If you’re considering traveling with your dog, there are a number of important considerations. Dog transport does carry risk. If you’ve looked into this at all, you’ve probably been warned or heard about horror stories, particularly with travel by airplane, of dogs dying during the flight, or being injured, or even lost. Obviously the risk of these things happening is relatively small, or no one would ever think of putting dogs in transport dog crates and transporting them by airplane, or using pet travel carriers of any type.
It is sensible to take as many reasonable precautions as you can to avoid any mishaps. After all, you would never forgive yourself if something terrible occurred and it was avoidable by you having taken some simple precautions.
The number one suggestion to all pet owners is to completely avoid sending your dog traveling in an airplane unless it is absolutely necessary. Many veterinarians and humane organizations are constantly reporting about dog injuries from air travel due to dogs which desperately attempt to claw its way out of the crate in order to escape. Some of them actually do escape and become injured in the cargo bay. Travel pet carriers have a much better track record, simple because they are by nature smaller, and pets in travel pet carriers usually travel in the passenger compartment under your seat.
The most important precautionary measure to take for the safety of your dog, if you do decide that the only dog transport available is to fly your dog, is to take him to the vet for a complete checkup to avoid complicating a pre-existing medical condition.
As far as comfort for your dog goes, do your best to select a flight that is either during the early morning hours or early evening time. These are the best times during the day in which your dog will experience the most comfortable of temperatures. Avoid flying your pet during extreme weather climates that are too hot or too cold. Remember, he will be stuffed down in the cargo area.
It may seem like common sense to advise this tip, but it does happen at times where puppies are loaded in a crate and do not handle the flight very well. Always fly your puppy with you in the cabin area so that you can keep the dog comfortable with small treats and affection. A puppy’s early weeks (and months) are a very crucial time in its life. Everything that the dog experiences becomes downloaded into its memory. It’s called socialization and a traumatizing flight that keeps a puppy in a constant state of shock and anxiety for hours on end may have disastrous results that could last a lifetime for the pup.
Not all dogs can easily cope with the experience of being locked up in transport dog crates and placed in the cargo hold during an airplane ride. Every dog owner knows what his or her dog’s personality is like. Trust your gut instincts on whether or not you think your dog can handle the flight.
In such a case, consider carefully whether there is any other option. If there isn’t, speak to your vet about either natural travel and/or anxiety remedies for dogs, or even a sedative if your vet thinks it necessary. Take these steps, and you will minimize the possibility that your dog will ever be one of the statistics.
Traveling with your dog takes meticulous preparation and planning. Choosing the right transport dog crates or stylish pet carriers or other means of dog transport is essential.
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