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Dog-friendly luxury: Grandes Etapes Françaises châteaux and hotels

In an earlier post, I raved about Relais & Châteaux and their glorious hotels and restaurants, some of which welcome dogs as guests. A competitor, Grandes Etapes Françaises, owns ten 4-star châteaux and hotels in Alsace, Anjou, Burgundy, the Ile de France, the French Riviera, the Rhône Alpes, and the Val de Loire. We haven’t stayed in any of them, but they look stunning — and a customer service representative told me that dogs are welcome in all ten properties. “Access,” she said, “may be restrained to the restaurant and a few establishments apply additional fees for the night (5 to 15 €).” Be sure, when you’re making your reservation, to ask about rules applying to visiting dogs, so you know exactly what to expect at a given property.

Sailing with your dog: Another great resource

I recently lavished praise on Jessica Stone’s book Doggy on Deck — Life at Sea with a Salty Dog. One of the resources she listed is a blog called SailCharbonneau.com, which describes “the sailing adventures of the Parks’ Family.” Janet and Blaine Parks and their two Golden Retrievers (Max and Bailey) sail the world on their 1999 Island Packet 40 called Charbonneau, though right now they’re docked in Charleston, refilling the cruising kitty.

Their blog is full of useful information, but the part I want to highlight is called “Sailing with Pets.” I particularly love the directions for making a Monkey’s Fist toy for your dog out of  old line, and the section on Pet-friendly Anchorages Along the US’ East Coast and Bahamas is invaluable. Check it out!

TruePaws microchipping option

In an earlier post, I talked about the options for microchipping your dog. One of them was double-chipping — that is, implanting both a 125 kHz chip (still most common in the U.S.) and a 134.2 kHz chip (the international standard). Now Banfield pet hospitals (the vets associated with PetSmart stores) offer a double-chipping package called TruePaws. For $29.95, Banfield will implant a 125 kHz microchip and a 134.2 kHz microchip in your dog and give her a tag stating that she has been chipped. She’ll also be registered in Banfield’s database.

Banfield got some very bad press about five years ago when it adopted the international 134.2 kHz standard a bit too far ahead of the curve, and a dog with one of its chips was euthanized by a shelter that could only read 125 kHz chips — half an hour before the dog’s owner called the shelter. Banfield’s obviously trying to prevent that scenario from happening again, and their offer is a darned good deal. Bought separately from your vet and/or online stores, these two chips would cost about $80.

Ankle Anchor dog restraint — perfect for picnics

While looking for something completely different, I came across a product that I had to buy: the Ankle Anchor, from a U.K. company called Dog Adorers. The Ankle Anchor secures your dog to you with a robust, fleece-lined ankle strap to which you attach a double-ended leash (provided with the Anchor). It looks like it will be perfect for meals at a café table, or for picnics — maybe especially for picnics, because you can always tie your dog’s leash to the leg of a chair or the table (on the other hand, I like the idea of Chloe’s being connected to me rather than a table leg because I’ll be able to feel when she’s gotten up to wander).

In fact, I bought two — one for me and one for my husband — but when they arrived today I learned that British ladies have slenderer ankles than I do, and that my husband and I will be sharing the man’s size. (Seriously, don’t buy the lady’s size Ankle Anchor. I’m tall but not fat, and the lady’s size is just too small.)

Dog Adorers also offers a Wrist Walker, which might be a boon to parents pushing a stroller — though it seems to me that the same result is accomplished merely by sticking your hand all the way through the handle loop of your dog’s leash.

Maybe they sent me a Wrist Walker by mistake, instead of a lady’s Ankle Anchor? It fits my wrist perfectly….

[4/25/10 I ended up giving what I think was actually a Wrist Walker to a friend who had recently lost a dog when her regular leash had slipped off her wrist and her dog ran into traffic. The Wrist Walker assured her that her new dog would not suffer the same fate — she loves it.]

Hiking with your dog

I want to point those of you who haven’t already found it to hikewithyourdog.com, a great site owned by Cruden Bay Books. Parts of the site focus on the two book series published by CBB (Doggin’ America and A Bark in the Park) and the company’s dog hiking tours. Most of the site, though, offers useful information about hiking, camping and going to the beach with your dog.

It lists U.S. and Canadian parks that welcome dogs, and offers alternatives to parks that ban dogs (for example, dogs are not allowed to visit the Giant Sequoias in Yosemite, but you and your dog can see equally splendid sequoias in nearby Nelder Grove). It tells you about dog-friendly beaches and battlefields, mountains and cemeteries. You may not be able to take your dog into America’s “castles,” like Biltmore, but I now know that you can hike with your dog in Biltmore’s extensive grounds. The site is packed with useful information about intriguing places — you’ll find yourself planning your next three vacations!

Sun Country Airlines increases fee for in-cabin pets

You win some, you lose some. Yesterday Northwest lowered its fee for in-cabin pets, and today Sun Country increased its fee from $75 (each way) to $100 (each way). In my opinion, $75 is a lot to pay for a carry-on bag (your dog’s carrier takes the place of your normal carry-on, so it’s not like you’re paying for an extra bag), especially one that must go under the seat in front of you, and $100 is too darned much.

(For more information about U.S. airlines’ in-cabin pet policies, check out Dog Jaunt’s handy guide.)

Traveling by Minneapolis-St. Paul public transit with a small dog

Photo by Ron Reiring

Photo by Ron Reiring

Metro Transit operates buses in and around the Twin Cities, and it also runs the Hiawatha Line light rail connector from downtown Minneapolis to Bloomington and the Mall of America (by way of the airport). It will soon add commuter rail to its offerings, since the Northstar Commuter Rail Line will soon begin running trains from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis.

Metro Transit’s pet policy, according to the customer service representative I spoke to, is that small dogs in carriers are allowed on board, as long as the dog is completely contained in the carrier. [2/24/12 The Metro site now has a written pet policy: “Pets are welcome on buses and trains as long as they are kept in animal carriers. Service animals are exempt.”]

Other regional public transit providers

Here are the leading public transit providers in the areas surrounding the Twin Cities. Let me know if I’ve missed any! As always, if I don’t give you a link, then I learned about a provider’s pet policy in a phone conversation.

Anoka County Traveler (ACT) “operates three fixed routes throughout portions of Anoka, Blaine, Columbia Heights, Coon Rapids, and Fridley.” As on Metro Transit, small dogs in carriers are allowed on board, as long as the dog is completely contained in the carrier.

BlueXpress operates a commuter bus line from Scott County to downtown Minneapolis. On all Scott County Transit vehicles, “No animals are allowed, except service dogs.”

Laker Lines is the city of Prior Lake’s express bus service to downtown Minneapolis. The city also operates the seasonal Local Laker Link (LLL) Circulator and Shuttle, in and around Prior Lake. None of the Laker Lines operations allows pets on board.

Maple Grove Transit “offers public bus service in the form of commuter express service to and from Minneapolis and local dial-a-ride service within Maple Grove.” Small dogs in carriers are allowed on board if the carrier is small enough to sit on your lap or go under your feet. The carrier cannot occupy the seat next to you or sit in the aisle, and your dog needs to be quiet during the journey.

Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) “is the public transportation agency for Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Rosemount, Prior Lake, and Savage.” It will begin operating a bus rapid transit line “along the Cedar Avenue and I-35W corridors” in Fall 2009. Small dogs in carriers are allowed on board.

Northstar Commuter Coach “stops at park-and-ride lots in Elk River and Coon Rapids (Riverdale Shopping Development) and travels to and from the 5th Street Transit Station in downtown Minneapolis during peak hours.” Small dogs in carriers are allowed on board.

Plymouth Metrolink operates buses in the city of Plymouth, MN and express buses to and from downtown Minneapolis. Small dogs in carriers are allowed on board.

Ramsey Star Express “stops at the Ramsey Municipal Parking Facility and travels to and from the 5th Street Transit Station in downtown Minneapolis during peak hours.” Small dogs in carriers are allowed on board.

Shakopee Transit operates buses in and around Shakopee, MN and, with Scott County Transit, operates the BlueXpress commuter bus line. On all Scott County Transit vehicles, “No animals are allowed, except service dogs.”

SouthWest Transit operates buses serving “Downtown Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota, and Southdale, as well as service between Chanhassen, Chaska, and Eden Prairie.” Only service dogs are allowed on board.

For other posts about traveling with dogs on public transit, take a look at Dog Jaunt’s handy guide!

Travel book review: Doggy on Deck — Life at Sea with a Salty Dog

The second subtitle of this great book by Jessica Stone says it all: “Absolutely Everything You Need to Know Before Cruising with Fido.” I can’t rave enough about Doggy on Deck — it’s well-written, it’s thorough, it provides resources for all the products discussed in the text. I’m racking my brains for something to criticize (you know, to show that I have a balanced perspective) but there’s just nothing wrong with this book.

For those of you eager to read more of Stone’s writing, I have good news and bad news. Stone reportedly also writes a bi-monthly column called “Cruising with Critters” for Nor’westing Magazine and its Canadian sibling Boat Journal, but I can’t find any copies of those articles on line. In fact, the only web presence for either periodical is a classifieds site. If you want to subscribe, it looks like you’ll have to find a copy of the magazine itself (but where? my local West Marine and Barnes & Noble stores both came up blank) and take it from there.

Amazon link:
Doggy on Deck: Life at Sea with a Salty Dog – Absolutely Everything You Need to Know Before Cruising with Fido (2nd edition)

Dog-friendly Minneapolis-St. Paul

When I visited the Twin Cities a few weeks ago, I looked for dog-oriented local guidebooks at my favorite local bookstore and came away empty-handed. Curses, I thought, and I cursed again when Amazon too had no useful results to offer. All the cursing could have been avoided, however, if I had known then about Sidewalk Dog, which describes itself as “the go-to community guide to dog-friendly businesses, special events, stores, restaurants and travel opportunities in the Twin Cities area and for your most popular destinations beyond.”

It’s a great site, packed with useful information for dog lovers. If you’re visiting Minneapolis-St. Paul, you’ll especially appreciate Sidewalk Dog’s new interactive map, showing dog parks and dog-friendly restaurants. Check out, too, the Sidewalk Dog blog, which has some wonderful posts about dog-friendly restaurants, coffee shops and hotels, dog parks, and pet stores (and other topics too, but those are the ones I’ll use most as a visitor).