These transitional or liminal places are used to take dogs from one place to another, and a variety of rules, rituals, and procedures that govern how dogs can be moved.  Such places range from cars and vans for transporting dogs locally or personally to special facilities, guidelines, and carrying containers for handling dogs on planes, trains, and ships. 

        A whole industry has, in fact, grown up about how to travel with dogs -- from how to best take your dog with you on local shopping trips to camping trips to travel around the U.S. by car, van, or plane. 

         For example, if you travel with your dog in a car, you may have to take special precautions and there may be laws to protect your dog -- or to protect others from your dog.   While some dogs may do fine simply jumping in the back seat or sitting on someone's lap for the trip, there are now car seats and straps to hold dogs in, much like car seats and straps for babies.  Plus a simple "Beware of Dog" sign may not be enough -- you can now get window guards and grills to keep dogs from jumping out or from biting the pedestrian who gets too near.

         And many of the people getting the large SUVs and trailers are doing so in order to better travel with their dogs.  For example, when I went to the Solano County Dog Show to do an observational mapping project for a class on ethnographic methods in anthropology, I discovered rows and rows of mostly trailers which people showing their dogs used to transport their dogs to these shows.  Many of these people did a circuit throughout California and other states, attending dozens of All Breeds and Specialty shows each year, becoming part of a community of show dog owners.   Often they drove hundreds of miles and many hours to reach these shows and then they spent the weekend camped out in their trailers instead of going to a nearby motel to spend the night.   Here are some examples of these trailer communities that sprung up in the parking lots around the Solano County Fairgrounds.

         But what if you want to travel with your dog in other ways?  There are all sorts of policies about where dogs can go, and whether they can be allowed on buses, trains, or planes.  For example, the smaller lap dogs may be allowed, but the larger dogs may not, though seeing eye dogs or dogs helping a person with a disability may be permitted on.   And then, when you get wherever you are going, there may be varied policies at hotels, motels, and campsites about where you can take your dog.  In fact, the process is so complicated, that a whole industry of Web sites, books, and guides have sprung up to advise the increasingly confused traveler with a dog about what to do.   These provide information about dog friendly places to go and ways to get there.  

           For example, you can find assorted guidebooks and dog travel advisories at these sites: www.dogfriendly.com and www.traveldog.com. 

          And for information on traveling by air you can go to DogFriendly.com's Web page dedicated to air travel at www.dogfriendly.com/server/travel/airtravel/airtravel.shtml.

          As for books on how to travel with dogs -- here are some guidebooks that describe how to travel with dogs around the U.S. and Canada, some focused on finding accommodations and sightseeing with your dog in major U.S. cities or regions.   Some are available through www.dogfriendly.com and www.traveldog.com.  Others through www.amazon.com. 

          To see examples of this vast range of books and guides for traveling with dogs, click the dog with the book below: 

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