# Flying with new puppy in cabin



## jay_39 (Sep 1, 2017)

Just wanting to hear from anyone who flew their new puppy home with them. What was your experience like? Was it very stressful for the puppy? Do you have any tips? Thank you! :grin2:


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Are you close to getting your puppy? How long will your flight and drive combo be?


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## jay_39 (Sep 1, 2017)

Not close enough! But I just found out the puppies are due the first week of February, so I'll be bringing him/her home in early April :grin2: The flight with puppy will be about 2.5 hours. The breeder will be meeting me at the airport hotel and I think it will be about an hour and half drive for her.


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

How long is your drive from the airport back to your house? Very exciting! (Do you have your ex pen yet?)


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## jay_39 (Sep 1, 2017)

It’ll only be a 15-minute drive. I’ll have someone pick me up. I haven’t bought the ex-pen yet. I’ll place the order once puppy is born. They make a 3x4 pen now so I think that’s what I’ll get.


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## Cmward (Jun 28, 2017)

Congrats on your future puppy I know you have been planning for a long time! If you do a forum search you’ll find lots of old threads on this, they might provide your best info.

Have you checked out the airports you’ll be using to see if they have pet relief areas?


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## jay_39 (Sep 1, 2017)

Yeah, I'm a wee bit of a planner and just a tad excited, so I'm always thinking ahead  I'm not sure yet which airport I'll be flying out of, but I just checked the one I'm more concerned about (a very big airport) and it does have pet relief areas. Thanks for mentioning that! I didn't know airports even had such a thing.

I did just look at some previous posts that were a bit helpful about flying with a puppy--thanks!


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## Cmward (Jun 28, 2017)

jay_39 said:


> Yeah, I'm a wee bit of a planner and just a tad excited, so I'm always thinking ahead  I'm not sure yet which airport I'll be flying out of, but I just checked the one I'm more concerned about (a very big airport) and it does have pet relief areas. Thanks for mentioning that! I didn't know airports even had such a thing.
> 
> I did just look at some previous posts that were a bit helpful about flying with a puppy--thanks!


I'm an extreme planner too. I watched 3 hours worth of positive crate training videos because I wanted my pup to love his crate. The videos were not needed. He hopped right in on his own within minutes of being home lol. So much for all of my homework.

My best tip would be a mini clean up kit with wet wipes and line the travel crate with a towel you don't mind tossing out. Pack a bully stick for pup to chew on during the flight, but they will likely sleep the whole time. Also remember that the pups travel bag counts as carry on luggage.

You might want to check out Snuggle Puppy for your new pup. I bought one for my best friends new puppy and she swears by it. I'm bringing one with me to pick my pup up.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

jay_39 said:


> Yeah, I'm a wee bit of a planner and just a tad excited, so I'm always thinking ahead  I'm not sure yet which airport I'll be flying out of, but I just checked the one I'm more concerned about (a very big airport) and it does have pet relief areas. Thanks for mentioning that! I didn't know airports even had such a thing.
> 
> I did just look at some previous posts that were a bit helpful about flying with a puppy--thanks!


You definitely do NOT want to take a new puppy to a pet relief area. WAY to much chance of picking up an illness. Make sure you pack LARGE pee pads and take the puppy into the "family" restroom, where you can close the door. Place the puppy on the pad on the floor, and give them a chance to potty there. (they may... or not) But it is not safe to put a puppy who is not yet fully vaccinated on the ground anywhere lots of other dogs of unknown vaccination status have been.

Otherwise, it's really not a big deal. I've flown with two of mine, and both were great on the plane... not a peep. Do bring along paper towels, baby wipes and some extra old towels as bedding in case of accidents or vomiting. Both are more likely on the car rides than in the plane, quite frankly. Most puppies are lulled by the engine noise and sleep most of the way on the plane.


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## jay_39 (Sep 1, 2017)

I realized after I read up on the pet relief areas that they wouldn't be much use to me with a puppy. I thought they were just pet-friendly areas with benches and such where you could sit and have your pup out of its carrier (on your lap or whatever) without getting in trouble and where dogs could also go to the bathroom. Nope, it's basically just an outdoor bathroom area with fake grass.

Thank you for the tips! I'll be sure to take those supplies and try the "family" rest room before getting on the plane.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

We flew from Ottawa Canada to San Francisco. The most difficult part of the trip was between the breeder and the airport. The breeder warned us Scout might get carsick which he did twice. Thank goodness I was prepared with pee pads! We did miss our direct flight to SF and had to make a stop in New Jersey. I took him out of the carrier in the airports and let him walk a little. Like Karen mentioned Scout didn't make a peep. It was a very long day for us and him, but he slept all the way.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Heather's said:


> We flew from Ottawa Canada to San Francisco. The most difficult part of the trip was between the breeder and the airport. The breeder warned us Scout might get carsick which he did twice. Thank goodness I was prepared with pee pads! We did miss our direct flight to SF and had to make a stop in New Jersey. I took him out of the carrier in the airports and let him walk a little. Like Karen mentioned Scout didn't make a peep. It was a very long day for us and him, but he slept all the way.


Yes! The car ride from our breeder's home to the airport is 2 hours, and that was hardest with both of mine too. Kodi vomited once, and poor Pixel had diarrhea all over herself, her crate and her stuffed animal not far from the breeder's house! Fortunately, we had plenty of clean-up supplies, and we got her and all her stuff cleaned up and back on the road. Both times I had brought someone with me to help with "puppy wrangling". But the airports and flights themselves were the easy part, both times.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Beth warned me to be prepared if Scout started drooling. Even through Scout was fed breakfast very early that morning he was drooling within a few minutes and vomited. Once we got on the plane he slept. Every once in awhile I opened the carrier to take a peek that he was breathing!


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## dickli (Jun 19, 2012)

We made the flight from Florida without a peep when I brought Zoey home, even though there was a lot of turbulence, to the point that people were screaming. I took her to the family restroom before getting in the car to make the 15 minute drive home from the airport. We were on the freeway where I couldn’t get off and she started screaming bloody murder all the way home. When I got there I found she’d pooped in the carrier. Poor girl really didn’t want to do that. I felt so bad about it.


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## jay_39 (Sep 1, 2017)

Cmward said:


> I'm an extreme planner too. I watched 3 hours worth of positive crate training videos because I wanted my pup to love his crate. The videos were not needed. He hopped right in on his own within minutes of being home lol. So much for all of my homework.
> 
> My best tip would be a mini clean up kit with wet wipes and line the travel crate with a towel you don't mind tossing out. Pack a bully stick for pup to chew on during the flight, but they will likely sleep the whole time. Also remember that the pups travel bag counts as carry on luggage.
> 
> You might want to check out Snuggle Puppy for your new pup. I bought one for my best friends new puppy and she swears by it. I'm bringing one with me to pick my pup up.


Thanks for the tips! Glad to know there are other extreme planners too  When do you get your puppy?!


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## Cmward (Jun 28, 2017)

jay_39 said:


> Thanks for the tips! Glad to know there are other extreme planners too  When do you get your puppy?!


If all goes as planned lol, next month! Mid Feb.


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## jay_39 (Sep 1, 2017)

Wow, it sounds like the car rides are the worst part for the puppies. Poor little guys


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## jay_39 (Sep 1, 2017)

Cmward said:


> If all goes as planned lol, next month! Mid Feb.


That's so exciting!! Not far off at all :grin2:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

dickli said:


> We made the flight from Florida without a peep when I brought Zoey home, even though there was a lot of turbulence, to the point that people were screaming. I took her to the family restroom before getting in the car to make the 15 minute drive home from the airport. We were on the freeway where I couldn't get off and she started screaming bloody murder all the way home. When I got there I found she'd pooped in the carrier. Poor girl really didn't want to do that. I felt so bad about it.


That's kind of what happened with Pixel too. We had JUST left the King's. We weren't more than 10 minutes down the road, and she had pottied just before we left. She started crying in her carrier, but we thought she was just upset about leaving her family, and decided it was better to ignore her for a bit and see if she settled down on her own... Until... the smell. LOL! She stopped crying though! Poor little thing. She TRIED to tell us!


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## Barbara Levy (Apr 22, 2016)

I went to get Loki's at the breeder and flew home with him. I was by myself so I did buckle the carrier in the passenger seat (he was too light to trigger the passenger airbag). He cried for maybe the first 10 minutes of the hour drive to the airport and then settled down. I guess I am lucky because he has never gotten carsick.

I tried to take him to the family bathroom to go potty. I spread a pee pad on the floor. He was so distracted by everything that he didn't go. I put the carrier under the seat and he didn't make a peep until we landed. We had to take a bus from the plane to the terminal. He started crying, I knew he had to pee but there wasn't anything I could do. By the time we got to the terminal, he had peed. I had put the Dry Fur super absorbent pad in the carrier so it wasn't a big deal but his tummy and legs got a bit wet. Dunked him in the sink as soon as we got home but of course the only thing I hadn't bought was puppy shampoo.

I didn't give him anything to eat or drink - whole trip was about 4 hours. He did have the blanket the breeder gave me that smelled like his mother.

You will be fine traveling with the puppy.


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## jay_39 (Sep 1, 2017)

Barbara Levy said:


> You will be fine traveling with the puppy.
> 
> Amazon.com : DryFur Pet Carrier Insert Pads size Small 19.5" x 12.5" Blue - 2 pack : Pet Supplies


Thanks, Barbara! That doesn't sound too bad at all. Just wondering: what kind of carrier did you have for him that the puppy pad inserts fit into?


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## Cmward (Jun 28, 2017)

jay_39 said:


> Wow, it sounds like the car rides are the worst part for the puppies. Poor little guys


Not always, my first Hav traveled 10 hours total by car and was totally fine, my second did 4 hours without a peep he just curled up and slept.


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## Barbara Levy (Apr 22, 2016)

jay_39 said:


> Thanks, Barbara! That doesn't sound too bad at all. Just wondering: what kind of carrier did you have for him that the puppy pad inserts fit into?


Sorry for the delay in responding. We were in Iceland over New Year's on holiday. I used this small carrier on the way home and for the first few vet visits. I thought he would like a smaller cozier carrier.

Amazon.com : Pet Carrier Dog Cat Soft Sided Airline Approved Small Puppy Travel Bag : Pet Supplies

After about a month, I moved to the larger Sleepy Pod Air. He is 13.5 lbs now and I still use it for the car and on planes. He goes right in without a problem. The only time he has not ridden in a carrier was when the cone of shame wouldn't fit in. Yesterday, we went to an advanced manner class and I woke him up when I unzipped the carrier when we got home.

Amazon.com : Sleepypod Air Pet Carrier Robin Egg Blue : Pet Supplies


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## jay_39 (Sep 1, 2017)

Barbara Levy said:


> After about a month, I moved to the larger Sleepy Pod Air. He is 13.5 lbs now and I still use it for the car and on planes. He goes right in without a problem. The only time he has not ridden in a carrier was when the cone of shame wouldn't fit in. Yesterday, we went to an advanced manner class and I woke him up when I unzipped the carrier when we got home.


Thanks, Barbara. The Sleepypod air is the one I was going to buy to pick the puppy up and to use in the car as I've read it's pretty safe. I'm hoping the potty pad inserts will fit in that one. Have you used them in it?


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## Barbara Levy (Apr 22, 2016)

jay_39 said:


> Thanks, Barbara. The Sleepypod air is the one I was going to buy to pick the puppy up and to use in the car as I've read it's pretty safe. I'm hoping the potty pad inserts will fit in that one. Have you used them in it?


Yes, I use them when we travel but he has never wet them. He cries when he has to go potty. But good choice with a little puppy. You are well prepared.


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## CaroleG (Aug 13, 2016)

I flew with my dog when he was about 12 weeks. He slept the whole 4 hour trip. Seems the vibration or humming of the plane put him to sleep. Now we fly without any problems, and he is 1 1/2 years old. He is a good traveler.


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## jay_39 (Sep 1, 2017)

Cmward said:


> I'm an extreme planner too. I watched 3 hours worth of positive crate training videos because I wanted my pup to love his crate. The videos were not needed. He hopped right in on his own within minutes of being home lol. So much for all of my homework.
> 
> My best tip would be a mini clean up kit with wet wipes and line the travel crate with a towel you don't mind tossing out. Pack a bully stick for pup to chew on during the flight, but they will likely sleep the whole time. Also remember that the pups travel bag counts as carry on luggage.
> 
> You might want to check out Snuggle Puppy for your new pup. I bought one for my best friends new puppy and she swears by it. I'm bringing one with me to pick my pup up.


I was wondering how The Snuggle puppy worked for you. I bought one for my girl, who I'm picking up in five days :grin2: I'm sorry, I can't remember--did you fly with Nico? If so, did the Snuggle fit in the carrier with him?


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## Cmward (Jun 28, 2017)

jay_39 said:


> I was wondering how The Snuggle puppy worked for you. I bought one for my girl, who I'm picking up in five days :grin2: I'm sorry, I can't remember--did you fly with Nico? If so, did the Snuggle fit in the carrier with him?


Nico loves Snuggle Puppy, he sleeps with it and plays with it rolling around like it is a real puppy lol. I didn't fly with Nico, we got lucky and had a 90 minute car ride. I brought Snuggle Puppy too the breeder's house and let his litter-mates and his momma get their smell on it. It fit perfectly into his Sherpa bag with him he had plenty of extra room even with extra towels in the bottom. The breeder was keeping one of the pups for someone who was on vacation and bought her a Snuggle Puppy too, she is the last of the litter left behind so it is now her only company at night. Nico really likes the heartbeat, I wake up in the middle of the night and think of Poe's Telltale Heart lol.


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