Airport Security & Travelling dogs.
 

When you are taking a puppy in an airline approved carrier bag, what is the security procedures at the airport. I'll be bringing a puppy home with me soon via Westjet and was wondering what to expect. Obviously the puppy wld have to be taken out of the bag so the bag cld go thru the X-ray machine but can you hold him or do they require you put him on the ground ?

Also, which is the best seat, aisle, middle or window to select when you have to put the bag under the seat in front. Are you allowed to put the bag on your lap after take off ??

As you can tell, I haven't done any air travelling with a dog in the cabin before so any advice you can offer me wld be very much appreciated. By the way, he will only be 13 weeks old at the time of the short flight.

You go through the metal detector then walk back through and take the dog out of the bag. The bag goes on the conveyor belt and you carry puppy through the metal detector.

Which seat is best will depend on the airline and plane model.

That's all we had to do...it was very easy. We traveled from Atlanta to Connecticut this past Christmas.

I would recommend a window seat. That way, if you need to let your Yorkie pop their head out of the carrier, and you have a strict/annoying flight attendant to deal with, there is less chance of getting yelled at. Mine would yelp even on medication on a plane trip, but he was OK if I let him poke his little head out and look around. One crabby flight attendant yelled at me for letting his head out, so I learned to obfuscate her view whenever she'd come down the isle. Not hard, because the kid sitting next to me liked my Yorkie, and was happy to hold up the newspaper whenever this idiot would make her rounds... It did not matter, of course, that my Yorkie would stop barking if he could only look out the top of the carrier, this flight attendant required that he be completely inside of it, which technically is the rule. However, in my case, it was a stupid rule and you never know if you'll get a good flight attendant that will work with you to keep the peace, or a strict one that will make the flight miserable for you, your Yorkie, and the rest of the passengers that have to put up with a Yorkie barking fit:confused:.

So… choose the window seat to better hide what you may have to do.

I agree with the advice you have already been given. Carry your baby through in your arms, too many thing can go wrong at the airport if you allow a small dog to walk through the metal detectors. I think seating selection is a matter of personal preference. You will not be allowed to have your puppy on your lap during the flight.

Congratulations and best wishes to you and your new puppy!

as other have said, carry your baby through. i have traveled a ton with dexter and they have never asked me to walk him through

i like window seats because yes, you do have a little more privacy from the flight attendants....i keep treats and water handy to give to dex throughout the flight. also, in the window seat you dont have the people beside you getting up to go to the bathroom and walking by the pup, so they cant kick or bump the crate by accident.

i have never flown awith such a young puppy, but i also keep rescue remedy with me and spray some onto treats to keep dexter calm. you can get it at most human health food stores

Both my yorkies have traveled- like others said, you can hold your dog, I always do.

Also, check with the airline for seat choices- I always fly JetBlue and they don't allow dogs in the middle seat because the electronics for the tv's are stored there and they say it gets too hot for the dogs. I like to choose a window seat because I feel like it is the most out of the way and quiet for the dog.

Thx. so much for all the advice. At least now I know what to expect !!!! Just hope he enjoys his first plane ride !!!!!! Thx. again.

I've only flown once with Gulliver and through security I just took him out of the carrier, took off his tags so they wouldn't trip the xray, and carried him through. He had to be on the floor during take off and landing, but once we were in the air I put my tray table down and set him on it, carrier and all. My carrier has a side entrance so I could put it facing me and unzip it enough that I could stick my hand in and he could stick his head out. He did soooo well, slept the whole flight and didn't make a peep. He was 4 months old at the time. I also got to the airport early so we could walk around the gate area and play for a while to burn off some energy. Not all airports will let you do that, but no one said anything to us. We were in Orlando.

One thing I would suggest is that you take a little blanket to cover the carrier if needed. I flew a couple of times with my Sassy & they had venting on the floor & she got very cold so I learned to take something to cover her carrier with & it helped to keep the draft off of her.

Thx. for the info MySophia. I guess each airline and airport varies regarding what is allowed and what isn't. Think I'll play it by ear. It's only about a 45 minute flight so hopefully he'll just have a little snooze !!!

Thx. for the blanket suggestion lillymae, I'll keep that in mind.

Check out this site, alot of good info with specifics.

Dog Jaunt : Taking a small dog on a plane: How it works : Traveling with a small dog

Best of Luck!

What exactly is "resue remedy"?

It's actually called Rescue Remedy & you can get it at Petco.;) It's a natural remedy to help calm your dog.

Thx. Jojomima for bringing my attention to that website. It's a wealth of information, not only for the initial trip but also for trips down the line. Many thx.