Xingxing Scores His Own First Class Seat on the Airplane

If you're flying with a service dog, choose American Airlines.  The staff actually like dogs. They smile. They are helpful.  They are great.  I've had some bad experiences with airlines, so it was wonderful to have such a good one with American.
And I'm not just saying that because Xingxing ended up with his own seat on the Dallas/Fort Worth to Montreal segment.  That was just a happy accident.  I'm saying it because from beginning to end, American Airlines staff were unfailingly helpful and understanding.
For reasons known only to himself, Xingxing spent quite a bit of time looking out the window.  He seemed to be fascinated by the clouds -- as well he might be!  How many Shih Tzus do you suppose have actually been able to look down on clouds?  He really was watching them, the way he watches birds. But what was he thinking?
And the same thing happened when we took off from Dallas/Forth Worth.  He'd been on the floor during the first segment of the trip. (Actually, he's always been on the floor when we fly) But this time he could look out of the window and -- again -- he was fascinated.  I could see the expression on his little face change as the aircraft lifted off and then soared up, higher and higher.  Maybe he was thinking, This is what the birds do. This is why I can never catch them.
One thing I didn't even think about that has thrown him off a bit is the three hour time change. That's a lot, when you think about a little dog's feeding and potty routines.  (And I have to admit, I didn't!)
He can't figure out why he's getting fed when he's not really hungry yet, and why it's getting dark so early and why morning is coming in what -- for him -- is still the middle of the night.  But he's handling it, and enjoying all the wonderful new smells.
And Montreal is beautiful. We'll tell you more about it tomorrow.