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

The following post was submitted by AndASmallDog.com “fan”, Sonja Lishchynski, the CEO of Paws ‘n Cause. She recently traveled with her small dog, Montecristo, to southern Florida.

Naples, Florida is one of those places that, as a Canadian you associate with the term Snow Bird.  So, at the tender age of 37, it seemed that perhaps this was a slightly premature destination choice for my husband, our long haired Chihuahua Montecristo and me.   But, when my cousin offered us her place near the Venetian Village for two weeks for free… adding the words “It’s really dog friendly” to her invitation – it was simply too good an offer to refuse.
Are we ever glad we went! Naples is a truly clean and lovely town, the older part is full of historic charm, and the entire place is really easy to navigate and by North American Standards it really is a “bring Fido” kind of town.  They even have outdoor Dog Bars!

Recently, Naples, Florida passed a bylaw allowing restaurants, pubs and other food vendors with patios to decide for themselves if they want their establishment to be dog friendly or not.  With only a few exceptions, we found that all the patios’ welcomed our little 2.38 pound Chihuahua with open arms, smiles and a nice cool bowl of water. It was truly a treat to be able to, like in Europe, go out for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and drinks in the evenings with our little four legged tourist.

The stores are equally kind; asking mostly that you either hold your small dog in your arms, or at the least hold them on a leash.  From the doggy boutique on 5th, to the outlet mall, to the art galleries on 3rd; everywhere we went people smiled warmly and in welcome.  Everyone from the expected Snow Birds, to the locals and their families made all of us feel truly at home.

The one thing that “didn’t fit” with the dog friendly attitude was truly the “no dogs on the beach” law. That included all public and private beaches and the spectacular historic pier – Naples heart and soul.   We managed to sneak Montecristo onto the beach later in the evening for a sunset or two – but this was a huge risk since the fine can be relatively hefty.  After all breaking the law has consequences.  (Editors Note: Sanibel Island isn’t too far from Naples and all the beaches on this small island are dog-friendly.)
What is on offer is a dog beach near Bonita Springs; a small strip of white sand surrounded by thick mangroves at the foot of a bridge.  Here a lot of really big dogs run, play and cavort.  Montecrsito was alarmed at the rush and amount of slobber present but soon, he was swimming in the ocean, and watching the dolphins in the distance with us until the sun set.  Bonita Springs is about a 30 min drive from Old Naples and well worth it if you wish to spend a day on the beach with your dog. It’s free, and it’s self “policed”.  Bags are provided for picking up your dogs waste, although brining your own is a good idea since they run out frequently.  A special bin is available for disposal.
As our stay came to an end, we visited our friend at the “The Villagio Cafe” one last time.  This coffee house in the Venitian Village not only had great java, but the owner was beyond dog friendly, bringing Montecristo treats and putting cool fresh water in the bowl daily.  We would often grab a sandwich there, with the little one at our feet, enjoying the sun overhead, the glimpse of the large pelicans flying by and the water fountains spurting their dance to some pre-christmas jingle.

We left Naples, swearing we would visit again; soon.

Thank you, Sonja, for your contribution!

Have a story or travel experience you’d like to share? Please just contact me for more information!

The Pet-friendly Portofino Bay Hotel, Orlando

Loews Hotels wants to pump you (and your pet) up!

Did you know that 50% of dogs and cats are overweight and obese (according to a 2008 study by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention)? Loews Hotels have created a special package to help you, and your pet, get in shame.

The Pumped-Up Pets Package includes a deluxe room, workout tips for both humans and their pets, a Zisc dog Frisbee, and a specially created “Scratch My Flat Belly” meal for pets.

The Pumped-Up Pets Package is available at 17 Loews Hotels in the U.S. and Canada from now through May 1st, 2010. Rates vary and are subject to availability.

Two of Orlando’s Loews properties are offering this special pet package – the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel and the Loews Royal Pacific Resort – both on Universal Orlando property.

All of Loews hotels are pet-friendly and guests (the four-legged kind) receive special gifts at check-in including a pet tag, a bowl and of course, a healthy treat!

There is a one-time pet cleaning fee of $25 and a maximum of two pets per room are allowed. For a complete listing of their pet rules, visit the Loews Hotel Pet Policy.

For more information about the Orlando resorts, check out my article on Examiner.com.

If you need assistance with your travel plans, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I am a travel agent specializing in pet travel. My small dog, Bodie, goes with us on every trip we take and so far has been lucky enough to visit 12 countries!

You can follow us on Twitter @AndASmallDog

This holiday season treat you and your dog (or cat) to a weekend getaway at a Loews Hotel. All Loews Hotels (except the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando) are offering a special holiday-themed package called “Houndly Holidays”. This package includes one night accommodations, a special meal for your pet (brought to you by room service, of course) and many other extras. To read more about the package, please check out my article about it on Examiner.com.

If you need help with reservations at a Loews Hotel, or any other destination, just email me. I am a certified travel agent who can help you with all your travel plans  – whether you are taking your paw friends or not!

Happy Holidays!

Loews Hotels offers “Houndly Holidays” package this holiday seasons.

Dog-friendly area at the TradeWinds Island Grand Resort

Earlier this week we had the pleasure of staying at the TradeWinds Island Grand Resort on St Pete Beach in Florida. This fairly large resort is the pet-friendliest hotel we’ve ever encountered so far on our travels. It features a Pet Play Zone – an off-leash fenced area complete with fire hydrants, tables and chairs, and room for your pet to run around. The resort also has a designated pet walk area that goes around the waterway, over a bridge, and past the dunes on the beach. Pets aren’t allowed on the beach itself, but there is a roped off area with sand and a hammock to make your dog feel like he’s on the beach! One of my dog’s favorite things about this resort, however, is the doggie (and cat) room service! Each species has three gourmet meal choices including Mutt Meatloaf and Kitty Kasserolle. Read my full review of this pet-friendly resort on Examiner.com – Beach vacation with a dog – the TradeWinds Island Grand Resort at St Pete Beach Check out the slideshow and video at the bottom of the Examiner article!

We enjoyed our stay and look forward to returning. This AAA Four-Diamond property offers a “Fido’s Fabulous Adventure” package that is valid until December 24, 2009. It includes 2 nights accommodations for you and your pet. To read more about this package, read my Examiner Article: Fido’s Fabulous Fall Adventure – pet-friendly resort offers packages for you and your dog

If you would like more information about this resort, or would like to request rate information or make reservations, please email me. I am a travel agent specializing in pet travel and I can help you with all your travel plans!

Check out the full review on Examiner.com featuring a slideshow and video of the resort!

Or watch the video on YouTube!

Bodie thoroughly enjoying the Fido's Fajitas