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Originally Posted by yavenay  Thanks for the suggestion. This is definitely going to be trial and error but everyone has given me some excellent tips which I will be trying. Any suggestions on how to handle her if she freaks out on the plane? I plan on taking doggy diapers for her potty needs but I'm not sure what to do in case she starts panicking in mid flight. I am hoping and praying my baby can travel with me. If she can't what do I do? I want to travel but I will not give up my baby to do so. I think the only thing I can do if doesn't like the plane is go places for only a few weeks instead of a month or so and she stays home. I can either board her or have my stepmother watch her. 1st world problems |
Based on our experience, a lot of what you can do if your dog has issues mid-flight depends on the flight crew. Of course, you can always give more meds if it's been long enough or you have a range of dosage options and you start with the lowest. The Rescue Remedy is quite flexible as a booster. We have held the carrier in a lap and just put a hand in to soothe our pup. And one time, the flight attendant actually suggested to me to just take her out and hold her until landing. We had one flight attendant who was hostile and would have preferred to kick us off the flight even before take off! Not nice!! We found a special chew - Yak milk bones called Himalayan Dog Chew that we save for plane trips. They keep our pup interested for a long time. Landing is the hardest for our dog. I think the pressure gets to her. And since there is no option but under the seat we try to find something to keep her licking and swallowing. By that time most of the people around us love our pup so we get sympathetic looks if she whines a bit.
We have never boarded our dog for more than a few days and only twice, so I have no advice for long term care. Visit a few kennels to find the one you think is best. If you do have to board, do some daycare sessions in advance to get to know the kennel staff and to let your dog adjust. Pay for a little extra daily grooming or exercise so your dog gets more hands on care and attention. We've learned that our dog is more flexible than we think and is fine when we pick her up from the kennel. She's glad to see us and we're glad to see her. We do a little preventative retraining of behaviors at home and all is well. We learned from experience that a kennel might be safer than leaving the dog with someone because their home may not be puppy proof. Won't go into details, but it involved some vet care. Luckily no permanent damage. Hope you figure out what works best for you and your pup.