Need tips on flying with a puppy!

[mla973]

We're bringing a 10-week-old dachshund back from Orlando for some friends. We have a dachshund, so I'm used to the breed, but is there anything I should know for the plane ride (or in the airport terminal). I've never flown with an animal before. I imagine it will whine a lot b/c it will be away from it's parents for the first time.

I'm nervous it will disturb others on the plane, and I won't be able to calm it down by holding it.

 

[DonnaL]

I wasn't aware you could even bring a pet on board..............??? What airline are you flying? I just checked SW policies and their policy is "no live animals either on board or in cargo other than assistance animals". I know years ago my sister had an Old English Sheepdog and when she first got him as a puppy he was transported by air from Iowa to PA in the cargo hold and she had to pick him up at our local airport, but, that's the only time I've ever heard of an airline accepting animals........and I'm not even sure it wasn't just a cargo flight.

 

[Maraena]

It must depend on the airlines. I've seen people with their pets in little soft carriers at airports on numerous occasions. I was somewhat surprised and talked with one of the owners while we waited for the next flight. Basically, the pet owner has to purchase a seat for the dog (again this may be airline dependent) and use a soft-sided cage. I believe this was on either United or American.

 

[DonnaL]

I was curious so I just checked several different airline websites and it seems quite a few do allow pets in a carrier that will fit under the seat directly in front of you and cannot be removed from the carrier while onboard or in boarding areas and also, the carrier must be leakproof. So, that sort of limits it to a very small pet since it would need to be a really small carrier to fit under the seat. Forget my two shelties...........although we have a hard enough time getting them in the car.......never mind in the air!! LOL.....Thank God we have a wonderful neighbor who babysits them when we go to WDW.

 

[PlutoPony]

Pet rules vary by airline so your best bet is to call the one you're flying immediately to check and make a reservation for the puppy. Not all airlines/flights allow pets in the cabin. Those that do limit the number on a given flight (may be as few as 1 allowed). You'll need a sturdy container that fits under the seat and this will likely count against your checked baggage allowance. There will probably be a charge for the pet, and you may need a vet to certify the puppy's health prior to the flight. If you have a connection, I'm guessing you'll need to go out of the secured area to walk the pup which means more time coming back in thru the TSA checkpoint. Good luck and hope this works out!

 

[zumbergc]

Those airlines that do allow pets, only allow a few per flight so call your airline ASAP, to see if they allow pets.

Another thing, many pets have been lost when they are checked as luggage in the cargo hold. You have to remember that planes get delayed, and if its cold or hot, the pet will feel the elements in the cargo hold. Have one of those drip water bottle, they lick and the water comes out, along w/ food, because you don't really know how long the pet will be in the airplane w/ delays, cancelations etc.

I personally would not fly a pet in the cargo hold, only in the plane itself. To many chances for the carrier to break, or pet to get loose, or tossed like luggage, injured.

 

[bavaria]

http://www.petflight.com/airlines

http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/blogs/perrinpost/2007/05/international_f.html

I have had animals on many of my hundreds of flights in the last few years, both service animals and pets. A colleague of mine flies as much as I do in a year and she brings her dog along on almost every flight.

I suspect that most travellers don't even realize that there is an animal on board, except for the few cases we read about on flyertalk.com (where it usually appears that the owner was the badly behaved party, not the pet!)

 

[bavaria]

I wasn't aware you could even bring a pet on board..............??? .

The following US based carriers allow animals/pets in the cabin

AirTran Airways
Alaska Airlines
Aloha Airlines
America West Airlines
American Airlines
ATA Airlines
Comair
Continental
Delta
Horizon Air
Island Air
JetBlue Airways
Northwest Airlines
Ted
United Airlines
US Airways
Virgin America

 

[Uncleromulus]

mla973:
Suggest you get with your Vet and see if there isn't something the animal might take to perhaps keep him a bit more calm. Puppys do tend to sleep a lot, so perhaps if he's in a proper carry-on cage, he'll be pretty quiet.

 

[goofy4tink]

I did quite a bit of research before flying my ds's cat down to him from Boston to Orlando. You have to let the airline know, ahead of time, you will be flying with an animal. There will be a charge that you will have to pay at the airport. This took up a huge chunk of time for me. I couldn't use the regular line (kiosks), I had to go to the old-fashioned line and wait. You will need to show a vet cert of health. Well, you need to have one..I didn't have to show it, but I had it just in case.
Then, the pup will have to be in a travel case that will fit under the seat in front of you..he will be considered your carryon bag, so be prepared to check just about everything else other than the dog and your purse. Please, do not let the pup out of his bag at the airport or on the plane. It drives me nuts to see people do this. I have been in ladies rooms where women have let their dogs out to scamper around but it's dangerous to do. Same thing on the plane. Let the pup relax in the bag. Don't get him all riled up by letting him in and out of that carryon bag. If he gets disturbed just lean down and talk quietly to him. Take off and landings seem to bother the cat the most but other than that she was fine. No drugs were used...none.
Oh, the other thing you need to be aware of. When you go through security, the puppy will have to come out of the carryon bag, and go through the security thingie in your arms. Be sure the dog has a collar and leash on so you can have a firm hold on him. It can be very scary to a puppy at that point and you don't want to be chasing him all over the terminal. I know that was my big concern....taking that cat out of the bag, carrying her through security and then putting her back in the bag.
Anything else that comes to mind, just ask.

 

[mla973]

I haven't read through all the comments yet, but we are flying AirTran. We have paid and are all set with our puppy reservation. It will be 10-wk old miniature dachshund, and I understand it has to remain in the carrier under the seat. I didn't think about vet papers... the airline didn't tell me I needed anything other than a carrier that will fit under the seat and is leakproof on two sides (with mesh for the puppy to breath).

 

[mla973]

Thanks for the comments. I'm going to have my friends check with the breeder about vet paperwork in case it's needed.

 

[snowbunny]

I haven't read through all the comments yet, but we are flying AirTran. We have paid and are all set with our puppy reservation. It will be 10-wk old miniature dachshund, and I understand it has to remain in the carrier under the seat. I didn't think about vet papers... the airline didn't tell me I needed anything other than a carrier that will fit under the seat and is leakproof on two sides (with mesh for the puppy to breath).

First of all I would not ask a vet to prescribe anything for the pup, it could be dangerous (although the vet would know).

At 10 weeks the pup will be pretty quiet in a carrier I think. We are owners of a precious mini-dox (our second) that we had shipped at 12 weeks to the east coast from California. Maybe she was traumatized from the trip but we didn't hear a peep from her until many hours after we had her out of the crate.

You are lucky to be able to fly with the pup instead of having it come in cargo. The hardest thing for me would be refraining from taking it out of the carrier to cuddle

 

[only1alexa]

Ok, not meaning to change the subject or hijack the post but I have a question about this:

My son has a severe allergy to cats and dogs. I've been to the hospital with him twice in the last two months for this. What do I do if someone with an animal has booked the same flight? I realize animal hair is all over some pet owners, even if the animal isn't with them, but that doesn't seem to be too much of an issue for him. Then again, we don't get many visitors and we don't go to homes with pets nor do I take him to movies or anyplace else where he would have contact with the same stranger for long periods of time. I've been in houses with pets in the past but have a separate room in my house where I immediately bag any clothes that may have come in contact with pets and scrub down prior to entering the main area of my house.

Will an airline switch my flight at the gate? My son didn't develop such severe symptoms until after our last trip so I had no reason to even worry. I also didn't know live pets were allowed on flights. Now I'm really worried!!

Oh, and I don't have a thing against anyone's pet - we found out because I purchased a beautiful golden retriever from a breeder as a surprise....and ended up in the ER that day when DS broke out in hives and was coughing badly and trying hard to take a good breath!

I will try calling the airline too but will be greatful for any answers from posters. I hope everyone (pet included) has a safe and magical trip!

 

[bavaria]

I fly pretty much weekly and have never heard an announcment that there was an animal on board.

you CAN ask at the airport if there is a pet on board, and if you choose not to board, the airline will try to get you on a later flight. But if the passenger has paid to bring the animal on board, it is up to the passenger who does not wish to be in that environment to take a different flight, not the pet owner.

also note that there may be a service animal on board; again no announcement will be made, and again it is up to the other passenger to take a later flight.

But then again, you can't guarantee that the next flight didn't recently have a pet or other animal on board

Best of luck!

 

[goofy4tink]

When I flew with my ds's cat, I chose seats towards the rear of the plane in hopes that there would be fewer people around me that might be bothered by the cat. I checked, on a weekly basis, to make sure there were empty rows around me. Then, on the day before I flew, I went on to check on the seats, and I found that they had people in the seats around me. So, when I got to the gate, I asked the agent there if I could change my seats to a seat with no one around me. She looked at me like I had two heads and asked if I had a problem flying wit others! Ah, no...I just wanted to lessen any iimpact the cat may have had on others. Sheeze....try to do something nice. Well, they did find me a seat with no one beside me, the row across the aisle was empty, no one behind me, but a couple in front of me. I asked the gate attendent what would happen if someone were very allergic to cats on the flight...she said, and I quote..."Well, if someone is allergic to anything, peanut butter or cats, they need to let us know. Then we can tell them there is a cat on board or we can announce that no peanut products come out."
I did ask the couple in front of me if they had an issue with cat dander. They had no problems, the cat was very quiet the whole trip. I think that if most people keep the carrier closed up, with just one vent window open, the dander really shouldn't be an issue. I'm allergic myself if I touch a cat and then put my fingers in my eyes, or if the cat scratches me..huge itchy welts!!!

 

[IlliniMouse]

I had a puppy flown to me a few years back, but he was in cargo. At 11 weeks old I don't think a Newfie pup would fit under a seat! LOL As others said, we needed a vet ok for him to fly, medical records, and there needed to be food and water available. I don't know if this is a cargo only thing (the food and water), but the breeder froze the water in the little dishes so it wouldn't slop out all over, and taped the food to the crate in a ziploc bag. He came through just fine, but his crate was wet from the water slopping all over. I remember the breeder having to get to the airport early because as someone else mentioned, there are only a certain number of animals allowed per flight, and it's first come, first serve.

Good luck!

 

[Erin1700]

Ok, not meaning to change the subject or hijack the post but I have a question about this:

My son has a severe allergy to cats and dogs. I've been to the hospital with him twice in the last two months for this. What do I do if someone with an animal has booked the same flight? I realize animal hair is all over some pet owners, even if the animal isn't with them, but that doesn't seem to be too much of an issue for him. Then again, we don't get many visitors and we don't go to homes with pets nor do I take him to movies or anyplace else where he would have contact with the same stranger for long periods of time. I've been in houses with pets in the past but have a separate room in my house where I immediately bag any clothes that may have come in contact with pets and scrub down prior to entering the main area of my house.

Will an airline switch my flight at the gate? My son didn't develop such severe symptoms until after our last trip so I had no reason to even worry. I also didn't know live pets were allowed on flights. Now I'm really worried!!

Oh, and I don't have a thing against anyone's pet - we found out because I purchased a beautiful golden retriever from a breeder as a surprise....and ended up in the ER that day when DS broke out in hives and was coughing badly and trying hard to take a good breath!

I will try calling the airline too but will be greatful for any answers from posters. I hope everyone (pet included) has a safe and magical trip!

We are flying tomorrow for the first time with our asthmatic infant who reacts to animals. We are flying Southwest b/c they dont allow animals onboard. If there is a service dog, with SW there are not assigned seats, so we could change to another seat if needed. I will let you know how we do if you would like after we return!

 

[ducklite]

I had a puppy flown to me a few years back, but he was in cargo. At 11 weeks old I don't think a Newfie pup would fit under a seat! LOL As others said, we needed a vet ok for him to fly, medical records, and there needed to be food and water available. I don't know if this is a cargo only thing (the food and water), but the breeder froze the water in the little dishes so it wouldn't slop out all over, and taped the food to the crate in a ziploc bag. He came through just fine, but his crate was wet from the water slopping all over. I remember the breeder having to get to the airport early because as someone else mentioned, there are only a certain number of animals allowed per flight, and it's first come, first serve.

Good luck!

Actually on some carriers you can book a reservation in advance for your pet. Only two animals are permitted per cabin section.

 

[ducklite]

mla973:
Suggest you get with your Vet and see if there isn't something the animal might take to perhaps keep him a bit more calm. Puppys do tend to sleep a lot, so perhaps if he's in a proper carry-on cage, he'll be pretty quiet.

Most vets will not prescribe a tranqualizer for an animal to be used during a flight because many animals react negatively to them, and at 10,000 feet, there's no way to get help for a seizure or severe thermo-regulation problem.