Tikka in Germany and Austria | Dog Travel Europe

October 7, 2016June 19, 20179 Comments

Our big adventure travelling through Italy with our dog Tikka begins here – A flight into Germany and then off to Austria for an overnight night stop before continuing into Italy to visit Florence, Tuscany, Rome, Ravello and Venice.

So why aren’t we starting in Italy? We chose to fly direct into Munich on Lufthansa with Tikka in mind. AirTransat had the only direct flight to Rome from Vancouver, but they have a no dogs in cabin policy, so that was a non starter for us. Lufthansa was brilliant, fussing over Tikka making sure she was ok. After a comfortable 10 hour flight with our dog snoozing in the cabin at our feet the whole way, we landed and we were out of the terminal in 30 minutes with bags in hand looking for a good place for Tikka to have a long pee. No holdups in customs – it was a breeze and you can read about the process of getting a dog ready to go from Canada to the EU in this post.

Grass was within a 2 min walk outside Terminal 2, so super easy to find a place for relief.

Tikka eyeing our currywurst lunch outside Terminal 2 – Munich, Germany.

Before jumping in our rental car, we took a minute to stretch our 8 legs, give Tikka some water and grabbed a quick bite in the outside square – lots of options for something to eat and all dog friendly. Currywurst was our choice, a local street food of sausages with curried ketchup, and a personal favourite of my huband’s.

When we were checking out options for what car rental company we wanted to go with, we asked about having a dog in the car with us and the reply was ‘no problem’. Although Tikka is a low shedding dog, we brought a towel with us anyway, to try keep the dog hair mainly isolated to her sleeping spot. And we picked up a new travel tip when travelling with your dog. As we were on an international flight, we were given blankets on the plane and we held onto them – they are a good size and thin so easy to pack and we’ve been using them in the car as well as over any furniture that Tikka wants to curl up on.

Let’s go! Packing up the trunk before getting TIkka into her travelling spot in the front of the rental car.

Ok, time to get on the road! Easy drive out of the airport and we were on our way to Austria. This vacation is all about driving around Italy however, to make it easy on ourselves we only wanted to do a two hour drive after our flight so stayed in the charming Stubaital valley in Tyrol, Austria, just south of Innsbruck.

Tikka in front of our stop for the night – Aplenholtz Hotel, Mieders Austria

Major note to self for another trip, to stay in this area for a few weeks. So gorgeous and heaven for any dog that wants to hit the trails. It’s all about enjoying the views of the mountains, exploring meadows and winding your way through the little towns. There is even a handy planner for Austria that you can map out your hike.

View of the Serles Mountian on our early morning walk in Mieders, Austria.

We chose Mieders to stop overnight, booked ahead of time, and the Alpenholtz Hotel couldn’t have been better. It’s slow for travellers at the end of September, as it’s in between the summer tourist season and the upcoming ski season, so we enjoyed the fresh air and how quiet it was. A perfect stopover for travelling with a dog and a big paws up from VanDoggo!

Little cozy pub in the Alpenstotlz Hotel

Dinner was at a local restaurant and we enjoyed our first meal with Tikka under the table before we crashed in our bed and our little travel dog snuggled in for the night. Sweet sleep…we were tired and looked forward to a nice long sleep after traveling so far. Of course our eyes sprung open at 1 am. A couple hours of watching Austrian TV in German finally got us back to sleep again. Tikka seemed unaffected, snoring on the sofa. So jealous.

Tikka making new friends.

Handy poop bags along our walking path.

We all ventured out the next morning for a healthy wander around Mieders before our drive to Florence and Tikka made some new friends. Just like big dogs but they moo instead of bark and you need much larger poop bags. We wandered through the paths and fields, and feasted our eyes on all the amazing views, the reality of actually being on vacation started to set in.

Local house with a full September bloom in Mieders, Austria

And we knew we weren’t in Kansas anymore when we stumbled across a cute vending machine on the side of the road that stocks fresh eggs.

Never run out of eggs again!

A quick breakfast put on by the hotel brought us back from our morning stroll and after we repacked the car, gave Tikka the map to navigate and we were off to Florence!

Travelling through Europe and Italy with our Dog, Tikka. Vandoggo.

Paperwork for taking a jet setting dog from Canada to Europe | Pet Travel

September 26, 2016June 19, 201726 Comments

Want to take your dog from Canada to the EU but don’t know where to start? Neither did I, but I decided to check out if it was #1) possible? and #2) would I need a PHD in paperwork management? After some research for ‘Non-Commercial Export of Animals’ it turns out it’s not that bad and I lived to tell the tale. The proof being that I’m typing this from Florence with a world travelling dog by my side. And you’ll appreciate the ‘punchline’ at the end of this article…

Order, We Must Have Order

First thing I realized is that there is a very strict order to everything and timing is very important.

Microchipping must be done before vaccinations and only one year rabies vaccines are accepted coming into Europe. Tikka had a three year jab, but alas, had to get a one year before we left. Vaccines must be administered 30 days before travel. From the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) website:’ according to EU regulations, a rabies vaccination is not considered valid unless the animal was properly identified at the time it was vaccinated. The microchip or tattoo number must also appear on the rabies vaccination certificate in order for it to be considered valid.

A certified vet must verify that the vaccination was administered.

Microchips can be different types, however a ISO standard 11784 rated microchip is preferred as the standard for entry to Europe, otherwise if it is any other type you have to bring your own scanner with you. They sell them here.

Tikka in her travel carrier

Paperwork, Lovely Paperwork

For travelling from Canada to the EU, the paperwork needs to be downloaded from the CFIA and there is lots of information to get you filling things out like a pro. Here is the link for the CFIA – Non Commercial export of animals.

After looking up the country that you LAND in (not your final destination) I downloaded it and printed off two copies. I had an extra in case of any mess ups at the vet. This has to happen within 10 days of travel to the EU. Take the forms plus a printout of the instructions to your appointment, making sure they know why you are there. You need to do a health examination and tell them you need this paperwork filled out. And here is a fun fact. It HAS to be filled out in BLUE ink…no exceptions!

We also got an International Health Certificate from the vet for the airline in case someone asked to see it.

Everything at Tikka’s appt went well, we were in an out in 30 minutes with a vet stamp in the first space of three (vet, CFIA, customs at destination) on the document and were ready for the next step…the ruler!

I rule the blue pen

This part felt unusual as I’m not used to crossing out information on govt forms. It’s required to take a ruler and cross out anything that does not apply to your situation, again in that all important blue ink. These sections determine points such as:
Are you the owner of the dog travelling with you?
Do you have more that 5 dogs with you?
After all that was done it was time to take the papers to the CFIA for a pre arranged appointment – List of offices. I took the papers and $20 and was there only 15 minutes while they put their stamp on the back page, in the second spot.

Once back at my office, I made two copies of all the stamped papers so that I had a spare as well as all her vaccination records, tattoo and microchip certificates. Bring everything with you in duplicate – you will save time if anyone needs a copy of something.

And the CIFA have this handy checklist you can reference.

On Our Way

Was that really all of it? … Do we have everything done? … Is it all correct?… Did I forget anything? I guess we’ll find out 10 hours after our flight and we have a customs officer staring at us.

Waiting to board the plane at YVR

The big test finally arrived. After months of planning, Tikka, myself and my husband were finally airborne and we were cautiously optimistic about what the EU custom officer had in store for us. We eagerly followed the signs to baggage claim at the Munich airport and before long passport control was in front of us becokoning us forward. And what do you think happened after all the previous months of organizing? Not a DAMN thing!!! They couldn’t have cared less and waved us on without a blink when we told them we had a dog.

My husband and I discussed how surprising that was and figured that customs must be different than passport control and we’d have to show the paperwork after we got our bags. That time came in 20 minutes and there was no indication that we even had to declare having a dog with us. We did what we thought was best and went through the red customs channel in to declare her anyways. A very friendlly customs officer took Tikka’s documents and went away to the back of his office. Ah ha! This will be when we get that last stamp on her papers, giving us closure for a job well done. He returned 2 minutes later and said ‘Ok, enjoy your holiday’. We flipped to the last page and that third space still sat empty – not even a whiff of a stamp.

The lonely third place for a stamp

We took the hint…move on and have a great holiday, which is just what we’ll do. Of course for future travel, we will still follow all procedures as you never know when you’ll have to have everything ready to present to customs with a trigger happy stamp.

Read about the first leg of our road trip in Germany and Austria.

Packing List for the Dog Gear | Pet Travel

September 21, 2016June 19, 20173 Comments

We are counting down the days to our Italian adventure and the lists are well underway. Although it’s a multi week vacation, packing for Tikka isn’t extending too much past our regular planning for a weekend trip. The Transport of Animals paperwork is the biggest addition (I’ll write about this in an upcoming post) and there is also a muzzle and a pee pad going in the bag. Biggest decision is which toys get to come along…!

Tikka in her Sturdi Bag getting ready for her Italy trip.

Paperwork

This is first on the list as all the careful packing in the world won’t matter if you are turned away from the border with forgotten papers. Along with our passports, Tikka’s paperwork will be in our personal carry on, in duplicate. Read more in this separate post about the paperwork for taking your dog from Canada to Europe.

Carrier

Tikka just fits into the requirements for in-cabin travel and our Sturdi Bag has been our go to carrier. For this trip we are flying with Lufthansa and if she lays off the extra treats she and her carrier will meet the 18lb limit. We use a Large Sturdi carrier and what’s great about this brand is the structure is flexible so the roof will conform to being under the seat without an issue whilst still leaving Tikka plenty of room. And when she is not under the seat, it pops back up to it’s original form.

Crate for Hotels

Although Italy seems more relaxed for dogs not being crated while in their rooms alone, we’ll still bring along one of Tikka’s soft kennels as she likes having her own ‘den’ to hang out in. We have a collapsible soft sided crate that goes up in seconds and fits in the bottom of our bigger suitcase (but takes up a lot of room) and we also have a Sturdi tent. The tent rolls up much as a smaller camping tent does and goes up with two fold-able rods. The floor space is bigger with the tent, so if we need to zip her into it we can put food and water in the corner. Needless to say we will be keeping the amount of time Tikka spends alone in the hotel rooms to a minimum as most of the time she will be touring the sites and eating pasta with us.

Toys

We will be bringing a couple of toys with us as it’s always nice to bring friends along on the trip when your family is driving you crazy. It’s tempting to go overboard but we are limiting to two small stuffies – one with a squeaker and one without. When we are at the airport we usually find a corner away from the crowds so that Tikka can be out of her carrier before the flight and I’m sure the travellers around us appreciate not hearing the repeated squeak of the dog toy. We will also pack a couple of balls for romps in the park – having an extra with us in case one goes missing.

Moosey, pack your bags!

Poop Bags

Bought a new multipack so that we can put a roll in different places and never be caught without one. In the carrier, suitcase, rental car…

Leashes

Along with packing a spare in case one somehow goes missing, we always put a short leash with no metal on it in the carrier bag. That way when we go through security we won’t get hauled off to another room for a further exploration.

Collapsible Bowl

Love these bowls – they flatten down to a disk and then pop open when you need it for water on the plane. Because it’s flat it neatly stores in the small pouch on the side of the carrier.

Towel

We are going to spend time at the beach after all! If space in our luggage was a huge concern I may pick up a towel in Italy, but we have a fantastic super absorbent towel that is perfect for a wet dog or muddy feet and there is room to bring it.

Pee Pad

To date, all of our air trips have been under 6 hours so Tikka needing to pee mid journey has never come up. We’ll pack a couple pads just in case as she was trained on them very early on as a pup, so she’ll have an opportunity in the airplane bathroom if she wants to go. I suspect she’s going to try and hold it, which would be 12 hours from grass to grass at each airport. Poop wise, we feed the night before the journey and then there are just small treats on the day of travel. This keeps the stomach settled and less chance of a desperate ‘I have to go poop now’!

The ever evolving packing list

Muzzle

A new item on our list and new to Tikka is a muzzle. Italy requires muzzles for all dogs travelling on transit – It does seem a bit relaxed for small dogs, but she hasn’t fussed with having it on and I’d rather follow the rules so that countries will stay open to having dogs live openly among us 🙂

Backpack

Just wait until you see this! Although Italy is incredibly dog friendly, we did pick up a backpack that you can rest your dog in for some of the areas that need you to hold your dog. Also perfect for a short jaunt on a Vespa to visit a local winery. I can’t wait to get some pics of Tikka and share with you how we liked using it.

Treats and Food

Due to most country’s regulations, meat and food products can be problematic to bring in, so to avoid any hassle we decided to leave these behind. A couple dry treat crumbs may be found at the very bottom of my pocket, for a little reward getting in an out of the carrier in security…

I think we thought of everything but I’m sure we’ll pickup anything we leave behind.

Have Dog, Will Travel! | Pet Travel

September 1, 2016June 19, 20175 Comments

Time for a change of scenery whilst bringing all the comforts of home along for the journey. Tikka brings so much comfort to me and my husband, always next to us no matter what kind of day we are having, ready to snuggle up to us with all her fluffy love. So of course she needs to come with us on our next big trip so that she can check out the scenery right along side of us!

Although Tikka is a seasoned traveler, navigating through airports and snoozing in different hotels, all of her travels have been in Canada and the US and only a few days at a time as they always centered around work trips. Finally, an opportunity for a proper 3 week vacation…now how the heck do we choose where to go and where is dog friendly? How long can Tikka fly for? How easy is the paperwork? And so the trip vetting process began.

After researching all of the above and narrowing down choices, a destination started to pull away from the pack. It became hard to dismiss it while scrolling through numerous websites and blogs about dog travel. The country sat right in front of us, begging from its back legs and spinning like a circus poodle. How could we resist?

Italy it is!

First on our checklist was ‘had to be dog friendly’. Wow! Does Italy have this covered. Dogs in and outside of restaurants, in cafes and all around town squares – The Italians have actually figured out that you won’t die if you eat outside of your own house with your dog laying down next to you.

Checking out hotels and AirBnB was amazing. When you filter for ‘pet friendly’ only a small percentage of properties would drop out of the search. So many options in all ranges from rustic to luxury. Stores are also welcoming and we’ve read about dogs being spoiled at the local markets with the purveyors fussing and giving treats to happy wagging tails.

Transport looks fantastic – dogs on trains and buses and water taxis in Venice. Bringing Tikka along for all our adventures won’t be slowed down if we have to jump on local transit.

And then the deal was sealed when we found out about the beaches that cater to our four legged friends… beach chairs and umbrella rentals in huge off leash areas along the blue Mediterranean sea while someone walks up and down the sand selling gelato for dogs.

All sounds like doggy heaven and we can hardly wait, and we’re looking forward to having everyone follow along our trip with us! Ciao!

You can take your dog to Las Vegas! Dog Friendly Hotel Vdara | Dog Travel US

July 29, 2016June 19, 20177 Comments

When a family birthday celebration was recently organized for Sin City, I was curious if bringing Tikka on the trip was viable, for us and for her. I had never brought a dog to Vegas and you don’t see too many around when you are in the hotels or out on the strip. Where would we stay…what about the heat…?

Biggest item for the trip was where to stay – had to be dog friendly of course and ideally close to a decent relief area. I honed in on Vdara Hotel next to the Bellagio. Partly because I had stayed here when it first opened and really enjoyed my stay, but also because I discovered the fantastic dog amenities they had planned out since my last visit. Booking online was easy peasy, a few clicks took us to the Vdog booking options and we were set. Within 24 hours, Vdara concierge sent us an email welcoming us to the hotel and acknowledged that I had a dog with me, asking if there was anything I needed. I requested a crate for the room so that I could save some space in my suitcase from bringing Tikka’s collapsible crate and they were happy to oblige (and it’s free). Hey, a girl always needs space for extra shoes that will never actually be worn during the trip…

Tikka at YVR on her way to Las Vegas

After an uneventful Air Canada flight we arrived on time at McLaren airport, ready for our first dog adventure in Vegas. Tikka and I stepped out of the airport and were overcome by a thick wall of heat. It was hot. Very hot. Burning hot. Did I mention it was hot? If it was a shock to my system, I’m sure it was to her as well, so we promptly got in the taxi line and luckily was in air conditioning within 5 minutes. This is something to be really conscious of, travelling to the desert with a dog and dealing with the soaring heat. During our trip we stayed in the air con whenever we could while waiting on taxis etc. Throwing the ball around for some decent exercise was reserved for early am and I checked the pavement with my hand before walking her onto it so that we could avoid any burnt pads.

Vdog swag… score!

Check in was a breeze. The crate was on our file so the front desk called to have it delivered to the room right away. Reception popped into the back and came back with a bag of goodies, something they provide for their doggy guests. A quick trip up the elevator to the room and we checked out our swag: A Vdara blanket to keep, that folds up with a handle, a biscuit and info about their dog program. We laid out the blanket on the sofa, knowing full well Tikka would be up there any chance she got.

The crate arrived shortly after we settled in and with such a big room it was easy to have it out of the way. It was a proper heavy crate, and they provided another blanket to put in the bottom without asking. Vdara’s policy is dogs must be crated if no one is in the room, so either bring your own or let them know when you book that you need one. If crating is a no go for your dog, then they will organize a pet sitter to come and hang out in your room while you gamble or catch a show.

Vdog Suite at Vdara

Rooms are gorgeous – modern, large and a complete kitchenette with small fridge and hot plate and small dining table, separated from the bed and sitting area. Good open space to brush up on some tricks and bounce the ball around or have a decent game of tug o’ war. The lobby has a small market, so you can fill up your fridge with people snacks or maybe a cheesey treat for tricks.

Tikka is on a raw diet so the fridge is super handy to keep ground turkey fresh from a trip to the grocery store, but we indulged on this trip and ordered from the in-suite dog menu. 3 different dishes are on offer and we settled on a rice and chicken dish.

Room service was quick and Tikka’s breakfast arrived with my pastry selection (* word of caution – Tikka’s breakfast arrived heated up and was incredibly hot, check the temperature before your dog dives in). Even though I ordered a small portion, it was huge (yep, Vegas), so I saved half for the next day and popped it that handy fridge.

Room service anyone?

A tip for the peoples… Skip the pastries from the room delivery menu and pop over to Aria (3 min connected walk) and indulge in the baked goods and premium teas from Jean Philippe Patisserie. Croissants are flaky and buttery and yum. Nutella brioche? Yes please!

Now here is where Vdara has an edge on other dog friendly hotels in Vegas. Only steps from the lobby is a fenced in dog park! When nature calls and it’s time to pee, no problem. Zip down in the elevator and relief is just a few minutes from your room. There is no long walk to get outside, as unlike most of the hotels on the strip, Vdara has no casino. Calm down gamblers, Aria is only a minute away and Bellagio is connected by a 5 min walkway.

View from our room of the Park and Dog Park at Vdara

The dog park is small, but it’s fully fenced and nicely maintained with two grassy areas that are actually green in the middle of summer. There is a water fountain for people and dogs, as well as poop bags and a garbage can. So this is why this next comment just fries my ham. It’s a small park with a bench. It has bags. It has a garbage can. But there was still a mess left behind! Who does that?!!??!! People, please pick up after your dog…Indeed the hotel is catering to our every need, so it’s only respectful to pick up the poop and not leave it for the staff. We all want more dog friendly hotels, so let’s work together on this and be the type of pet owner that establishments want to provide for. Rant over.

One comment for the hotel is it would be fabulous to provide some mid day shade. The fence is surrounded by beautiful landscaping and lots of trees, so morning and late afternoon provides a lot of shade with the longer shadows, but come 1pm it’s all gone. I planned around this, which was pretty easy to do, but would be a nice bonus to have a tree in the middle or shade over the bench.

Next to the dog park is a small pathway that loops around another small park that you can wander through on leash. Again, these are not huge play areas, but more than enough for bathroom relief and to stretch their legs. Leave your ‘chuck it’ behind, even I can make that length of a throw… 🙂

Tikka in Las Vegas Vandoggo

When we did venture out for a longer romp we headed over to Charles Frias Dog Park. No more than 5 min in a taxi and the driver let Tikka jump right in. Fabulous park that has three enclosed areas and lots of room for chasing and running. Tikka met some locals as did I, and we got tips on the best steak in town and where to go for some great dog hikes in the cooler months.

Enjoying the view from the air con comforts of our room

No doubt we’ll be bringing Tikka to Las Vegas on future trips, a paws up fron VanDoggo! Nothing better than a wagging tail in your hotel room when you come back with your winnings. And nothing better than a wagging tail when you lost your shirt!

VanDoggo

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