Anichkin Pet Sitting & Care Services

Air Travel – Is Your Dog Safe When Traveling By Plane?

Although many pets are safely transferred from one place to the next by plane, it does not mean that dog owners are unjustified in taking measures to ensure the safety of their animal family member.
Once you read through these guidelines that should be considered before boarding your dog on a plane, you will see just how important is.

Don't Ignore Your Instincts When it Comes to your Dog's Personality

It is hard for many animals to cope with being locked up in a crate during an entire airplane ride. Each dog has a different personality that the owner has come to know. Don't ignore your gut when it comes to your opinion on if your dog can handle the stresses of flying. If your gut is telling you not to do it, it may be your instincts trying to tell you something about your pet's separation anxiety.
Separation anxiety is an actual condition that should never be ignored. It is approximated that nearly 20% of all dogs feel separation anxiety at some point. This type of personality is not considered a good candidate for airplane travel. These dogs, in fact, should not be left by themselves and when their condition is heightened, it is common for a dog to literally chew through a metal cage to try to escape, causing severe injuries that may cause the dog to bleed to death.

Minimize Anxiety By Preparing Your Dog For The Experience Of Flying

As mentioned above, it is never acceptable to force your dog to experience flying if he is deemed to have separation anxiety problems. However, there is always the possibility that you can condition him to fly without having any problems.
This can be accomplished by getting your dog used to the travel carrier that you will put him in to travel. Keep one handy in your house and often keep your dog inside of it. Good times for this are during meals, sleep time, and while in the car. Before you know it, he will be completely comfortable inside the crate and this will help in making the dog feel less anxious during the plane ride.
Yes, it is possible for your dog to Get Lost during Airplane transfer.
A previous suggestion was to select only direct flights. Often, passengers and their luggage may have to change between two or more different airplanes before arriving at their final destination. It is in these travel conditions when some dogs become lost, and are never located. They mistakenly get transferred to the wrong airplane and don't find their way back to the owner.
To reduce the chances of your dog getting lost, the best idea you can carry out is ensure proper identification. Get a permanent ID securely attached to your dog that includes your phone number, home address, and any travel destination information. Microchips and tattoos are two other ideas that you can look into. These may seem extreme however when it involves your dog and the potential for him to get lost during air travel, it's certainly worth it, wouldn't you agree?