# Bringing puppy home by airplane



## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

A number of people have traveled with 8-9 week old puppies in a soft sided carrier. The puppy goes under the seat in front of you as carry on luggage. Any older and it's pretty likely the puppy will have grown too large. I wouldn't want to ship a young puppy in cargo. You should always check with the airline to find out their specific policy around pets.

Edited to add: sedation is not recommended, as it can depress respiration among other things. Oxygen is important; you don't want to combine reduced breathing with reduced cabin pressure.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Definitely no sedation! The puppy will be quite happy to sleep in his/her carrier under the seat. Many airports now have "dog toilets". It's a little room with a low platform covered with astroturf, a pooper-scooper, and a hose to rinse off the carpeting afterwards. The airport will have a sign like the one for human restrooms but with a dog instead. Very convenient.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

This is a resource I use for traveling with my dogs. This particular link is to the travel by plane section so you can get an overview of policies. You may have already checked the airline that you're thinking of flying. Their website will definitely have the most current info. I'd never consider cargo for a puppy. Keep in mind that they're leaving everything known, comfortable and familiar behind. Driving, even a 2 day trip would be my preference, but if flying were the only option, I'd want to be with my puppy from the moment they leave that all. I want them to start relying on me from that moment.









BringFido: Airline Pet Policies Worldwide


Flying with your pet? Each airline has a different policy on pet travel and some don’t allow pets at all. Before you buy a ticket, be sure to read over each of the airline pet policies described here.




www.bringfido.com


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## Eclipse (Apr 26, 2010)

Gemmagirl said:


> I am looking for opinions about bringing a new standard puppy home by plane that could be about 5 hours start to finish.
> I know airlines say you travel w a dog if it will fit under the seat, but I don’t think a standard pup 8-12 weeks is that small to fit under the seat? Do they mean at your feet? Or do you buy the seat next to you? You can see I don’t know anything about this, ha/ha!
> So does that mean he would go in cargo? Does flying in cargo with all the noise damage the pup-in terms of fright or loneliness or having to pee? Does a vet give the dog a sleeping pill?
> Any of your thoughts, advice, or experiences-good and bad-would help me figure this out. Thank you all so much!


I had a bad experience with flying a dog in cargo many years ago and will NOT do it again. Many responsible breeders will not ship their pups in cargo so if you are getting a pup from a breeder not local to you, you will have to make a decision to drive or fly to get your pup. 

None of the breeders I've worked with are local to me so I've brought all of my Standards home in cabin at about 9 weeks, give or take a few days, and have not had an issue with them fitting under the seat. I always get bitches, so if you are planning to get a dog, depending on the size of the dogs in the litter, you might want to do pick up as close to 8 weeks as you can, assuming your breeder will let a pup go at 8 weeks. Some do not. I use a soft-sided carrier (Sherpa Bag) which I ship to my breeder prior to picking up my pup from them. Based on temperament testing and structural evaluation, my breeder selects my pup for me at 7 weeks. She then gets my pup used to being in the Sherpa, feeding in it, treating in it, praising for settling in it, etc. I meet my breeder at the airport and pick up my pup. Sherpa Bags have an insert in the bottom that is firm. I also buy the absorbent pads to line it with in case the pup has an accident and bring extra with me in case I need to change in the airport before boarding the plane. I try to book flights home when I have the pup with as little layover time as possible and non-stop when possible... But I have had plans go wrong and you just deal with it ... The last time I flew a pup home my connecting flight was canceled and not rebooked until 5 hours later. I took the pup out to potty outside the airport several times and went back through security each time. Let her sit on my lap or walk around the boarding area while waiting. Everyone loves a pup and was happy to pet her. Once we finally boarded, she slept the entire flight home without a peep LOL.....

I will be flying again towards the end of April to pick up my new girl and expect everything to go fine. If not, if we get bumped or canceled on the way home and have to spend some extra airport time, no worries, we will take it in stride..


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