Dog Jaunt

The last piece of the report Jen and Troy sent from their trip to California’s Shenandoah Valley wine country focused on their plane flights from Belllingham to Seattle on a Bombardier Q400 (Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air/Hawaiian Airlines), and from Seattle to Sacramento on a 737 (-800 series).

Bombardier Q400 (Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air/Hawaiian Airlines)

“From Bellingham we boarded a Bombardier Q400 turboprop plane with Sophie in her large SturdiBag. The small seats are four across, in two pairs, and there are about 20 rows to accommodate about 80 passengers. The airplane is very fast, smooth, and quiet, as opposed to many other turboprop planes. The actual airtime between Bellingham and Seattle was 20 minutes, although with boarding taxiing, etc. it took about an hour to get from airport to airport. Fortunately, the under-seat space is completely undivided, so Sophie’s carrier fit sideways with ample room to accommodate our large carry-on backpack, too. I don’t think that the SturdiBag would fit as well lengthwise under the seat even though we took [Dog Jaunt's] advice and cut off the inch of the board underneath.”

Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air/Hawaiian Airlines 737 (-800 series)

“We took the optional upgrade option on this second flight from Seattle to Sacramento because it’s more comfortable for us, and because another reader had noted in a post that there was space between the seats in first-class to accommodate the carrier. There was A LOT of room, as you can see in the picture I included. Her carrier fit lengthwise completely under the seat.

Sophie (along with a new plush squeaky toy and two bully sticks) in her large StudiBag, oriented front-to-back under a First Class seat on an Alaska Airlines 737-800

Again, our little Sophie slept like a proverbial angel throughout the flight. We flew coach for the return flight and her carrier fit just fine beneath the middle seat.”

All of this is good news, especially the part where Sophie snoozed through her flights. Jen and Troy were completely unhappy, however, with what they saw of Alaska Airlines’ cargo service:

“We checked Sophie’s hard-sided small Grreat Choice Pet Carrier filled with her non-essential gear at Bellingham International Airport. We made that choice because it’s what Sophie is used to and we wanted to be able to leave her contained for a few hours from time to time and not worry about her trying to escape her SturdiBag. We noticed a woman checking her German Shepherd in an extra-large hard-sided carrier at the same time. Upon arrival in Sacramento, Alaska had lost both our carrier and the woman’s German Shepherd. It was a long and stressful hour for us and the other passenger before they finally found her dog and our dog carrier.

Sophie’s Grreat Choice Carrier was in perfect condition when we checked it in Bellingham, and it was dramatically broken when they returned it to us in Sacramento.

Sophie is not at all pleased about her broken crate

Since it was still semi-useable and we were in a hurry, we didn’t raise the issue with Alaska, but being so careless as to ruin her carrier was a large mark against them in our book.”

Thank you again, Jen — this time for the under-seat information and for the heads-up about Alaska Airlines’ handling of your luggage and another traveler’s dog. I’ve added this post to Dog Jaunt’s ongoing series recording under-seat plane measurements. 

The last dog-walking hip bag I really liked was the OllyDog Walker, but it’s no longer available and there are days — especially hot days — when I look at it and think dang, that’s huge. I was happy, therefore, to catch a glimpse of the Citizen Canine, a new waist pack from Tom Bihn. Tom Bihn is a Seattle company I love — we own a range of their products, including their TSA-friendly laptop bag, the Imago messenger bag I carried around Paris, and a slew of organizing pouches. I wrote to the company and asked if they’d send me a Citizen Canine to review. I have not been paid for this review, and I did not promise (and Tom Bihn did not request) that it would be positive. Because the Canine Citizen costs more than $40, I will be giving the entire packet Tom Bihn sent me (total value: $95) to one lucky Dog Jaunt reader. I’ll provide the giveaway details in a separate post on Monday, January 30.

The Tom Bihn products we own are beautifully designed and very well made. They wear like iron. They’re also costly, but given their advantages, that’s been a downside I can accept. So it is with the Citizen Canine.

The pack, made of ballistic nylon twill, measures 6.5″ tall, 5.5″ wide, and 3″ deep. I was given my choice, so of course I requested a vibrant lime green (“Kiwi”) twill, lined with a purple check; the pack also comes in black, forest green, gray, navy, and cardinal red.

The top 2/3 of the pack is a compartment with a drawstring top that is primarily meant to hold treats but can hold a ChuckIt! ball (or two of the small ones). Back when we were taking Chloe to obedience classes, the treat pouch would have been welcome — it stays open nicely, so you can quickly reach in, even in mid-walk. These days, the ChuckIt! ball option is more useful. In fact, the opening is wide and deep enough to hold a small H2O4K9 water bottle (the Frog Green bottle matches the Kiwi Canine Citizen, by the way) or a small Gulpy water bottle, but since the bottle might fall out when I bend over, it’s not a perfect option. My preference, as you’ll see, is to hook the water bottle on the side of the Canine Citizen.

The bottom third of the pack holds a roll of poop bags, which dispense via a toothed plastic grommet. Normally, poop bag grommets don’t work because the roll of bags gets wedged inside its compartment. Every other poop bag dispenser I own has to be zipped open so I can unwind the next bag by hand. That’s not tragic, of course, but what joy to find that Tom Bihn’s dispenser actually dispenses poop bags smoothly and reliably. The secret is a center rod that holds the roll of bags like a roll of toilet paper. It works like a charm.

There’s a small pocket above the poop bag grommet; on the other side of the bag, there’s a deeper pocket that will easily hold a cell phone. I hesitate to call either side the front or back, because on the deep-pocket side is a strap onto which you can clip an (optional) Guardian Dual Function light (flashing or steady, depending on how you orient the battery). If I were walking at night, I’d certainly put that side outwards; otherwise, I’d be likely to put the poop bag side outwards for easy access.

The Canine Citizen comes with a shoulder strap. I’m not a fan of shoulder straps, so I was happy to see that Tom Bihn had sent me the optional waist strap, which works well. Please note that it’s devilishly difficult to get the shoulder strap off the hip pack, but it can be done. Whichever option you choose, you’ll end up with a pair of available, unused twill loops (since I’m a waist-strap gal, my unused loops would be the ones on the short sides of the pack). I suggest that you buy a large S-biner (at least a size 3) and pass one end through a loop, allowing you to hook a water bottle onto the other end.

Both kinds of straps have two “leash clips” attached to them, which are sized to hold a(n optional) Krebs Recycle Leash. We have one, it turns out (I’ve long gotten over my concern about trigger-style clips), but Tom Bihn sent me one, and it fits securely in the clips.

The shoulder strap is still attached because I didn't have the energy to take it off for the photo, then put it back on for the lucky winner of the upcoming giveaway. Imagine that it's not there. Please note that I'm wearing the pack with the flashlight (and phone pocket) side facing outwards.

This is a feature I can get behind. When we go to the dog park, I find myself juggling leash, water bottle, ChuckIt! launcher, and at least two ChuckIt! balls — this pack would corral the mess. In fact, the clips are sized to secure a ChuckIt! launcher:

Here I am, demo-ing the shoulder strap option (ignore the waist straps, still attached). You can carry the ChuckIt! launcher on the waist strap too -- it lies horizontally across your butt.

I thoroughly approve of this hip pack. Its only flaw, as far as I’m concerned, is that it doesn’t have a water bottle solution — but I can live with either of my workarounds. At $55 (plus shipping), it is pricey. If you spring for all the add-ons (leash, light, waist strap), you’ll be paying $95 (plus shipping). The workmanship and design are impressive, however, and I know from experience with our other Tom Bihn bags that it will stand up to a heck of a lot of use and abuse.

This week’s links about dog-friendly destinations start with petswelcome.com‘s list of three California getaways — one at Lake Tahoe, one on the coast in Cambria (near San Simeon), and the third in Julian, in the Cuyamaca mountains east of San Diego. Across the country, Jessica Marati wrote a post for Gadling about New York City’s best food trucks — food trucks are a terrific resource for visitors with dogs. Heading north, the Montecristo Travels team described a wonderful visit to Quebec City in Quebec, Canada.

In the middle of the U.S., RadioIowa reports that because the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has “seen an increase in complaints from renters about dogs and damage to cabins,” the DNR is considering changes in its current policy (until now, there have been “no restrictions on pets in state park cabins”). The possible changes include mandatory cleaning fees, a limit on the number of dog-friendly cabins, limits on the number of visiting dogs, and/or a requirement that dogs be crated in their owner’s absence.

I learned only this past week about the Historic Hotels of America, a group of over 235 “quality hotels that have faithfully maintained their historic integrity, architecture and ambiance.” How could I have missed this group? I even belong to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which (hello!) gives me a discount at many of the member hotels. My glee was tempered by the fact that there didn’t seem to be a way to search the collection for dog-friendly hotels. I sent an inquiry, and promptly received a really helpful reply from Executive Director Thierry Roch:

“Our new website launched this past May so we are now developing Phase II, which will include a pet friendly section, complete with listings of our pet friendly hotels and their specific packages/services, for launch later this summer. For now, please access our pet friendly members by typing “pet friendly” into the Search field on our website’s masthead. This will link you to 34 of our members that are pet friendly. (There may be more, but it is up to our members to add this description to their listings.)”

Easy enough — thanks, Thierry, and I look forward to Phase II!

Which brings us to the how-tos of getting from one place to another with your dog. Check out this inspiring post on Something Wagging This Way Comes about the trouble blogger Pamela has had getting her dog Honey to be comfortable in her bike trailer (they’ve gone car-free, and the bike trailer lets — will let — her and Honey travel farther than Honey can walk on her own). It’s not always easy to get a dog accustomed to new piece of equipment — it’s a relief to know that others share your troubles, and to hear about Pamela’s plans: “The wheels are coming off so the trailer has no chance of moving. Every fun thing we do will have something to do with that trailer. And Pam will be very, very patient.”

Elizabeth Seward wrote a post on Gadling about taking a road trip with your dog, and then got so many comments from readers that she posted a second post listing their tips. The original post is pretty straightforward, and I suspect you’ve seen most of the readers’ tips too, but both are worth reading.

One of the issues mentioned in the original post is that some breeds of dogs are banned in certain jurisdictions (e.g., pit bulls in Ontario and Denver). Amy Burkert, part of the Go Pet Friendly team, wrote a post this week for Life With Dogs that will help you research your route if you own a dog that might be subject to one of these bans. The group is bigger than you think: Amy says, “We find the most affected breeds to be the Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans and German Shepherds, but Akitas, American Bulldogs, Chows, Huskies, Mastiffs, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and Shar-Pei are also targeted,” and that’s not the complete list.

We end up with a delightful post from Montecristo Travels with tips for sailing with your very small dog — there are words of wisdom here too for larger dogs, but the picture of Monte curled up in his hammock (his sling bag, hooked over the hatch handle) filled me with joy.

Today everything’s melting, but for the past week, Seattle has been reduced to walking (and cross-country skiing) speed by a pair of snowstorms. Yes, I know they’d be trivial in Buffalo — but Buffalo has snow plows. Here’s Chloe, finally released into the park after a couple of days kept indoors.

She didn’t need the jacket for warmth on that particular day — it’s an effort to keep her coat from becoming a collection of ice balls. What you can’t see are the Pawz rubber booties on her feet. She has more serious booties, also bought to protect her feet from road salt and ice balls, but we keep coming back to the Pawz booties. I think she likes how thin they are, and I like how they stay on her feet — when she wears her booties that have a Velcro strap, I’m always keeping an eye out for a thrown shoe.

I’d love to see how you and your pup spent your time together this week — please post your photos on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page so we can all see them!

This week on Dog Jaunt is, clearly, brought to you by Jen and Troy, who also sent a couple of paragraphs about the pet relief areas they found on their trip to California’s Shenandoah Valley wine country last summer.

Sacramento International Airport

According to the SMF website, the airport has two pet relief areas: “The Terminal A Pet Relief Area is located immediately behind the Southwest Airlines curbside check-in area. The Central Terminal B Pet Relief Area is located in the grass patio area on the south end of the terminal on the baggage claim level.” Jen and Troy and Sophie found the Terminal B pet relief area:

“Sacramento International Airport has a nice, clean, small pet relief area at the northeast end of Terminal B, just prior the International Arrivals Building. If you look for the Aeromexico sign on the exterior of the International Arrivals building, you will be within 15 feet of it. The downside is that it is bark only.

The official Terminal B pet relief area, just west of the overhead Aeromexico sign

The upside is that directly across the street there is a 5 foot wide, 100 yard long stretch of grass. All you need to do is walk across the crosswalk.

The strip of grass Jen mentioned; the view is from the Terminal B pet relief area, looking southwest across the roadway

Should you desire a larger-diameter, more park-like, and less traffic-dense patch of grass, then between the International Arrivals Building and the Administration Building is the space for you.

The other alternative, just after international departures and before the administration building (just past the white awning)

You do have to leave the building and return through security to access these areas, however the airport is relatively small and seems pretty efficient so as long as you are in Terminal B, or the International Terminal, going for a short walk (5 minutes) to the relief area and/or grass shouldn’t be as daunting as, say, Seattle would be.

I haven’t been to Terminal A, so I can’t speak to any grass there, but if you exit Terminal A and head northwest, you should find the grass just past the Administration Building in a few minutes.”

Bellingham International Airport

“I didn’t take pictures, but the Bellingham International Airport is so small that they are not really needed, even after the airport’s newly completed remodel and expansion (to accommodate more Allegiant Airlines flights and also direct flights to Hawaii on Alaskan Airlines). The airport entrances are on the east side, and baggage claim and car rentals are on the southeast end. Just beyond all of this, on the southeast side of the airport, there is a nice large expanse of grass with a garbage can and dog water bowl. It’s not labeled as a pet relief area, but it’s the obvious spot to take your dog to do their business. The grass is bordered along its length by a covered breezeway, so if it is raining you can stand undercover while your dog sniffs in the grass.

There is no need to worry about walking far to reach the grass — it’s less than a one minute walk to security and all the gates are just past security. You will need to go back through security if Bellingham isn’t your final destination, but that is usually less than a ten minute process, so most flight connections should allow time for you to go out and return.”

Jen attached a Google Maps link to her message, pointing out that if you’re in “satellite” mode, the map shows the grassy area she described. I believe she’s referring to the rectangular lawn, with a fringe of trees, along the airport roadway reached by the crossing “zebra” that looks like a ladder (unlike the other zebras, its side are painted in, like a ladder). That’s the patch of lawn I can see that has a breezeway alongside.

Thank you, Jen, for this report — the details and the pictures are so helpful, as are the alternatives you mentioned (some dogs just don’t like bark!). I’ve added this post to Dog Jaunt’s ongoing series of reviews of airport pet relief areas. To see others, visit Dog Jaunt’s handy guide to airport pet relief areas.

This is my lowest moment as a blogger. Reader Jennifer, the source of two terrific reports in 2011 (a review of Bellevue, WA’s Sheraton Hotel, and suggestions for dog-friendly activities in and near Bellingham, WA), sent me this report last August. Yes, that’s August 2011. It won’t surprise you that one of my resolutions for 2012 is to defeat my in-box, and this is where the war begins.

Jen and Troy, you’ll recall, own a captivating Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Sophie, and the three of them traveled from the Pacific Northwest to Sacramento, for a vacation in the Shenandoah Valley wine country — about 45 minutes east of Sacramento. I’ll put their report about the pet relief areas at the Bellingham and Sacramento airports in a separate post; this one is about their wine country break, and includes a couple of tips about flying with an in-cabin carrier.

California’s Shenandoah Valley wine country

Frankly, it was news to me that there’s a Shenandoah Valley in California. Now I’ve learned that it’s an AVA (“American Viticultural Area”) comprising bits of California’s Amador and El Dorado counties. As Jen points out, it’s a fine day trip from Sacramento, or a destination trip in its own right.

“Sophie had a lovely time in the Shenandoah Valley Wine Country about 45 minutes from Sacramento, California. She enjoyed tromping through the vineyards, exploring the tasting rooms, and eating her kibble lunch by the reflecting pool. We had yummy bistro fare, at award-winning Villa Toscano and Bella Piazza Wineries (full-disclosure: these are owned by people we know well).

Owners Jerry and Erika would love it if you brought your well-behaved, leashed, dogs with you to a wine tasting, barrel release party, or for a relaxing dinner overlooking the vineyards, fountains, and ponds outside at the bistros at Villa Toscano or Bella Piazza. These two wineries and vineyards are completely dog-friendly, as are most of the other fantastic wineries in the valley.

The up-and-coming wineries of Shenedoah Valley are quickly becoming renowned for their outstanding Zinfandels in particular, as well as excellent Pinot Grigios, Syrahs, Barberas and Viogniers, among others. There are 49 wineries and vineyards to explore as a day-trip from Sacramento with your canine companion in this beautiful valley.”

“]

Troy and Sophie on their California trip. I need to find out where they stayed -- how rare to find a place where your pup can join you poolside! (Turns out to be the home of friends, alas for the rest of us!)

Converting a conference ID tag to a dog carrier ID, and easy-access storage for health certificate, etc.

Jen and Troy have a large SturdiBag for Sophie, and it sounds as though this was its maiden voyage. It worked well for them, and being the thoughtful travelers they are, they came up with a couple of suggestions for other travelers. The first takes the idea of carrying a photo of your pup with you and combines it with the ID tag every sensible traveler puts on their bags (including an in-cabin pet carrier):

“I attended a conference recently where they had us wear those name badges that they stick in a plastic sleeve attached with a string or lanyard that you are supposed to wear around your neck. I removed the paper from the plastic sleeve and replaced it with four wallet-sized pictures of Sophie ["showing all her markings (front, each side, and top of her head and body)"]. On the back of the last photo, I put our names, Sophie’s name, and our address and phone number. I positioned that photo upside down so that when the badge was flipped up our information would appear to be right side up. I threaded the string through the plastic holder and tied that with a double bow knot to the what would be the right rear side handle attachment of her SturdiBag since I carry her on my right shoulder. I cut off the dangling string, and voila! I have a tidy, clear, ID badge on her carrier in case either she in her carrier, or just her carrier, somehow got lost.

Sophie in front of her carrier, labeled with its new ID tag

The added benefit of having it visible on the outside of her carrier is that her photos are easy to just point to, or to pull out and show and satisfy anyone who really wants to ‘see the puppy’, which lots of folks, some stewardesses, one pilot, and many kids did request to do — she is just so darned cute. It saved fishing around for my wallet and then having to rifle through that, and made it easier to simply point and show folks, so our little girl could stay calm and stay sleeping as we walked through the airports and flew on the planes.”

I love this idea. I have photos of Chloe on our phone, but just when your phone is supposed to be off is when a seat mate is most likely to ask about your pup. This way, you have photos of her close at hand. Jen got her wallet-sized photos through Costco, by the way.

Jen and Troy’s second tip probably works best for owners of SturdiBag carriers, since the stiff board that stabilizes the bottom of the carrier is zipped into its own compartment below, and separate from, the pet’s area. You may recall that I’ve suggested lining your carrier with a DryFur pad, to deal with mid-flight accidents. Now that Chloe’s relatively grown-up, we no longer include the pads in our plans, but they are terrific for puppies or senior pets (and are probably a good idea if you just don’t know how your dog will handle a travel situation).

“We put the second pad from the [DryFur] 2-pack into the zipper pouch on the bottom of the SturdiBag that contains the hard, stabilizing board. That way, we had a back-up pad in if the first one ended up being used. We also put her health certificate and other Sophie records and information in the same zipper pouch on the bottom, between the extra pad and the hard foam board. We did that so her info couldn’t get separated from her and would be easy to pull out and locate if we needed to show her certificate, which we did need to do on our return flight from Sacramento. It worked beautifully, with no fumbling through bags. I was able to do it with one hand, actually, and didn’t even need to take her off my shoulder.”

Again, I love this idea. Back in the day, I stored Chloe’s back-up DryFur pad on the bottom of her compartment, below the carrier’s bottom pad, which meant that if I’d ever needed it, I would have had to remove not only the soiled pad, but also the carrier’s bottom pad and the back-up pad, which I’d then have to re-insert underneath her, DryFur pad on top. It would have been seriously awkward. Jen and Troy’s solution is neat, and I like the idea, too, of keeping your paperwork in the same compartment as the spare DryFur pad (I tuck mine in the small back pocket of our SturdiBag, but it gets rumpled there, and takes space away from her extra leash, and poop bags, and what not).

Thank you so much, Jen and Troy, for your excellent suggestions (and for your truly remarkable patience!). It is so satisfying to hear of a new solution or approach to a traveling issue — each one makes the next trip that much easier.

Reader Lisa sent me this photo of Professor, her Dachshund, in his new large SturdiBag back in October 2011. That’s how desperate the state of my in-box is. I admit my shame only because I love Dachshunds so — my first dog was a standard red smooth-haired Dachshund named Lady (in fact, her full name was Lady Alice of Vincennes, but she only got that when she was very naughty indeed) — and the Professor is a sweetheart:

He’s clearly pleased with his new carrier — Lisa told me, “I think he likes it more than the couch.” I’d love to see how you and your pup spent your time together this week — please post your photos on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page so we can all see them!

Not long ago, reader Alexandra asked for suggestions for an around-town tote for Bella, her small Cocker Spaniel. Bella is slightly bigger than Chloe — about 14-15 lbs., about 13 inches high at the shoulder, and about 16 inches from neck to tail. Like Chloe, therefore, Bella is in that tricky “big small dog” category — theoretically convenient, but actually a little too large for most small-dog carriers.

Alexandra was interested in the Elite Kaba carrier I profiled about a year ago (too small for Bella, she thought), and considered the PetEgo messenger bag I rely on (too small for Bella, I thought). I suggested the Wagwear tote as an alternative, but I got the impression that Alexandra hoped for an option that could be open or closed, as needed. And there it stood until, looking for something else entirely, I happened on the Olly Tote.

The only other OllyDog product I’ve looked at closely was the OllyDog Walker, a hip pack that I loved. It’s no longer available, but I ordered the Tote with a feeling of confidence that it would be well-designed and well-made. I wasn’t disappointed. For a surprisingly low price (just under $45), I got an over-the-shoulder tote that fits my large small dog, won’t fall to pieces, and has a number of well-thought-out features.

The Tote is made of sturdy black or orange nylon twill and it’s 14″ tall, 16″ long and about 7″ wide (despite the label, which says it’s 15″x17″x7″). Chloe could conceivably stand up in it, but she’d be bunched up — it’s really meant to carry her in a sitting position. Here she is, in two different views, looking as put-upon as possible. You’ll just have to take my word that she was, in fact, sitting comfortably.

Her chin is resting on a cut-out in one of the short ends of the bag. The top flap of the carrier has a zipper that runs along both long ends and around the cut out — half of it is mesh, and a Velcro tab allows you to fold the mesh portion back up under the solid portion, creating, if you choose, a hatch that your dog’s head can poke out of. Alternatively — and I think this is the feature Alexandra was looking for — you can zip the entire top closed, and your dog can still see out in all directions, through the mesh ventilation panels.

There are four of them altogether: One on half of the top flap, extending over to the upper portion of one of the ends, one on the upper portion of the other end, and two long panels on each side. The mesh is double-layered and will, I believe, resist scratching. The zipper is good-quality and the designers sensibly provided a fabric guard on its inside, so you won’t zip your dog’s ear fur. The fleece pad on the bottom extends several inches up the two ends and is secured in place with Velcro strips, so it won’t wad up. There is a slim pocket on one side, just inside a band through which a seat belt can be passed to secure the carrier in a car. A larger pocket on the other side (you can just see it, under the logo, in the second picture) is big enough for treats, a roll of poop bags, a phone and perhaps a thin wallet — it has slots for credit cards and a driver’s license, but I don’t see myself using that particular feature.

Sturdily-constructed, the bag does not sag when your dog is in it, and the sides and top retain their overall boxy shape. This would not be a bag you could fold down and tuck into your carry-on or suitcase.

It’s a low-key bag, but I wouldn’t call it a stealth bag — the ventilation panels are pretty obvious, after all, and there’s a big embroidered OllyDog logo on one of the sides. I’m delighted to own it — like Alexandra, I felt a need for a tote that could be zipped closed. I only have two gripes: There is no lanyard inside, to clip onto Chloe’s harness, and the shoulder straps could be a couple of inches longer (especially when I’m trying to get the carrier over a bulky winter coat). On balance, those are minor issues, and I’d snap this carrier up. It’s not on the OllyDog site — in fact, the only place I could find it was through the Sierra Trading Post — so it may not be long for this world.

Amazon link: OllyDog Olly Tote Dog Carrier

I’m playing favorites this week — because I can — and starting with a gem of a post from YouDidWhatWithYourWeiner.com about snowshoeing with a small dog — it’s the first in a promised series, and I’m eager to see the rest. Speaking of embracing the wintry outdoors, here’s a post from petswelcome.com about dog-friendly hiking trails in Canada, specifically, Grand Prairie (Alberta), Ottowa, Toronto, and Brandon and Carberry (Manitoba).

If, instead, your plan is to dodge the wintry and seek out the warm, consider this post from the Take Paws team with tips for dog-friendly things to do and places to go in New Orleans, as well as Luxury Paw‘s recommendations in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Somewhat less balmy, but still inviting: Asheville, NC (long on my to-do list) — petswelcome.com has suggestions for places to stay — and The Homestead B&B in Rehoboth Beach, DE, recommended by BedandBreakfast.com (which has pledged, on Twitter, to allow travelers to search for pet-friendly properties when they next update their site).

You’ll have to travel to get to these spots, and one of these links may help: Sue Yellen wrote a post for ChicagoNow with lots of pictures about how she manages road trips with Wigglebutt Duncan and Isadora Duncan, her two gorgeous Tibetan Terriers; Family Matters Blog, a blog for military families, posted a detailed how-to article about traveling from one duty station to another with your pet; and Avantair urged me in an e-mail to remind you that one of the benefits of private jet ownership, or partial ownership, is that your pets can travel in the cabin with you. Tragically, they didn’t offer to let me try out a private flight and report back to you.

And speaking of jet planes, here are this week’s links from abroad. The Montecristo Travels team has outdone itself with a bunch of posts you should see, starting with this one about the dog-friendly Italian bus system. Don’t miss the others, including posts about Italian trains, Florence dog parks, and Paris. Across the Channel, The Road Unleashed team visited the Cotswolds Wildlife Park in Burford, Oxfordshire (“Dogs are allowed in every area except the Wolves area and the Madagascar area”) and have tons of great pictures to prove it. On the other side of the globe, Lauren, the dog-phobic blogger behind Never Ending Footsteps, visited The Dog Café in Seoul, South Korea, and lived to tell the tale.

Last week we were with my in-laws in Tennessee; this week we’re with my family in central Ohio. Chloe loves it here, partly because she likes my parents but largely, it has to be said, because they have French doors that overlook their back yard — and they have a back yard full of squirrels. My father (can you see why Chloe likes him?) improved the chances of sighting a squirrel by buying a couple of pounds of raw peanuts and sprinkling them on the ground outside Chloe’s favorite windows. Here’s the result:

You can see the squirrel over Chloe’s head. What you can’t see is Chloe shaking with excitement. It’s been a glorious week.

I’d love to see how you and your pup spent your time together this week — please post your photos on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page so we can all see them!