Tag: dogs

A Pricey Drive down Memory Lane

We sure love our pets, even long after they’ve moved on from this world. When we lost our Saint Bernard last September, after eleven memory-filled years together, we kept reminders of him around the house. Remy’s ashes now lie in a stately wood box up on the fireplace mantle. His leash still hangs by the back door, as if we’ll take him for another walk in the neighborhood. And the kids gifted us framed photos of our favorite moments with him. Having said all that, I never expected this under the Christmas tree…

No, this isn’t our Remy. Well, okay, it is Remy but not in the “fur” (so to speak). Instead it’s a remarkably accurate likeness based on digital photos… and it serves as a head cover for one of my golf clubs. The double-takes I get on the driving range are priceless. Those puzzled expressions from other golfers beg the question, Wait, where’s the rest of the dog?

If these doggy head covers really get popular, I’d love to see future versions get a little animated.  Along with the photos, send in an audio file of your dog’s bark.  Then design the mouth to open and close on cue.  Remy may have been a “gentle giant” but man he had a ferocious bark.  Talk about a great way to say don’t touch my clubs!

If I had any concerns about the money my wife spent on my Remy head cover, I’ve gained some perspective to make me feel better. Forget about golf clubs for a moment. Did you know you can now have your car customized as a memorial to your beloved pet?

“Golden Retriever brown”, anyone?

It’s safe to say I will never own a Rolls-Royce.  Even if I had the money for one I can easily come up with a dozen ways I’d rather spend that much dough.  But the car-as-your-dog thing is apropos for those who have way too much money in their paws.  Consider, you’re already spending upwards of $500K on the car itself so why not put another $100K into it for personalization?

Your dog in the details

The options for customizing your Rolls border on the ridiculous.  You can choose the paint color to match your dog’s coat.  You can have his image created in intricate wood veneer inlays between the seats.  His paw prints – authentic reproductions of course – can be used to dot the pinstripes (which is nowhere near subtle with a paw the size of a Saint Bernard’s).  And the possibilities with the leather seats are endless.

Candidly, when your world includes a Rolls-Royce the word “customization” really means anything you want.  You begin in the lobby of a design studio, which is an unmarked ultra-secure building in downtown Manhattan.  You’re escorted upstairs by an armed security guard.  You then sit down to a team of consultants to fine-tune every little canine detail.  Now walk away and let the Rolls-Royce crew create your personalized masterpiece.  Time and money are no object so neither is negotiated.  All that matters is having your dog in the details.  And if you’re so inclined, those details can include real gold in the paint job.

As much as this makes for a good blog topic, I’m no fan of excess.  If I’m spending six figures to embellish my vehicle with remembrances of my dog, I’ve lost all sense of fiscal responsibility.  No thank you.  I’ll limit my purchases to those little framed photo ornaments from Shutterfly or wood cuts like this one. 

One of these days my wife and I will take down the wooden box of ashes and put away the photos of our beloved Remy.  Even the golf club head cover is bound to deteriorate at some point.  When all that happens, I hope I can still picture our good ol’ boy in my mind.  Otherwise I might be telling myself, I should’ve bought a Rolls-Royce!

Some content sourced from the CNN Style article, “Want your Rolls Royce to match your pet Labrador?…”.

Flying Fur

When we take our aging dog for a drive, we go through a set routine to get him on board.  Prop the back passenger door of the truck wide open and position the homemade ramp against the threshold.  Get him into a running start so his momentum carries him up the ramp and onto the seat.  And don’t forget the water bucket, a couple of large poop bags, and a leash that doubles as a lead line for a horse.  With all that in mind I can’t imagine ever getting our St. Bernard onto an airplane.

You’re seeing furry friends on passenger laps more frequently these days (which creates a delightful image with a St. Bernard) so perhaps it’s no surprise to read about a commercial airline designed for “dog-first travel”.  BARK Air completed its inaugural flight last week from New York City to Los Angeles, hosting six dogs, six owners, four flight crew, and BARK Air’s CEO.  The ticket for each dog + owner cost an I-can’t-afford-it $6,000.  One way.

BARK Air’s mantra is “… to deliver a white-paw experience” and my jaw didn’t drop much when I read into the details.  Your dog only has to be leashed on takeoff and landing; otherwise he/she is free to romp around the plane and socialize with the other dogs and humans.  Your dog receives treats, toys, and calming scents and sounds along the way.  And “potty time” is anywhere – anywhere your dog wants it to be on the airplane.  The flight crew is trained to be at the ready for clean-up after every “accident”.  Would you want that job ?

I can see how BARK Air appeals to the one-percenters.  For the money they can’t seem to spend fast enough, they and their dogs fly in style instead of on “people planes” with the rest of us commoners.  Their dogs travel off-leash instead of in crates, which BARK Air speaks to repeatedly in its advertising.  In fact, BARK Air’s CEO traveled in a dog crate the entire inaugural flight, a nod I suppose, to their “dog-first travel” slogan.

Pretending to be rich/famous, I decided to book our St. Bernard and me on one of BARK Air’s New York-Paris flights next month.  I figured, why not take our boy to France, then on to Switzerland, where he could strap on a barrel of brandy, meet up with a bunch of other St. Bernards, and frolic in the Alpine snow?

The booking process was easier than I expected.  A few clicks on the website and BARK Air was ready to accept the $6,000 for me and my St. Bernard to fly.  Okay, so Paris isn’t one of their options yet (that’ll cost $8,000 when it is) but of the four flights in June, two were sold out and two were about half-full, so clearly dog lovers are going for the concept.  And unlike hotels, BARK Air doesn’t have the weight limit my St. Bernard always exceeds.

Still, I just can’t picture it.  My St. Bernard wouldn’t be coaxed, let alone be able to navigate that narrow steep ramp up onto the plane.  His constant panting would drown out BARK Air’s calming sounds.  His drool would be flung onto every other dog and passenger after he slurps from his water bucket.  And no amount of BARK Air’s calming scents could cleanse his breath, which my wife and I still back away from after all these years.

Our big boy is the one in the middle

We’re heading out on a two-week trip today, leaving our big boy behind for my daughter to take care of.  Gonna miss him big-time, which is probably why BARK Air somewhat appeals to me, crazy-expensive as it is.  But our St. Bernard’s in good hands while we’re gone, and he’ll do an adorably clumsy doggy dance when we walk back through our door.  Yep, I’ll leave BARK Air’s dog-first seats to someone else. Maybe I’ll reconsider when they start flying to Switzerland.

I’ll be back in touch after our vacation.

Some content sourced from the NPR article, “Air travel has gone to the dogs – literally…”, and the BARK Air website.