Bodie and I at the gorgeous Chateau de Villandry, Loire Valley, France

Hello AndASmallDog followers! I know I have been quiet (except my rant about KLM losing our dog) but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been traveling. In fact, we’ve been on the road a lot of this year – first NYC, then Europe (Belgium and Holland this year), followed by a week in South Florida (the Keys and Miami). We’ve settled back home for a while until it starts again in NYC in March!

Of course, Bodie comes with us on these trips. We also took him all over France last year including the Loire Valley, Bordeaux and Burgundy areas. He got to explore the beautiful gardens at the Chateau de Villandry, see the cute castle of Chateau de Chennonceau (from the outside only), drive around the famous wine regions all over France (think his favorite part), visit the Armagnac distillery… Ooh la la! We stayed at some gorgeous pet-friendly properties including in the prestigious wine town of Puligny-Montrachet.

In Belgium, we did our own self-guided brewery tour. We lost count of how many breweries we visited but it was at least 12+! He wasn’t allowed inside the breweries but we’d leave him at our vacation rentals while we went in. Or just did a quick visit while he slept in the car (weather was cool enough for us to do that!).

Bodie enjoying the view

For the past two years, we’ve stayed on houseboats when in Amsterdam. Bodie loves (?) barking at the boats as they go by haha! We enjoy the feeling of space the houseboat gives us and its lovely to feed the passing ducks and swans out of the window (Bodie is not so keen and in fact tried to leap out of the window as I was throwing bread to ducks once. Luckily I grabbed him before he went overboard. So now I have to give him bits of bread each time so he doesn’t get jealous!)

He really doesn’t care where he is though as long as he is with us. He loooooooves being in the car and will sleep on our laps on the long journeys. I’m glad that he is so good about that!

Anyways, I am here still to assist you with your next vacation – whether you are taking your pet with you or not. AndASmallDog.com is my “pet project”. I have a couple other sites including GoYourOwnWayTravel.com (my main hub) and WineBeerTours.com (food/wine/beer travel). Feel free to check them out as well! They are the reasons why I have been quiet on here. Plus I’ve been busy helping my clients travel!

Happy Travels!

Leila Coe, CTA

Bodie and I enjoying the view - somewhere in Holland

I am writing this from the comfort of the Thalys high-speed train to Paris Nord. We departed from Amsterdam about 30 minutes ago. Our seats are in first class (Comfort 1) and are very spacious. There is free wi-fi for first class passengers which is a great bonus. The attendant has already visited our seat 3 times – offering sandwiches, drinks and coffee/tee. She even gave us a little cup of water for Bodie!

We have a Eurail pass but there is a seat supplement for the Thalys train since they are the high-speed train. A dog ticket is also required and cost 69 euros roundtrip (subject to change). A muzzle is supposed to be required, but they haven’t asked me to put it on Bodie (thankfully as he hates them!).

We are arriving in Rotterdam now, and will then be stopping in Antwerp and Brussels before arriving into Paris.

Want to take your dog to Paris? Just email me for advice and personalized assistance!

Happy Travels!

If you are a regular AndASmallDog.com reader, then you already know that I’ve been quiet for the past couple months. There’s a few excuses for this, but the main one is that we weren’t traveling due to a problem with Bodie’s eye.

It started off turning red last summer. At first, we thought it was an allergic reaction to his new surroundings as we had just moved him from his hometown Amsterdam, NL to Florida. Then we thought maybe he had bumped it on something while playing. We took him to our usual vet who recommended we seek the advice of a local eye specialist for dogs (and other animals).

Bodie ended up having to undergo a series of tests and treatments which lasted about 7 months. We tried all types of eye drops and he ended up on 14 drops a day from 4-5 different medicines for several months, with no sign of improvement. His eye, just the right one, just got worse.

We then got the results back from one of the tests that showed an inconclusive result that he had lymphoma in his eye. This is a type of cancer that is usually fatal but is rarely found in the eye. It came down to the decision to whether or not we should remove his right eye based on this result.

This was a hard decision to make – on one hand we wanted him to be healthy and cancer-free, but on the other hand we had no conclusive evidence that it was cancer and we didn’t want to remove his eye if he could still see. We saw a different eye vet just to get a second opinion, and he told us to do the same thing. There was already so much damage to his eye at this point (glaucoma had become very bad so he could barely just make out the differences in light with no real vision) so we decided to proceed with the operation.

Bodie the day after his surgery

It has now been over three months, and the real Bodie is back. We thought he was slowing down because he was reaching “middle-age” (he’s 6), but in reality he must have been in so much discomfort which made him just want to sleep all the time. He still naps a lot, but he also wants to play a lot, also! The day after his surgery he was already wanting to play (even though he had that silly cone on his head!). He has since fully recovered and doesn’t seem to miss his eye at all. He still has better eyesight then my husband and I put together (or so it seems – we are both are blind in one eye also!).

Bodie just had his 3 month check-up to see if there were any signs of the cancer anywhere else in his body, and the answer is still no. We decided to celebrate by bringing him back to his home country (the Netherlands) for two months this summer. We just got here a couple days ago and he’s already settled in. He is definitely a trooper and a globe trotter! We just love our one-eyed Jack (Russell)!

Bodie enjoying the view in Amsterdam

Thank you to Dr Denis and everyone at Animal Eye Associates in Maitland, Floridafor taking such good care of Bodie! Visit their Facebook page to say thank you on our behalf!

You may not know this but my dog, Bodie, is an expat pet. We adopted him when we lived in Amsterdam in 2006, when we were the expats living in Holland. We’ve since moved back to Florida, and so its his turn to be the expat (expat is short for “expatriate”).

Bodie isn’t the only expat pet who likes to share his experience of traveling and exploring different countries.

Turner shares some insight on what its like to live in a different country

Clogs and Tulips: An American in Holland recently scored an interview with expet Turner Jansen. Turner relocated with his parents to the Netherlands late 2008 and agreed to take the time to answer a few of our questions.

Clogs and Tulips: What brings you to the Netherlands?

Turner Jansen: My daddy is Dutch and after he and my mommy got married, my mommy and I moved to the Netherlands to live with my daddy. Originally, I come from the United States.

CT: What sorts of things needed to be in order for you to come into the Netherlands?

TJ: It was pretty easy, actually. All I needed in for entry into the Netherlands was a microchip or tattoo, a certificate of health from my veterinarian, updated shots, and an airline compliant travel crate. We had the microchip done at a Humane Society clinic, which really kept the price down. My parents opted to do everything themselves as opposed to going through a pet relocation agency. My daddy was on the flight with me and was there to pick me up at the baggage claim. Cheap and easy. One thing we didn’t do before relocation that I would recommend was get me a passport. We were able to get one from my new veterinarian here in the Netherlands with no trouble at all.

CT: What was the most challenging adjustment you had to make coming to the Netherlands?

TJ: The biggest challenge was getting used to all the bicycles. I still find bicycles terrifying. My mommy keeps trying to teach me how to run along side the bike, but they’re just so scary! I always have to be reminded of where the bicycle paths are – they look like sidewalks still to me. A very dangerous mistake when you have a fear of bikes. (AndASmallDog Note: Bodie is also afraid of bicycles – but luckily got in the habit of ignoring them!)

CT: Was it easy to find a good veterinarian, groomer, and pet hotel? Is language an issue?

TJ: My mommy joined the International Women’s Contact Utrecht right away after we moved and was able to ask some of the other members for recommendations. I feel about the vet like I hear most humans feel about the dentist, but luckily, we found a really good one. My mommy communicates with him mostly in Dutch, but he’s able to explain more complex things in English and is more than happy to switch over if my mommy needs it. I’ve had two appointments so far and, although they speak Dutch to my mommy, they speak in English to me, which really helped me relax a little. My vet takes care of my nails and my parents do the rest of my grooming, so finding a groomer wasn’t necessary. Again, the vast majority of the Dutch are very versatile in English, but I would recommend learning as much Dutch as you can.

The first pet hotel I stayed at, my parents found on their own and we didn’t like it at all. The second one we tried was recommended by a friend of my mommy’s from the IWCU and we really love it. They also speak reasonable English.

CT: Can you talk about some of the major differences between the US and the Netherlands?

TJ: Here in the Netherlands there are special dog toilets and dog play areas. There are also designated areas where dogs can run free. These dog areas are cleaned by the city, so you don’t have to worry about cleaning up after your dog (all dog owners pay a dog tax to maintain these areas). What’s really frustrating is the number of people that allow their dogs to relieve themselves in restricted areas – playgrounds, sidewalks, etc – and don’t clean up after them. In the US, I was only allowed into a very limited number of places but, in the Netherlands, I can go almost everywhere: restaurants, cafes, stores. As long as there’s no sign depicting a dog inside a red circle, I’m allowed in.

When my uncle was visiting, my mommy and I went with him into a really fancy men’s clothing store and nobody even noticed that I was there! I can also travel on trains, busses, the metro, and trams… as long as I have a ticket. The best part is that every restaurant has its own cat to keep the mice at bay. I love going out to lunch with my parents and rubbing elbows with the restaurant cats. What I miss most about the US are the large yards that most homes have to run around free in. We try to go to the woods nearby as often as possible so I can run out all of my energy.

CT: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us. Are there any last words you have to share with our readers?

TJ: It was my pleasure. What I would say to anyone planning on taking their pet abroad with them is to do whatever you can to make the transition easy on your pet. Let them get used to their travel crate before your departure and make sure there is plenty of water place and familiar items in the crate: a blanket and maybe a soft toy. Set into a routine right away so that your pet knows what to expect. Take your pet around the neighborhood so they can get used to their new surroundings. Have familiar things around your new home like furniture pieces, blankets, rugs, and toys so that not everything is brand new. The Netherlands is a great place to raise a pet!

Tiffany Jansen moved to the Netherlands in December 2008 with dog in tow after marrying a Dutchman. She runs her own company Little Broadway and does some freelance writing on the side. You can read more about her adventures as an American expat in the Netherlands on her blog Clogs and Tulips: An American in Holland.

If anyone is interested in reading more about living abroad, especially in Holland, please do check out Tiffany’s great blog!

Thank you to both Tiffany and Turner for your great insight!

Tiffany and Turner

Joey in Amsterdam

Dog-Friendly Amsterdam – My Favorite City

Amsterdam is renowned for being very dog-friendly. Any visitor can attest to this as dogs are everywhere! Many businesses including restaurants and bars will allow dogs inside. If you don’t see a “no dog” sticker at the entrance, then most likely they’ll be allowed. When in doubt – just ask – it won’t be the first time they’ve heard that question!

Dogs are not allowed in any of the major museums or churches but are allowed pretty much everywhere else. Dogs of any size are allowed on the public transportation system including trams, metro, busses and trains. Dogs are allowed for free on all types of transportation except for trains which charge a 3 euro dog day ticket fee.

Joey and I in Vondelpark, Amsterdam 2005

During the summer is the best time to take your pet as the city comes alive with outdoor terraces where your dog will be permitted even if they’re not permitted indoors. There are quite a lot of dog-friendly parks that are great for those long summer days including Vondelpark, Flevopark, Westerpark and Oosterpark amongst others. Flevopark even has a swimming area for dogs in the summer! 

You are supposed to pick-up after your dog wherever you are in Amsterdam but you rarely see dog owners doing this. I always picked up after my dog and had a number of Dutch residents thank me for doing so. It’s just not nice to leave a large lump of poo on the sidewalk (or next to the trees which is where my dog used to go). Some dog owners don’t seem to notice, or they pretend not to. But be respectful to others and just pick up after your dog.

Along the Amstel with Bodie

Dogs are seen off the leash throughout the city. I wouldn’t recommend this for visitors as your dog could easily get hit by a bicyclist, car or tram. There’s plenty of running around room in the parks where you can let them off the leash on big grassy areas, if you trust your dog enough to do so. They’ll be sure to meet other dogs in these parks as they are very popular with dog owners who let their dogs run free. Technically, I think there is a leash law in Amsterdam but no one seems to follow this rule.

Many hotels in Amsterdam, and the Netherlands, allow dogs. Most have some type of restriction – either for the weight of the animal or the number of pets allowed per room. If you need help in finding accommodations just fill out a Contact Request Form!

Amsterdam truly is a dog-friendly and dog-lover city. Perhaps I’m biased – my dog is Dutch after all – but we never had any problems with taking him around the city, or the country, with us. He especially loved riding the trams and getting to watch the world go by!

For more information or assistance with planning a trip to Amsterdam, please email me at Leila@WorldClassTvl.com or fill out a Contact Request Form.