Hello and welcome to YT! My dog and I are veteran airline travelers and I've posted a lot of advice in the Traveling with Yorkies section of YT. I will copy and paste a little bit of what I've posted elsewhere, but you should definitely check out the traveling section for more help.
Your dog will probably (hopefully!) just curl up in her carrier and sleep the entire time. However, you might want to do the following things:
Before the flight:- Get her used to being in her carrier and being carried around.
- Have her health certificate (issued within 10 days for most airlines) and proof of rabies vaccination (must have been issues 30+ days prior). The airline will ask for the health certificate, but you probably won't need to show them the rabies cert. However, customs can legally request the rabies cert when you arrive at your destination (depending on state law), so better safe than sorry.
- Don't feed her in the hours before the flight so she doens't have to poop in the airport/on the plane.
- If you are concerned about hypoglycemia and her not eating for several hours, give her a small meal and/or some NutriCal, or feed her a normal meal early enough in the day that she can poop before you get on the plane.
- If you want to take NutriCal on the plane, either get a prescription label for the tube, or put a small amount into a cleaned-out Blistex (or lip gloss) tub.
- Take her for a good walk before she gets in her carrier. This will help tire her out and calm her down.
- I walk Meg in a quiet area of the airport, and put down a pee pad so she can take care of any business before we get on the plane.
- Some people say to restrict water before the flight. While I don't try to force Meg to drink, I will give her some water both before and during the flight. I know I get dehydrated on planes, and I imagine it's the same for her.
- Pack some wipes, paper towels, and a bully stick or toy (although Meg has never played with a toy when she's in her carrier).
On the plane:
- Make sure there aren't any drafts under the seat. Sometimes there is an A/C or heat vent right by the floor, so bring a blanket or jacket to drape over the carrier if need be. Check the temperature periodically to make sure she isn't too hot/cold.
- You will probably find that if your dog can see you, she will whine to be up with you. Try to position the carrier in such a way that she can't see you.
- Some people like to take their dogs out on the plane, but unless you have a service animal, this is against the rules. Be prepared for harsh words and to have to put her back in her carrier. (On the other hand, some flight attendants won't mind at all.) Note: if she's happy in her carrier, don't take her out. She will probably hate going back in it after she's had a taste of freedom. If you do take her out, keep a leash on her as she could easily escape and be stepped on or crushed. And if you take her out, be courteous to your neighbors and ask if they mind.
- Give her little sips of water every 30-45 min or so. Some people do not give any water, so this isn't necessary. If she's sleeping, let her sleep. I bring a small little ceramic bowl for this purpose. Note: only fill it up a TINY bit or turbulence or a bump of your foot could soak the carrier.
- If there is turbulence, hold the carrier/dog in your lap and speak in soothing tones.
- Put a pee pad in the bottom of your carrier, in case of either accidents or water spills.
- If you think she needs to pee during your flight, or if you want to let her out of the carrier without getting in trouble, take the carrier to the bathroom and let her out. Use a bathroom with baby changing table if you want to let her stand on something. I put Meg's pee pads down on the changing table and let her do her business there. Don't do this when there is turbulence though, or you will have one super scared doggie clawing up your chest.
As for taking the dog out in the airports, I do this for Meg and have never run into problems, but some airports may not allow this. Some also have dog run/bathroom areas designated in certain terminals (although I have never seen one firsthand).
As for a carrier, I use a
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/ima...mazon_icon.gif Bergan Comfort Carrier and have been very happy with it. Meg is 5 lbs and does really well in the size small (although I wouldn't put a bigger dog in the size small).
I actually saw a Bergan knock-off at Target for like $19 or something. It was exactly the same as the carrier I have, just half the price. Looked like really good quality, too.
Others on YT really like Celltei and Sherpa carriers, too. If you do a lot of traveling, you may want to invest in a carrier on wheels.
Whatever carrier you go with, make sure to acclimate your dog to the carrier. First put a toy in it (or bully stick) and let the dog go in to get it, explore around a bit, etc. Then put him in and carry him around the house for 5 min. Give lots of praise and treats. Do this again the next day. Your dog will hopefully come to think of the carrier as a safe, happy little nest.
Make sure that you have a spot reserved for your dog when you book your ticket. Domestic flights allow
1-3 dogs in the economy section of a flight, and if there are already 3 dogs in economy, you will not be able to take your dog as your carry on luggage. I personally would never put Meg in the cargo/baggage area.
Good luck, and PM me if you have any questions.