2015 Holiday Gift Guide: Sleepypod Cloudpuff Blanket

Greetings! We hope you and your families had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

It's getting chilly here in So-Cal (okay, so it's in the 60s…), which is why we are EXTRA grateful for Sleepypod's new Cloudpuff Blanket and it is a MUST-HAVE for our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide!

Featuring one super-soft and fluffy side and a micro-suede backing, the Cloudpuff comes in two shades of brown and two sizes (medium and large). The medium is definitely sized for smaller dogs, and it fits very comfortably inside of our Sleepypod Air.  It did not take up too much space when laid flat on the bottom, and we also really liked how it could be easily folded up to double as a bolster or pillow.

While the Cloudpuff is intended as a travel accessory, we've also been bringing it with us to pilates (yes, Paddington comes with us to pilates…), as a cozy place for Paddy to sit and do her yoga stretches.  Our pilates studio has hard wood floors, and the micro suede side of the blanket prevents it from slipping around which is nice.

The Cloudpuff is also surprisingly easy to clean: we put ours in the washer on the hand wash cycle and then air-dried it, and it came out looking and feeling like new!

With the holidays right around the corner, this would make the perfect present for any road warrior pooch in your life. Available now from Sleepypod's website for $29.99.



Disclaimer: We received this item in exchange for a fair and honest review. For more information about our review policy, please visit our disclaimer page.

Pet Holiday Travel Packing List 2015

Like many folks, we are hitting the road this holiday and venturing cross-country to celebrate Thanksgiving with family. Since Paddington will be joining us (of course!), we wanted to share you our favorite travel must-haves and packing list. 

1. Pet Carrier. An airline approved travel carrier. We are HUGE fans of the Sleepypod Air. We also own a Sleepypod Atom, which we prefer for shorter trips, but since we'll be taking a long plane ride want to make sure Paddy has more space to stretch out. You can read our review of both carriers here. 
2. Travel Blanket. While Paddy actually doesn't mind traveling in the Sleepypod without any extra padding, since we're headed to colder climates, we're definitely going to be including the Sleepypod Cloudpuff Blanket, which is a new product for the brand. Our full travel review will follow, but we love that it is compact, snuggly, and the perfect size to put inside of our Air. 
3. Travel dish. Though you'll have to purchase water AFTER security and you'll probably want to limit your pup's snacks and drinks while in transit, a travel bowl is very handy. We love this collapsable bowl from Good2Go, which we picked up at our local Petco. 
4. SNACKS! We always try to pick in-flight travel snacks that will not leave Paddy searching for water, so nothing too salty and no chews. This trip we're packing the Zuke's Mini Naturals Pumpkin treats we recently reviewed (obviously, it being Thanksgiving and all), and these I Love and You Venison and Lamb bites. Love that both packages are re-sealable and can pack pretty flat. Don't forget to also pack enough of your dog's regular food for when you get to your destination! 
5. Wipes. Messes can happen. We received these little travel-sized wipes in a Barkbox and love that we can attach them onto Paddy's carrier for easy access. 
6. "Quiet Toys" - Normally we try to pick something that is not fluff-filled or going to disturb our in-flight neighbors. While Paddy doesn't typically play with them while in transit, she'll often use one as a pillow and I think likes to have something familiar with her on the road. We picked up this cute Thanksgiving themed toy from the Barkbox Shop though I think it is now sold out.
7. Leash, harness + poop bags. The basics, obviously. When you take your dog out of their carrier to go through security, it's a good idea to have them leashed just in case. We typically un-harness and un-leash for the actual flight itself (since she's in her carrier), but you're definitely going to need all of these accessories when you walk pre and post flight. 

Hope this packing list is helpful-- safe travels this holiday season!

Did we forget anything? What is in your dog's travel bag? 



Disclaimer: We received some items mentioned in this post for the purpose of review. For more information regarding our review/sample policy, please visit our disclaimer page.

American Airlines Announces "Cuddle Class" - A Review

So this has been a CRAZY busy summer, which is why you haven't heard much from us. However, we do have some exciting news we hope to share soon!

In the meantime, while crawling the inter-webs, we stumbled upon this interesting news item -- "American Airlines Announces First Class Cabin for Pets." Of course, we had to further investigate... which we did... only to discover that Paddington has already in fact traveled "Cuddle Class." While it's billed as a luxury way to travel with your pets, in reality, it's a fancy way of saying "FAA rules require us to stow your pet in a storage closet for take off and landing when you travel with a lie flat bed." While that is totally OK, our frustration stems from the fact that we feel like "Cuddle Class" is being billed as something it really isn't.

Courtesy of American Airlines

You may ask, "why are you so fired up about this?" Well... flashback to a trip we did last Thanksgiving where we used miles to fly first class from LAX to JFK. We were surprised to learn that Paddy would have to ride in her carrier in the closet for take off and landing once we boarded the plane. Yep, there was no advance information about this requirements. You're allowed to have an infant in arms for take off and landing... you are not allowed to hold your dog's carrier for safety reasons.

While your pet may not mind being put in a storage closet with a small ventilation window for take off and landing.... they may, like Paddington. She's flown with us several times, and as long as her carrier is near us, she won't make a peep. Put in her a closet... and well, sorry first class cabin... I guess there's a reason they pass out noise canceling headphones? Also, take off and landing, especially if you're flying LAX to JFK or SFO to JFK can mean that your dog is in the "box" or "Cuddle Class" for up to 40 minutes on either end. As soon as preparations begin for take off and landing, your dog goes into the closet.

From what we could discern, the box is neither lit, nor has any air vents. Your pet also cannot see you from the angle of the vents. There was also a crazy amount of static charge - when we got Paddy back, her fur was sticking up on end, and she was definitely not happy.

We also apologized profusely to everyone else in the cabin for disturbing their trip, and felt awful. Needless to say, this requirement also made our travel experience really less enjoyable too as we were stressed out about putting her in and out of "Cuddle Class."

Wait... I have to travel WHERE?! Snapped pre-"Cuddle Class" boxing... 

So... anyway, we apologize for the little bit of a rant, but only felt it fair to share our experience. We are definitely loyal American Airlines passengers, but this new "Cuddle Class" requirement has meant we've taken our business for trans-continental flights to another carrier that will allow Paddy to ride next to our seats. Paddy is truly a mellow dog and used to travel, but we feel awful that "Cuddle Class" stresses her out and also disturbs our fellow passengers.

Would love to hear if anyone else has a similar experience?

Pet Travel Tips 2014

This is how we roll: Sleepypod Air and Found My Dog Leash

It seems like more and more dogs are flying the friendly skies these days! Paddy is now officially a member of the canine jet-set and done the cross-country trip twice! Traveling with your pooch for the first time can be a bit harrowing, so we thought we'd share a few tips in the hopes that they'll be helpful for others.

- An airline friendly, comfy carrier is a must. We absolutely swear by our Sleepypod Air (you can find our review here). Not only does it provide excellent ventilation and visibility, but it also comfortably fits under the seat in front of you, even if you're stuck in a middle seat (sighhh). Because Paddy is only around 6.5 lbs, there is also ample room for her to move, stretch and sprawl. The Sleepypod also comfortably fits over the handle of a rolling suitcase, which is extra handy when you're juggling tickets, bags and an ID at the airport.

- Lookup your airport's pet relief areas in advance. We went all 1990's and even printed them out. Seriously, so clutch.

- Lookup your airline's pet restrictions/rules/regulations. Fact: if you are flying first class on planes with lie-flat seats, your dog CANNOT sit next to you. This may cause both you and your pup anxiety… thus it's a good idea to check this out in advance.

- Make a reservation for your pet. Most airlines require you to call in advance and make a reservation for your pet as there is a limit to the number of animals allowed in the cabin.

- Treats. We selected some of Paddy's favorites to keep her happy on the journey, just make sure to choose something that does not create a huge mess, or generate a lot of thirst.

- Hydrate. While guzzling water before a 6 hour flight is probably not a great idea, make sure to pack a little travel bowl to help keep your pup comfortable.

- Wipes, extra bags, etc. We filled a giant ziplock with extras/backups of things that we may need in case we got delayed. Keep it in your carry on bag.

- Toys and Blanket. The floor of the plane can sometimes get a bit cool, especially if the plane is blasting AC. We packed a little hoodie for Paddy along with one of her favorite blankets, as well as her toy bunny (which she used as a pillow, no joke). Things that smell nice and familiar can be soothing :)

And finally, it never hurts to talk to your vet. If you are nervous about your dog traveling for the first time, or know that they're not fans of the road, your vet may be able to help prescribe something to keep them calm.

How often do you hit the road with your pooch?

A Day at the Dog Beach: Leo Carrillo State Park

Believe it or not, dog friendly beaches in the Los Angeles area can be a little hard to come by. While the California coast is basically one giant beach, there are really only two spots to check out if you want to soak up the sun with your pup. As Paddy has never been to the beach before, you can imagine that this was at the top of our "things to do" list, and thus we headed to Leo Carrillo State Park on a recent sunny weekend.

Situated about a 35-40 minute drive North of Santa Monica along the Pacific Coast Highway, Leo Carrillo State Park is 1.5 miles of beautiful California coast. After paying entrance/parking, head to the 2nd parking lot along the beach road for dog-on-leash beach time! (Yep, sadly, there was no off-leash fun to be had, but in many ways felt like this was for the best/safer.)

Despite the large number of people (and dogs), we were impressed at how clean the beach was; everyone was doing a nice job of picking up after themselves and their pooches. LOTS and LOTS of dogs - big dogs, small dogs, fluffy dogs... they were all there and having an awesome time. In fact, almost everyone we saw at this part of the beach had a dog in tow. The beach is by no means huge (in fact it's definitely narrow), but there was more than enough space for everyone to lie out, play in the water, etc.

Though Paddy was not super keen about the ocean, she had a great time playing in the sand and meeting some of the local dog pack.

Location: 35000 Pacific Coast Highway

Details: Dogs on leashes are welcome NORTH of Tower 3 (head to the 2nd parking lot)
Cost: Parking was less than $15 which is a steal, especially if you're planning on spending all day at the beach!
Amenities: There are public bathrooms, but we did not see any places to purchase water, etc. so make sure to bring everything with you! There were a lot of folks BBQing and tail-gating, so check out the website for details as to what's approved.

See you at the beach!