DO YOU WANT TO TRAVEL WITH YOUR DOG IN FLIGHTS? HERE´S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW !

Dear Steemit Friends,

Travelling with animals on a flight is not an easy task if it´s your first time.. but, if you take the necessary preparations, it´s not that bad at all. You will get accustomed to the procedures and the next time will be easy. Some airlines allow pets inside the carrier, the smaller ones in the cabin and the bigger ones inside the luggage compartment of the plane. We´ve had good experiences on this as we travel a lot every year with our dog.

We used to have a rottweiler named AKO that had travelled with us everywhere by air and by land.. We even crossed country with a SUV from Austria to Italy and then stopped overnight in Menton, France ...then down to Barcelona and ended up in Southern Spain. Ako had been a well behaved travelling companion reaching Malta, Cyprus , Germany and Tenerife. Of course, we´ve had travelled in those years mostly by air.

You have to know what your motivations are as to why you want to take your dog along in your vacation. I can´t leave my dog and put him in a kennel while I´m away... what if he gets sick and I wasn´t around or if something happens like an accident or something. So year after year, we take the trouble to take our beloved pet in all our flight destinations.

Before travelling, the dog must have the necessary documents like Pet Passport that contains all the data , the obligatory vaccinations called for by every country you visit. Remember some countries are very strict and might put your dog under quarantine when the necessary requirements are not met. So you have to plan everything, get informed and get things ready before you even buy your tickets .

Here are the things I consider everytime we fly with Lily, the chihuahua... and these also apply to you whether you´re bringing along a small or bigger dog:

** If travelling by air, choose an airline that allows pet in their flights when booking your tickets directly with the airline. Consider that you have to pay for transport cost ( around EUR 90,- inside Europe) two ways and that is to and from your destination. Remember, when you have paid the fee, there is no way of getting it back if you decide to leave the dog behind.

** Choose hotels that are pet friendly so you won´t get a surprise when you reach your hotel, you should ask for a written confirmation from the hotel management regarding the dog.

** If your dog weighs more than 6 kilos, you must get a box or a carrier according to the size of your pet because the airline personnel will have to "check-in" the dog in the luggage compartment. Line the box with some woolen blanket to make the box base softer and warmer if you are travelling during the winter season . If your dog is less than 6 kilos, you may bring your dog inside the cabin... take note of the airlines carrier specifications because the dog bag would have to be placed under the seat in front of you. The dog carrier or bag must fit underneath the seat.

** When you bring the dog to the vet for vaccination, ask for some sedatives that you can give to the dog before the flight commences. But, remember if the dog isn´t problematic , you might not need the sedative. You will notice when the dog is in stress at the airport... so you may want to trick him by inserting the pill inside his favorite snack.

** At home, you may practice your dog to get accustomed to the box by letting him enter it and giving him rewards after. You can do this daily so that you won´t have a drama at the airport before checking him in..

** On the day of the flight, you should take your dog to a long walk…after that, do not give the dog too much water to drink, it might suffer not to be able to pee during the flight.

** For shorter flight, we brought a long small empty bottle to be filled with water only after we passed the customs inspection because liquids are prohibited to bring inside as part of the anti terror procedure . Since we can bring along Lily in the cabin, we see to it she gets a small amount of water to drink to make her comfortable.

So all these have to be considered so that you won´t miss your beloved furry pet during your holiday.

Disclaimer: Please be informed, that I´m posting here some facts applied to our own dog when travelling. If you are not sure of the tips given here, might as well consult your local vet to have professional advise

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Thanks for visiting!

Mers
https://steemit.com/@mers

Note: All photos on this blog are mine unless otherwise stated..