Preparing Your Dog for a Flight

As some of you who follow Dogs Allowed on Twitter or Facebook may already know, a few days ago Zorra came with me from London to California. She immediately settled in and is loving every minute of being here (particularly the pool) but I had to do a lot of work and research to get her ready to fly.

If you are planning on taking your dog on a plane here are some tips:

1) Do some research about which airlines are available for the route you are taking. One long flight is easier for a dog to handle than a layover. Airlines have different pet policies so you should read these carefully before booking; for instance, Virgin Atlantic has climate control in the dog area and your pet earns you miles: win!

2) Read your airline's pet travel requirements very carefully, some may require extra health checks to reduce the risk of something going wrong. If you are in any doubt call the airline, usually people who work in the pet travel department of airlines are dog people and very friendly!

3) IF YOU ARE TRAVELING ABROAD: look at the requirements for BOTH the country you are leaving and the country you are arriving in, especially if you plan to come back and bring your dog with you. You want to avoid quarantine at all costs. These can usually be found on your country's government website, but quite often you can get this information from the airline. In Europe it is essential that you get a pet passport as soon as possible because a blood test must be carried out weeks after the initial shots.

4) If a vet check is required go to the vet early, for instance with Virgin I was required to get a vet check for Zorra within 10 days of travel, so I went 9 days before traveling to the vet. This was good, because I was an idiot and I forgot to bring her passport with me to be stamped, if I had left it too late I would not have had time to make another appointment.

5) Do NOT sedate your dog for the flight! Virgin and some other airlines do not allow animals on the plane which have been sedated because they can stop breathing and die. Even if you airline does allow sedated animals please don't do it! Dogs are resilient, and  they should settle on their own but even if they don't a distressed dog is better than a dead one!

6) Make sure you put bedding in the crate which is soft, absorbent, and which you don't mind throwing away. Especially for long flights they are quite likely to pee on it even if they are completely house trained .

I hope if you do travel with your dog that it goes as smoothly as it did for me and my dog! I believe that all dogs should be crate trained because it makes situations like this much easier. Even though I haven't crated Zorra since she was a puppy she settled quickly and clearly felt safe and comfortable. With these steps you should be well on your way to a safe and fun trip with your dog!

Happy travels!

Dogs on the London Underground

Dogs on the London Underground

The tube is an excellent way to travel around London and for the most part it is very easy to take your dog on it. I recently found that some stations can be much harder to navigate than others. For instance, Victoria Station is dog-accessible for the Circle and District lines but not for the Victoria line, which only has escalator access. The step-free access map actually does not help with finding tube stops which are more dog friendly. Deeper stations with lots of underground tunnels are fine for experienced dogs but are not ideal for young dogs who might get restless or which aren't toilet trained; the only issue are platforms which are only accessible by escalators. Dogs Allowed is going to venture to find out which stations and lines are the most dog friendly, stay tuned!

Restaurant Review - The Two Chairmen

The Two Chairmen - St James/Westminster

I went to this pub with Zorra after a long walk in Green Park on a rainy day. I was not planning on going to a pub for lunch, but this one looked so inviting I decided to pop my head in; after all, someone has to go around asking which pubs are dog-friendly! The bar staff were very friendly and were welcoming of a drenched girl and her even more thoroughly soaked dog. One of the barmen even offered to keep an eye on her while I nipped upstairs to the loo.

The food was great and unexpected; there was a nice selection of gormet burgers ranging from the usual beef burger to the more rare venison burgers and other interesting meats. The selection of beer was good but not as wide as I've seen in other pubs, but they had a wine list that was quite extensive for a traditional pub.

Overall I'd definitely recommend this pub; they were very welcoming of dogs, had a nice, friendly atmosphere, and better than your average pub food.

Deciding to Spay or Neuter Your Dog

Tonight Zorra is feeling somewhat sorry for herself but is otherwise fine post-op after being spayed this morning. Many people get fanatical about spaying, and either think that it is wrong to force an otherwise healthy dog to have an operation or that NOT spaying or neutering your dog is irresponsible. I personally was very conflicted about the decision to spay Zorra. Part of me kept thinking that I might want to breed from her in a couple of years, she's lovely and healthy and a good example of her breed.

It took me a long time to make the decision to spay her. I hated how final it would be, that once I took her to the vet I could not turn back. I finally made the decision that I knew I needed to make. I am not a dog breeder, I do not have the time or facilities to devote to breeding puppies, my dog is not a champion gun dog nor does she have perfect conformation. For me and my dog, spaying was the right option.

I believe it is important for every dog owner to take their time and read as much as they can about the pros and cons of spaying or neutering your dog. I truly believe that in MOST cases it is better to spay or neuter your dog, unless you are breeding for the right reasons.

So get the information, read as much as you can, talk to your vet, talk to breeders, but most of all don't make a decision based on pressure from others or because you can't face putting your dog through a procedure.

Traveling with Dogs to Paris

The advent of Pet Passports and changes to quarantine procedures means that it is much easier to travel from the UK to the Continent with your pet. As always it is crucial that you check the rules in your destination country as well as any restrictions that may be placed on your pet returning home.

France is a popular place for UK residents to take their dogs due to the relative ease of getting there. Dogs are NOT allowed on the Eurostar, but they are allowed on most French trains so once you arrive in France either by ferry or plane you and your dog are able to travel freely. Traveling with a dog is an excellent way to explore a new city, you end up meeting lots of locals and discovering new parks. Sitting outside at a Parisian cafe with a dog in tow is a great way to feel like a local!

Please do not try to act too much like a local in Paris, the city has a lot of dog poo on the streets. If you do bring your dog on vacation with you please pick up after your dog regardless of the local customs.

Watch this space for tips on where to take your dog in France!

Dogs Watching Polo with the Queen

Today a friend and I took our dogs to watch the final of the Royal Windsor Cup. Polo as a sport is remarkably dog friendly, but I was worried that we would have to leave our dogs in the car for such a prestigious event, after all the Queen was there! That was definitely not the case! It seemed that every time I turned my attention from the polo (which I'll admit was not that often, it was truly gripping) I saw another dog. During the treading in (or "stomping the divots" as we call it in America) there were dozens of dogs out with the girls in sundresses and heels and men in tweed, all covered up with Barbours against the wind. I'm sure Her Majesty would have approved of the canine presence, being a dog lover herself.

I don't believe there is another sport which is so open to dogs. Where else could you have your dogs on you lap or at your feet in the grandstand, which a human would have to pay good money for, and watch the match? Not even other equestrian sports have such a welcoming attitude towards dogs. One could argue that dog-related sports such as agility are more "dog-friendly" but I disagree, because in these sports dogs as competitors are treated differently and spectator dogs are usually not allowed in the bleachers. As far as I can tell polo is by and large the most dog-friendly sport in the UK and US today, and perhaps elsewhere.

Treading in - Her Majesty the Queen in the background

Whippet enjoying a view from the grandstand

If you want to take your dog to polo within reach of London check out Guards Polo Club: http://www.guardspoloclub.com/   or for a bit further look at Cowdray Park Polo Club: http://www.cowdraypolo.co.uk/ 

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Begging Dogs

If you have ever owned or even known a dog you are probably familiar with the "sad puppy eyes." These are deviously effective at making any human in possession of food feel guilty and sometimes they are so effective they cause said human to relinquish their food to the dog. This form of begging is seen often in pubs, where a human's delicious burger is placed right at nose level for many dogs.

This behavior might be cute, but it can lead to whining which upsets other customers and may get you and your dog kicked out. At the very least it may put you off your food which defeats the whole point of going to the pub or restaurant in the first place!

The best way to deal with this is to completely ignore your dog while they are begging. It's much easier said than done! I have been known to slip a french fry or 12 to my dog under the table, but ONLY when she is minding her own business, and this is still not advisable for dogs that beg badly (it's probably not advisable for my dog either, but she has me well trained)
. Definitely don't give your dog any food if they make any noise.

You can also try practicing at home, have your dog at your feet while you eat your dinner and completely ignore any noise make while you are eating. For some dogs bringing a bone with you to the pub might help, that way they have something tasty to munch on while you have your food.

I would love to hear any suggestions, please comment if you have any tips or tricks for stopping dogs from begging!