All About Dog Travel with Wet Nose Escapades
When Colin and I were planning to move abroad, one of our biggest concerns was our dog, Ellie. Luckily, we found a place that was very dog travel friendly and Ellie felt right at home in Prague. During our year of living in Prague, Ellie became an awesome little traveller, joining us on train rides and road trips all around Europe.
Today, I’m passing the baton over to two other huge fans of dog travel: Roger & Gigi from Wet Nose Escapades. Gigi is a lifelong traveller and after adopting her Yorkshire Terrier, Roger, she introduced him to her international jet-setting life. And after 50+ flights across 20 countries, Roger sure has become a dog travel pro!
If you’re curious about dog travel or travelling with your pet, check out my interview with Roger (with a little assistance from his human, Gigi) below:
Hi Roger (and Gigi), please introduce yourself!
WOOF, I’m Roger Wellington, a senior Yorkshire Terrier hailing from San Francisco, California. I’m a rescue dog who has transformed into a world traveler!
Before being adopted by my forever family in 2015, I spent most of my life inside a crate a.k.a. cage in a two-car garage for a total of 16 to 18+ hours daily. I had never stepped my paws inside a house. After the arrival of a newborn baby in my first family, I was further neglected and then unjustly surrendered. My second family took me in for one week (and also crated me inside a two-car garage) and decided quickly that I wasn’t going to work for them.
Shortly after, my third and forever human Gigi came to my rescue! Knowing that dogs are sentient beings who aren’t “toys” that can be tossed to the side, she brought me home and dedicated herself to providing me with the best life ever. It was right then and there that I left my miserable crate life for good!
As a true alpha dog and #1 Human Trainer, I like to lead and take my time on walks, sleep right smack in the middle of my king bed, and get yummy treats and home-cooked meals on-demand. ARF, I live the BEST life!
After over 5 years on the road (including surviving strict Covid lockdowns in Barcelona and NYC), I am currently back in California spending time with family. However, I hardly spend more than a few months at home before I get the itch to leave again.
What’s your travel story?
Well, let me first bark that my human Gigi became obsessed with international traveling while studying abroad in Beijing, China. After graduating from college, she got a 9 to 5 like most millennials at the time. However, she would literally use every penny and PTO on vacations abroad. A year into my adoption, Gigi left her management role in the conventional office to pursue a nomadic life and travel the world indefinitely.
To prepare for my first international flight, I went on numerous road trips and domestic flights, mostly from NorCal to SoCal to visit family. After immense research on international dog travel, we hopped on a one-way 10+ hour flight to Paris and the rest is history! For the last 5 years, I’ve set my furry paws on 50 flights and countless trains across more than 20 countries. Although I plan to catch up with Gigi who has been to 50 countries (thus far), I never travel for short vacations or for the sake of collecting countries. Since dogs need more time to rest and adjust to new environments, I’ve mastered the art of slow travel. As a true nomadic dog, I TRAVEL TO LIVE!
After leaving San Francisco, I’ve also made my home in other cities, including Barcelona, Florence, Dubrovnik, Los Angeles, Paris, Amsterdam, and New York City.
I started my blog, Wet Nose Escapades, in 2016. On the blog I bark about how to travel with your dog and what to do with your dog in different destinations around the world.
When I’m not traveling or posting on my blog, I’m markin’ it up! I have BIG plans to take over and dominate wherever I go. Whenever I’m not leaving behind my alpha marks, I’m demanding food from Gigi who almost always gives into my intimidating stares. Everyone knows who the boss is!
Why should people travel with their pets?
It’s FUN! Even though it sounds complicated, traveling with your pet deepens the bond and can be a very rewarding experience – if done so carefully. If you’re a solo traveler, having your pet with you not only combats loneliness but also connects you with locals and other travelers you otherwise would not have met. Plus, your pet will miss you while you’re gone!
What tips do you have for dog owners who want to travel?
Health comes first! Travel days are tough for everyone, including your dog. As valued family members, dogs aren’t luggage to be hauled around from place to place. Whether you have a senior dog like myself or a 9-month-old puppy, your dog’s health must come first and foremost. Make sure you get veterinarian clearance and address any pending health issues before taking your dog on a long flight.
What are the most dog-friendly places you’ve visited? The least dog-friendly?
As a dog traveler, I love anywhere that loves my furriness back! Here are three dog-friendly destinations that I keep visiting over and over:
Vienna: This world-class city is not only clean and modern, but also boasts some of the most advanced animal rights laws in the world. I love being able to walk inside restaurants and dine at the table like I belong. At a local bratwurst stand, I was even hand-fed my very own dog-safe bratwurst for free – YUM! Plus, Gigi can find free poop bag stations at nearly every corner in the city.
Amsterdam: ARF-my-God! Amsterdam is Top Dog cool. Canals, skewed houses, and rooftop lounges – I just love how funky and hip it is! Even though I can dine indoors, I prefer sitting outside near the canals to people and dog-watch here, especially in my favorite neighborhood of Jordaan. In addition to a nationwide NO STRAY policy, the Netherlands has strong protections against animal cruelty and abandonment. I gotta wag my tail to that!
Paris: Well, because it’s Paris! Despite the unavoidable second-hand smoke that disgusts me and Gigi nearly every second, it’s hard not to fall in love with Paris. Every dog (lover) knows that this city is flooded with dogs everywhere! From Le Marais to the Latin Quarter, I can hang out at cafes and brasseries from dusk till dawn. I also like roaming around the Louvre Palace.
However, I would say that the most dog-friendly country is Italy where dogs can even shop for groceries with their humans with dog-designated shopping carts.
The least dog-friendly country I’ve been to is probably Greece just because it’s so heartbreaking to see homeless dogs everywhere. Sadly, I’ve also seen a good amount of humans hitting their dogs in public in Spain. Now as for Gigi (who has been to a lot more countries than I have), the least dog-friendly country she has been to is Morocco, where animal abuse is disturbingly blatant. Sadly, animal abuse occurs virtually everywhere in the world, even in my progressive hometown of California.
What items do you always pack when travelling with a dog?
Food, to-go bowls, and a water bottle! And, dog wipes, hand wipes, and poop bags for easy clean up.
How do you know a place is dog-friendly? What kind of research do you do beforehand?
Connecting with locals via Facebook and Meetup groups is a great way to figure out if a place is dog-friendly. I also like to research online to see if the specific destination has a stray problem, if there are a lot of dog parks, and how dogs are treated in general. However, oftentimes, I do not know the real deal until I experience it for myself.
How could the travel industry be more accommodating to travellers with pets?
Drop the pet fees! From hotels to flights, traveling with your dog can quickly add up if you’re confronted with a bunch of pet fees.
Is there any kind of travel you would not do with a dog?
I do not recommend transporting your dog via cargo or putting him or her through mandatory quarantine unless this is for a long-term stay or permanent move.
When is it better to leave your fur baby at home?
If you’re planning to do a 12 or 14-day tour of a country that includes more than multiple destinations on your itinerary, then it’s better to leave your dog at home with someone you trust.
Does owning a dog mean you have to travel differently?
YES! Traveling with your dog is certainly rewarding and fun, but it must be done so through slow travel, NOT ambitious travel where you’re destination-hopping in attempts to check off a bucket list or collect countries. Ultimately, traveling the world with your dog should mean living the world with your dog.
How do you overcome homesickness on the road?
As a furry nomad, I’ve adapted well to changing environments. It seems as though my home is always changing, BUT Gigi remains by my side. To combat homesickness, I make new connections wherever I go – both with human locals and furry locals. As we know, dogs are social creatures who love a good butt sniff, and this ultimately helps connect dog pawrents and dog lovers. Besides making new friends, Gigi makes sure that we FaceTime family and friends back home regularly.
How do you keep your wanderlust up when you’re stuck at home?
Without fail, looking at my own travel pictures makes me feel wanderlust every single time. There is something about reminiscing about my wet nose escapades (whether good or bad, domestic or international) that makes me wag my tail to traveling all over again.
Finally, what is your best travel memory of the last five years?
There’s no doubt that long-haul international flights are tough (even for an experienced traveling Yorkie like me), but it gets easier whenever you’re treated with some TLC by the flight staff. It doesn’t happen often, but I was lucky to be smothered with L-O-V-E on a 12-hour flight from Los Angeles to Barcelona. The flight staff kindly checked up on me several times; they pet my head, offered me water right away, and even allowed me to get out of my carrier for a breather. At one point, I napped alongside Gigi in an unoccupied seat!
Follow along on Roger & Gigi’s next adventures:
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