Go gadgets:GO READERS who remember a recent feature article about travelling with animals will already know that the EU pet passport scheme has made it a lot easier to bring your dog with you.
That's a bonus for holidaymakers - aside from the pleasure of having your animal with you instead of locked up in a kennel, it also makes financial sense: many kennels charge around €18 per night, so a couple of weeks can cost up to €250.
US company Ruffwear specialises in equipment for dogs on the go. Armed with Ruffwear gear, there are no excuses for leaving Rover behind: if you're into canoeing or sailing there are dog life-jackets (€31.60 and up), for roadside running there are lights to clip onto a dog so they can be seen by motorists (€8.20), for skiing or snow activities, there are dog boots to protect the animal's paws from the ice and grit laid on the roads (€38 for four), and if you can't fit all of your pooch's gear in your own luggage, there are dog backpacks (€50.70 and up), which work like a mule's saddlebags.
We particularly like the collapsible dog food and water bowls as they take up a fraction of the space of an ordinary metal or plastic dog bowl. The bowls are all made of leakproof nylon. The Trail Runner (€7.60) is small enough to fit in your pocket but springs open to hold food or water and the Growler clinch top (€29) is ideal for longer trips as it can be sealed with the food inside it (it holds six litres, or 25 cups of food).
If you're camping out and want your mutt to have as good a night's sleep as you, the Mount Bachelor Pad lightweight dog bed (€52 and up) will put a layer of air between your dog and the cold ground.
They're not a bad idea for the back of the stationwagon either, to shield the dog from bumps in the road.
There are no stockists in the Republic but Cotswolds offer a mail order service from Belfast.
See Cotswolds at www.cotswoldoutdoor.com See also www.rosker.co.uk for stockist information, tel 0044 23 9252 8711.
For full range of products see www.ruffwear.com