Flying with a Young Puppy

When I bought Coco, she came from a breeder in Texas and I knew I would have to fly her home.  At first the idea of flying a puppy sounded outrageous, but when I realized she she could travel in the cabin, I felt much more at ease.   

I found a breeder who used the services of a handler to personally fly the puppy to me.  (Few breeders offer this kind of service!)  So my puppy was able to travel in a dog carrier under the seat in the cabin of the plane.  The handler had a special puppy purse, and no one even knew she had a puppy in it!   When she walked off the plane we identified each other, she handed me my puppy, and got right back on the flight to head home!

Onlookers in the waiting area were a little stunned to see this woman walk up, hand me a puppy and get back on the plane.   I was rather surprised myself.  How easy was that!

To make the arrangements I spoke with my handler over the phone before the trip.  I asked a lot of questions because I wanted to understand what my puppies day would look like.  In Coco's case the handler picked Coco up at 12:00 am from the breeder.  The flight took off around 1 pm and arrived around 4 pm in Richmond Airport.   I found out my puppy had slept in her lap on the airplane all the way.    I knew it was true...the puppy smelled like her perfume!.  My puppy arrived very well loved and cared for.  She was not much different than a puppy that had traveled by car.  

Unfortunately, being such a small breeder, I cannot offer the services of a handler to fly our puppies. But what I did learn from this experience is just how easy it is to travel by plane with an 8-9 week old puppy.  (Coco was almost 9 weeks old. )  This is a good option for buying a puppy that lives far away.
 
Here are some other things you will need to do to fly with your puppy....
Call Your Airline:  Requirements vary by airline, so make sure you call ahead.  Ask what the rules are for traveling with a pet in the cabin.  Delta says maximum carry-on kennel dimensions are determined by your flight, so you must contact reservations to determine the appropriate size.
BOOK EARLY Airlines limit the number of pets in the cabin, so don’t wait until the last minute to book.

List of Airlines and their Dog Travel Restrictions... by AKC

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT CARRIER The maximum size for cabin pet carriers on American Airlines is 19 inches long by 13 inches wide by 9 inches high. Animals must be able to stand up, turn around and lie down in a natural position in the carrier.

Sherpa Pet Group, known for its pet carriers (from $40 to $156) offers a program that guarantees that its carriers are compliant with airline rules and will refund the cost of your airline flight and your pet’s travel fee to those who sign up at Flygob.com.

Fees:   Typically the airline charges $100 above your regular ticket price to include a puppy as a carry on item.

Talk to your Breeder: 
 Discuss travel plans with your breeder before purchasing tickets to be sure your plans fit with the breeders schedule....especially if you need your breeder to meet you at the airport.
 


Do I ship my puppy's?
I prefer for customers to pick up their puppy at my home.  But I certainly understand that sometimes driving distance is too long for a person to drive.   If air travel is your best option, I am willing to meet customers at the airport with the puppy they choose.   

I am accessable to the Richmond, VA airport  (RIC). Feel free to discuss other airport options if necessary.  Extra travel charges will apply depending on the distance I have to travel.  

Reagan National, and Dulles Airport are within a few hours.  Shannon Airport in Stafford, VA is less than 30 minutes away for private jet planes

I do not currently offer cargo shipping of the puppies.   I believe a buyer should purchase a puppy in person whenever possible.


PREPARING YOUR PET FOR TRAVEL  Before I send the puppies home I always take some time to acclimatize the puppies to the carrier by placing it on the floor of the car so the pups can feel the vibrations of traveling.   On the morning of the trip, I let the puppies run about the lawn for 30 minutes before they get in the car.  The idea is to drain the pups energy before the car ride and  flight. The more tired the puppy is before the trip, the more likely he will be to sleep and relax during the ride home.

That's all there is to it.  In some ways traveling by airplane in the cabin does not feel much different to a puppy then driving in a car.  The puppy has the comfort of someone with him at all times, and he can usually sleep during the trip.  These days, it can be very difficult to find a breeder that you trust that is close to home.  Flying home with your new puppy may be your best option.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
BEWARE OF INTERNET SCAMS!!!  I do NOT ever recommend that anyone purchase a puppy over the internet without good information verifying their authenticity and quality.    In my case, I knew several breeders who had had very positive experiences with Coco's breeder, and one had inspected the facility personally...I was dealing with a well-known  REPUTABLE BREEDER.   If you do not have solid recommendations, you should personally visit the breeder.   Especially do not send money for a puppy using WESTERN UNION.  Also, using Paypal does not ensure you will receive a refund...because the fraudulant account holder can just close out his account.

I just wanted to clarify this, to protect my readers from this problem.