Transport Dog Crates and Air Travel

Traveling by air with your dog can be tricky. The first essential piece of equipment you’ll need is a suitable dog crate, but before you look at transport dog crates, you should make sure there are no alternatives to transporting your dog by air. Sometimes it is the only option, and if that is your situation, you should try to make the trip as worry free for your dog as possible.

Airplane travel for dogs is fraught with problems, and most pet owners who have made any enquiries about transporting animals by air are aware of dogs being injured or worse on such trips. Don’t misunderstand me, most dog air travel is incident free, but because things can go wrong, planning ahead can mean the difference between a smooth journey for your dog or one with mishaps.

Prior to looking at transport dog crates or buying your airline tickets, the first thing you should do is to call the airline to ascertain their current policies in relation to pet travel. If you plan to transport a puppy, you also need to bear in mind the federal regulations that provide that a dog cannot be less than 8 weeks old as at date of travel, and must have been weaned for at least 5 days before the flight date.

Small dogs (under 15 pounds) may be able to fit inside small transport dog crates or small pet carriers that will fit under your seat, if you are travelling with your dog. But large dogs must travel in the cargo section of the plane, which has no heat and no air-conditioning. This can be very uncomfortable and scary for your dog.

These are some steps you can take to ensure a less stressful trip for your pet if you need to transport them by airplane:

- try to book a direct flight where possible. Plane transfers and other stop-overs make the trip lengthier than it need be for your dog.

- find out about any delays in your flight schedule before you leave for the airport. You can confirm your flight the day before but it’s also a good idea to call the airport just before you are due to leave as well, to double check whether the flight is scheduled to take off on time.

- walk your dog before you leave for the airport. If you have an active dog, take him for a run and play in the park before you go.

- find out from your vet whether you should provide food for the trip. You’ll probably find that your vet will advise you not to feed your dog for several hours before the flight, but an onflight feed may be needed depending upon your dog’s usual diet, as well as factors such as your dog’s age and size.

- make sure your dog will have a good supply of water during the flight in order to keep him properly hydrated.

- arrive early for your flight, so you’re not stressing out which in turn will stress your dog. It also gives you time to deal with any unexpected hiccup in the checkin process.

- if you are leaving from a destination that’s close to the airport, make sure your dog is given an opportunity to toilet just before you leave. If you are a distance from the airport, wait until you arrive at the airport before toileting your dog. Either way, it’s important that your dog has a toilet opportunity to avoid accidents in the transport dog crate during the trip.

- get ready for your flight before you leave for the airport. Take magazines or reading material and activities for your kids with you so you don’t need to spend time shopping at the airport. It’s important that you spend all the time you can prior to boarding the plane with your dog. If possible, put your dog into the transport dog crate yourself (as opposed to airport staff doing this) and if it’s allowed, take your dog to the gate yourself as well.

- notify the flight staff once you board the plane that your dog is flying with you and that he is traveling in the cargo compartment (unless he’s with you in the passenger compartment, that is).

- when you land, disembark from the plane as promptly as you can, and go directly to the baggage claim area to claim your dog as soon as he is taken off the plane.