as possible, but an even more important point is that a carrier in your lap may become a projectile in turbulence. I’ve just read a handful of stories about injuries suffered by flight attendants, and it occurred to me that Chloe’s carrier wouldn’t provide her much protection during a similar event.

Clinching the deal, for me, is my new belief that Chloe doesn’t really need my arm stuck in her carrier for comfort. I think she knows I’m nearby without the arm, and that what I’m really doing is comforting myself, at her possible expense and at the expense of my neighbors’ comfort. I’ll think twice about bringing her carrier out from under my legs, in future.

Winner of the Outward Hound “Sling-Go” giveaway

Thanks so much to everyone who entered Dog Jaunt’s giveaway for an Outward Hound Sling-Go Pet Carrier, and thank you to The Kyjen Company for sponsoring it!

Photo by The Kyjen Company

The randomly-selected winner was Amanda who recommended Freddie’s Place in Austin, TX. Here’s why:

Their outdoor patio isn’t just one of South Austin’s best places to enjoy a margarita on a warm evening or a bloody for brunch, but Sunday afternoon is devoted especially to dogs and their owners. They have “Hair of the Dog Specials” from 11am-4pm and during the warmer months they have best dog trick contests with treats for all participants.

Amanda, please email me your mailing address, and I’ll send you your prize! My address is at the bottom of Dog Jaunt’s “About” page.

Didn’t win this time? I have another great giveaway starting soon. Be sure to check back — or click on the “subscribe” link at the top of the sidebar, so that you don’t miss a thing.


Two off-leash dog parks in Central Ohio

These two off-leash dog parks serve their communities well, but would also be a good resource for dog owners traveling between Columbus and Cleveland. The first is in Mount Vernon, Ohio — about 45 minutes north of Columbus — and the second is in the nearby college town of Gambier, Ohio.

We visited both dog parks on snowy, bitterly cold days, and we had them to ourselves. That was a good thing, from my point of view, because neither park has a small dog area (though both are large enough to accommodate one). Unless the faucets were hidden by snow, neither park offers a source of water. However, both provided poop bags, and both were properly fenced, with double gates. They were also both very large — Chloe really appreciated having endless room to romp — and the Mount Vernon park has a variety of agility equipment to try out.

The Mount Vernon dog park is located at the Wolf Run Regional Park, about a mile east of the city on Yauger Road. Pull in to the Wolf Run parking lot, and you’ll see the fenced area to one side. The park itself is lovely, so when your dog has worked off some energy in the off-leash area, consider clipping the leash back on and taking a walk on one of the Wolf Run trails (click on the link and download a park brochure with a map of your options).

The Gambier dog park is located in the tiny town of Gambier, Ohio, home of Kenyon College. Take Gambier Road out of Mount Vernon, and turn left at the Kenyon sign. You’ll find yourself on Wiggin Street. Continue straight through the center of town and turn right on Meadow Lane. Turn into the community center entrance but continue past it to a parking area next to playing fields. You’ll see the fenced dog park area off to your right. Please note that this park doesn’t have a scrap of shade, which is fine in the winter — but in the summer, be sure to bring a hat as well as water for you and your dog, and keep an eye on your dog so she doesn’t get overheated.

As you’ll have seen, Kenyon College is very pretty. You and your dog might enjoy a coffee or a quick meal at the tables outside the Middle Ground café, and a walk around the campus.

Wolf Run Regional Park
Yauger Road
Mount Vernon, OH 43050

Gambier Dog Park
Meadow Lane
Gambier, OH 43022

Middle Ground
101 E. Wiggin Street
Gambier, OH 43022
T: 740-427-5105

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

This was a great week for interesting pet travel links! Hold on to your hats — here we go:

Through an Independent Minds article dated December 26 I learned about a useful site for identifying wonderful, dog-friendly places to stay around the world, including India, Kenya, Iceland — and that’s just scratching the surface. Check out Alastair Sawday’s site, and click on the “Search” tab to start dreaming (and planning!).

In a similar vein, a press release pointed me to a site called PetFriendlyRentals.co.uk, which does exactly what its name suggests. In the course of finding the .co.uk site, I also came across Pet Friendly Rentals, an apparently unrelated company offering the same kind of service in Australia.

The Bark published a tempting and informative article about snowshoeing with a dog (a reader suggests adding geo-caching to the mix, to give yourselves a fun goal). And speaking of winter sports, the Missoulian posted an article about a new, dog-friendly cross-country ski area near Lake Como, about an hour south of Missoula, MT.

After reading this week’s New York Times 36 Hours article (“36 Hours in Tucson, Ariz.“), I was sorry to learn that dogs are allowed only on roadways and in picnic areas in the Saguaro National Park. The park’s site does, however, provide an overview of other Tucson area parks and their pet policies, which will help you plan an alternative outing.

Speeding across the country, be sure to take a look at Fido Loves if you’re a Boston-area dog owner or are visiting Boston with your dog. I’m just starting to dig into this site/blog about dog-friendly places and activities in the Boston area, but I’ve really enjoyed the posts I’ve read so far.

And finally, here’s a video from www.petopia.tv about the importance of keeping your dog securely harnessed or contained in a car. This is a topic close to my heart, and I’ve written a couple of posts about it already, but a video gets the point across pretty vividly.