Any advice flying 6 hours with 10 month old puppy in cabin?

Hi, we are traveling to California with our recently rescued mini-poodle in a couple of weeks. I've considered boarding him but he has separation and feeding issues so am not sure if boarding would help or hurt (welcome any advice to help me make that decision too!)...

I bought a soft-shell FAA approved travel bag and am trying to get him used to riding in the car with it completely zipped where he doesn't bark or cry, but is pretty restless. On the flight I'm supposed to keep him zipped in the entire flight but am hoping to sneak him some treats.

Here are my questions:
1) What if he has an accident?
2) What if he starts barking?
3) Anyone have sedatives they recommend?

Thanks for any advice you can share!

...Edited to add breed information...

that could lead to a pretty horrible situation !

Can you try boarding him a few days to test the waters- we boarded our dogs at do gone farms and they LOVED it --

Sounds very stressful for you and the pup. Boarding will cause some stress but seems like the lesser of two evils. Puppies don't have the bladder control for such a long stretch which would start up to two hours before the flight. What if there are delays

Sedatives for you or the dog?

Rescue Remedy should help quite a bit.

NizhoniGrrrl said:
Sounds very stressful for you and the pup.....

Not to mention your fellow passengers.

I am shocked airlines even allow animals in the cabin. Always thought of what a hellish potential allergy situation for some people.

I think it is a really bad idea to bring a puppy on a flight of that duration and into a completely unknown housing situation. It'd be one thing if you had to get him from point a to point b for a move. But you are talking about potentially 8 hrs on a plane in a tiny carrier not once but twice. No place to relieve himself, exercise or eat properly. Kennel him or leave him with a friend/neighbor. I am sure no matter his issues, it'll be a lot more enjoyable and less stressful for all involved.

I'll add that if you do bring him, you should get the "sneaking him out" part off your plan completely. Just imagine the havoc wreaked if he wriggled away and got loose

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2014/06/02/dog-pooping-on-flight-forces-emergency-landing/

Also, the flight may be 6 hours, but with clearing security, boarding, waiting to take off, landing, getting baggage, it's probably going to be closer to 7 or 8 hours for the dog in the carrier. That's a long time for a young dog to go without relieving itself, especially in unfamiliar situations.

I would probably find someone I trusted to watch the dog, or board it, where it will have a regular routine, walks, the ability to move around and not be overly stressed. Plane travel can be very stressful for dogs, and most of your fellow passengers may not appreciate an unhappy dog - with the way planes are packed with people now, I think it would be easier for the pup to stay at home.

I couldn't ever imagine taking a dog on a flight in-cabin, let alone for that long, particularly with pee inevitably in my lap and my fellow passengers positively infuriated at a whole host of likely issues. Yikes.

I big thanks to most of you for alerting me to the risks of traveling with him. I should have mentioned he is completely house trained and is nearly a year old. While he's still a puppy and 8 hours is a long time to go, he does go 12 hours at night without accidents.

I am new to dog ownership and was looking for travel advice, not judgement for considering taking him with the family. Thanks to those of you with the helpful and supportive comments.

I don't know if you read the link I posted, but the dog that caused the emergency landing was a trained professional service dog. It happens to the best of them, especially in unfamiliar settings. That's asking a lot of a puppy.

The fact that your dog is anxious and has separation and feeding issues makes me think he would be better off in boarding or with a house-sitter. The flight and all the unfamiliar settings would be very difficult for him. Dogs prefer a predictable routine, especially nervous dogs.

As a frequent flyer and former dog owner, I hope you take the response on this thread to be telling. You are setting yourself up for disaster. I would not want to be on your flight. Your dog is not an experienced traveller. Try keeping him in the carrier for 4-5 hours during the day without a bathroom break or food and see how he does. Whining and barking? Or peacefully chilling? This will be needlessly stressful for ALL parties. Sorry you don't want to hear it

And consider paying for a dog sitter in your home.

That's probably a good practice run. Put him in the carrier for 6-7 hrs and place the carriers under your bed or other small, highly confined space and seen what happens. If this sounds like a cruel suggestion to you or if he wets/poops himself or cries or barks, I think you have your answe

conandrob240 said:
That's probably a good practice run. Put him in the carrier for 6-7 hrs and place the carriers under your bed or other small, highly confined space and seen what happens. If this sounds like a cruel suggestion to you or if he wets/poops himself or cries or barks, I think you have your answe

And, sadly, that still doesn't mimic the sounds, crowd or pressure changes of an actual airplane.

NizhoniGrrrl said:
And consider paying for a dog sitter in your home.

^

This.

I highly recommend checking out Doggone Farm for boarding. The owners will take care of your dog as if it was one of their own. There are no cages/crates etc. The dogs all live and play as one big pack on a beautiful piece of property with a pond for swimming. It is truly a dog paradise. Another plus is that you can see pictures and videos from their Facebook page while you are away so you can see your dog enjoying themselves and ease any fears you may have about leaving them with someone else. You should also consider that if you bring your dog on vacation it might impact your ability to do certain all day adventures or activities. I know that when we are on vacation we are frequently away from our hotel/rental for the vast majority of the day. Your dog will be fine without you. Go and have a wonderful trip without the added stress of bringing your dogalong.

I sympathize with your wanting to keep your rescue pup feeling safe and secure. I agree with those posters who suggest an in-house pet setting service. Your pup will certainly miss you, but will be in a safe and familiar-smelling and secure environment. There are many reputable pet-sitters in our towns who will take excellent care of your pup while you're away. If you plan far enough in advance, consider arranging for the pet sitter to visit you a few times at your house so your pup can become familiar with the sitter & associate him/her with friendly visits, walks, and treats. I know you'll miss your dog while you're away, but think about how happy you'll be to see each other when you walk back through that door!

Thanks for the mentions new207040 and cupoftea! Shortstack, if your dog loves others and you decide against flying with him, please feel free to check us out at Doggone Farm! Over half of our dogs have some form of anxiety/sensitivity and we are happy to help them adjust and enjoy their own vacation when they can't be with family Most pet sitters only stop by a few times a day (typically a max of 4 times) for a period of 30min or less. There are absolutely some dogs that a situation like this will work for beautifully, but many dogs need and thrive in a set-up like ours, where daily mental and physical stimulation are paramount and keep them from missing their families. I do require an interview to make sure all dogs will fit in well and we are providing 24/7 care. Feel free to contact us for this time or any future trips. Best of luck in whatever you decide!

Just another thought that may be useful. I'm unsure whether the "soft-shell travel bag" you mention is one that is approved for transportation of a pet on an airline.

I was recently on a flight where our was delayed because a passenger brought a dog on board in a bag that didn't meet the standard. They sat behind me so I do not know how the flight attendants discovered that there was a dog and it was not properly contained. What I do know is that multiple flight attendants and the pilot were called over to politely request that the passengers comply with the rules. The passengers were rude and stubborn. Police were called in to escort the passengers and dog off the plane. As the evicted passengers left, they remained defiant. Needless to say, by that time no one was on the side of the dog owner sneaks.

Over the years I have seen many folks carry pets aboard flights. For most, it is obvious that the pets are accustomed to being transported in a pet carrier and there is no problem. The pets stay in the carriers. Sometimes the owners will open the carrier to give the pet a pat and, perhaps, a treat or water. Reactions of nearby passengers if a pet is taken out of the carrier varies--from grin and bear it, 'oh how cute', to obvious annoyance and displeasure. No one, including you, will be comfortable if your puppy is restless and noisy throughout the journey.

Your puppy is new to the household and you know he has issues with separation. Airports are chaotic and planes strange. As so many posters above have noted, for the puppy's best interests, please check out some of the alternatives to taking him with you on the long flights to and from the west coast.

shortstack said:
Hi, we are traveling to California with our recently rescued pup in a couple of weeks. I've considered boarding him but he has separation and feeding issues so am not sure if boarding would help or hurt (welcome any advice to help me make that decision too!)...
I have bought a soft-shell travel bag and am trying to get him used to riding in the car with it completely zipped, he doesn't love it but doesn't bark or cry. He's just super restless. On the flight I'm supposed to keep him zipped in the entire flight but am hoping to sneak him out (anyone done this?)...
Here are my questions:
1) What if he has an accident?
2) What if he starts barking?
3) Anyone have sedatives they recommend?
Thanks for any advice you can share!

+1 for Doggone Farm. Great place. I'd like to vacation there myself.

A stupid question - what are you going to do with the pup in Cali? I would think the steady stream of stressful events - airport / flight / airport / temporary new home would be much worse than finding a good local caregiver.

We used Elyse Alfandre (elysealfandre2@gmail.com) for cat sitting/dog walking when we were out of town. You might want to try have her or whoever you choose come by prior to your trip to see how it goes.

I am a new and first time dog owner. Your input has really caused me to re-think bringing him along. I was looking for advice on what's in his best interest and originally felt that keeping him with us during this early phase of our ownership was the right choice, but I see now that it may not be. Thanks again to the majority of you for your kind and helpful guidance with this decision.

To a few others: I thought the spirit of this forum was to help members of the community with their questions. In the end I felt attacked by your tone and judgement for even considering taking my dog with me and raising the questions. Some of your responses were not kind, appreciated or necessary.

If you do leave him with someone at home or at a boarding facility (I don't think I'd leave him alone in the house - none of my dogs would ever have done well in that situation, but it might have been that they were people-oriented breeds), you might want to leave some old clothing that you've worn and not washed. Your scent on the clothing will let him know that you're "still there" even though you aren't physically there. Some people put an old towel in the laundry hamper for a few days and then put that in the dog's bedding.

I know how hard it is to choose to leave a dog behind for its own good - when we had to board our pug for our daughter's wedding, I was heartbroken. But, the dog was fine! I was glad afterwards that I'd made that choice.

shortstack,

Regrettably, too many posters shoot from the hip in an effort to pontificate about anything. You might want to speak to an animal trainer or vet to get some advice. In all likelihood they will suggest getting the pooch acquainted with a place where it feels comfortable and then leaving it there while you are away. Don't feel badly that you are worried, as most of us true dog lovers agonize when having to leave our furry children.

I fly a lot and most of the dogs I see in cabins seem to be well used to it and behave. I have seen at least 3 instances in the last year of passengers getting in trouble with flight attendants for taking their dogs out of the carrier in flight and I get the sense that with more dogs flying they are less likely to look the other way.

I have a completely neurotic dog and we board her when we go away and she's fine. I've heard great things about Doggone Farms - there's a blog with photos somewhere that will make you feel better and it's probably worth a trip out there to meet them.

We have a 16-yr-old Poodle who flew often in her younger days. We lived in NYC at the time and she was very accustomed to being in her sherpa bag, would settle in and sleep for the flights. The only time she ever got restless was once when I went to the bathroom and there was a wait - she basically wondered what happened to me, and moved around & whined a little. I only knew because my seat-mate asked if there was a dog in my bag when I returned to my seat. She is a lovely traveller - and her early days of life were pre-Paris Hilton where everyone carried a dog around, so she went almost everywhere unnoticed. She did long flights NY-LA, NY-Houston without a peep, or stress, or fear or sedatives. She was very accustomed to being in the bag for dinners, subway rides, work etc. and is naturally a low-key girl. First flight she was a bit over a year. As a new dog owner, welcome to the hellish judgment that you will now be subject to from "animal lovers" (humans they like significantly less). Many, Many, Many lovely, kind and sweet people who love animals out there, but also many who take things a bit too far. Thankfully the doggie-love makes up for it. Happy Travels!

Thanks kthnry and eliz! Here's the link for our thread here if anyone is interested. I'll try to add some more pics soon since it's been a while https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/id/77957-Doggone-Farm-A-hotel-for-dogs-?page=17

I sent you a private message.