You've been eyeing the beautiful pictures on Instagram or online for a long time and you're finally going to visit that National park this summer. And, of course, because you hardly do anything without your furry sidekick, you're dog is coming with you. Then you find out that dogs aren't allowed in National Parks and your dreams are dashed. Are Dogs Allowed in National Parks? First, … [Read more...]
5 Mistakes That Can Get You Kicked Out of a Dog Friendly Restaurant
We are lucky to have a lot of dog-friendly restaurants in Seattle. Not only are there restaurants where you can sit on the patio outside with your dog, but there are a few that allow you to actually eat inside with your dog! I love taking Gretel with me to a local pub or cafe on the way back from our hikes. I admit she is not always the best behaved dogs though. I see some dogs in … [Read more...]
How You Can Travel More with Your Dog
Gretel and I recently got back from a 9-day, 4,000 mile road trip to the southwest. Earlier this year, we visited Canadian National Parks for a week, went on several multi-day camping trips, and had many more mini adventures. People often tell me I’m lucky that I get to travel so much with my dogs. I admit that I got out with Gretel more this year than I have in most other years but it still feels … [Read more...]
9 Tips for Surviving New York City with Your Small Dog
I visited New York City for the first time last month. I heard it can be pretty crazy there. Not one to shy away from adventure, I decided to take my small Dachshund, Gretel, with me. Adventure is what I got too. People warned me before I went that it might not be wise to bring a small dog to such a crowded city. I won't lie - it DID make the trip a bit more tricky - but I had a blast doing New … [Read more...]
Protect Your Car from Muddy Paws
You would be really surprised how dirty a 10 lb Doxie can get. After 12 years of hiking and walking in the rain with a Doxie, I am still surprised. I swear it's their paddle feet that flip mud and dirt on their bellies when they walk. I didn't care so much about my old car getting dirty but I bought a brand new car two years ago and started caring. If you look at my car windows, it's obvious I … [Read more...]
9 Key Lessons Learned While Flying with a Dog In-Cabin
UPDATED: October 21, 2018 I've flown with my dog Gretel 4 times. I don't claim to be an absolute expert on flying with a dog in cabin but I am pretty savvy when it comes to traveling with a dog and I learn fast from experience (plus our Facebook followers gave me a bunch of great tips and advice). I've flown varying length and distances with Gretel. One was a direct flight but the others … [Read more...]
Flying With a Dog: Getting Ready for Takeoff
I found out about a week ago that Gretel gets to fly with me to Knoxville, Tenn. when I visit the PetSafe headquarters. I've never flown with a dog before, and Gretel has never been on a plane, so we were going to have a lot of preparing to do in two weeks time. The first thing I had to do was research the pet policy for American Airlines. I was lucky because American Airlines takes … [Read more...]
Best Websites for Planning a Dog Friendly Vacation
My hubby and I rarely travel without Chester and Gretel. We're going on an anniversary trip next week to Jackson, Wyoming and will be bringing them with us. I thought I would share some of the resources we use to plan a dog friendly vacation. It's a 14-hour drive from Seattle to Jackson so, to ensure we all get enough breaks, we will be playing the 100-mile road trip game and splitting the … [Read more...]
Things You Must Know Before Driving Across the Canadian Border With Your Dog
I take several road trips a year from the US into Canada with my dogs. People know I like to travel to Canada so they often ask me questions like "Can I take my dog to Canada?", "How hard is it to cross the US-Canadian border with my dog?", and "What rules do I need to follow when crossing the border with my dog?". I'm always happy to share what I know based on research and … [Read more...]
Driving with Dogs: The 100 Mile Road Trip Game
Driving with dogs can be really fun but it has it challenges, especially if it is a long road trip. I recently drove 2,900 miles in 8 days with Chester in Gretel. We dove from Seattle to the annual BlogPaws conference for pet bloggers in Las Vegas. Chester and Gretel love riding in the car with me. Gretel sleeps most of the time and Chester either dozes or looks out the window (he doesn't like … [Read more...]
What Adventurous Dog Parents Pack for a Road Trip
We just got back from a 800-mile road trip from Seattle to Bend, OR and back. It is the first road trip we have taken in almost 2 years. I had to scramble around the house to gather all of our usual road trip stuff we take for the dogs. Believe it or not, packing for a road trip with two small dogs requires a lot of stuff. I guess, really, that I would pack the same stuff whether my dog was small … [Read more...]
Upcoming Roadtrip? Make a Pet First Aid Kit For Your Car
I have first aid kit for hiking and overnight backpacking with the dogs. These kits are human first-aid kits with extra pet-specific stuff thrown in. When I am carrying the kit in a pack, I need to conserve weight so they are combined. I carry a human first aid kit in my car. It doesn't have anything extra in it for Chester and Gretel. Although some of the products could be used on them, … [Read more...]
“Dog-friendly” Does Not Always Mean Dog-friendly
Recently we took a great dog-friendly trip that didn't turn out to be as dog-friendly as we expected. With much excitement and anticipation, our friends from Life with Doxies and I loaded up my car and drove 2.5 hours east of Seattle to the town of Zillah, WA for the Cherry Wood Canine Wine and Walk. It sounded like the perfect trip. I like hiking with Chester and Gretel and we would be hiking … [Read more...]
Couch Surfing with Your Dog: How to Be a Good Houseguest
On our recent Oregon bike trip we stayed with a total stranger that generously opened his house to us. We found him in the community for touring cyclists and hosts - WarmShowers.org. Before we arrived I told him we had two dogs along for the trip. Although he doesn’t have pets, he was completely fine with us bringing ours. I have spent all of Chester’s 9 years dragging him over the river and … [Read more...]
