tiovtcheva

I am moving to California (from Boston) and will also have to move my cute Jack Russell Terrier.
Apparently he is somewhat big to fly with me in the cabin (they allow a max of 9 inches height and he is more than that) + plus he is too hyper of a dog to say still for 6-7 hrs in the plane.
On the other side, I soooo don’t want him to go in cargo. He is too sensitive and will suffer a lot being alone in the dark.

I will be flying in a week with AA and wanted to see if anyone has any suggestions and/or experiences to share.


Thank you all in advance…

starrsville

I would drive. I just couldn't stand the thought of putting a dog in cargo.

Having said that, I did pick up a Jack Russell puppy from a breeder friend of ours and put him on Delta Dash to send him out to my brother and his family cross country. All was well.

Talk to your vet for his/her advice. I wouldn't sedate my dog, but would look for something to "take the edge off" if my vet recommended it.

P_M

I do not have any experience, but I was watching the show "Airline," the UK version, and I learned that over-sedating a dog for flights can be a mistake. I think they said an animal that is sedated too much can go into a coma. I mention this because you said your dog is hyper, so don't be tempted to over-medicate him. Of course, check with your vet about this.

Here is my personal opinion, take it or leave it. My dog is my baby, and I would not think of putting her into cargo. I know it's a heck of a long drive, but I would do it.

jor

I looked into flying my dog in cargo a few years ago. The regulations are tight. If the temp is over 80 degrees at your destination that day, you can't fly the dog. Also, Veteranarians will not give them a sedative to relax them because they sometimes die in flight because they smother themselves. My solution was to rent a car and bring the pouch with me for a 1500 mile drive. I Hate driving but it was fun having my dog with me and sneaking him into motel rooms, a crafty art form to pull off with a huge german shephard. We had a great trip and I have some good memories of it.

KathyH

Below is a link to petfinder.com's library section on traveling with pets. You will find there a number of handouts on plane travel, car travel, the stress of moving on a pet, etc.

I suggest you take a look at all the info on that site and then make some decisions.

http://www.petfinder.com/journalinde...velingwithpets

For the record, I too would drive rather than fly my pet. I would be a nervous wreck the entire time while in flight worrying about them.
KathyH

travelinwifey

When my parents moved back to the east coast their Shi Tzu accompanied them on the plane. We took the dog to the vets prior and gave her anxiety med before she got onboard. All was fine and they had a very smooth trip. If availible the flight attendant will try to give you a seat with one empty next to it so you can take the dog out of it's carrier if possible. Do not put him in cargo, too many horror stories.

travelinwifey

BTW, my parent's dog was larger than the 9 in. USAir told us as long as he fit into a certain size pet carrier it would be okay. Can't remember the specific dimensions but the carrier was mid size.

nytraveler

I too reco driving. If you can't do the drive yourself perhaps you could hire someone to drive the dog out to you. (A neighbor of mine had to fly to Seattle with two cats - and the airline allows only one pet per passenger. She hired her usual sitter to fly out with her to avoid putting one of the cats in the hold -she said the few $ were more than worth not having all that anxiety.)

I would never subject a pet to the cargo hold. I've just heard too man horror stories - and if my per were killed/injured my heart would break.

starrsville

Do double check the carry-on size limits. I think it's larger then 9" high. Check online or go to PetSmart, etc. to see the dimensions of the onboard carriers. My 20 something pound pooch was just a tad too big to fit. Her reclining dimensions were exactly the dimensions of the carryon and that wouldn't give her any wiggle room.

I strongly agree with not sedating a dog that is going in cargo, but do check with your vet about something you could give him to take the edge off - if you go that route.

Without a doubt, my decision would be to drive. It would be a great road trip and you'd know your pooch was safe.

All LaQuintas allow dogs and they do so happily. I wouldn't sneek a dog into a hotel room. I'd rather sleep in my car at a KOA. There are plenty of hotels that allow dogs. You can do an online search of most hotel chains - just choose Advanced Search and "pets allowed". Be sure to call the hotel to confirm. Sometimes policies do change. LaQuinta Inns and SUITES are newer and nicer than the original LaQuinta Inns. I've started staying in them even when my pooch isn't with me.

gail

Do the airline allow you more space if you were to buy a seat for the dog or fly first class? I have no idea - but worth asking. Certainly cheaper than driving and less disruptive than trying to rearrange plans in next week.

Syv

People ship dogs in cargo all the time. Check with the airline what is required. Regulations are tight, but it IS done regularly.

In my past, our family shipped puppies all over the place, and had several dogs shipped to us from Scotland. Recently my aunt just received a dog from Scotland - no problems. However when flying overseas, the dog had to be in quarantine for a couple days before the flight.

wliwl

Breeders ship puppies all the time on Delta Dash. They aslo ship dogs for stud service that way. At least you would know Delta Dash has experience with dogs. One of my dogs would hate any car trip that was longer than 15 minutes too. I feel for you though. Just get it over with.

Fairhope

I shipped my dog from Okinawa,Japan to Tallahassee..He was a bit thirsty on arrival but other than that he was fine

Maple

We shipped(in cargo) our fat Lhasa Apso with us on AA from Omaha to DFW and then from DFW to SEA. No problems, but pets always create quite a stir at the terminals! FYI - when we went to pick him up, we had already scouted out the most direct route to the outside for a quick "relief", and brought some towels in case there was an accident on the way out! We found the airline folks to be very helpful.

jor

A few of you have no problem with shipping a dog in the cargo hold. What you maybe don't realize is that people who are opposed to this think of their pet as thier child. Not a commodity for sale or for stud. Some might ask Would you send your kid in the cargo hold if they alowed it and they said is was safe?

starrsville

The answer to your question jor (if they were honest) would be yes.

michelleNYC

I would NEVER transport a pet in the cargo hold. NEVER. If your JR isn't that large, I can't imagine why they wouldn't allow her on the plane?!

Not to be rude, but you said you're leaving in one week and you're just thinking about this now?!?

P_M

Jor, you are right on target. As I stated above, my dog is my baby and that's why I'll never put her in cargo. Additionally, I have had lost or misdirected luggage 7 times now in my traveling life. I can handle not knowing where my suitcase is for a day or so, but if my dog got lost I would be frantic. To me it's just not worth the risk.

katybug

I haven't heard of any dogs having bad things happen to them in the cargo hold. I think that if you give him extra attention and love before and after, he will be fine. Yes, dogs are loyal and man's best friend, but they are still an animal. IMO it's good to remember the order of things.

I love road trips and think that would be a great idea, but you and your pet have a better chance of being killed driving there than if you both fly. But it's up to you. What do you want to do?

nytraveler

katybug -

I know some people think dogs are "just an animal" but others are just as attached to their pets as to their children. (I know some people just don;t get this - but its true). And there are numerous instances of pets arriving dead, ill, injured or being lost - to the airlines after all they are just more luggage.

To the breeders that ship puppies - to you they are objects - not family members - a financial loss if something happens - not a personal disaster.

I would still never ship any pet - just as I would never ship a child! The extra time. money, confusion of plans it would take to drive rather than fly is nothing in comparison to the potential loss of a beloved companion.