Month: May 2014

Basil the Amazing Flying Dog!

Its been 3 weeks since our amazing trip to the BlogPaws conference in beautiful Lake Las Vegas, Nevada and Basil’s first airplane ride. We think that Basil is now officially the amazing flying dog!

I wanted to share some tips and tricks that we learned from flying with a four-legged friend. As well as a photo or two. I’ll also give you a short review of the SturdiBag pet carrier that we used and that helped Basil take another giant step for dog-kind.Basil at the airport


Tip 1: Give Yourself More Time Than You Think You Need!

When it comes to traveling on airplanes or just plain going to the airport, even when I’m traveling without Basil, I always show up WAY too early. I find that sometimes its a breeze and sometimes the line to just check-in is a mile long. Too many times have I been in line at check-in or for security and there is a frantic traveler in front of me yelling and complaining that he or she is going to miss their flight if they don’t get through this line NOW. I never want to be that person so I would rather be too early than too late!
As for traveling with your pet this tip is even more important. Most airlines do require that you make a “reservation” for your pet before your flight but this reservation is not a guarantee that your pet will be on this flight. When going to Las Vegas we flew on US Airways. They were great but they do have a 6 pet per plane max. This means if 6 pets show up to your flight before you do…Sorry, you are out of luck and that so called “reservation” means nothing! For our flight from Charlotte to Las Vegas for the BlogPaws conference I was slightly concerned, being that Charlotte is an US Airways/American Airlines hub, that there would be more than 6 pets on our flight. To make sure Basil made the flight and the conference we showed up the airport 3 1/2 hours early. This may seem like a lot but it was what made me comfortable and gave me a little piece of mind. As it turned out, we were the only pet on the plane that day but again, better safe than sorry!

Tip 2: Be Kind!
This one may seem like common sense but you would be surprised how many grown adults don’t follow it. Every person you have to deal with when traveling through an airport is just doing their job. From the clerk at the check-in counter to the person that scans your ticket at the gate and the flight attendants, they are all there to do their jobs and serve you. This doesn’t mean you can walk all over them! With just a simple smile and a thank you it really does make all the difference.
In our case, Basil and his pet carrier is slightly larger than the approved pet size allowed on most airlines. This means at any point before the plane takes off we could be confronted and asked to leave. I didn’t want this to happened and we were fortunate enough to not have any issues and everyone we spoke to had zero problem with Basil or his carrier. I do know, for a fact, that this would be a different story if I was overtly rude and chose to complain about issues that couldn’t be resolved. So, just remember to be kind and if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!

Tip 3: Know Where the Pet Potty is!
For this trip I booked a direct flight with no layovers so that Basil don’t have to “hold it” for too long but I know that sometimes that is not an option. Do research on each airport before you travel. If you can’t or forget I would recommend using the time once the plane touches down on the tarmac and they allow you to switch on your phone to look up where the pet area is in that airport. Will you have to exit the airport and go through security again? Do they even have a spot for pets? The last thing you want to worry about when in an unfamiliar airport is cleaning up an accident. I also have read a tip from a fellow pet blogger, Dog Jaunt that said to bring pee pads. If your pet needs to go while on the plane, this is a way to take your buddy to the tiny airplane bathroom and set up a pad. Also, if you are unable to get to the pet potty or maybe have a short layover, you have a back up plan.Basil is ready!

Our first airplane trip with Basil was pretty smooth and what helped a lot was the SturdiBag pet carrier we had ordered. I choose this bag after doing hours and hours of research online and reading more than my fair share of reviews. I found the large size SturdiBag to fit our 20+ lb. Boston terrier perfect. Its soft sides make it fit nicely under the US Airways seats and the super soft pad inside make Basil feel comfortable. Disclaimer! The large size SturdiBag is 2 inches longer than most airlines listed max size. Please be aware of this if you do choose this bag.Basil in his carrier on the plane
The only down side to this fabulous pet carrier is there is only one door, on the front. If both front and back zipped open it would make it much easier for my dog to enter and exit the carrier. Other than that, I loved the bag and would purchase it again in a heart beat!

Hope you enjoyed this post and we can’t want to get back up into the friendly skies and log some more air miles under Basil’s collar.

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

 

Black & White Sunday — Just Another Day at the Beach!

I am calling this, wet dog… wonky ear… a beach story. Its art!
Basil b:w beachTo those of you that are enjoying memorial day weekend from the beach, I hope the sun is hot, water is warm, and beer is cold. We are spending the rest of our weekend with friends, family, BBQ, and bonfires. Hope everyone has a great start to summer 2014! On ward and up ward!

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

 

 

Boston Terriers Take Over Club Fetch!

It was the one year anniversary of The Boston Terriers of Charlotte meet-up group and Blaire, the owner if Club Fetch in Charlotte, let a heard of wild and crazy Boston’s take over his club.
Happy 1 year to Boston terriers of Charlotte! We are so happy to be able to be part of it! Also, huge thank you Club Fetch, Blaire, Jackson, and staff for the amazingly good time!

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Have a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!
Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

Happy 12th Birthday Willow!!!

Hello Basil’s Travels fan and a very happy Tuesday to you! Today we are celebrating our resident fat cat, Willow’s 12th birthday! Nate, Basil, Sebastian, and I can’t believe she has hit the big one two! She is the best cat and we are so lucky she has decided that we are her family. So, in honor of Willow FC please enjoy some of my favorite photos from over the years.

Happy 12th Birthday Willow! Here is to 12 more!Happy Birthday WillowIMG_3239 OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA SAM_1689 Hipster Willow Fat Cat Willow Sitting Willow SAM_1132 IMG_3044 IMG_3033 DSCF4101

Hope you like cat photos! Tomorrow we will be back to your regular scheduled Boston Terrier programing!

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

Basil’s Favorite Things — BlogPaws

Happy Friday everyone! Today is the first day in over a week that I have been able to sit down and collect my thoughts. Once we got back from BlogPaws on Monday my in-laws came into town. For Basil it was a never ending vacation! Now that the house is empty Basil has been in bed, catching up on sleep, all day.

For day’s Basil’s Favorite Things I thought I would share my favorite photos from BlogPaws. It was 4 days of fun, sun, and networking. We can’t wait until next year in Nashville, Tennessee. Thanks again to everyone we met and all the connections we made. Also, a big thank you to The Westin Lake Las Vegas. They made us beyond comfortable and I know Basil, Nate, and I will for sure be back.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABasilpaddleboardBasilandFlowersBasilandTheWestin

Enjoy your weekend!

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

More Love, Less Hate!

This is the story from last Friday, Basil’s favorite BlogPaws day.

Friday was the day of new friends, famous and otherwise. We got to met Tillman, the skateboarding English bulldog as well as Manny the frenchie, of Instagram stardom. This day was only made better by the meeting of a new (“average joe”) friend, Jake. Basil and Jake Blogpaws 2014

We met Jake, a 10 month old pit bull terrier/mastiff mix at a social networking event at BlogPaws. The event was full of people, dogs, food, and drinks. The whole thing was centered around a off leash dog park. The dogs could “mingle” while the people could also mingle.

We got our snacks and starting searching the area for a shady space with friends and chairs. Basil, Nate, and I rounded a corner and found what we were in search of. A few people had also found this little oasis and were grouped together on the lawn. I spotted a set of chairs free next to a women and her dog, Jake. We quickly move to meet them and have a seat.

Basil and Jake hit it off almost instantly! They shared the same high level of energy and love of laying in the cool grass. Jake’s mom and I chatted while these two “wild bucks” ran circles around us and each other. I learned that they were at the conference working for the sponsored PetSmart booth and was giving out information about their pet adoption program.

We talked and they played and I started to notice something. Some people (This was not everybody! Just a few!) were making an extra large arch when passing the two hooligans. I found that strange because usually no one can avoid Basil cuteness/charm. I mentioned this to Jakes mom and she told me that she has come a crossed a few people in her short time with Jake that said they didn’t want their dog around Jake because he is a ” big, scary pit bull.” Now I can understand being worried for your dogs safety and looking out for warning signs, that is just being a good pet parent, but just to make a judgement solely based on the dogs breed is not cool.

This is breed discrimination and unfortunately it is a big problem. The idea that some dogs are just “born bad” is wrong. All dogs are born good and can be taught to be a good dog or a bad dog. Any dog, not just pit bulls, can be aggressive and can attack. I found a great website called BadRap.org. Check out all the information that can be found over there. It really did open up my eyes to how bad this problem really is.

So, next time you see a pit bull walking down the road, on a leash of course, with that goofy smile and not a care in the world, maybe stop and talk to the owner. Ask if you can say hello and give the pup some love. I can tell you that Jake was just a love-bug. His smile was  contagious and he was as sweet as can be with Basil.

We had a blast at BlogPaws and we wanted to thank everyone that we met while we were there! I’ll be posting a lot more photos soon so make sure to check back.

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

 

BlogPaws 2014! So far…

We are here! BlogPaws 2014 on beautiful Lake Las Vegas! Basil is loving it so much it’s almost impossible to get a post up! Nate, Basil, and I have been go-go-going for the last couple of days. We are making a lot of new friends and learning a lot. I finally have a moment (Basil is napping!) to share a little collage I put together of some of my favorite photos so far! Enjoy and I’ll continue posting when Basil lets me!

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Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

Hot dog loves hot dogs!

Its been a sunny weekend out in our neck of the woods so we decided to spend a little time outside. But because the BlogPaws 2014 conference is just a few days away, we have been really busy!

Nate, Basil, and I decided that a causal BBQ was just what the doctor ordered. The only hiccup in this plan… we don’t have a back yard! Well, that wasn’t going to stop us. We got out our mini BBQ, a few lawn chairs, and everything Basil may need for lounging outdoors. The next few hours were spent cooking, eating, and throwing the football around. A good time was had by all. I give you the “I don’t have a backyard… backyard BBQ!”

Now its time to get back to getting ready for our BlogPaws trip. We leave in 3 days! Vegas or bust!

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil