Have been looking for websites for advice on training my dog to get in/stay put/be quiet in a carrier (taking him on the plane with me in the cabin). Can't find any. ((&))

Yes, I know the airline allows it and what the size specs are etc. Just need to figure out how to get him to like this case (Sherpa) and be happy for a 3 hr. flight. Thoughts?

A couple of pre flight cocktails for both you and the dog.

A friend told me that the dog AND carrier could not be over 40# for 'in cabin, but I suggest you contact the airline you are using and ask them what the weight limit is. If your dog is the right weight, then contact your Vet for suggestions or pills. Or contact a good dog trainer.

We have 'kennel' trained all of our dogs since they were puppies, so they were used to the kennel from the beginning.

Yes, the best time to get dogs used to carriers is when they're young. Ours loves her crate, it's her lair and she often goes into it on her own. She also knows when we haul the crate down to the car, she's about to have an adventure.
I suggest you start helping your dog associate his carrier with good things. Make sure he rides in it to only good places for a while...his favorite park, visits to the pet shops where he's allowed inside, etc. Do NOT put him in the crate only for trips to the vet, etc. Also, occasionally put bits of his favorite treats and/or toys in the carrier. Leave it open so he can go in and out.

BTilkie's advice is very good - it's how we crate-trained our dog when we found out she was going to need knee surgery and was going to have to be confined for a week afterwards.

Talk to your vet about Acepromizine. It's a sedative that works wonders. A low dose will "take the edge off" of a nervous dog (ours gets it during storms for thunder-phobia) and a slightly larger dose will knock him out completely.

Good luck.

Have your vet sedate the dog if it is not already crate trained and the trip is soon.

mclaurie: I too did not crate train our dog (small, 6 lb maltese) and she was not used to ever being in a carrier, even for trips in the car -

so when we flew her for the first time to Florida, about a 3 hr flight for us, here is what I did:

bought the little carrier that fit under the seat in front of me - and put her evening "treat" in it every night, so she would start going in it to get that treat !

Each day I added something, a blanket, a toy, and and after a few days put her in it, zipped the end, and would just take her for a short walk around the yard, a short drive in the car, etc - I would put her on the seat next to me so I could reach in and pat her.

I started leaving the carrier open in the den and sometimes we would find her in there sleeping when we'd come home !

She also has allergies though, so she is used to a bit of benadryl when they get bad to calm her down, so I also gave her that before we flew.

Maybe your vet can also suggest either that, or something else for her. My vet prefers the small amount of benadryl to the calming flying meds; as he also prefers them to some other allergy meds that might have steroids, etc which he feels can cause other problems over time in a small dog particularly.

Before we left the house I gave her her last drink of water, and utside the terminal, I had her go the bathroom

On the flight, I put her under the seat, gave her a treat, and I did leave the end unzipped so she was basically 'at my feet' and I could easily reach in and pat her. I would give her a kernel of food every once in a while and a small piece of treat and she was fine.

(ok, I know this is against all rules, but I was at the window, with my family int he middle and aisle seat, and I did take her out of the carrier and hold her on my lap for about 30 minutes mid flight under my huge shawl ) One attendant saw her little tail hanging out and patted her - a second attendant yelled at me to put her away it was against the rules, which I did and apologized)

in retrospect this was likely a mistake, other than breaking the rules which was a no-no, b/c it might have made her think I could always do that and I couldn't on the flight home, but she was still fine in her carrier.

Hope maybe some of these ideas help. It's so nice when you can take them with you !! Good Luck !

I would do as suggested above and start getting your dog used to his crate before the trip.

We acquired our dog when she was 8 months old, and she had never been in a kennel before we had her. We wanted her to stay in it at night because she wandered around so much.

We put her blankets in there and a few of her favorite chew toys. After a few days, she really started to like it. Like Btilke said, it's become her lair.

We don't have to close the door on the kennel anymore. She knows that's where she sleeps. We often find her curled up and napping in it during the day. The kennel has also become a nice escape from the toddler that constantly wants to play chase.

Good luck!

I knew I could count on Fodorites for help! Will start the good things = carrier right away. We adopted this sweetheart when he was 5-6 yrs. old and he had not been crated before. Wish me luck.

i started caging/flying my dog later in her life too. left the top off the cage for a few weeks, then put the top on and eventually the door. i put her favorite blanket in it and gave her treats and much praise for staying in for longer and longer periods of time. never forced her just encouraged and praised (at first i got in the cage with her but guess this will not work with a dog the size of yours) and she got to where she would hang out in it on her own. depending on how this process goes and if your dog is a barker then maybe the meds. i don't feel they are necessary for many dogs though.
on the other hand - saps idea sounds more entertaining...

I crate trained my dogs from day one...I am competing in Agility and they are crated on many weekends going to the dog shows....here is what mine liked: get a Kong (at a dog supply store...Pet smart, etc.) and fill it with Kong filler or even some peanut butter or cottage cheese, etc.....
your dog will be so busy getting the good stuff out that time will fly...ha ha no pun intended!!
(A Kong is a hard rubber thing that is shaped like the michelin man....) they come in all sizes (small, med. large)...and even in different colors and shapes....my youngest LOVES his Kong....I used the canned Kong filler....
Shadow

Hi! I wish I could take Pup on board with me when flying
He was crate trained but hates them now, as he associates them with his old groomer.
As everyone has said, make the carrier a fun place for him, toys, treats, keep toys in it, carry him around the house like it is a fun thing to do, then let him out and play with him..
I got Pup some Acepromazine for his upcoming trip to a kennel. It is doggy xanax.
He is big and the dosage is 1 to 1 1/2 pills every 8 hours. One pill knocked him on his tail for an entire day..he drooled , his eyes were rolling around in his head, he walked like his feet were in cement.
Actually, vets say NO drugs when flying dogs. and for a 3 hour flight, drugs would be overkill in a huge way.
It is not hard to teach a pup to like a carrier..as long as he doesn't already have bad associations with them.
Good luck!!
** while you are flying, you can talk to him and pet him which makes it much easier on him too**

Shadow... did you train your dog on agility? I just adopted a dog (Saturday) and she is so brilliant and athletic, I think she would be awesome.
She is 1.5 years old. 1/2 Border Collie and 1/2 Aussie.
I had planned on adopting a Greyhound but this dog just captured me.
Anyhoo, she is 100% crate trained. She hates it, but she is ok with it when I make her go in.
I plan to use a crate for all car travel. I bought a softside crate for the car.
Can 40 pound dogs really go in the cabin of a plane? That is freaking huge! My dog is 50 pounds and way too big for the cabin!
I was in first to NYC a few months back and a couple had their Lhasa out in their laps the entire flight. I had never seen this!!!

Mclaurie,

You've gotten some wise advice here...amd I'll just add a few thoughts.

Get out the Sherpa bag now, and just leave it in the middle of the room, maybe tilted on the side so pup can explore. Put some toys and treats in and positively reinforce how clever he is for finding them Your voice will be his cue.Take him to favorite places IN the bag..whether that's a dog park or PetSmart or maybe for some frozen yogurt, where he's rewarded for good, quiet behavior. But try to expose him to some noisy environments in the Sherpa before your trip.Put an UNWASHED tshirt of yours in the bag with him and have special treats available.

I wouldn't tranquilize him....but you might want to have a drink or two yourself;-)

I once had a good friend tell me that a leash was like a transmitter to my dog. They feel what you feel and act accordingly. I think that's true of any new situation with our dogs ;-) If we are confident and upbeat....they will be too.

Good luck !

Marion

Things could always be worse....my sweet ESS flies in cargo....so usually stays home.

No, 40 pound dogs are not allowed to fly in the cabin.

The carrier must fit under the seat in front of you, whether it's a hard crate or a Sherpa bag. And most airlines will check dilligently that you have not 'stuffed' a dog or cat into a carrier that is too small for them.

Rules aro also very stringent about dogs in cargo. They must be able to stand up with good head clearance, and be able to fully turn around in the airline approved hard carrier.

And then there are the weather restrictions. Even if the weather is OK from your departure city, they can and do refuse your animal if the weather at your destination is either too hot or too cold.

Marion

TxTravelPro~~ a Border Aussie mix is likely a natural for Agility!! Look up a club in your area and get started. It's great fun.

My sister is extremely serious about the sport, spending most of her weekends at various trials and events.

If, for some reason, you decide to try ace there are some things you need to know and that your vet will probably tell you. Ace does not always work the same on all dogs and may act differently on the same dog at different times. If he is leary of the crate to begin with and the ace hasn't taken effect it may make him feel strange enough that he will make even more noise. I don't think you'll find a vet that would give your dog a sedative that will last long enough to get you through security and the flight and then send your dog out the door.

Isn't it funny, I spent months "de-crate training" my akita when I got him. He had been confined to it so much in his first 3 years, that he was worried when he wasn't in it.

Everyone has given you some great tricks on crate training your dog. As for using a sedative, if you decide he'll need it, try it out before the trip. As others indicated, dogs react differently and weight isn't the only factor in the dosage. Also, if your dog is "snippy", drugs can aggravate that behavior as he comes out of it.

The other thing I would mention is to watch out for people trying to stick their fingers in the crate at the airports. Some dogs develop a strong territorial urge with their crates, not to mention that it can be scary for a little dog to have fingers poking at him. Always keep the front of the kennel pointed at your feet when waiting in the airport - that way, even if you get distracted, folks can't get to him. It's amazing, but I've seen it happen - I've even had strangers try to open the crate to get at the animal.

TxTravelPro: I have a 2 year old Sheltie (shetland sheepdog) who I've been in training with for a little over a year. We just went to our first Agility Trial this weekend..he was entered in 16 inch dogs, Novice, Standard Course and he took first place both days and qualified...so we are really happy about that. I will be spending lots of weekends at trials! I plan to go as far with this as I can...I also have a 1.5 year old Sheltie who is coming along nicely too but has not trialed yet.
Yes, get your BC/Aussie to an Agility class NOW!! Border Collies need a job to do...and Aussies are busy too....they both LOVE Agility...really take to it...however, BC's are so fast and busy that you will work hard to keep him focused but if you do you will have an awesome Agility dog!! Agility is so much fun...and great exercise!! Check out www.cleanrun.com its all about agility....have fun!!
Shadow

When my teacup yorkie was 2 years old we found we were being assigned from Miami to Germany. Our dog was not crate trained. We did as PPs suggested: leave it out, give her treats and toys there, only take her to good places in it... On her own she began to take naps there. Now when I pick it up to move it she jumps in just in case we're going somewhere. She doesn't bark a lot so I didn't worry about that. We didn't give her any tranquilizers or any type of medication.

When we flew (~10 hours) she ended up sleeping most of the way. She scratched at the Sherpa when she wanted a drink or a bite to eat. You won't have this problem but my major concern was the toilet so I brought potty pads and tried to get her to use them in the plane bathroom but she didn't. She held it the whole way until we she was walking thru the terminal (europe) and then she let it go in front of immigration!

She's flown 6 international flights including 16 hours from Europe to China and it's really not a big deal. Pets are on lots of flights and people don't even realize it. Good luck.