Tips For Flying and Traveling With A Dog

Before we got a puppy in 2020, my boyfriend and I spent just as much time traveling as we did in NYC. Our work required us to travel often and visiting family meant getting on short flights regularly. While I know I don’t want to go back to the level of travel I was doing pre-covid, I know travel will still be a part of our lives and we considered this when getting a puppy.

Our move to Portland was the first time we went on a plane with Chauncey and he did so well. I had the benefit of having his emotional support animal paperwork completed which allowed me to take him out of his carrier and cuddle him, both for my support and his.

Since October 2020 the laws with flying with an emotional support animal have changed and are no longer recognized by airlines. When I was booking our flights back to NYC I realized that this time flying would be different and require more preparation.

As more and more people become vaccinated, I know there will be more questions around how to best travel with your quarantine puppy. Here’s a breakdown of a checklist I went through to travel with our puppy and some special things to keep in mind.

BEFORE BOARDING YOUR FLIGHT

Checklist

• Vaccination records

• Dimensions for the carrier you’ll be using on the flight

• A pre-flight vet visit for medications (if it applies to your pup)

• Getting your pup on the fly list

• COSTS: TSA-approved carrier (if you don’t already have one) + vet visit with flight medications

Once you book your flight your next two phone calls should be to your vet and to your airline. On the phone with your vet, you want to ask them to email you a copy of your dog’s vaccination records and to schedule an appointment for pre-flight medication. You’ll want to print the vaccination record and stuff it into the pocket of your dog carrier so it’s handy should you get asked for it. At your appointment sometimes vets will prescribe anxiety or anti-nausea medicine (this is the combo Chauncey uses to fly), we find it incredibly helpful because it means he sleeps through most of the flight and isn’t too disturbed.

Once you call the airline, you’ll have to let them know that you are bringing a dog, what the dimensions of your carrier is, and whether your dog has ever been aggressive or if they are up to date in vaccinations. This call is important because there are a limited number of dogs allowed in cabin (we flew Delta and their cap is 5 for coach and 3 for first class) and you want to make sure your pup is on the list so you don’t run into trouble day of your flight.

PACKING FOR YOUR FLIGHT

Checklist

• Easy access to vaccination records, a water bowl, and any medications

• Travel carrier with a wee wee pad and a comfort toy

• Ziplock bag of dog food (enough until you can get to a store)

• COSTS: collapsible water bowl

Packing for your pet is very similar to packing for yourself, you’ll want to make sure that you have easy access to all of the necessities. I always print a copy of vaccination records to have handy. The last few flights we’ve taken, I’ve only packed enough food to get us through the day because I find it easier to buy food, wee pads, or anything he’ll need during our stay, wherever we end up. Amazon has some great collapsible travel bowls for pups that fit right into the side of carrier as well.

FLYING WITH YOUR PET

Checklist

• Plan to leave 30 minutes before you normally would

• Administer any drugs before you leave for airport

• Give yourself a mantra to turn to during the stressful moments

• COSTS: pet’s plane ticket + checked bags fee

Traveling with an animal means they are your carry on bag, so in most cases you’ll be checking your actual suitcase. Planning to get there at least 30 minutes before you normally would before a regular flight will give you enough time to both check your bags and pick up your pet’s plane ticket. On Delta we paid $125 for a one way ticket for Chauncey and it took us about 30 minutes to get through ticketing and to security. Once you get through security I was able to grab Chauncey out of his crate and hold him in my arms to walk through the metal detector, not sure how much this was because I have TSA pre-check or because that’s just the rule in general.

Getting through security and the airport was honestly much easier than I anticipated it being, the hardest part for me was the flight itself. Not being able to bring him out of his carrier made it feel extremely long. He has pretty bad anxiety, so even with the meds I wanted to give him extra comfort and since I couldn’t take him out, I just unzipped his carrier and stuck my foot in there so he could feel somewhat supported. (Confession: I did pop him out on our first flight for about 10 minutes before the flight attendant caught us.)

ONCE YOU’VE ARRIVED

CHECKLIST

• COSTS: food + necessities your pet will need during the trip

No matter how long you’re staying wherever you’re traveling to, we found that a few things work wonders in helping Chauncey adjust. After our weekend drive to a cabin for my birthday last December, I learned that on the first night anywhere new giving Chauncey one of his anxiety medicines is necessary because it helps him settle down. He has a particularly hard time settling himself and his anxious energy down, so this is our way to support him. I also find that sticking to a semblance of his routine has also helped. He gets meals whenever he usually would, I bring some of his favorite toys so it’s familiar for him, and after that I simply trust that dogs are resilient and adjust very quickly to their surroundings. As a heads up, I also found that Chauncey fluctuates with his meals and energy levels those first few days after a flight. I think it’s the puppy version of jet lag.

The biggest part of traveling on a plane with a pet it’s that they fit under the seat in front of you. As a point of reference, Chauncey is about 34 inches long and about 15 pounds. Because of his anxiety we choose to fly with him if we’re going to be gone for long stints (we’re away from Portland for a month this time around). I know flying with a pet doesn’t make sense for everyone, but if it’s the route that makes sense for you I hope this post was helpful.

Let me know if there are any other flying with pets hacks you’ve learned!