Flying with your Dog??

lnjones

Hey everyone!  Haven't posted here yet but I'm Lauren, 26, married for almost 2 years.  We've lived in San Diego for only about 4 months.

 I'm going to be traveling home for Christmas for about two weeks and can't stand to board my Buster for that long!  I've never flown with him before and wanted to see if any of you have any advice/suggestions from experience!  Are any airlines better than others?  Buster would be too big to fit in cabin so he'd have to be in the baggage area.  Have any of your dogs done well with this?  Buster is a 2 year old Westie.

 

Thanks girls!!

Sexilexi

Sorry I have no advice.  I don't have a dog.  But I just wanted to say hello and welcome to San Diego.

jebuell

Most airlines charge about the same, and you need to have him see a vet close to your trip.  Then spend the money and get a REALLY nice crate for him.  The airline crates kind of suck.  Otherwise I have no real advice as the only animal I've ever flown with was a hamster. 

Though, I will tell you that if you'd rather keep Buster here and don't want to board there's always the option to hire a house sitter.  In the end it may cost you less then buying him a ticket on the flight and buying a crate. 

TexasCurlyQ

I flew with my Lab for Christmas in 2006. We used Continental, and while it was EXPENSIVE (they based pricing on the total weight of the dog and crate), I was happy with them. If your destination is going to be a very cold place, the airlines might not even do it (most won't transport pets in cargo if it is either too hot or too cold). We flew to Houston, so it really wasn't an issue for us between here and there. Different airlines have different set of rules, so you need to contact the possible airlines you'd be using. Here's a few tips off the top of my head that are standard, though:

• You'll want to get a non-stop flight if at all possible.
• You want to have Buster crate-trained so that he is comfortable with his crate. This will make it a little less stressful for him if there is something that he is used to.
• Most airlines won't allow this anyway, but you don't want to give a sedative to Buster before the flight. Some people want to give it so the pet will relax - - but it also makes it harder to self-regulate their breathing, which they will need to do with the changes in pressure and all during the flight.
• You will probably be required to get a health certificate exam from your vet. I had to do this within 10 days of the flight.... and, since I stayed in Houston for over 10 days, I had to get another one done there. Just another added expense.

Unfortunately, I'll probably be boarding again this year. We have 2 dogs now (both larger), and, though I'd love to bring them- the price to fly them would be outrageous.

 

msurber

I imagine if you have a westie-- he can go in cabin??? My schnauzer during her thinner times can fly cabin, and she did so much better than I expected. We were on a non-stop and we used a sherpa bag. I now many say not to, but my vet gave us the OK since Schnauzers can be chatty-- we drugged her with a little tranquilizer. She did really well. She wasn't even loopy when we got to Portland.

 

We let her stay out of her bag in the terminal-- it was Christmas time so there were lots of dogs.

 

Hints: Call ahead and make a "reservation." It will cost you like 50-100 if they are flying in cabin. Also, there can only be like  4-5 dogs in a cabin on a flight and since it is the holidays, it can book up, so call early.

 

Good luck! 

SillyStraw

I don't have any advice, since I've never flown with a dog. But I just wanted to ditto the pp that said you might want to look into a pet sitter that will come by your house, might be easier. Since you have lots of time until Christmas, you can take some time to find one you like. You might want to start at your vet to see if they have a recommendation (that is what I did). Otherwise I think if you google Pet Sitters International you can go to their website and find pet sitters in your area. Just make sure they are bonded and insured.

You might still want to fly with her - but just thought I'd throw that in there.

Mnkari

I have also heard that it depends on the temperature if they will allow pets to fly in the cargo area.  It can get very very cold or hot down there.

I have a pet sitter in the past, one great one pretty bad.

I've boarded my dog lately, because she has health issues and needs a bit more consistant care and someone who's familiar with seizures.

I bring her to Furry Friends Pet Resort in La Mesa/Santee area.  They really act like they care about her and give her extra attention to keep her less stressed.  I've also brought her to The Animal Keeper in Poway, but they were full once, and I'm happy with FF now.  My vet recommended Animal Keeper.

Hope this helps.