A Guide to Traveling with Your Pet

Have you wanted to visit friends or relatives, or perhaps hike the trails at a scenic park? Did concerns over leaving your pet behind prevent you from going? Traveling with your pet is easier than you think.

If you travel by car, make pre trip hotel reservations at pet friendly hotels. A large percentage of hotels and motels now accept pets. Check when making your reservations. There will be an extra charge for your pet, but it is usually quite reasonable. The only restriction they place on your pet is that it must be in a crate or pet carrier when you are not in the room with it. Many of these pet friendly hotels have an area for guests to walk their dog and let it go to the bathroom. They do expect the guest to pick up after their dog and deposit his bowel movement in the receptacle provided or in the nearest garbage can if a bowel movement container is not provided. Holiday Inn and Super 8 are two chains my mom and dad used regularly as both were happy to see us. We don’t get to go very often any more because auntie and grandma now live with us, so we stay home to keep them company.

Air travel with pets falls into two categories, in-cabin and cargo. In-cabin pets must be small enough to fit into a carrier that will slide under the seat in front of you. Pets too large to fit comfortably in a small carrier must travel in cargo. Cargo holds are heated, cooled and pressurized, just like the passenger compartment.

A number of years ago, mom and dad’s older daughter (not the one that lives with us) had a blue and gold macaw called “Bucko.” At that time her husband was in the military and they were stationed at Camp Borden near Barrie, Ontario. Bucko did not like some of their military friends and began attacking these people when they came over to visit. This auntie decided that she would have to give Bucko up and phoned mom and dad to find out if they would take him. They agreed to take Bucko. It was in the middle of a very cold Canadian winter so she checked with Air Canada to see if Bucko could be accommodated in the cabin of the aircraft. Air Canada agreed that this would be acceptable providing Bucko traveled in a hard sided dog crate. On the day Bucko was to fly out of Toronto, Ontario, it was cold and windy, so his mom wrapped the dog crate in towels so that Bucko wouldn’t be bothered by drafts. She then turned him over to Air Canada personnel and phoned to tell mom and dad the flight number. Mom and dad met the flight at Regina, Saskatchewan, where we lived at the time. They waited in the luggage area for Bucko. Shortly after the plane landed, an Air Canada flight attendant walked into the luggage area carrying the dog crate containing Bucko. She was asked if he had been any problem and she laughed and said, “No he wasn’t a problem at all. He shared a seat in first-class with model Lauren Hutton.” Auntie never did advise us what the cost of the flight was, but the bird flew in good company.

Before you make a reservation, be sure that the airline will accommodate your pet. Some airlines do not take pets in-cabin; some discount airlines don't accept pets at all. So if you purchase your airline tickets through the Internet, make sure that your pet will be able to travel with you.
Pet passengers require a reservation, whether traveling in-cabin or cargo. Airlines have restrictions on the number of pets they will carry in order to provide safe travel for all. So making your pet's reservation at the same time you purchase your ticket is a good idea. Extra charges for both in-cabin and cargo pets will be assessed.

Purchase a health certificate from your veterinarian. Health certificates are usually only good for ten days, so if your visit will be longer than that you will have to purchase another health certificate for the return trip. It is also wise to carry your pet’s health records with you in the event that you need to use a veterinarian while you are on holidays. This is particularly necessary if your pet has any allergies or medical conditions that might flare-up during your trip.
Your in-cabin pet will need a carrier. These soft-sided carriers come in several sizes, so buy or borrow one that allows your pet plenty of room, but still fits under the seat in front of you. Some of these can be bought with wheels to make transport through the airport easier, however, these will reduce "pet space" under the airplane seat. Window and middle seats have more room underneath than aisle seats due to the seat configurations.

Pets traveling in cargo will need an airline-approved kennel. Generally, these are hard-sided, non-collapsible crates. If your pet already has a sturdy crate it may double as a shipping kennel, but make sure it is airline approved. This may mean going to the airport before the trip to have the crate checked by the airline. This is a little inconvenient, but less so than finding out on the day of the trip that they won’t accept your crate on their aircraft.

Most experts do not recommend tranquilizing your pet. The motion of the airplane seems to have a soporific effect, causing pets (and people) to snooze. Once in the air you'll find that your pet will probably sleep. A word about training is appropriate here. Crate training your pet will make him/her a better traveler. There are many resources available that will show you how to accomplish this. Time spent training will definitely pay off.

Don't hesitate to join the legion of folks who travel with their pets. With a little preparation it can be safe, simple and rewarding.

Until next time,

Teia

Tips for Puppy-Proofing Your Home

Ah, puppies . . . We’re so adorable, filled with boundless energy and curious about any-and-everything around us. That's why taking steps to puppy-proof your home will go a long way in protecting us from harm. And on the flip side, your precautions will also safeguard your belongings from possible damage.

Your first task is to observe things from a puppy's point of view. How? It’s simple. Go from room to room; get down on your hands and knees and take a good look for anything that we might be enticed by. Remember, we are new to the world and like toddlers, we are inclined to explore our surroundings by putting things in our mouth and poking around in nooks and crannies.

Cabinets

Be mindful of cleaning supplies and personal care items that are stored in low storage areas like under the kitchen sink and in bathroom cabinets. Needless to say, the ingredients in these products are extremely harmful and can even cause death. If the cabinet doors can be easily pried open, think about storing these items in some other place. Another option is to purchase plastic childproof cabinet locks that can be temporarily attached to the handles or knobs. When mom and dad had Bucko, a blue and gold macaw, they had childproof locks on every cupboard door in the house. These safety locks can usually be found online or in local stores that carry baby supplies. Also remember that most of us are allergic to chocolate and raisins, so ensure that you keep these tasty morsels stored in high cupboards because if we eat them it could be fatal. Some of us are also allergic to grapes so do not leave them where we can get to them.

Electrical Cords

You can’t imagine how tantalizing an electrical cord is, especially when it's looping down from a table or desk. "I can jump at it, pull on it, wrestle with it and even gnaw on it," we all think to ourselves. The dangers are obvious: a falling lamp or electrocution can cause serious injury or worse. Wrap up loose hanging electrical cords or at least block access to them. And for cords that need to run across the floor, enclose them in rubber or plastic cord/cable runners that can be purchased at an office supply outlet or home improvement store.

Plants

Household plants are attractive to most animals, especially puppies. However, most of them are toxic to us. Ingesting a bite or two can cause nausea, vomiting and in some cases death. For our safety, reposition your plants so that they are out of our reach.

Small Objects Around the House

Be alert to small items around the house that can be swallowed or cause choking such as coins, jewelry, sewing supplies, batteries, medication and miniature knick-knacks left on low surfaces. A few of us will eat any small object that will fit in our mouth, so until you are sure about us, keep small objects where we cannot get to them. You don’t want an emergency operation to be necessary to remove a small toy or ornament from our stomach. Believe it or not, I heard of a dog that ate stones and he had to have expensive operations on a regular basis. And don't forget to block access to trash receptacles in the kitchen, your home office and even the bathroom. Now speaking of bathrooms . . .

The Toilet (Or, "Beyond the Great Rim")

To an adventurous puppy, the challenge of climbing up, up and over the rim of your toilet is a tail-wagging delight. Unfortunately, falling head-first into this big, slippery bowl of water is not so delightful especially for a smaller-sized pup. Simple solution: make it a house rule to keep the bathroom door closed at all times because even as we get bigger, some of us like to use the toilet as a water bowl.

Puppy-proofing your home may seem like a hassle but providing the safest environment possible is a necessity. After all, we are your lovable, four-legged bundle of joy and we are worth it. We don’t mean to be destructive or troublesome, but like a child, we are adventurous and we want to learn everything we can about our new home and environment. We also want to learn what the rules are. We can’t abide by them if we do not learn what they are.

Until next time,

Teia