As brand new doggy dads, we were excited to start traveling with our pet/ puppy, Augie! We decided to do a short weekend (one full day) in San Francisco, as it was his first time flying! Looking back, maybe we should have picked a closer destination. It was about 5 hours of flying there, and about the same coming back.

When we arrived in SF, we took off immediately for Union Square where we were meeting a friend for lunch. Living in New York, we were not expecting the attention Augie would get walking through the streets in SF. In New York, people are really respectful not to touch him or grab him. In SF, we were constantly swarmed by people – one even picked him up and kissed him without asking us…. At 13 weeks old, we’re still training him “when we walk, we walk. When we get to the park, we play.” So this was frustrating for us.

In addition to our trip to Union Square, we also spent some time playing at the Sue Bierman Park (across from the Ferry Building). It was Augie’s first time being in grass and he couldn’t help but run, jump, and bark! Since we were winding down for the night, we wanted to get all his energy out since we wanted him behave inside the hotel.

A side note – we were lucky that our hotel was accommodating. We called ahead to confirm we could have a pet. Always make sure to contact the hotel before booking your stay if you know you’re furry friend will be traveling with you.

With 5 hours of flying to get home, we took Augie to the pier first thing in the morning before we left. He loved running by the water (on the leash of course), and seeing all the new sights and smells. Right along the pier is Gott’s Roadside, where we stopped for lunch.

Overall though, the trip was a success! We snapped lots of photos like the one above 🙂

Traveling with a pet sometime soon?

We had our struggles: navigating the airport and security lines, keeping the puppy entertained on such long flights, walking around and people swarming us, finding a place to eat that was pet-friendly, wondering what items to bring, etc…

To help anyone who might be planning a trip with a pet, I made this info-graph based on our experience. It’s not the most complete list, but it’s a great start as I’m a beginner myself:

We’re now back home in Brooklyn, and soaking up the last few weeks of autumn. Wishing you all the best from our cozy corner apartment,

Disclaimer: Seek professional advice from your pet’s doctor before traveling.