How To Travel With a Dog on a Plane
Most airlines will not allow you to keep your dog with you during the flight. The only option here is to use large dog crate. The dog crates are stowed in the cargo compartment. And even though this is often a daunting and frightful experience for pets and pet owners alike, if you must travel by air you don’t have a choice.
So as reluctant as you are to keep your puppy in the cargo through out the duration of the flight if you have to do it then here are a few tips that will help you to make your puppy’s plane journey comfortable.
1. When it comes to size and make of the crate you will have to buy a USDA approved kennel that is designed for travel. The size of the crate depends on the size of your dog. When buying such a unit make sure that it is sturdy and has enough space for your dog to stand in and turn around if he wants to. Also view some of these raised dog bowls for your doggie.
2. It is always a good idea to get your dog accustomed to the kennel before using it on the day of the journey. You can do this by getting him to sleep in the kennel at night. Usually three days is enough time for your dog to adapt to the kennel. If you wait till the day of the journey your dog will be intimidated and uncomfortable in the confines of the kennel.
3. If you are flying across the Atlantic or the Pacific or if your flight time exceed s 10-12 hours you may want to tape a bag of dog food outside the kennel with feeding instructions mentioned on it.
4. Most pet owners have nightmares about losing their pets during plane journeys. A very easy way to remedy any eventualities is to put your name, address and contact information on top of the crate in bold letters. Also include similar information on the dog tag.
5. If you feed your dog immediately before the flight there are very good chances that he may use the crate as his bathroom. To avoid this situation feed him at least 6 hours before the flight.
6. You can also use a bedding made of news paper in the kennel as this will help absorb the urine and stools in case your puppy cannot control himself.
7. There are strong chances that your dog may get dehydrated as a result of his plane journey. So you should keep two hook on coop bowl inside his kennel, one with water and the other with some ice so that even if he runs out of water the ice will melt slowly and provide the necessary refreshments even a few hours down the line.
8. Some airlines do allow pet owners to take pets of smaller breeds like Chihuahua or a toy poodle along. Well you can’t very well leash them to your seat but you could stow the crate below your seat. But check with your airline before making any such plans
