Traveling with a puppy! Henry’s first trip
This past weekend we traveled from South Florida to the Pacific Northwest for a family wedding & decided to bring our 1 year old cavalier with us! Recapping all the things we did to prepare, our airport/plane experience, and all that we learned!
preparation
Around 6 weeks before our trip, we introduced Henry to his travel carrier. We started slowly, first just setting it near his normal bed then adding treats/toys to the inside for him to have a positive association with it. He was skeptical/ignored it at first but eventually started to play with some toys in there. Luckily he loves anything that resembles a bed, so once we added one of his blankets to it, he was much more enticed. He never walked into it on his own, but we got to a point where he’d stay in there if we put him in. The week of our trip, I encouraged him to take naps in the carrier, and even zipped him up in it & walked around the house with him in there. Make sure your pup is hydrated the week of the flight to minimize altitude sickness!
Day of experience
We flew on Alaska Air - they have a reputation to be super dog friendly - and the process was very seamless. We called a few days before our departure to let them know we’d be bringing him. It took less than 10 minutes for them to accept him on the phone - all we had to do was inform them of his breed - but definitely check with the airline in advance and be prepared for their rules. We didn’t have to bring any documentation or anything like that either. The airport & on-board staff were all very kind!
The morning of our flight, we were sure to give him lots of exercise, water, and a regular meal. We flew out at 7pm, so we arrived around 4pm to the airport. We definitely did not need that much time, but I’m happy we weren’t rushed for our first experience. I'd recommend looking on the airport’s website ahead of time to see their indoor/outdoor pet relief areas! Since we were quite early, we checked our bags then took him outside to go potty. The Ft. Lauderdale Airport (FLL) has a designated grassy area for pets around their parking garages, so we walked him around for about 30 minutes so he could do his business & let some energy out.
You’ll have to take them out of the carrier for security - but be prepared to put them back in for boarding! We were able to walk around the airport with him on the leash but he was so stimulated by all the smells and people that it was hard to put him back in the carrier for boarding. Once we were settled on the plane, he settled too (and stayed in the carrier for the majority of the flight - some flight attendants are more lax - the staff on our first flight didn’t mind him sitting on our lap, but on the way home they were more strict). I’d recommend putting puppy pads down just in case of an accident, although we forgot & luckily didn’t have any accidents.
I’d take into account the time of your flight & see if you can work around times they are often sleepier - for example, he was super chill on our first flight because it was a late evening flight (he’d normally be sleeping at that time anyways) but the way home we flew in the middle of the day and he was more restless. For future flights, I’ll also look into better ways to administer food/water. The carrier is so small its hard to have a bowl in there constantly since I was afraid it would spill, but if I were to open the carrier to give him water he’d try to jump out.
The reality of traveling with a puppy 😅 luckily he only fought the carrier for maybe 10 minutes when we first put him in it!
TOP TIPS for the pups
Acclimate to the carrier far in advance - aim for it to be a positive experience with toys/treats/comfort smells
Stay hydrated the week of the flight & try to maintain regular eating times
Exercise before the flight - a healthy walk, time to sniff & tire out
Make sure to go potty before the flight - know where the pet relief areas are at the airports you’re leaving & going to
Be prepared for accidents on board/around the airport - use puppy pads / have waste bags & paper towels on hand
Try to maintain a good routine once at the destination - consistent eating schedules, exercise
Listen to your dogs cues & cater to their needs to make sure they are safe & comfortable
Stay patient & calm!
The Trip
He is a generally anxious pup, but I’d say the trip overall was a success! Our hardest experience was all the stimulation walking around the airport. It’s safe to say that flying & traveling with a dog is a big experience - especially the first time. Everything is new, their routines are off, and there comfort spaces are not the same as home. The airports were busy - lots of people, noisy, smells, etc so he was naturally more animated than usual. We had to practice a lot of the exercises we’ve been working on in training (like leash training, safely correcting bad behaviors, de-escalating situations) although all bets are off when he’s in fight or flight mode.
Since we were visiting family, we stayed at my in-laws house with their 8 year old pup. Henry took a few days to adjust and not be so on edge, but my in-laws frenchie was super patient with Henry’s pup energy/tendencies. We were sure to exercise him plenty (so he didn’t take all of his energy out on the other dog), always had them under supervision, and gave both of them alone time/safe separate spaces to retreat to. We only stayed for 4 full days, and I wished we would’ve stayed a little longer since he finally found his stride around the time we had to go home. We had so much fun taking him to our favorite parks & beaches - he LOVED the nature & my in-laws big backyard. All in all, I’m happy we decided to bring him. Even though it was much more work than leaving him at home, we got to learn more about his personality and got to show him a special place for us! We hope to travel with him again soon, and definitely feel more confident moving forward. Giving ourselves grace & a pat on the back for taking a puppy we’ve had for only 4 months on a big cross country adventure!