Airplanes?

[JenniLeigh]

I'm incredibly impressed with my little girl! My family lives on the East coat and I'm in San Francisco. I was very apprehensive to bring her along on a visit back to Delaware on Mother's day but I felt it was better than boarding her. I double checked with our Vet to make sure she would be okay and they gave me a health certificate. The Vet also gave me a very small dosage of an anxiety medication because it's about a 5 hour trip total.

She loves her carrier and is very calm and quiet in it. On the day of the flight, I packed a bit of kibble and some treats in her carrier also a tiny cup for some water. The flight to Delaware was perfect! I put down a puppy pad in her carrier and she went to the bathroom at the very end. Throughout the flight I kept my hand in the carrier and gave her some treats. I did not feed her before the flight and she had absolutely no problems at all.

On the flight back, however, my mom unknowingly fed her while I was still asleep before we left for the airport and she did in fact, get sick during the flight. Once she got sick, I decided to give her a small bit of the anxiety medication. She did seem a little bit more agitated because she had to go poop and did not feel comfortable doing so in her carrier or even when I took her in the bathroom and put a pad down, she wanted to wait until we landed. As soon as we landed, she went right to the bathroom in the parking garage.

Because she is so calm when traveling, either in the car or flight, I feel at ease when I know we are going to be traveling.

Here's some tips that I found useful:

*When booking your travel, call the airline and place a pet reservation, United is $125.00 and US Airways is $100.00. Each airline is different though. Try to book a direct flight.
*Even though a health certificate isn't necessary on all airlines, it's always good to make sure your pet is in good health for the flight anyway. I carried a health certificate for my own peace of mind.
*On the day of the flight, do not feed 4-6 hours before, a little bit of water is okay but pack up some treats and food for your pet on the side of their carrier.
*Exercise your pet a lot before the flight since they'll be laying down for quite some time.
*Bring a few chew toys (quiet ones) for your dog. Kaia seemed to love her Kong and I put some peanut butter in there for her.
*Be sure to get to the airport about an hour or two before departure. You'll have to check in at the desk and pay for the pet at that time.
*Pack some Nutri-Cal in your luggage, or in your carrier in the approved airline bags. I gave it to Kaia immediately when we landed to prevent any sugar issues from the stress.
*Acclimate your dog to it's carrier well before the flight. Walk around with them in it for awhile and make sure it's small enough to fit underneath the seat in front of you.

Hopefully, my little boy that we'll be getting on Wednesday will be as much of a comfortable flyer/traveller as Kaia is. Not all dog is the same though, so if your dog doesn't enjoy traveling in the car or does not like being confined in a carrier, chances are, the flight will not go so smoothly!

[friscomom]

I can't believe airlines let dogs on the plane. I also can't believe the flimsy soft case I just picked up at Walmart is 'airline approved'. One suitcase, man, and there will be trouble. I also can't wait to get a 'Service Animal' tag, so Frisco will be let into Walmart, to select his own food and bedding.

[Jean4ik]

Hi All! Did anybody fly internationally with their babies? I know it is probaly crazy, as I need to fly from Canada to Ukraine, which is approximately 10 to 12 hours. The airlines I'm flying with accept pets in the cabin (not sure of the fee thought). I was wondering if anybody did this crazy step in their life and if yes how was your baby doing during the flight?

Thank you!
Lily

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by Jean4ik

Hi All! Did anybody fly internationally with their babies? I know it is probaly crazy, as I need to fly from Canada to Ukraine, which is approximately 10 to 12 hours. The airlines I'm flying with accept pets in the cabin (not sure of the fee thought). I was wondering if anybody did this crazy step in their life and if yes how was your baby doing during the flight?

Thank you!
Lily

I've never done it, but I know that it is done all the time. There are show dogs flown from Canada to Europe and Thialand all the time...

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by friscomom

I can't believe airlines let dogs on the plane. I also can't believe the flimsy soft case I just picked up at Walmart is 'airline approved'. One suitcase, man, and there will be trouble. I also can't wait to get a 'Service Animal' tag, so Frisco will be let into Walmart, to select his own food and bedding.

The soft carriers are meant to be carry ons.

Not my business, but it really is not right to get a "service animal" tag unless there is a valid reason. I would hope that doctors are not giving letters out like that. They are reserved for the handicapped and if people abuse them, then that will have an impact on the handicapped.

You can take your Frisco to Petsmart and Petco!

[friscomom]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

it really is not right to get a "service animal" tag unless there is a valid reason. I would hope that doctors are not giving letters out like that. They are reserved for the handicapped and if people abuse them, then that will have an impact on the handicapped.

Yeah, I know, but in 40-odd years on the planet, I've maybe ever seen ONE service dog indoors. The uncommon rarity of it is likely a contributing factor in the disabled's expressed difficulties having their service animals welcomed properly. It seems similar to having multiple handicapped parking spots, sitting empty, unused and wasted near the doors of establishments, when they might occasionally be used to good 'gray area' purpose . Also my partner is extremely hard of hearing and forgetful, among other things. So when I figure out how to train Frisco up as a responsible and attentive personal assistant, it will a) increase his odds of a happy life and b) get the doorbell and oven timer answered more often etc.

[manolos mom]

Originally Posted by friscomom

I can't believe airlines let dogs on the plane. I also can't believe the flimsy soft case I just picked up at Walmart is 'airline approved'. One suitcase, man, and there will be trouble. I also can't wait to get a 'Service Animal' tag, so Frisco will be let into Walmart, to select his own food and bedding.

WHAT!!!!!!

[friscomom]

News brief: Hah, my son is a bit 'challenged' too, he's got Frisco working on 'find shoe' atm. So far so good. Anyway this is the wrong thread I guess for this topic.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by friscomom

News brief: Hah, my son is a bit 'challenged' too, he's got Frisco working on 'find shoe' atm. So far so good. Anyway this is the wrong thread I guess for this topic.

Yep...that is true. Kind of got off topic a bit.

You mentioned taking Frisco to pick out his food at Walmart. I would suggest you take a look at the Health and Diet forum. Lots of great information about feeding our little furkids. I do not know of a good food that is sold in Walmart. There is a thread somewhere that lists all of the dog foods and ranks them.

And...we do have a training forum.

Anyway...welcome to YT! I just saw that you are new!

[spiritwings1202]

My Daughter always flys with her Yorkie in a carrier with her. They charge her an extra 80 dollars each way and she puts her luggage underneath and carries on her yorkie in the pet carrier as her carry on. Her Yorkie sometimes throws up, but she usually does ok.

[shawnzeppi]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

The soft carriers are meant to be carry ons.

Not my business, but it really is not right to get a "service animal" tag unless there is a valid reason. I would hope that doctors are not giving letters out like that. They are reserved for the handicapped and if people abuse them, then that will have an impact on the handicapped.

You can take your Frisco to Petsmart and Petco!

Jane, I respectfully doubt your concerns would ever amount to a disservice to the physically challenged. First and foremost, we have a law in the US that protects the rights of the disabled: ADA Home Page - ada.gov - Information and Technical Assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act

Airlines do not wish to get sued, and they don’t want bad publicity either, therefore, there will never be any issues regarding bringing service or working dogs on passenger flights gratis, IMO. I fly a lot, and have sat next to a many dogs (and other pets) over the years, and traveled with my first Yorkie a few times. When flying with a working German Sheppard, he laid down in front of my seat (and the handlers), taking up most of my leg room. I was not bothered by it because he was a beautiful animal and was a bomb sniffer, so I was happy to give up some room for this guy, I even took the middle seat for the handler.

Most of the posters here are crazy about their pets. Some have more financial resources than others obviously, but if you really need to fly, and have no one you trust to watch your pet, I think the airlines put us in a very bad position. In fact, they take advantage of us. As many have discussed, putting a pet under the seat should be no more expensive than bringing on any other carry on (less actually due to the weight difference between carry ons and small dogs). Stupid arguments about some people being scared of dogs, or allergic to dogs make no sense to me, as you can always swap seats to sit next to a dog lover. I contend there are at least 10 dog lovers to everyone who is afraid of them. I also contend that some here are emotionally attached to their pets, and will suffer if they cannot travel with them. Why should they have to pay outrageous fees to do this? That's why if someone is emotionally attached to their pet, I would fully support “society” baring the cost of these folks getting a service license or tag for their small dog; at least until the airlines treat pet owners fairly.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by shawnzeppi

Jane, I respectfully doubt your concerns would ever amount to a disservice to the physically challenged. First and foremost, we have a law in the US that protects the rights of the disabled: ADA Home Page - ada.gov - Information and Technical Assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act

Airlines do not wish to get sued, and they don’t want bad publicity either, therefore, there will never be any issues regarding bringing service or working dogs on passenger flights gratis, IMO. I fly a lot, and have sat next to a many dogs (and other pets) over the years, and traveled with my first Yorkie a few times. When flying with a working German Sheppard, he laid down in front of my seat (and the handlers), taking up most of my leg room. I was not bothered by it because he was a beautiful animal and was a bomb sniffer, so I was happy to give up some room for this guy, I even took the middle seat for the handler.

Most of the posters here are crazy about their pets. Some have more financial resources than others obviously, but if you really need to fly, and have no one you trust to watch your pet, I think the airlines put us in a very bad position. In fact, they take advantage of us. As many have discussed, putting a pet under the seat should be no more expensive than bringing on any other carry on (less actually due to the weight difference between carry ons and small dogs). Stupid arguments about some people being scared of dogs, or allergic to dogs make no sense to me, as you can always swap seats to sit next to a dog lover. I contend there are at least 10 dog lovers to everyone who is afraid of them. I also contend that some here are emotionally attached to their pets, and will suffer if they cannot travel with them. Why should they have to pay outrageous fees to do this? That's why if someone is emotionally attached to their pet, I would fully support “society” baring the cost of these folks getting a service license or tag for their small dog; at least until the airlines treat pet owners fairly.

I know Jane has a mouth.....but, what she meant was that she hoped that one would not be taking advantage by applying for Service Dog benefits just to avoid paying airline fees. And I agree, I don't like the fees either. But, the reason they are imposed, in truth, airlines hate the responsibility of having dogs on board, so they impose those fees in hopes to discourage travelers from traveling with their dogs.

In case you don't know......Jane does small dog rescue and puts every waking hour into the care of those abandoned and mistreated dogs......so, she does know about love for animals and of course first hand about those that have been abused.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Mardelin

I know Jane has a mouth.....but, what she meant was that she hoped that one would not be taking advantage by applying for Service Dog benefits just to avoid paying airline fees. And I agree, I don't like the fees either. But, the reason they are imposed, in truth, airlines hate the responsibility of having dogs on board, so they impose those fees in hopes to discourage travelers from traveling with their dogs.

In case you don't know......Jane does small dog rescue and puts every waking hour into the care of those abandoned and mistreated dogs......so, she does know about love for animals and of course first hand about those that have been abused.

I just do not believe that rules and/or laws are made to be broken. I think the airline rules are difficult, but as you said they have a reason for them. There are liability issues. I have long thought it ridiculous that you can carry a bag on and put it under a seat for no charge, but had to pay for a pup in a bag. But...their rules and I live with the rules.

I love my pups and will not go anywhere without them unless my son is able to stay at my home.....so believe me I do understand. I just don't think that feigning a handicap is appropriate under any circumstance.

I imagine no real harm could be done because the handicapped have a strong voice......although I do wonder if everyone started doing it what it might lead to.

Thanks Mary, for clarifying for me.

[friscomom]

And jane (and manolos mom) were, perhaps rightly, reprimanding me for wanting my dog to be able enjoy Service Dog benefits. But it was never about fees, it was just about being able to accompany his pack more often, and not have to be left alone chained to a post or something just because he's a dog.

[manolos mom]

[QUOTE=friscomom;2949744]And jane (and manolos mom) were, perhaps rightly, reprimanding me for wanting my dog to be able enjoy Service Dog benefits. But it was never about fees, it was just about being able to accompany his pack more often, and not have to be left alone chained to a post or something just because he's a dog.[/QUOTE]

Hello, and welcome to YT, I know you are just kidding about the chain thing, right?