Travel plan idea blog

How friendly is pet friendly?

This article on pet friendly hotels and resorts reminded me to update you on some upcoming reviews.

First, the dog friendly, B&B in Vermont. Their dog policy is similar to Wyndham Andover Hotel where my parents stayed during the Boston area antique car show vacation mentioned a few weeks ago.

Dog policy: we are dog owners ourselves and we enjoy having dogs stay in our cabins. There are many forest trails for you to walk - your dog will love it! The rate for dogs is $5/night per dog, with a $10 minimum (however, as mentioned above, we have waived that fee). Our policy on dogs is that any damage or major cleaning (at our discretion, and we may hire professional help to do it) and loss of business will be billed in addition to that. The dogs must be calm, quiet, obedient, and friendly to people and other animals (there are free ranging chickens on the property). They should be on a leash outside the cabin. Dogs are not allowed on the furniture. You should take them with you during the day when you leave unless you can crate the dog and it won't bark while you are gone. We ask that you scoop any droppings on footpaths (we provide scooper). Thank you.

So it seems that many pet friendly hotels or B&Bs require dogs to be crate trained. If your dog sleeps with you in the bed you'll be breaking the rules in many hotels.

And on Wednesday I go to Punta Cana and the all-inclusive Sirenis resorts. My biggest concern at this point is how much protein powder mix to bring and how to bring it... Of course I'll be reviewing Spirit Airlines (with a very critical eye) as well.

Pet hotels & spas

When masters go on vacation without their pets, many make sure their pets get a treat as well: "Happy Tails works like an all-inclusive resort for the canine Caribbean, Bowens added, where services like petting, playtime, feeding and giving medication is included in the overall cost."

My little Yorkshire Terrier is quite insane (he attacks strangers on site by biting their toes and is often nervous or scared to the point where he's shaking) and I wonder if leaving him in a pet hotel is best for him. I hope that he'll become more sociable being surrounded by other dogs, but I'm told that he just hides while he's there, avoiding the other dogs as much as possible. I guess I have to hope the pet hotels are good for him, because family members are becoming more and more reluctant to watch him while I'm on vacation.

Reactions to "yappy" dogs on airplanes

In Peter King's Aggravating/Enjoyable Travel Note of the Week he complains about a dog that barked 6 or 7 times during takeoff. I may be more of a dog lover than most people, but I don't see the problem with a few barks during takeoff.

Then he says dogs should be kept in the carrying cases. This makes sense to me. As nice as it might be to have your dog in your lap during the flight, you've got to consider people who are afraid, allergic, etc.

Dogs on airplanes. They are really starting to tick me off.

Keep in mind that I love dogs. Love 'em. Well, I don't love all of 'em; I'm not a big fan of the pocket-sized ones, but I recognize their right to inhabit the planet. But the yappy ones on planes, especially, are becoming a source of irritation. I flew from Newark to Detroit on Sunday, and some nine-pound bundle of joy yelped six or eight times as the plane took off. Its owner, a twentysomething woman, took the fluffy white being out of its case (which, by the way, should be against every rule of flying canines) and held the dog on her lap for much of the trip.

Next thing you know, dogs will be bounding down the aisles. I am certainly not one of those who fear any dog, but those people do exist. And it's pretty rude to have dogs among the general population on airplanes, if you ask me. Not to mention how annoying they are when they yap.

JAL - good and bad

Eagle, the dog I brought from Incheon to JFK via Japan Airlines is fine. He's in America, happy, healthy, and bonding with his new family. I have no idea what he went through on the flight but he survived and was acting completely normal when we got him out of the crate.

There were a few problems with Japan Airlines though. When we talked to JAL people on the phone they tols us that visiting our dog during our one night stopover in Japan would be no problem. They gave us the number for Narita Airport customs/animal quarantine and we talked to someone for ten minutes about the rules which seemed fairly clear. We could visit our dog and take him for walks but we could not leave the airport.

When we arrived in Japan, the JAL people told us customs laws did not permit us to see our dog. We argued for a while explaining what we were told on the phone and that he used to be a stray and was afraid of being abandoned. My wife cried and threatened lawsuits if he didn't make it.

Half an hour to 45 minutes later they let us see him but we couldn't take him out of the cage to walk him (The quarantine people walked him or so we were told). All in all it was very stressful so I do not think I'll be using JAL again if I can help it. This is not the first time we've gotten bad information calling the JAL information people and sometimes misinformation can add a lot of stress to your travel.

Bringing your pet to a new country

Tomorrow I fly on JAL from Seoul to New York wih my Scnauzer. He's not huge, but at 20 pounds or so he's too big to sit with us and he's going in cargo. We like JAL and have had good flights with them in the past. Plus they were very confident that they could handle our dog with no problem. The man we spoke to said he's never lost a dog and that they can regulate temperature in the cargo hold. Anyway I had this article written to get me started on learning how to transport a dog safely via an international flight. I'll post more specific details in the future.

Owning a large dog can be rewarding, but when it comes to international transportation, it can be a hassle. Here are a few tips on how to prepare before, during and after travel with your pet:

Call your destination to review their pet policy and check the the airline/transport system regulations before leaving. Some countries require official USDA certification before an animal is allowed over the border. If so, have your veterinarian complete and sign a stamped form (27 dollars). Ask your vet if you have any health concerns or medication needs.

A big dog can easily overheat. Thus, many airlines won't take your pooch on a flight in summer during daytime hours in case of a delay, except flights leaving between 9 pm and 6 am. Do NOT leave the dog for more than a minute or two in the car.

Provide plenty of water, and if you don't have direct access to the dog, make sure personell can replenish it. Feed and walk them before the trip; pack just enough food to get them there.

Purchase your kennel in advance, and let the dog get used to it. It might be beneficial to take them for a few drives in the kennel so that when the day comes, they'll be prepared and may actually eagerly enter the carrier.

Bring a blanket for laying on the bed/floor to keep hair off furniture. Taking all of the dog's grooming supplies and a roller to remove fur from surfaces is a good idea.

Look into local leash laws. Try to keep your dog leashed at all times, since this will be an unfamiliar environment for them. Create a tag with your location to attach along with your pet's normal id tags.

These tips should create a safer environment for your doggie, and ease the experience for you.

Sources cited:

http://www.pettravel.com/passportnew.cfm
http://www.lufkindailynews.com/travel/content/shared/travel/aid/packpets.html
http://www.lufkindailynews.com/travel/content/shared/travel/aid/pettravel.html

Bringing a dog to the US

If you're in a hurry, the short version is that you need to get your dog a rabies shot (and you need documentation) 30 days prior to bringing the animal to the US. Now the longer version:

The first thing a dog owner wants to do before bringing his dog to the United States is to have the dog examined thoroughly by a local veterinarian to make sure it is in good health. Although import restrictions only apply to dogs that have a disease that can be communicated to humans, subjecting an unhealthy dog to a long period of travel is simply a bad idea, and dangerous for the animal.

Quarantining a healthy dog that has lived in a rabies-free country for at least 6 months is not necessary in the mainland United States. U.S. Customs maintains a list of rabies-free countries, and the dog owner can find out from them or from a government official from their own country if the country they are arriving from is on that list. In the state of Hawaii, however, the list of rabies-free countries is much shorter, and their quarantining requirements for dogs that are from a country that is not on their rabies-free list can be as much as 120 days in a quarantine station. If certain strict requirements are met by the dog owner before and after entering the state of Hawaii, the quarantine period can be reduced to as low as 5 days. It is essential that dog owners contact the Department of Agriculture in Hawaii and learn of these requirements before traveling there with their dog.

For dogs traveling from a country that is not on the U.S. Customs rabies-free list, the owner must bring a valid certificate showing that the dog has had a rabies vaccination at least 30 days before arriving in the U.S. If the owner fails to bring a certificate, the dog must be vaccinated within 4 to 10 days after arrival and then quarantined in a facility of the owner's choice for 30 days. The same rules applies to dogs that were vaccinated less than 30 days before arriving in the U.S. - 30 days of quarantine at a facility of the owner's choice.