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Snapshot Saturday: Nico at Snoqualmie Falls

Yep, I missed Friday again — but Saturday is just as good, and this photo makes me happy. Reader Lenox contacted me because she and her husband were planning to travel from Colorado to Seattle, via Southwest, with Nico, their Rat Terrier. Nico’s just about exactly Chloe’s size (she’s about 12″ tall at the shoulders, and about 13.5″ long; she weighs 10 lbs., though, so she’s slimmer than Chloe) — but Southwest told Lenox she’d be too tall to travel in cabin. Hogwash, I told Lenox, and suggested (what else?) the large SturdiBag carrier.

Lenox took the plunge, and here’s her report: “Thanks in LARGE part to the incredible resources on your blog, we had a wonderful trip from Colorado to Washington with our Rat Terrier, Nico. While she had some anxiety on the plane (panting heavily and shaking), she perked right up once we got off and didn’t whine or bark. And the pet relief area at Sea-Tac was a godsend!” I’m sorry about Nico’s stress — perhaps she might be one of the lucky dogs that responds well to D.A.P. (the wipes are TSA-friendly, and the collar is very intriguing) or Rescue Remedy or Travel Calm, though Chloe isn’t, alas. I’m delighted to hear, though, that Lenox plans to take more trips with Nico.

Here’s Nico at the Snoqualmie Falls park (“leashed pets are allowed”):

The falls are gorgeous, and they’re only a short drive east of Seattle. Perched above them is the historic Salish Lodge & Spa — it’s a delightful place to stay, and it has dog-friendly rooms. (Does it look spookily familiar to you? You too probably watched Twin Peaks back in the day. In real life, the Lodge is warm and cozy and inviting and not a bit spooky.)

Thanks to Lenox for the picture and the report (and, of course, the praise!). If you have pictures of your own to share from this week, please post them on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page so we can all see them!

4 comments

  • Lenox

    Mary-Alice,

    Thanks for the great post and for the incredibly helpful information — as always!

    We definitely plan to travel with Nico again and will certainly look into the anti-anxiety resources you mentioned.

    Our vet prescribed Pro-Quiet, which are chewable, flavored tablets for dogs and cats.

    They contain L-Tryptophane (same thing that’s found in Turkey that makes you sleepy), Taurine, Hops, Chamomile, Brewers Yeast, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B6, Ginger, Vitamin B12, and Folic Acid.

    We followed the instructions for giving them to her, but we don’t think they had much effect.

    Due to all the panting, we thought she might be getting dehydrated and thirsty, but she didn’t drink much during the flight. However, your tip for giving her ice-chips was helpful. She seemed to like that.

    Also, while we love Southwest airlines, their policy of not allowing passengers to hold their dog carriers on their lap during flight was a challenge. On the flight to WA, we did it anyway because we were concerned about her. Fortunately, no one said anything. In fact, thanks to the Sturdibag, they didn’t even know we had a dog with us!

    On the way back home it was a full flight so we kept her carrier under the seat in front of us, but neither she, nor us liked that very much. So for the next flight, we’ll definitely consider going with an airline that is more flexible about the carrier being on your lap or in an unoccupied seat next to you during the flight.

    LOVE your blog and we really, really appreciate all your wisdom, tips, and resources!

    Lenox, Steve, and Nico

  • Margaret Schuler

    I thought that Southwest had a policy where the dog had to be 9 pounds or less to travel in the cabin. My Coton de Tulear is 10.5 pounds. So I had ruled out this airline. Is there some leeway on this?

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