If you’re reading this blog, it’s probably because we have something in common: an undying zest for travel. You’ve got wanderlust. There’s just something about having an adventure that seems to take your life up a couple notches.
We just love it. I, personally, have been in love with travel for as long as I can remember. I also have been a huge dog lover for my entire life. My dogs have always been some of my best friends. So, it was natural to want to take my dogs on my adventures (you can read about how I travel with my dog here).
But here’s the thing: sometimes, my adventures take me too far away to drive, and taking your dog on a plane can be an absolutely massive headache (not to mention unsafe).
After a few trips (and a ton of research), I’ve got taking your dog on a plane down to a science, and I want to pass some of that knowledge along to you. Here are 5 tips that can help you the next time you and your pup take to the skies.
Of all the tips on this list, this is by far the most important.
Before you even think about jet setting across the world on some long, transatlantic flight, please—please—consider whether or not traveling in a plane is okay for your specific dog.
Here’s the reality: traveling my plane is not a fun experience for your dog. In all likelihood, it’s going to be one of the more stressful things your dog ever does. He’ll have to ride by himself in the cargo hold (unless he’s tiny enough to carry on). He may have to deal with extreme temperatures. He’s going to be handled by a bunch of strangers. Then, he’s going to be bumped around in a weird, noisy metal room, and he won’t have any idea what’s going on.
If your dog isn’t prepared, isn’t well-adjusted, has separation anxiety, is prone to accidents, or has any number of health problems—you may want to leave him at home.
And if you do, that’s okay.
Trust me: dogs that don’t do well on flights will be much better off staying with a friend or at a doggy hotel than going through the ordeal of flying.
You should feed your dog about four hours before you’re in the air. Do this even if your pup has to skip a meal or eat two meals. This is especially true for longer flights.
That four-hour mark is a sweet spot. You really want to shoot for it for two reasons. First, you don’t want your dog to be hungry on the flight. Hungry dogs are much more likely to be anxious and stressed, and a good meal four hours before hand will curb hunger. However, secondly, you want a couple hours between your dog’s meal and take-off, so there’s less of a chance he’ll get sick during the flight.
So, to whatever extent you can, hit that four-hour mark, even if it means switching up your pup’s daily routine.
While there are federal regulations for taking your dog on a plane (read the FAA guidelines here), each airline also has their own guidelines. The last thing you want is to get to the gate and realize you’re breaking one of the rules (trust me: I’ve done this, and it’s one of the easiest ways to ruin a vacation).
Here’s the real trick: call the airline directly.
Talk to a person. Ask specifically about your dog’s breed, since some airlines don’t allow certain breeds on their planes. Then, ask if there are any other regulations you should know about.
Finally, ask what the flying conditions for your dog will me. Where will he stay? Who will be handing him? What are their emergency procedures for animals?
This is all stuff you need to know, and it only takes a 10-minute phone call.
For quick reference, here’s a good, fairly comprehensive list of most major airline’s pet policies. It doesn’t replace a phone call, but it’s a good place to start.
If your pooch can’t stay comfortably in his crate, don’t even think about flying. Dogs must be in an appropriate kennel or carrier to fly on any airline.
So, in the weeks leading up to your flight, it’s a good idea to really reinforce your pup’s crate training. My dog is already crate trained (something I recommend often), so for us, part of our pre-flight checklist is just taking some time every day to make sure our dog has strong positive feelings and associations with her crate.
And it’s not anything complicated. We just plop her in there and give her an amazing dog-massage while she chows down on a few special treats.
If your dog isn’t crate trained, work on this at least two months in advance. You don’t just need your dog to be able to hang out in a crate—you need him to enjoy being there and feel safe. It goes a long way toward mitigating some of the anxiety of flying.
For better or for worse, some dog owners are in the habit of giving their dog anti-sickness medication when they travel (mostly—and understandably—to avoid accidents on road trips).
When flying, however, you mostly want to avoid it. These drugs can affect your pup’s natural ability to keep his balance as well as his sense of equilibrium.
If you’re worried about him getting sick, keep a couple of things in mind: (1) dogs are less likely to get sick in planes than in cars because there’s less stop-and-go motion, and (2) it’s a good idea to line his crate with something to make accidents easy to clean up.
Wrapping it up…
Well, there ya go! Those are a few of my best tips.
Of course, if you have any doubt at all about whether or not your dog is okay to fly, play it safe. Sometimes it’s just not worth the risk to either of you.
That said, I love traveling with my dog, and we often travel on planes together. She comes with me most everywhere I go, and I love having her tag along on my adventures.
So, hopefully, these tips can help you and your pup create a few of the same memories!
Content written by contributing blogger, Perrin Carrell, who writes for Herepup.