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!

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!

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!

We are pleased to announce that AndASmallDog.com and our campaign, GiveBigDogsABreak.com, have been included in an article in the newest issue of Fido Friendly (in stores now!).

Read it online or pick up a copy from your local bookstore!

Thank you Fido Friendly!

This is a guest post from Mary-Alice Pomputius, who has two blogs. Dog Jaunt offers advice about traveling with a small dog and Pet Carrier Reviews offers unbiased reviews of carriers and crates for dogs, cats and other pets. AndASmall Dog loves reading Dog Jaunt – always something new and informative!

Chloe ready for her next vacation

I write about all aspects of traveling with a small dog (our dog, Chloe, is a young Cavalier King Charles Spaniel), but most of the questions I get are about taking a small dog on a plane. And most of those questions are about choosing a carrier. It’s a bewildering task: There are lots of choices, and there are lots of parameters to worry about. Nearly all of the U.S. airlines allow small dogs to travel in-cabin, and many international airlines do too, but there is no standard accepted maximum carrier size. Take a look at the “Guides” section on my blog, Dog Jaunt, and you’ll see that the maximums range from extremely small (Sun Country’s 8Hx16Lx11W) to the relatively palatial (THAI Air’s 12Hv22Lx15W). What’s a dog owner to do?

Here are five tips:

1. Assess your dog

The very first thing you need to do is measure your dog’s height. The crucial measurement is the distance from the floor to the top of your dog’s shoulders — not his head, his shoulders. Imagine that your dog has put his head down to drink water. His head and neck have bent low; the remaining body height is what you care about. That’s because your dog will spend nearly all of his time in his carrier lying down, either curled up or stretched out. He needs to be able to turn around freely in his carrier (that’s merciful, and it’s also an airline requirement), but he doesn’t need to raise his head completely to turn around or be comfortable.

That number is the minimum height that your carrier needs to be. If you’re blessed with a mini Dachshund, for example, you’ll likely be able to purchase a carrier with extra vertical room. We, however, have a dog that is 12″ tall, and so is her carrier.

Another crucial measurement is your dog’s weight. In general, a dog that weighs more than 15 lbs. is going to be too large to travel in-cabin. Some airlines have maximum weight requirements (look out, especially, for some very low international maximums), but the main problem is that a dog larger than 15 lbs. may not fit in a workable carrier and still be able to turn around freely. Chloe weighs 13 lbs., and she is at the upper limit of what works.

2. Buy a good-quality carrier

If you plan to take only one plane trip with your dog (say, for example, you hate to travel, but you need to relocate from Houston to Seattle — please note that I’m choosing two cities not serviced by the pet airline Pet Airways, which will carry your dog in-cabin for you), ignore this advice. Buy an inexpensive but complying carrier, like the small Bergan Comfort Carrier (available on Amazon), and call it good.

If you plan to travel frequently with your dog, however, don’t chintz on the carrier. Yes, a good carrier is expensive, but it will be sturdy and have features that contribute to your dog’s comfort and to your peace of mind. The features I look for include sturdy and big/numerous mesh ventilation panels, good-quality zippers, visual access to your dog from above (since your dog will spend most of your journey at your feet), patting access to your dog from above, at least one good-sized pocket, and minimal weight. A bonus feature is the ability to slip the bag over the extended handle of my own suitcase.

The features that airlines require include mesh ventilation panels on at least two sides, water-repellant fabric, padding, the ability to completely contain your dog, and sufficient room for your dog to turn around.

My choices? Chloe’s go-to carrier, the one she uses for her longest trips, is her large SturdiBag. My other favorite, and the one I use when I suspect that under-seat space is going to be tricky, is her Sleepypod Air carrier. If she weighed 10 lbs. or under, I would use her Creature Leisure Pet Pilot XL carrier (it’s a heavy carrier, though, so I wouldn’t use it if I was concerned about weight maximums). Please note that none of these carriers is a Sherpa bag, which is the original (and still most popular) soft-sided pet carrier. They have many good qualities, but their tops are solid, and I insist on being able to see Chloe from above, for both her comfort and mine.

3. Choose a carrier that flexes

The simple fact is that most pet carriers you see in use at an airport are non-complying. Only the tiniest of dogs can fit in a carrier that is 8-9 inches tall. The bag you will see most often, a classic Sherpa bag in size Medium, is 10.5 inches tall. No ticketing agent or gate agent will turn a hair over a medium Sherpa bag, and there is, in practice, a bit of leeway afforded to traveling pet owners. Don’t take it to extremes (a large Sherpa bag is too large, as is an extra-large SturdiBag), because even if you can charm your way past an agent, you still have to fit your dog in an airplane’s under-seat space. Since that space is fairly shallow, your dog’s carrier needs to fit oriented left-to-right. A carrier that is 18 inches long works; 19 inches is iffy; 20 inches is too long.

The three bags I like flex in important ways. The SturdiBag’s top and sides flex considerably, but its length is fixed at 18 inches. The Sleepypod Air can lose about an inch in height, but it is designed to (temporarily) lose up to 6 inches in length. The Creature Leisure Pet Pilot XL flexes in a different way: Zipped up, it just fits under most airplane seats, but as soon as you take off, you can pull it out from under the seat and unzip a large gusset that gives your dog a good deal of travel room during flight.

That last point is an important one to remember. Your dog needs to fit under the seat in front of you for takeoff and landing, but during the rest of the flight you can pull his carrier out into the space under your knees. With that room, the top of the SturdiBag pops back out, the ends of the Sleepypod Air flip back down, and your dog has the maximum scope his carrier allows him.

4. Choose black

Black bags look smaller. If you are the owner of a dog small enough to fit in a fully-complying carrier, buy one that’s neon orange. Live it up! The rest of us need to minimize the visual impact of our pet’s carrier.

5. Consider wheels

If you are traveling far enough that you have a layover, you’ll want to make it a long one, so that you and your dog have the chance to exit the airport, find the pet relief area, and return through security. Some pet relief areas are conveniently located and easy to find, but many are not — and sometimes the gate you arrive at is a remote one. You’ll need to hurry to achieve your goals, and wheels help. Chloe’s a small dog, but by the time I get to the pet relief area in Denver she effectively weighs about 57 lbs.

Only one of my favorite carriers (the Pet Pilot XL) has wheels, and it’s really too small for Chloe. Wheeled carriers that comfortably fit a dog Chloe’s size are typically too big to work as in-cabin carriers, unfortunately, but owners of dogs under 10 lbs. should give wheels serious consideration.

Thank you Mary-Alice for your wonderful and informative post! Please be sure to check out Dog Jaunt and Pet Carrier Reviews for more information.

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!

Earlier this week, I co-launched a new campaign with the gang at GoPetFriendly.com called “Give Big Dogs a Break!”. We have decided that the pet weight limits imposed by most hotels and resorts are not fair, and that larger dogs have the right to vacations just as much as little dogs!

For more information and to show your support, please visit www.GiveBigDogsABreak.com.  I will be posting news and updates on our progress, as well as ways that you can help!