Montecristo is the delightful long-haired Chihuahua you see globe-trotting from Canada to Croatia and Nice to Niagara with biped mom Sonja Lishchynski (and her partner Stefan). Sonja has been offering in-depth advice on travelling with small dogs since 2010 and this year the Montecristo Travels blog has been nominated for two prestigious BlogPaws 2016 Nose-to-Nose Awards including Best Dog Blog! Well, who can resist the wisp and wisdom of Montecristo? Sonja describes him as a ‘small dog travel ambassador’ – a role he seems born to…

Montecristo has travelled by car, boat, ferry, cable car and plane – does he have a favourite mode of transport?

He really enjoys sailing. Almost as much as we do. I think it’s the sea air. But his favourite mode of transportation is actually trains. He gets really excited when we walk into a train station in Europe. He sits, listens to all the sounds and sniffs the air. He just seems to be happy. I think he also loves that, because he is so small, he doesn’t have to stay in an enclosed bag on the trains the way he does for cross Atlantic flights for example. It’s a shame North America doesn’t have a more pet-friendly train system. He will happily sit in his sling bag on the little table between the two facing seats on the train and watch the world zoom past.

Montecristo has some natty travelling gear – what styles do you favour and would you say you have found the ultimate small dog bag?

We are a huge fan of his Wag Wear sling bag. Of all the things we have bought this is the one item we have not only always used, but we keep using over and over again. I love that it’s so gender neutral. My partner Stefan can wear it as well as myself.

We have had fun getting him country flag badges for every place he has visited.

It also is a great place to store his water bottle, cooling vest and treats if he’s walking. And he does. We actually carry him as little as possible. But sometimes it’s just not safe; like when there are big crowds or high waves on the sailboat. We also just recently discovered Miso Pup. Loving this particular carrier. It’s an airline approved carrier that doesn’t look like one. It looks like a city bag BUT you can change the cover on it and thus change the whole look of the bag. I think it’s brilliant.  We favour the “weekender” look. It’s very safari in style. But once on location, I can change it to something more Urban like a black quilted fabric.

If you could click your fingers and wake up anywhere in the world with Montecristo, what destination would you most like to experience together and why? 

I’d have to choose somewhere that we can’t go due to quarantine laws. Somewhere like Australia or Iceland. I know we will not go to these places together and it’s a shame really. (Thank goodness for countries like Greece – pictured here!)

What are your fondest memories of taking a trip with Montecristo?

How do I choose? I think it would be enjoying an Tuscan style hot chocolate (thick and almost a pudding and divine) on a terrace of a nice café in Florence. I was sitting there and just people watching. The waiter kept talking to us in Italian and we let him. And it hit me then, for the first time: They think we are locals. And I had this moment an ‘AHA” moment. Having Montecristo with us had changed how we were perceived by locals. As a result the vibe had changed. And I liked that change. That moment was when I realized that more than us being able to create memories that would last far beyond Montecristo far too short a lifespan…

This was HIS gift to us.

I kinda got a little teary eyed. A close second would be hiking Mount Zeus with my wee boy and partner and thinking all the way up “He must be part goat!”. That is an 8km round trip in the sun. We NEVER underestimated his stamina again!

Do you have an all-time favourite dog-friendly accommodation? 

We tend to rent small apartments. They are a more cost-effective approach often balancing out for a week what a single night or two would cost at a hotel. Plus, they don’t have all the fees and silly rules. I use FlipKey to find places. But there is ONE place that blew us away and that was our tiny little apartment in the heart of the old city of Dubrovnik. It was amazing. The place itself was just stellar and gorgeous, fresh and modern but on top of that the owner also had the restaurant just up the steps by the old wall. They went out of their way to make us welcome when we went there for a meal – yes all three of us. Allowing Montecristo to roam the restaurant off leash and inviting him into the kitchen where they spoiled him rotten with chicken and freshly grilled fish. He thanked them by chasing off the wild cats from their terrace. It was a lovely symbiotic relationship for the days we were there.

Have you ever had any doggie disasters when traveling? 

ONE. And it was… awful. Likely not what you think though! Montecristo is very very very attached to one toy – a stuffed toy in the shape of a whale named Moby. (Read the story of Moby.) And… we forgot Moby at home in Ottawa. We were in Athens, Greece by the time I noticed and we had the heartbreak of watching Montecristo for 4 nights search and search for his buddy. He needs Moby to sleep you see. I have never seen a dog do this. He suckles Moby AND uses him as a pillow. When he gets home from daycare during the week the first thing he does is find Moby and groom him to make sure he’s ok. So imagine the disaster that was not having Moby with us. For the next 4 weeks, every time he got nervous his “go to” wasn’t there. Every night he had trouble finding sleep. After Athens we went on to Santorini before sailing the islands AND after that we went to Bulgaria. The entire month he was upset. Never ever ever again. In fact now the FIRST thing I do is put Moby in his airline carrier.

What are your best tips for making dog travel  a pleasurable experience?

One word: Plan. The reason we do so well is because I take the time to email or call every single site we plan on visiting. I know ahead of time if Montecristo will be welcome and we target the activities that he is able to join in. It takes the uncertainty and possible anxiety out of it. I knew for example, that unlike the rest of Europe, public buses in Croatia were going to be tricky.  The rule there is “It’s up to the driver”. So we knew we might need a plan B (renting a Scooter). I know ahead of time what sites, museums, monuments will allow him and in what way: on leash? In a bag? We’ve often simply not gone to a place if he isn’t welcome. We aren’t a checklist travel couple so we don’t feel deprived. We have actually found some amazing places as a result. Off the beaten path and pet friendly is the best as far as we are concerned. So did we go UP the Eiffel tower? No. We did like the locals do and decided to find as many amazing angles to photograph the tower and as many cafés too!

Looking for a charming dog-themed gift for a 4-8 year-old? Sonja has kicked off the Montecristo Travels Adventure Book series with a Tuscan tale featuring Montecristo making friends with an Italian Greyhound named Bello and careening around the Leaning Tower of Pisa! Book two – in which Montecristo Travels to the Everglades – is coming in November 2016. Available on your local Amazon site!

Visit the website here: www.montecristotravels.com