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!

I am proud to mention that AndASmallDog was featured in How To Travel With Pets list of the 5 Useful Pet Travel websites.

I also support the list and am big fans of GoPetFriendly.com and DogJaunt.com.

Thank, Anil, for the mention!

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

You learn something new everyday! Today it was about Blog Hop:

A blog hop is a linky list that is SHARED ON MULTIPLE BLOGS.
When several blogs put the same linky list code on their blog, the
exact same list appears on each blog.

Blog visitors can submit their entries on any blog that contains the list.
The entries will appear on each blog where the list resides.

Blog readers see the same list on each blog, and can “HOP” from blog
to blog seeing the same list of links to follow: BLOG HOP!

So here is the Blog Hop with blogs covering all different topics but all relating to dogs! Happy reading!

Yummy Goodies at Woof Gang Bakery in Celebration

Woof Gang Bakery, my favorite dog food and treat store, has just opened a new location in Celebration, FL – just a short drive from Disney and the other attractions in Orlando (and just a short drive from my house!).

This will make the 11th store for this fast-growing franchise. All of them feature quality, all-natural treats for dogs – from cookies to cupcakes to birthday cakes! – as well as all-natural dog (and cat) food, toys, and other accessories.

So if you are visiting Orlando, or live in-town, take your pup over to the newest location of Woof Gang Bakery. They are located in downtown Celebration, near the movie theater.

Haven’t been to Celebration? It is a great place to spend an afternoon with your dog – cute shops, good restaurants, cafes and ice cream stores, and a pretty park – a great way to get away from the theme parks for the day!

Want more info? Just email me!

Learn more about:

Woof Gang Bakery Celebration, FL

Woof Gang Bakery Dr Phillips, Orlando, FL

Rachel from PetRelocation.com asked me to provide an answer to a question they received about taking a road trip with a dog. Since they mainly deal with moving pets around the world, they asked for my expertise in answering the question

Thank you for the opportunity!

Read the post here!

Check out my guest post on www.HowToTravelWithPets.com – a handy pet travel website run by Anil. It is about the Xpu-Ha Palace Resort that I also featured here but has some new photos – so check it out!

http://howtotravelwithpets.com/all-inclusive-eco-friendly-resort-for-you-and-your-pet-xpu-ha-palace-mexico/

Follow Anil – How to Travel with Pets – @foxnomad

Look for more guests posts in the future!

Thanks Anil!

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

TripWitt.com is a new site that helps potential clients find their perfect travel agent. Visitors to the site can search by destination (city, state, country or region) or by type of travel (Luxury, Ecotourism, Pet-friendly and more) to find the right travel agent for their trip. Once they make a search, they will get a list of available agents that are specialists in what they searched for. The list includes full profiles and contact information for each agent so visitors can contact the agent directly. It’s a great way for home-based agents that specialize in certain niches find potential clients. It’s free!

Have a look at my profile by clicking here! I am a travel agent specializing in Pet Travel (of course!), Europe, and North America (Florida being my main specialty). River cruises are also a specialty but are unfortunately non-pet-friendly.