Stay Cool
It's 120 Degrees F in this picture in the Sonoran Desert Botanical Gardens. Raja's wearing a cool vest that is soaked in water; as the water evaporates, heat is subtracted from his chest and back, although he doesn't get wet. There are any number of brands of similar vests, and none are especially expensive. On hot summer days, one of these will help keep your dog comfortable; in the desert, such a vest is must-have safety equipment. (Yeah, we all want one too.)
Buy a life vest.
Dogs are not fish. Buy a well fitting, securely fastening life vest, pop it in your suitcase when you gp on a trip, and insist your pet wear it near water. Your cousin's swimming pool is a dangerous place for a dog who is not a prooven swimmer. You can't trust either children or dogs near water. Stay safe. Pack bulky... it's worth it.
Transporting Food
If your small pet is a picky eater or has a delicate stomach, consider freezing a serving of his food and packing it in your luggage on the flight. During flight (and it should be no more than a 4 hour airtime), it will semi thaw and by the time you get to your hotel room, you can microwave it and give him or her a home cooked meal on night one. Caution... if the food arrives warm, not semi frozen, you will have to discard it because then it is not safe. And this process will never be safe for international flights.
Tips from Raja for walking about in France... or anywhere outside your front door!
Raja Here: Even in dog loving France NEVER travel alone. I have a little collar on with my id and contact numbers and also, invisibly, I have a microchip. Did I enjoy getting the chip? Not so much. Was it the most horrible and painful thing that ever happened to me? Not at all. How fast did I forget about the chip insert needle? What needle... ooh look a new Beannie Baby for me!
France's streets the safe way!
This is the best way to travel. Take people who love you and will look after you. They do a lot better than you do alone ordering in restaurants and getting across the street. And while we mention French restaurants... the safest thing you can do is get shish kebab because it's not saucy. I recommend the Middle Eastern restaurants on the Left Bank for this dish. You'll get meat and rice... a perfect travel diet that's lean and binding all at once. I also find a nice lamb tangine with couscous keeps you on your paws nicely too.
Drinking water everywhere
Look at this gizmo I got for Christmas. It’s a battery powered steripen to sterilize water wherever I am. Right now I’m in my kitchen, but that’s only to show you how it works. With this device I can go all hiking and sightseeing worldwide and never have to buy bottled water. It’s eco-friendly and will prevent water born bacteria and intestinal problems for me and everybody with me. See the magic glow? That means it’s working. No more lugging water bottles and no extra plastic to carry in and out of our camp sites! Hooray!
