Traveling Like a Pro--And in Style

I'm sorry I'm a long time getting this posted, but I spent a lot of Thursday sleeping to recover from the trip. Then Friday I had a doctor appointment and spent another batch of time sleeping. So here's the trip report.

We got up at 3 a.m. Denmark time on the morning of 3 September. I'd asked British Airways, who is the airline listed on our electronic ticket, when we needed to be at the airport and they said two hours early. Molly was excited but well-behaved. I hadn't slept much overnight--I'm on antibiotics for my unspecified lung infection and they make me hyper, plus I was excited about the trip. DH woke up with a migraine. Despite all that, we managed to get ourselves fed, Molly walked, and headed to the airport, thanks to DH's friend who drove us.

The check-in desk was not open when we arrived. After we waited and waited and it was less than an hour before our flight, we asked one of the SAS people if they knew when it opened. It turned out it didn't open until 45 minutes before our take off time. Molly waited quietly all this time. She enjoyed watching other people moving around, but didn't whine or bark or get too upset by being still. I took advantage of the opportunity to pass one of her "on the road" tests for the levels. She is able to hold a loose leash while I am seated in my wheelchair and not moving around for a minute despite the distractions of people all over.

When they finally opened, I asked the man there about the arrival time but didn't get a satisfying answer. So if you're ever flying a BA flight done by Sun Air, don't believe them about the 2 hour check-in time.

Sun's flight wasn't booked solid. So Molly and I had the front row with 2 adjacent seats. DH sat across the aisle in a single seat and the couple rows behind us were empty. Molly behaved perfectly. She was a little stressed that DH and I weren't closer together and that she wasn't allowed across the aisle to him, but she dealt with it. Molly got a little motion sick as we were landing (some drool) but nothing serious. We were really impressed.

We then arrived in Oslo. We were met at the airplane by a man with a wheelchair. Although I thought it wouldn't work out, we were able to get my own chair immediately. So he put the airport's chair aside and pushed me in my chair. We didn't have to wait in lines. This man escorted us to the customs area so we could get Molly cleared for going outside. There was a little trouble there. I had the stuff we needed for Denmark and the US, but Norway requires a follow-up to a rabies shot to verify the presence of antibodies and a weird deworming verified by the vet. But they let us take her outside for a potty anyway as long as we promised to keep her on leash. They made an exception because she wasn't staying in the country. But I wanted to mention it to make sure that others traveling thought to verify the requirements of connecting countries.

Then we went to check-in with Continental. The man the airport provided continued to escort us through all this. Once we were checked in properly, he took us to a coffee shop near the door and set up where we should meet him later when it was time to head to the gate. We then took Molly outside, where she pottied on concrete on command in less than 30 seconds. That passes another OtR levels excercise.

Molly was a very good and helpful girl and insisted on cleaning things up off the floor. She hates pieces of paper and such all over.

Then when it was time, the guy came back to get us. We got cut into line to go through the security check. It took a while--I had to have my shoes off and them run separately through the x-ray. Once we were all cleared, the guy pushed me to the gate and Molly walked along side. My poor DH had to carry both carry-ons and stuff.

At the gate, we had to go through a huge mess of checks and stuff because it's a US flight. Had to answer all the questions again about if we'd maintained possession of our bags and if we were carrying anything for anyone, etc., etc. Then I got spot picked for a carry-on search. The guy was really nice about it and lucky for him he picked the backpack that had Molly's stuff in it. The other one would have been really nasty to unpack and repack because it had my meds in it.

While we were waiting at the gate, the cabin crew arrived. A very nice woman stopped to ask some questions about Molly, how we were seated in the plane, and if we'd have enough space. She works for Continental and her name is Latania. Her name tag said she was from or based in Halifax and she managed the cabin crew. I'm telling all this because if you end up on one of her flights, you'll be a very lucky person and because we owe her a huge thanks.

Thanks to her, we were bumped to business class on the very full flight to the US. She wanted to make sure that Molly had plenty of room and a great experience. She came by our seat often to check that we had plenty of room and about half way through the flight asked if she could give Molly the ice cubes that I'd asked for for her. Everyone on the crew was really nice--asking to pet Molly and complimenting her behavior. With being in the higher class, there was plenty of room for Molly's mat to be put on the floor between us the long way and for us to both still have more than enough leg space.

We were, of course, fed a full business class 4 course dinner and plenty to drink. We shared our fortune with Molly, so she got bits and pieces of meat from our dinner, ice cubes from our glasses, etc. She never did end up eating much dry food. I was exhausted after we ate and hurting pretty bad, so I lay back to sleep and DH stayed awake to keep tabs on Molly. Molly actually was able to relax and sleep. She enjoyed looking at the people around us and the attention from the flight attendants.

They offered to find some kind of snacks or something for her, but we didn't want her to have too much. She did end up getting salmon. Our second meal was hamburgers with a first course of salmon. Molly got both of our pieces of salmon. So she also benefitted from the luxury treatment.

Our flight was rather turbulent. The seat belt light kept coming on. But Molly handled it fine and didn't seem to get air sick this time. She was pretty unhappy during landing. She just looked uneasy, but no whining or complaining.

We waited patiently for everyone else to get off before we did. My wheelchair was waiting, but no personal assistant this time. Poor Molly had to keep holding while we went through customs, immigration, and got our bags. Then we had to go to the agriculture people to get Molly checked and because we have horses at home. All that went fine and rather smoothly. I had to answer some questions, but we were prepared. Despite what a woman had told me on the phone before the trip, Molly is not required to get a second rabies shot when she has already had one.

Then we tried to hurry out. Our luggage had had to go through a second check. While DH was loading the luggage onto our $3 cart, Molly had an accident on the floor. She looked so traumatized. She'd been holding since about 4am US time and it was going on 3pm. I also suspect the floor may have been spotted already judging from the carpet. That would make it harder for her to continue to hold. But we immediately threw down a number of paper towels that we'd brought in her vest and called one of the people working there to alert them to the problem and apologize. The guy was really nice and understanding and said he'd take care of it, but we still cleaned the wet paper towels up into a potty bag.

Then we went the rest of the way out and found my parents. They helped us get out to their car for the drive "home" to their place. We made a stop at a park first to give Molly some water and a potty outing. She wasn't really interested in the water but did seem to appreciate the outing.

We went to a TGI Friday's for dinner but let Molly stay in the car. We thought she needed the quiet. It was so nice to have a steak. DH somehow managed to find a Dane to talk to in the bathroom.

Molly got some dinner when we got back to the car. She ate a huge bowl of Orijen dry food. Then we found another potty spot for Molly before going by my grandmother, who lives in a nursing home.

Getting to my parents' place, Molly met cats for the first time. She wants to chase them and move them around. A "leave it" quiets her, but they are very tempting.

The crate I had ordered for her for the time here had arrived, so now she has passed all the crate behaviors on the road. She went in quite happily and stayed in when needed.

So thank you everyone for your good thoughts. A special thanks goes to Latania, whose name I hope I have spelled correctly, for making sure that our Continental flight was so roomy and pleasant.

Service Dog Molly Ready to Go

We leave tomorrow on our big trip.

Yesterday Molly visited the vet to get her health certificate for the flight. She behaved perfectly through the entire exam, lying, sitting, and standing on the table on command. She also put her paws up on the table when she first needed to get on it and hopped up to make it easier to lift her up for the exam. She got the all clear for the flight. No health problems of any sort and all her shots are taken care of and documented. She also got this picture added to her EU pet pass.

Very early this morning, DH gave her a thorough bath. So she now is clean and shouldn't be carrying much in the way of allergens.

As you can see on her vest, she is now a full service dog. She still has things to learn and will benefit from more experience, but she is handling everything we throw at her with grace.


Poor Molly is very confused right now. She knows something is happening. She can feel our excitement. But all the words we can use to explain it to her don't mean very much yet. She doesn't quite get what an airplane is, although she does know what a trip is. She doesn't understand why her kong and hedgehog are packed away in the soft-sided box or why her mat is rolled up in a backpack. She also doesn't have much of a concept of time. So when we talk about taking a trip, she heads for the door, ready to go. If one of us goes out without her, she worries that she is being left behind. We told her she'll be seeing Grandmom and Granddad tomorrow. I'm sure she remembers them because she met them once almost a year ago.

Please think good thoughts for us tomorrow. It is Molly's first time in an airplane and it will be a long trip for us all. She has heartworm medication waiting in the US, so she'll be well protected while there. She also has a dog tag waiting with the address and phone number there. Hopefully we won't have forgotten anything that can't be replaced!

A New Mat for Molly

With the time of our airplane trip quickly approaching, I had to hurry up and make a thick warm mat for Molly like I've been planning. I started with a wool blanket we bought at a thrift shop and some pieces of stiff foam about 1 cm thick. I'd hoped to make it with two layers of foam, but two layers didn't quite work, so we ended up with one.



Molly took to it right away. She seemed quite eager to test it out. DH also gave it a quick test to make sure that it is warm enough.

We want to be able to clean her mat when necessary, so the one end has a zipper to allow us to take the foam out. Then we can just wash the wool cover and put it back on when it's dry.

For a mat to be easy to take on a trip, it has to be possible to make it portable. The foam is cut in half the long way so I can just fold it that way. The mat cover is sewn in the middle as well so it keeps that spacer and avoids ending up with a lump from the foam overlapping.

I also sewed in two tie straps, so the mat is equipped for being rolled and tied into a little bundle.

Overall, I'm really proud of my construction. I think it is nice in looks, easy to use, and warm. Molly seems to love it too. We did some mat training today with it and she lay on her mat silently for 5 minutes despite distractions of me moving around and a toy in sight on the coffee table. She also hurried over to lie down on it with her toy when I was playing with her.

Confirmation for Flight as an SD

The good news is that I got an e-mail today confirming that Molly may fly the one leg of our US flight that is carried by British Airways despite her lack of official certification. I will be printing the confirmation and taking it with me to the airport. Mostly we're flying with Continental, which has a great SD policy, and SAS, which confirmed us without any questions or hassle. But this one short leg was BA and it was something of a hassle to get thoroughly confirmed, especially when I then followed up to request confirmation in writing.

The Certification Issue and Why We Can't Get One

In SD circles, certification is a popular topic at the moment. It is also an urgent topic in the European Union right now. It is definitely a big worry for me. Molly doesn't have an opinion. All she cares about is helping me and doing the best job she can. The whole question of certification is a concern for me.

In our immediate lives, we have an issue with upcoming travel plans. We booked airline travel in September to the US with Continental airlines. It took a few phone calls to get everything confirmed with them, but it wasn't a big deal. They also said I needed to call SAS and British Airways, because they happen to be my carriers for the two short legs of my flight. SAS had no problems. BA has been back and forth. At this point I have been told twice I can fly with her, but I am trying to get confirmation in writing to make sure we don't hit any problems with departure day. They keep asking who certified Molly and who trained her. They are a bit hung up on the fact that I trained her myself. Their list of approved training and certification organizations doesn't even include a single one in Denmark. Even if I had a Danish program dog, they wouldn't want me flying with her on their airline.

Certification for a service dog is supposed to be some sort of proof of training and behavior. Some countries, like England, require it for all service dogs. Most, like the US and Denmark, do not. Molly is a legal service dog in Denmark because I have mobility problems and she is specially trained to perform at least one task for me that mediates my handicap. She meets the US requirements because she can perform at least two tasks and I have a medical issue that has a significant impact on my life. So we meet the requirements of my home country and my destination.

I take full responsibility for the behavior of my dog. She must be trained to behave properly in public. I accept that she may be refused access or required to leave any time she causes a disruption. Of course we can't just be thrown off in midair, but that is why I am making great efforts to train her properly ahead of time. Some flight is going to have to be her first.

As for the EU topic, check out EC Regulation No 1107/2006. The definition of a "recognised assistance dog" is currently under discussion. Unfortunately, the discussion is considering requiring certification of service dogs, which would make it very difficult, if not impossible, for those who train their own dogs to travel in the EU. The topic is still under discussion and I am hoping they will decide against requiring certification. There is no infrastructure in place for it and it would create a significant variation from the US laws, making it difficult for international travelers. Denmark is not the only country in the EU that does not require certification. I am doing what I can to contact those involved and express my concerns.

I am worried about certification requirements making it more difficult for handicapped individuals to obtain a legal service dog that meets their personal needs. Programs generally only give dogs to the most needy individuals, so that rules out many who can benefit tremendously from a dog and would be qualified to train one themselves. Purchasing a program-trained dog is beyond the economic means of the average handicapped or sick individual, so we are again prevented from getting what we need there.

Our ability to travel to attend certification programs is also limited by both health and finances. What we can afford is a clicker, an appropriate candidate dog, and hours and hours of training. Some may also be able to afford training classes if there is a local facility qualified to provide them. That isn't an option for us because the local facility we tried for Molly used outdated methods and an extremely hard hand. I am never putting a dog through something like that again. It is positive training methods only in my future and she is proof that is works. What we have instead is useful books and online resources that we refer to daily.

If you check out the resources I've provided, you can learn that many people have had great success training their own service dog using positive training methods. It takes time, hard work, and responsibility. It also means the dog is tightly bonded to the handicapped individual and meets that person's exact needs.

I feel very responsible for Molly's training and her behavior in public. If I have any doubts about her ability to behave on the plane, I won't fly with her in the cabin. When I take her with me different places, I am very alert to what she is doing and how she is reacting to people and things around her. I watch for signs of stress or discomfort. We have not yet started public access in shops beyond pet stores because her vest identifying her as a service dog has not yet arrived.

However, her behavior so far is very promising. Each time we go out, she is more and more relaxed about being around people and other things. She is completely housebroken and has not had an accident anywhere since she was 6 months old. Ever since we got her, she has been everywhere with us in the car and has never had an accident there. She is also perfectly behaved in the car and accustomed in that way to the noise and excitement of numerous environments. All she really is needing to learn right now to be well-behaved in public is that she isn't to solicit attention from people. She is already making terrific progress in that direction, including ignoring children who normally fascinate her.

Of course I will want to perfect her behavior beyond that, but that is the essential thing lacking right now IMO. A little more time and experience and I expect she will be easy to manage and very polite.

As for preparing for airplane flight, we need to make several trips to the airport to get used to the noise and hustle and bustle. We are working on mat training and down-stays to help make her comfortable staying in one position for as long as the flight is. She is already accustomed to spending the average work day near me without a lot of activity. We have a number of other practice activities planned to make sure that she will be content and relaxed on this flight.

I am probably doing more work than a certificate could ever show. I'm not relying on someone else to teach my dog what she needs to know. I want this dog to be my partner for as long as she lives. For that to happen, I need to take care of her and prepare her and do everything I can for her. I personally know how hard it is to teach a dog to do the things I need. I don't know if I could ever be so lucky as to have so close a relationship with another dog as I have with her.

Molly has already been given a year and a half of my life. I'm not about to throw that away. What does it take for people who get program dogs? A few weeks of training with a ready trained dog then they are sent home? I've been training Molly, for good and bad, since she was about three and a half months old. I know that I will continue training her every minute we spend together for as long as I am lucky enough to have her.