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Tag: microchip

  • Prepping for Travel with Your Favorite Dog

    Thinking ahead, doing a bit of extra planning, and a bit of targeted training can make traveling with your dog a lot easier. For us, taking our dog is a given, not an option. We have more fun and meet more people and other dogs when she’s with us. Our Poppy is a family member and we go on family vacations.

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    Poppy is always ready to travel to any beach, any time. She loves walking on the sand.

    Reservations

    This means we have to reserve early to be sure we can find accommodations in our favorite dog-friendly places. Poppy does fine traveling in her travel crate, but she doesn’t like staying alone in unfamiliar locations.

    We also alert our vacation area pet sitters and see when they can fit us into their schedules so we can enjoy a few date nights without the pup. We don’t want to be the ones who spoil things for other families with dogs by leaving a barking dog in our room. If you’re going to a new area, ask your hotelier to recommend a pet sitter, should you need one.

    Because we rent cars to travel, we have a travel crate to ensure the vehicle is returned in good condition. Poppy is great on car rides. Our last dog, Maggie Mae, suffered from motion sickness, so we’re pros at protecting car seats with our own waterproof puppy mats and disposable puppy pads. 

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    Travel Training

    There are a few behaviors you might want to perfect before your trip. The first is “down and stay.” This can be very helpful when putting your dog into or getting out of the car. You don’t want to have a dog bolting away when a car door is opened at a highway rest stop.

    Next is renewing your effort to have your dog walk closely by your side. This will be helpful on crowded sidewalks, in shops where dogs are allowed, and when you're slightly distracted.

    Finally, see if you can train your dog to relax on a towel or mat any place you happen to be. This will help when you want to take a break, if you want her to settle down under a table on a dog-friendly patio, or by your chair on a beach.

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    Poppy has a waterproof puppy mat that she is happy to settle on while we dine al fresco.

    Brilliant Ideas

    We were talking about travel plans with one of our favorite bartenders, Gina Richard Sargeant, at Select Oyster Bar in Boston. She travels with a big dog so we asked her if she had any tips to pass on to our readers. She did!

    To reduce the shedding problem at a vacation rental, she gives her dog a very good brushing before she leaves home. On her packing list are old towels and sheets to cover the furniture and keep the dog hair off it. Favorite marrow bones to fill with goodies and freeze for times when he is left alone make him happy. A long dog lead gives him a bit of freedom while keeping him safe and away from neighbors who might not be dog lovers. (After she suggested this, we bought this long leash for Poppy.)

    Finally, she makes sure she has applied fresh flea and tick medication when heading for places that have a serious problem with those insects. That reminds us that you should check before you leave to be sure the area you're visiting is not one that requires additional vaccinations for your dog.

    We would add, make sure your dog’s ID tags are up-to-date. And, if you’ve been putting off adding a microchip to help should you ever be separated, now is the time to do it.

    Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

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    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: © 2017-2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Check the Chip Day for Sunday Dogs & Cats & Birds & All Is August 15th

    This week the American Veterinary Medical Association is sponsoring an official Check the Chip Day to remind all of us who are guardians for companion animals to be sure the microchips that would help return our furry friends to us, if lost, are working. 

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    We have "Check the Microchip" at the top of our list of information and questions we bring to every visit with our veterinarian. Poppy is due for her annual check up and we'll have Courtney, her lovely vet tech, check to see that her chip is working at the start of the visit. 

    This is also an opportunity to write down that ID number in case you need it to update your contact information. 

    Think about anything else that may have changed over the past year that might require an update on the registration form for that chip and make the changes needed with your registry. If you can't remember which it is, your vet can tell you that from the ID number. 

    Here's a video that will help you understand how microchips are inserted into an animal, how they work, and why each animal that could escape from your home should have one. Did you know that your vet can even microchip your birds?

    The Animal Rescue League of Boston is having an August special to encourage you to get those microchips in place. There is also more information about the topic at their link below.

    Special monthly offer August 2015 – 25% off your pet’s microchip!

    Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

    Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: Courtesy of American Veterinary Medical Association

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  • Lend Your Support to Allowing Dogs & Cats on Amtrak

    We know that our family would travel more if the entire family were allowed to travel by train. Right now, there is a pilot program under way in Illinois and a bill pending in the US House (The Pets on Trains Act of 2015, or H.R. 674) that would begin to allow some people with dogs and cats to ride on Amtrak.

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    Poppy waiting for a ride on the MBTA

    Our Westie Poppy is welcome on the MBTA outside of rush hours. All our dogs have been passengers on ferries in Boston Harbor, Provincetown, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and in Portland Maine. We have never witnessed an incident with dogs on any of these trips. And, on ferries, there is no size limit and no carrier is required.

    If you think opening the rails to people with companion animals is a good idea, please contact your representatives in Congress and the President to ask for their support and quick action on the Pets on Trains Act of 2015, or H.R. 674.  You can find the addresses here.

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    Responsible Access Only, Please

    Not all dogs are appropriate passengers on all mass transit systems. And, it is often the worst case scenarios and most irresponsible people who ruin something like this for the rest of us. We would love to see a registry for dogs and cats allowed to participate, with microchip scanning as a part of the ticketed access.

    This way you would only have to sign the responsibility waiver once and any person with a dog who jeopardizes the future of the program could be barred. It would be much better to have barriers to behavior than to size. 

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    Here's Poppy in the back of a Zipcar. We do all we can to be sure her presence is not a problem for the next member to reserve the car.

    Learn More and Take Action

    Please take the time to learn a bit more about the value of this program to: those of us with companion animals, the environment, and businesses, then contact those who can make it happen. (As of this writing, our Representative, Michael Capuano of Massachusetts, is a co-sponsor of the bill, so we'll be sending him our support and thanks.)

    • The sponsor of the bill, U.S. Representative Jeff Denham has said, “Last year I worked in collaboration with Amtrak, the Illinois Department of Transportation, and a small working group to launch a six-month pilot program to test the idea of having pets on trains,” said Rep. Denham. “This legislation builds on the success of that pilot program and would help families nationwide save money and time in traveling with their pets while bringing in much-needed revenue for Amtrak.”
    • The original Co-sponsor, U.S. Representative Steve Cohen said, “For many Americans, pets are simply part of the family—and all of us lucky enough to have pets are incredibly blessed by the companionship they provide.” “I am proud to work with my friend, Congressman Denham, on this important legislation to ensure families can bring their pets when traveling on Amtrak and that pets aren’t left behind to fend for themselves.”
    • The working group for this bill includes:  the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), the Federal Railroad Administration, and Amtrak.
    • Allowing people to leave the car behind and travel by Mass transit helps with the congestion on the highways and is less polluting. 
    • Businesses (like hotels, shops, and restaurants) that cater to people who travel with companion animals could see an increase in business if this passes.
    • Thanks to our friend Amy Burkert over on Go Pet Friendly for inspiring this post. There is more background on this at her link.

    Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

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    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino for Poppy on the MBTA and istockphoto for the traveling dog image.

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