Shipping a dog??

Ryan Avery

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Who’s shipped a dog on a plane? What the process??


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HoneyDew

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It’s pretty easy but I flew alaska. I don’t know if I’d trust another airline...
 
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Depends on where they are shipping to or from, if you are on the plane with them, the size and breed of dog, and the airline’s specific requirements.

Also time of year- if they are in the cabin with you vs. in a crate in cargo.

If it’s too hot or cold they can’t travel in cargo.

Some breeds (brachycephalic like bulldogs and boxers) are also prohibited by some airlines due to increased risk of breathing problems.

Most airlines require a health certificate and proof of vaccination provided by a veterinarian.


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scott_co

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I flew to Alberta CA to pick up my giant schnauzer about 15 years ago. She was about 10-12 weeks old at the time that I picked her up.

I had a large crate for her with some extra blankets since I was flying with my pooch in Feb. Before boarding, I had to show vaccination papers.

She was fine on the approximate 2 hour flight from Alberta to Denver.
 
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Flew from Germany back to the states.. one of the biggest issues is crates. They have to be airline approved and large enough for your dog to stand in without having to lower its head. And also long enough the lay down and the paws not touch each end.
 

Slugz

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If its inside USA I'd highly recommend Citizen Shipper.

Easy, quick, price is very competitive compared to the service you get. You can also see many reviews online to help pick the transporter.
We sent a Mini Schauzer from CO to Florida, 2 days travel, text with pictures every 6 hours and when he got out of the van to play/bathroom. Perfect communication and safe.

Cant say enough just how perfect the whole experience was.
 
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eldeuce

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it's been 4 years, but I used United to ship a pup to a buyer.
United had a webpage with their requirements. Took the crated pup to the freight hangar at the airport...
Really wasn't hard, but recommend reading the requirements 3 times to be sure.
Also, now that I think about it, the cost was right around $100, which seems cheap. Pretty sure that was the rate for any destination (this was Denver to somewhere in South Carolina.
 

Brendan

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We got our dog as a rescue from a place from Utah, but he had to fly home separately from us about a week later across country. I don't know who they used, but they took care of it for us and this was something they do ALL the time so I'm sure if there are any other larger shelters / rescues in your area they could give you a pretty easy referral.

Our pup came from Best Friends in Kanab, UT. Pretty staggering how big and well funded that place is - I visited when we were doing a Zion/Bryce trip. Side note, not sure I'd advertise you're a hunter ;)
 

mwebs

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I did a bunch of research into this and it’s airline specific. For me a lot of flights are Delta. They no longer accept any large dogs/ crates. So I can’t fly with my lab.
 

KurtR

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There are a few dog transports that I know people have used. I can find them if you would want a ground option. I don’t know if I could trust the air line with my dog
 

Mosby

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it's been 4 years, but I used United to ship a pup to a buyer.
United had a webpage with their requirements. Took the crated pup to the freight hangar at the airport...
Really wasn't hard, but recommend reading the requirements 3 times to be sure.
Also, now that I think about it, the cost was right around $100, which seems cheap. Pretty sure that was the rate for any destination (this was Denver to somewhere in South Carolina.
United is probably the worst airline in the US for travel IMO. I wouldn't trust them with a dog. I would drive the dog before putting it on a United flight.
 

slvrslngr

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Start with the airline you’re using. Look up their pet shipping policy online and go from there. As already noted, Alaska is very good with pets. I can’t speak about any others. A conversation with your vet can also be useful. We moved overseas with our dog last year and the vet tech was invaluable, she knew her stuff.

Make sure you have multiple hard copies of the vaccination paperwork and the vaccinations are up to date, specifically rabies.

If your dog isn’t crate trained, start doing it now. Put him in the crate regularly. If he has anxiety you may want to talk to your vet about a dose of Xanax for him for the flight. Our girl is crate trained but was very anxious flying, so we doped her up for our move overseas.

Get a proper sized, good quality crate. You’ll need a water source of some kind in the crate, lots of people use the type you see in rabbit cages. Whatever type you use, it should be spill resistant. You’ll need some “Live Animal” stickers to put on the crate, you can get those at check in

Get to the airport plenty early and make sure your dog is well walked and has gone potty multiple times. Have some clean up materials with you for the other end in case the dog has an accident in the crate.

Write your name, phone number and destination on a piece of paper, put it in a ziplock bag and tape it to the top of the crate. Bring zip ties to lock the door securely, once you’re ready to separate from the dog. And have something to cut the zip ties when you pick your dog up (put this in your checked bag, somewhere easily accessible).

Don’t forget a leash and some poop bags, for each end of the flight. Most airports have a pet relief area you can use.

That’s about all I can think of. My best advice is to plan ahead, be patient and be organized.
 

Oregon

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Pretty simple.
only advice I can give is read up thoroughly on crate requirements.
I showed up to put a dog on a flight and the airlines didn’t like my crate. Standard roto-molded one.
I spent $150 on one of theirs they had on hand.
 
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