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It is not ideal to travel by air with your dog, but sometimes there is no other option. You’ll need to consider transport dog crates, and the key is to make the trip as stress free for your dog as you can.

Airplane travel for dogs is fraught with problems, and most pet owners who have made any enquiries about transporting animals by air are aware of dogs being injured or worse on such trips. Don’t misunderstand me, most dog air travel is incident free, but because things can go wrong, planning ahead can mean the difference between a smooth journey for your dog or one with mishaps.

Before you do anything else, you should call the airline you intend to travel with and find out their current policies on pet transportation. If you have a choice of airlines, call each one, as the policies may vary slightly. If you intend to transport a young puppy, you also need to be aware that federal regulations require that a puppy be at least 8 weeks old before it is permitted to be carried by air, and it needs to have been weaned for a minimum of 5 days prior to transportation.

Large dogs have no choice but to travel in the cargo section of the airplane, in transport dog crates. The cargo section unfortunately has neither airconditioning nor heating, which can make for a pretty uncomfortable experience for dogs. Small dogs may be a litte luckier. If they’re under 15 pounds, they may be accepted in the passenger compartment of the airplane, traveling in transport dog crates or other types of pet carriers that will fit under your seat.

Some steps you can take to provide your dog with a stress-free airplane trip:

- try to book a direct flight where possible. Plane transfers and other stop-overs make the trip lengthier than it need be for your dog.

- find out about any delays in your flight schedule before you leave for the airport. You can confirm your flight the day before but it’s also a good idea to call the airport just before you are due to leave as well, to double check whether the flight is scheduled to take off on time.

- just prior to leaving for the airport, take your dog for a walk.

- find out from your vet whether you should provide food for the trip. You’ll probably find that your vet will advise you not to feed your dog for several hours before the flight, but an onflight feed may be needed depending upon your dog’s usual diet, as well as factors such as your dog’s age and size.

- make sure your dog will have a good supply of water during the flight in order to keep him properly hydrated.

- arrive at the airport in plenty of time.

- if you are leaving from a destination that’s close to the airport, make sure your dog is given an opportunity to toilet just before you leave. If you are a distance from the airport, wait until you arrive at the airport before toileting your dog. Either way, it’s important that your dog has a toilet opportunity to avoid accidents in the transport dog crate during the trip.

- stay with your dog for as long as possible prior to the flight, and personally deliver the transport dog crate to the gate. (This may not be possible for an international flight).

- notify the flight staff once you board the plane that your dog is flying with you and that he is traveling in the cargo compartment (unless he’s with you in the passenger compartment, that is).

- upon arrival at your destination, go immediately to the baggage area to welcome your dog.

Tags: Dogs

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