Experience flying with a sd!

[coachyo]

Ok, we are a little nervous about flying with our SD. He is a 78 pound Golden Doodle. He listens well and loves his girl.

He will almost be 2 at the time of our trip but right now sometimes he is all teenage boy wanting to play.
We are flying SW and have 4 of us in our group.
Is it ok for him to stretch out behind our legs in our row or in front of our feet or what is the best way and what is allowed?

I would love to hear from those of you who have done this with a SD of this size or larger.

Thanks, YO

GO BRONCOS!!!

 

[bedogged]

Ok, we are a little nervous about flying with our SD. He is a 78 pound Golden Doodle. He listens well and loves his girl.

He will almost be 2 at the time of our trip but right now sometimes he is all teenage boy wanting to play.
We are flying SW and have 4 of us in our group.
Is it ok for him to stretch out behind our legs in our row or in front of our feet or what is the best way and what is allowed?

I would love to hear from those of you who have done this with a SD of this size or larger.

Thanks, YO

GO BRONCOS!!!

I have no experience with a SD, but SW will allow you and at least one other of your party to pre-board. Wouldn't the bulkhead be the most comfortable place for your party and the dog? When I pre-board with my scooter, I always take the second row just in case there is a SD traveling with us. I have never flown on SW from Denver that there isn't at least one bulkhead seat available. Your dog sounds like a very special boy!

 

[Schmeck]

I have no experience with a SD, but SW will allow you and at least one other of your party to pre-board. Wouldn't the bulkhead be the most comfortable place for your party and the dog? When I pre-board with my scooter, I always take the second row just in case there is a SD traveling with us. I have never flown on SW from Denver that there isn't at least one bulkhead seat available. Your dog sounds like a very special boy!

Are the bulkhead seats emergency exit seats? I don't think a service dog can be in an exit row?

 

[SteveMouse]

No, bulkhead seats on SW planes are not emergency rows. Seating is first-come, first served. If, by some chance you are boarding a continuing flight, people already on the plane can reseat before "new" passengers board, so bulkhead may not be vacant. I'd have to look, but I think under the air carrier access act, anyone who was in the bulkhead seat would need to be reseated, unless they had a disability that included an immobilized leg (for folks with qualified disabilities, seating is still first-come, first served).

 

[LockShockBarrel]

The dogs I was with were comparable sized labs, we always ended up in the bulkhead. Its been awhile but I believe if you call an airline that doesn't do the open seating thing and tell them you have a large service dog they can usually put you up there anyway. It's still going to be a pretty tight squeeze but not nearly as bad as elsewhere.

 

[videogal1]

To be better prepared for the vicissitudes of flying with a service dog you might read the applicable text in the Air Carrier Access Act, which is sort of the ADA of flying. I use a service dog (very large) and almost always fly Southwest but each flight has had its own unique set of unusual circumstances...not always pleasant..Read the law and the airline's rules for flying with a service dog. If you're using a travel agent, let them take a whack at notifying the airline when you get booked. Some people let them know in advance, I never did but I always ended up having to educate some airline employee about "papers" or ACAA seating requirements. I'm not sure that advance notice would have made it easier but I never got turned away from a flight because they were "booked up" or "sold out" (euphemisms for "we don't want to deal with a dog on the flight"), but then, I started flying Southwest back when their instructions for flying with a service dog started out by stating that"because most service dogs are small they are required to be placed under the seat or at the passenger's feet..."(try that with a 100 pound lab...) Good Luck...

 

[bedogged]

Are the bulkhead seats emergency exit seats? I don't think a service dog can be in an exit row?

No, the bulkhead seats are those seats in the first row that do not have any seats in front of them. They give a lot of extra leg room for your SD.

 

[Disneykidsdad]

We have flown many times with our daughters' service dog. When you make your airline reservations, always let the airline know that you have a service dog. Try to request the 'bulkhead' seats. It will give the dog a little more room to lay down in. We always try to get an early flight. We don't feed the dog the morning of the flight. We also try to limit his water intake. We also bring him some kind of chew bone especially for take-offs and landings. That seems to be the only time that the flight bothers him. He has been on two hour flights from NJ to Florida and a six out flight to Vancouver. Also, check with the airline to see what type of paperwork they require. Some will ask to see it at the check-in counter and some will not. Some TSA agents will ask you to take off the dogs collar and leash to go through the x-ray. We NEVER do that! We always ask for an agent to pat him down. If you plan ahead, flying with a service dog is pretty easy.

 

[coachyo]

Thanks for the great information. I may pay the extra $12.50 for my daughter and wife to get on early with him since we are on SW. I think the bulk head is the best place too, just wasn't sure if he has to be behind our feet or in front or if it matters.
I was wondering what papers you are referring to? We don't have any official paper work just some certificates that he completed akc public access and the akc good canine citizen test, I think that is what they were called. The other stuff are just certificates from our training company they made themselves

Hope everyone is having a great day and thanks for your thoughts.

YO

GO BRONCOS!!!

 

[JillyBean1899]

I was wondering what papers you are referring to? We don't have any official paper work just some certificates that he completed akc public access and the akc good canine citizen test, I think that is what they were called. The other stuff are just certificates from our training company they made themselves

It's my understanding that they can't force you to provide papers saying "yes, this dog is a service animal", if I read the ADA and the ACAA correctly, and the only thing I see is section 382.55, paragraph 1, of the ACAA that says:

Carriers shall accept as evidence that an animal is a service animal identification cards, other written documentation, presence of harnesses or markings on harnesses, tags, or the credible verbal assurances of the qualified individual with a disability using the animal.

So if you have a harness/vest/tag on the dog (and while I personally have never seen one without at least one of those, I'm sure some don't), you should be fine. They may, however, request health certificate paperwork from your vet, showing that the dog has received the necessary vaccinations and a statement that he is healthy enough to fly. You might want to call SW to see if they would require that, as those can take 10-14 days to get done by your vet.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

We never had a TSA agent ask us to take off the dogs stuff AND go through the machine...or at least not in that order. It always happened that one of us would go through the metal detector, call the dog through with his stuff on and of course the alert went off, then we'd go off to the side and they'd take his (I keep saying he because both dogs were boys) collar and harness off and he'd be patted down. I always thought it was a little excess to pat down a clearly naked dog but we never had an issue so it was stupid to argue when it was such a minor thing to deal with.

The dogs also stayed in harness on the plane even though I'd bet we could have taken it off for comfort once everyone was boarded. Our dogs were definitely different in and out of harness but I know they would have just laid and slept the whole ride anyway. Since they can't really spread out too much anyway, or at least a large lab can't, the harness never seemed to get in the way of their nap on the plane.

 

[jmrbc9900]

It's my understanding that they can't force you to provide papers saying "yes, this dog is a service animal", if I read the ADA and the ACAA correctly, and the only thing I see is section 382.55, paragraph 1, of the ACAA that says: So if you have a harness/vest/tag on the dog (and while I personally have never seen one without at least one of those, I'm sure some don't), you should be fine. They may, however, request health certificate paperwork from your vet, showing that the dog has received the necessary vaccinations and a statement that he is healthy enough to fly. You might want to call SW to see if they would require that, as those can take 10-14 days to get done by your vet.

I used to work in vet clinics. You will need health cert which must be within 14 days of flying. So a vet cert from a month before flight would not work. This becomes tricky when traveling for more than 13 days as u need to find a vet in your vacay spot that will examine and issue a new cert to fly home with. Good luck!

 

[Schmeck]

We never had a TSA agent ask us to take off the dogs stuff AND go through the machine...or at least not in that order. It always happened that one of us would go through the metal detector, call the dog through with his stuff on and of course the alert went off, then we'd go off to the side and they'd take his (I keep saying he because both dogs were boys) collar and harness off and he'd be patted down. I always thought it was a little excess to pat down a clearly naked dog but we never had an issue so it was stupid to argue when it was such a minor thing to deal with.

The dogs also stayed in harness on the plane even though I'd bet we could have taken it off for comfort once everyone was boarded. Our dogs were definitely different in and out of harness but I know they would have just laid and slept the whole ride anyway. Since they can't really spread out too much anyway, or at least a large lab can't, the harness never seemed to get in the way of their nap on the plane.

They pat down the dogs because who knows what sicko terrorist would implant something beneath the skin of a dog, pretend to be disabled, etc.

I would think the dogs would have to be on leash the entire time for safety. Would you want to be spending the time putting the harness on the dog before you evacuate the plane? You would be responsible for keeping the dog out of other people's way for an evacuation.

 

[videogal1]

I used to work in vet clinics. You will need health cert which must be within 14 days of flying. So a vet cert from a month before flight would not work. This becomes tricky when traveling for more than 13 days as u need to find a vet in your vacay spot that will examine and issue a new cert to fly home with. Good luck!

Service dogs are not required to have "paperwork". Unless the dog is an Emotional Support animal (not a service dog) or a psychiatric service dog no paperwork of any type is required. Also, I believe it is illegal for the airlines to require payment for the bulkhead as, for a service dog, it is a medically necessary accommodation.

It is not legal for the TSA to request that you remove harnesses, backpacks or other items from a Service Dog. They are perfectly able, and should, just pass a wand over the dog as they would for any passenger wearing a brace or other medically necessary item.

 

[disney david]

Here the info you need from Tsa and what will happen with you and your service dog.

http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/passengers-service-dogs

 

[LockShockBarrel]

They pat down the dogs because who knows what sicko terrorist would implant something beneath the skin of a dog, pretend to be disabled, etc.

I would think the dogs would have to be on leash the entire time for safety. Would you want to be spending the time putting the harness on the dog before you evacuate the plane? You would be responsible for keeping the dog out of other people's way for an evacuation.

I suppose. But by that theory I could do the same thing to a human.

Our dogs had a harness and a leash. I was saying that we probably could have taken the harness only off for comfort but never did. They never would have been off leash.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

No, the bulkhead seats are those seats in the first row that do not have any seats in front of them. They give a lot of extra leg room for your SD.

Just FYI, there are airlines with planes where bulkhead seats are also exit rows.

 

[SteveMouse]

The OP stated they were flying Southwest. Their 737s are configured so that the bulkhead row is NOT an emergency exit.

I concur that other airlines and other airplanes may have other configurations.

 

[LisaBi]

I would not pay the money for the early bird. You (or at least your wife, daughter, and the dog) should be allowed to pre-board. That will get you on even ahead of the early bird checkins. You just need to let the gate agent know you need to pre board.

 

[coachyo]

Thanks for the great info and thoughts. Disney David thanks for the link, good stuff there to read up on.

Lisa Bi thanks for the heads up about asking agent at gate. I did list her as having a service dog. I can always use saving a few bucks.

Have great day,
YO