# Flying with my poodle!



## jessica333 (Oct 14, 2009)

Hello,
I am not a poodle owner yet but I am considering to rescue one out of a shelter and give him a loving forever home. Here is the thing: I fly a lot so I want to be able to take my poodle with me into the cabin. There is no way I would check him as cargo or travel without him. So I guess my future dog can only have a certain size. Who travels with his/her poodle. Is a Miniature already too big? I found a very cute Miniature at petfinder.com that weights about 11lbs, but I am unsure if I could take her with me! Who can help me out and share some information with me?


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## BFF (Jun 10, 2009)

I would verify with the airline regulations that you tend to travel on most. American Airlines will allow pet carriers less than 20 lbs. If you get a Sherpa bag, you can verify that it will fit under the seat in front of you. You want to make sure your little one has ample room to lay down and get re-situated if she needs to move. I have found that the air conditioning on a flight tends to be super cold on the floor, especially in a window seat. Might consider bringing a blanket she can curl up in.

I think it would help to know how tall she is and what size Sherpa bag you could carry.


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## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

Snoops' mom travels a lot with him - hopefully she'll see this and give you some ideas.

OOPS!!!!!!!!! I just realized that BFF changed her avatar - that's too funny!


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## cuddleparty (Apr 27, 2009)

jessica333 said:


> Hello,
> I am not a poodle owner yet but I am considering to rescue one out of a shelter and give him a loving forever home. Here is the thing: I fly a lot so I want to be able to take my poodle with me into the cabin. There is no way I would check him as cargo or travel without him. So I guess my future dog can only have a certain size. Who travels with his/her poodle. Is a Miniature already too big? I found a very cute Miniature at petfinder.com that weights about 11lbs, but I am unsure if I could take her with me! Who can help me out and share some information with me?


Jessica - I am of the same mind as you. My Snoops goes EVERYWHERE with me!

Different airlines have different requirements but all in all.. the rules run just about the same. Look into fees as well - ie/AA charges $100 each way. Air Canada charges $50CAN each way. This adds up when you travel alot! I've asked AA to start a pet airmiles program!

Without knowing the size of your potential mini, I would say that already he/she is too big to travel comfortably in-cabin. Snoops just fits the maximum dimensions allowed and he is 10"tall, 15-17"long depending on his coiffe at the time, and 15" around the chest. If you use a Sherpa bag or soft sided carrier it can be just a little bit bigger than the posted dimensions as it is collapsible but I don't know if that will lend itself to you? 

Most airlines allow 2 pets to travel in one kennel - they must be of the same species and comparable size. IE/ 2 cats or 2 dogs. 
I am about to travel with Snoops and new brother Orville and I'm really nervous about how I am going to do this... Snoops is 8lbs and Orville is 3lbs.. not of comparable size!!!! YIKES!

Also, hotels charge fees for having pets there and not all hotels are pet friendly. I love having Snoops with me wherever I go, but I do admit.. it's not always easy. 

Oh ya... traveling abroad is a whole different story so if you are headed to Europe, etc.. be prepared. 

Good luck!


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## cuddleparty (Apr 27, 2009)

This is quite a good, clear and concise site detailing Airline Pet Policies:

http://www.bringfido.com/travel/


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## Bella's Momma (Jul 26, 2009)

Great thread, I've wondered about this. We don't fly much at all, but I've thought about it and how scary it would be down in the cargo hold.  Plus I have an awful story from Oprah or something a decade plus ago ingrained on my memory where they forgot to turn the air on in the cargo hold. It was terrible. 

Too bad I couldn't get Bella a seat and just use her seatbelt to buckle her in. LOL. Can you imagine? She'd be quieter than my children!


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## cuddleparty (Apr 27, 2009)

I am very apprehensive about dogs in the cargo... anything can go wrong at any given moment and there is no one there to assist them. Dogs can chew on things and get them caught in their windpipe and choke etc.. I read about a dog scratching and chewing at his crate. When they landed they found his mouth entwined in the bars of his crate - he was stuck and could not free himself. Can you imagine if there was a rough landing?! He could have his jaw snapped! It can get too hot, or too cold.. so many things can go wrong. There are certain season restrictions for certain destinations ie/ dogs can only fly to Palm Springs during certain times of the year, otherwise it will get too hot for them in cargo. 

I remember I was at the airport and had just gone thru security. I saw 2 German Shepherds in their kennels waiting to be loaded onto the plane. I made a comment to whoever it was "oh poor dogs.. I hope they survive the flight" and the airline worker overheard. Anyway, he proceeded to get very mad and offended and commented that the dogs are very well taken care of, etc.. blah blah. Right, and that same week the same airline had lost a handful of dogs. Sounds like GREAT care! NOT!

As a further note, there is a new airline exclusively for pets. They have a limited number of cities that they travel to.. hopefully it will expand. Pets get to sit in the cabin, and there are trained professionals on board with them. www.petairways.com
I would LOVE to work for them! Such a brilliant idea! lane:


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## bigredpoodle (Sep 13, 2009)

jessica333 said:


> Hello,
> I am not a poodle owner yet but I am considering to rescue one out of a shelter and give him a loving forever home. Here is the thing: I fly a lot so I want to be able to take my poodle with me into the cabin. There is no way I would check him as cargo or travel without him. So I guess my future dog can only have a certain size. Who travels with his/her poodle. Is a Miniature already too big? I found a very cute Miniature at petfinder.com that weights about 11lbs, but I am unsure if I could take her with me! Who can help me out and share some information with me?


One of my puppies just flew with his new mama on Delta in 
A Sherpa bag He had plenty of room and was quite content. He weighed 12 pounds when he left here at 9 weeks. Delta airlines has the largest under seat storage so she go the biggest bag..


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## Cdnjennga (Jul 30, 2009)

We have flown 2 of our PWDS in the cargo hold (each one time). I don't think we'd do it again unless we really had to. Our second PWD flew from Toronto to California and back again. Ever since she has been fearful of loud noises like thunder etc, I guess because of the noise of flying. We found it very stressful as well - we just didn't feel the way the process is set up is in favour of the dog (or owner). So yeah, no more flying for us unless essential!


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## cuddleparty (Apr 27, 2009)

I don't think it's so much about weight.. well.. in cabin they must be 20lbs or less including the bag. It's more about the height - will the dimensions of an in cabin bag accommodate the pet to sit, lay down, stand, turn around comfortably?

Snoops gets very nervous of the take off and landing - the loud noises make him very anxious. I like to take him out of the carrier if I can sneak him out.. or if the flight attendants are cool. I had one bad episode with a flight attendant.. very stressful. They always say that you can take the dog out of the carrier if it is an extremely anxious situation, if the dog is barking, etc... to help calm them down. 
If I can't sneak him out I usually sit the bag on top of my feet to elevate him and have him close to me... I also unzip the bag and pet him/feed him treats... the rest of the flight he just sleeps. I give him ice cubes as well to keep him hydrated. He is great on flights! Quieter than most kids :lol: Usually the other passengers around will keep an eye out for the flight attendants and they help me sneak him out of his bag, onto my lap and under a blankie. It's quite a comedy! 

Traveling in cargo can be very traumatic for the pet and can condition them to have certain fears, etc.. Snoops hates the sounds of engines now. Any time a motorbike goes by, he will growl.


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## jessica333 (Oct 14, 2009)

Hi bigredpoodle,
that are some good news. The biggest Sherpa bag I found has the dimensions 20"L x 11.75"W x 11.5"H. How tall was your puppy (L & H), So I can get a better idea?


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

cuddleparty said:


> This is quite a good, clear and concise site detailing Airline Pet Policies:
> 
> http://www.bringfido.com/travel/


This is a SUPER helpful site. I just spent the past hour or so looking at all of the pieces of it. (Even sent it to my mom!) Thanks for posting it!


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## cuddleparty (Apr 27, 2009)

it's a great site! very resourceful 
for iPhone users there are also apps that can be downloaded that will give you info regarding dog friendly facilities, etc using your current location.


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