Anyone every fly with a puppy in-cabin?

[pinkmomagain]

We are finally getting our puppy! Yay! But we need to pick him up in another state and I volunteered to be the one to go get him so my husband doesn't have to take off a day from work. I will be flying and bringing him in a carrier that will be stowed under the seat for a 2.5 hour flight. I am kinda freaking out! The little guy will be 10 weeks old. We are getting all kinds of instructions from the breeder who seems well-versed at this, but still. Tell me that I can handle this and if you have some experience with it, I'd love to hear about it and a sense of what to expect.

[trcy]

No BTDT, but congratulations! Please post pictures when you can.


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[mom2binsd]

I'm always curious about animals on a plane, I once spent a miserable 4 hours sitting near a cat on a plane, was not fun. Hopefully nobody nearby is allergic and the puppy is OK during the flight. Is driving an option? A friend of mine bought a very expensive puppy from across the country and she had him shipped to her, not sure how thst worked, I know it was expensive, and if the cost of the puppy included shipping her (was about 3k), it's a fancy little dog, can't remember the breed.

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[dogmom]

I would say if you can play with the puppy, exercise a good chunk of time right before you get one board most of the time will be spent sleeping at that age. Ask the breeder also. Maybe they can have the pup spend some practice time in a small carrier.

[JBaxter]

No I sat across from a cat on our last trip it meow'd the whole trip from Atlanta to Ca. When we checked about taking our yorkies to CA with us I think there is an airline health certificate paper and there was a fee

[hillview]

When we took our puppy home in the car in a carrier (2.5 hour drive) he barked and barked and barked -- I put a sweatshirt on top of the kennel so he couldn't see out and he settled down better so I suggest some sort of cover for the kennel. Good luck!

[Green_Tea]

I have not, but I did sit next to a couple who had a small dog in a carrier for a cross country flight. They kept the carrier under the seat during take off and landing, but during the flight they held the (soft side) carrier on their laps, and allowed the dog to poke his head out. He was super calm, I think because he could see his humans and touch them. Not sure if that would help in your situation or not...

[mmsmom]

I have not personally but a good friend has. A few thoughts... friend was also picking up a puppy from breeder. Puppy apparently grew a lot since his last weigh in so when my friend got there she panicked because she knew he would not fit in carrier. She managed to get him in and through security and then had to partially unzip so he could stick head out. He was technically too big to be under seat but thankfully she had befriended flight attendants on the outbound flight and the return flight was the same so they didn't say anything. You may have to accelerate some vaccines to meet airline requirements. Be prepared for him to whine the whole time. The whining is normal for a puppy leaving his mama and litter mates then add in being confined in a bag and a new environment. Technically they are supposed to be under the seat the entire flight. Whether or not you can hold the bag on your lap after take off depends on the flight attendant. I was on a flight recently with a dog behind me and owners had him on lap and one flight attendant didn't care but then another came by and was very stern about dog being under seat. However he cried and barked when he was on the floor. So they put him on lap but then quickly back on floor whenever flight attendant came by. I'm sure it was not a fun flight for them. Also make sure whatever container you use is airline approved and that your paperwork is complete. Also make sure to indicate you are traveling with a pet and pay the fee when you buy your ticket. Most airlines only allow one or two pets per flight so don't wait till you get to airport.

[pinkmomagain]

Thanks for the replies so far. Driving is not an option at all -- not driving from from NY to Atlanta and back. I think there is a doggy area in the airport that I can let him do his business and get a little exercise and maybe poop him out (literally). Great idea for a covering for the crate -- it will give me an option to see if he does better with or without. My breeder seems really put together and I will have all the necessary paperwork to travel and, yes, will need to pay a fee at return check-in -- already notified airlines and no other pets were booked on flight so far. I figured if it's really nightmare I can offer to buy drinks or snacks for some of my closest seat mates, right?

[twowhat?]

Good luck!!! No BTDT but you might be able to keep a small kong and treats to stuff it with to keep him busy - slip it into his crate every so often. If it's one of those small soft zip crates and he's whiney, you might be able to take off your shoe, unzip part of it, and stick your foot in to keep him company:)

Good luck!!! It might suck but then it'll be over:)

[twowhat?]

Duplicate - sorry!

[pinkmomagain]

It might suck but then it'll be over:)

Thanks - this is exactly what I'm trying to tell myself!

[azzeps]

"You'll never see those people again anyhow...."

That's what my grandmother-in-law used to say.

"You can do anything for 3 hours....."

That's what my mom used to say about flying with kids, and I think it applies to puppies!

Best of luck; I'm sure it will suck less than you think. Our breeder sends puppies cross country with a courier to be delivered to their new homes. He will be okay!

[MMMommy]

"You'll never see those people again anyhow...."

That's what my grandmother-in-law used to say.

"You can do anything for 3 hours....."

That's what my mom used to say about flying with kids, and I think it applies to puppies!


Too funny, your post made me smile! All very true! I'm such a wimp when it comes to possibly uncomfortable and unpredictable situations.

[jgenie]

"You'll never see those people again anyhow...."

That's what my grandmother-in-law used to say.

"You can do anything for 3 hours....."

That's what my mom used to say about flying with kids, and I think it applies to puppies!

Best of luck; I'm sure it will suck less than you think. Our breeder sends puppies cross country with a courier to be delivered to their new homes. He will be okay!

This is exactly what I used to say to myself when I flew with my kids early on!