Every flyer knows that air travel
is no picnic these days—and that goes double for your dog.
From delays to overstuffed planes
to canceled flights, air travel is challenging but it can be made even more so
by flying with your dog. The extra worries, security checks, and safety
precautions of flying with your dog mean that most people choose to go by car
when traveling with their dog.
Still, for two million animals a
year, travel means a plane ride, whether that’s beneath the seat in front of
them for tiny dogs or, for larger dogs, in cargo.
Your first call when planning a
flight with your dog should be to your veterinarian to determine if your dog is
healthy enough to travel by airplane. Air travel is extremely stressful for
animals; during hot weather months, it can even be deadly. Brachycephalic (short nosed) dogs such as French Bulldogs
and Boxers have an especially difficult time flying during the summer months
due to their increased danger of heat stroke, and some airlines will not permit
them to fly during the summer.
After you’ve
determined that your dog is healthy enough to fly, talk to the airline you’re
considering for the flight. Different airlines have different regulations
regarding the number of dogs permitted per airplane in first class and economy,
the size and type of kennels, and even the breeds they will accept. Talk with
the airline about the type and size of your dog when making your travel plans.
As your
travel plans progress, make the flight arrangements with your dog in mind. Try
to book a direct, non-stop flight if at all possible. This will minimize your
chance of delays and also prevent, if he’s flying cargo, any chance of your dog
being transferred to the wrong flight when connecting.
One of
the top airlines for transporting pets is Continental Airlines, thanks to its
PetSafe program. The airline has a 24-hour live animal desk and can trace an
animal through to its destination. Dogs are transported in climate-controlled
vehicles when making connections whenever it is hotter than 85 degrees and they’ll
be in the weather for over 45 minutes.
Whether
he’s traveling in coach or cargo, your dog needs an ID tag on him at all times
(and a microchip is a great idea, too). Engraving a tag with the cell phone
number that you’ll have while traveling is a good plan but, since you will not
have access to your cell phone during traveling, it’s also a good idea to have
another contact such as your veterinarian on the tag as well.
Photos
are especially important while flying. Take a current photo of your dog’s face
and another of his full body and tape a copy of the photos to his kennel. Also,
carry copies of these photos with you, just in case he should become lost en
route.
In the
past, some people believed tranquilizing a dog before flying made the trip
easier for him but that is discouraged now. Not only can tranquilizers slow his
breathing and make it tough for him to cool off in an overheated cargo hold but
the effect of the tranquilizer, just like alcohol for air travelers, is
different at high altitudes than it is on the ground. Talk to your vet first
before administering any type of tranquilizer.
The stress
of air travel can be lessened with some simple precautions, ones that will make
the trip easier not only on your dog but on you as well.
Article by Paris Permenter and John Bigley, publishers
of DogTipper.com.
The husband-wife team of professional travel writers has published 29
guidebooks and often write about traveling with your dog.
