SolveYourProblem.com
Article Series: Dog Travel
My Dog Is Traveling With Me. What Do I Do?
8
Ways
To Keep Your Dog Safe On An Airplane
When you have to fly your dog by plane in
order to travel to a new destination, the last thing most of
us want is to stuff him in a box while he sits in the cargo
area during the entire flight. Unfortunately, if you have no
other choice but to use the airlines for your travel needs,
your dog will have be placed in a crate for the flight.
Your job here is to make sure your dog or puppy is as comfortable
as he possibly can be. Below are a few tips to help you prepare
him for the flight:
1. You are going to have to invest in a USDA approved kennel
that is designed for travel and should be custom fit to the
size of your dog. Be sure that the kennel unit is stable and
provides enough room for your dog or puppy to stand up in,
as well as offers the ability for him to turn around if he
needs to.
2. Never wait until the day of your flight to put your dog
inside the kennel. Dogs do adapt easily, however, it is best
to get him comfortable with the crate so that he will be a
little more at ease. You can do this by having him sleep inside
the kennel each night before your travel date. Three nights
of this arrangement before the day of the flight is plenty
of time.
3. If you know your flight will be longer than 10 to 12 hours,
be sure to tape a small bag of dog food outside the crate,
complete with feeding instructions.
4. For your own peace of mind and to avoid the small chance
that your dog could miss his destination, write the destination
of your flight on the top portion of the crate in big letters.
Be sure to include your full name and address, as well as a
phone number where you can be contacted.
5. It is best not to feed your dog within six hours of the
flight. This will help reduce the chances of him having an
accident and using the bathroom inside of the kennel.
6. In case your dog or puppy does happen to have a mess while
flying, prep the kennel with a light layer of paper and bedding
so that the urine and stools can be absorbed as best possible.
7. To avoid your dog from becoming dehydrated during the flight,
place two bowls inside the kennel, one filled with a small
amount of water, and the other filled with ice. The ice bowl
will melt away bit by bit and provide plenty of fluids hours
later.
8. Last but not least, if you have a very small dog like a
chihuahua or a toy poodle, see if you can arrange to have a
small crate to put your dog in that can fit underneath your
seat. Do not wait until the last minute to talk with the airlines
about this arrangement. Find out if boarding the flight with
your small dog under your seat is possible as early as you
can.
#
# # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2009
>
Home Page > Dog
Travel Articles:
Main Page
|
