Ours is too large to go on the plane…United seems to have the best program (based on online research only) for transporting a dog separate from passengers.
This situation is causing me a fair amount of stress. Our family dog is 14 years old. He’s in great shape, walks about 3 miles a day but is deaf and has always become nervous easily. He also hates the car so I’m guessing he won’t like the feeling of being on a plane either. He moved in with D1 about 3 years ago and they are very connected. She is moving across the country and really wants him to be with her. We agree as we travel quite a bit and having him back would be tough as we don’t like to board him any longer. D1 is moving to the same city as D3 and D3 is very excited to have him and help with him too.
I thought we could “drug” him (in cooperation with and under the advice of our vet, of course) but United’s program says that if they sense a dog is drugged, they will reject it.
Our dog also isn’t accustomed to a crate but I read a vet’s recommendation to buy one and, over the course of a month, have the dog spend increasing amounts of time in the crate and I/we will follow the advice and feel confident we can help him get used to the crate.
Looking for suggestions or hearing about other’s experiences with transporting a medium sized dog across the country via plane.
I am assuming you have looked into whether or not the airlines even do this during the summer heat? Where my daughter lives they will not permit animals in the hold during the summer months.
Frankly, for a 14 year old nervous dog, I wouldn’t do it.
How is your D’s car getting to her new location? Could someone drive the dog in the car? Then fly home if it isn’t your D driving it. Then you could use the sedatives your vet prescribes.
Don’t put that dog on the plane. In fact at that age I’m not sure the dog should be relocated at this age at all.
When that plane went off the runway in Jacksonville a few months back what wasn’t mentioned was all pets onboard died.
I also agree with the don’t fly him. I would really be afraid that he would not make it. I’m even too afraid to fly my 5 year old, shy, medium sized dog! It sounds incredibly stressful for any dog, let alone one who is elderly, deaf, and not used to a crate. You say you don’t like to board him any more, well this would be like boarding times 30! He could end up traumatized, too…I remember the first time we boarded (just boarded, not flew) a dog, that dog “wasn’t right” for a couple months afterwards.
I try to err on the side of familiar places and/or familiar people.
I went away for a long weekend last week and Mr Handsome Man stayed at home (familiar place) and the same dog walker came over (familiar person, but still not me!).
He has been on me like glue ever since I got home.
When we got his teeth cleaned? Took him days “to speak me again”
Flying would be traumatic and potentially life threatening.
Someone has to pay a price: either the dog, by being put in a lifethreatening and stressful situation, your daughter, by having to drive across country, or you, by having to deal with the dog daily/boarding it when you travel.
My vote is for the humans to suck it up, and do the right thing by the dog. The dog shouldn’t pay the price, either you or your daughter should. You have some decent choices.
We flew cross country with an elderly dog last year - after a visit to the vet and testing out “doggy dozers”, however because he’s so small we could bring him in the cabin with us and put his carrier under the seat in front of us. There is no way I would have done it otherwise. P.S. He enjoyed the ocean
Once in the new city, will your daughter be available during the grad (grad student hours) or at work?
Have you gone through the process of an aging elderly dog before? As the dog gets older it will likely need to go potty more often and not be able to hold it for 9 hours. There will also be more frequent vet visits which are expensive and a massive time sink. It is a sad bittersweet time that the kids may have trouble navigating.
I always get a retired friend to stay at our home with our elderly dogs. She treats it like a staycation by bringing stacks of books. She gives the dogs their medications and eye drops, checks for infections, and has even taken one to the doggy ER. For us, it is the least stressful way of leaving our buddies.
This trip is too dangerous for a 14 year old dog. Borders on animal cruelty, in my view.
Lots of young, healthy dogs do not survive air flights…
P.S. During a move about 15 years ago, the company offered to pay to fly our two 75 lb. dogs–would even pay airfare for an adult to fly on the same flight. We refused due to the danger of death, getting lost or, at a very minimum, enduring a life altering traumatic event. Instead, I drove them for over 33 hours in an SUV. So thankful that I had the stamina & sense to drive rather than to traumatize my pets.
There are two bad choices for relocating the pooch. The car…and the plane.
If this family has to choose…I’d pick the car because at least in the car, a person will be with the dog at all times.
I would also suggest speaking to the vet who may say a MILD sedative or anti anxiety Med might be OK in the car where it can be monitored. And they should do a dry run…some longer day trips in the car ASAP.
Thanks for the responses…wow! And we’ve talked about driving…in fact, we would be willing to drive across country (truly, coast to coast) for him but we all agree it would be horrible for him as he hates the car. So, it’d be a 6ish hour awful experience or a many day long awful experience.
Also, since someone mentioned it, he has amazing bladder control–can go 11+ hours and not because we require it; just because he can. And we have discussed the elderly dog/end of life issues and D and her bf (late 20s) are aware and amenable.
I guess we can rethink whether he should go but, even though he grew up with a full house (we rescued him at 7 months), our empty nest is peaceful for him but he truly loves being with D much better. I just read the book, Being Mortal (wonderful, if anyone’s looking for a nonfiction read) which is about the end of life (humans!). Much of it deals with whether it’s better to do most anything to prolong one’s life or to find out what the person really wants and enable that, even if the person’s life ends up being a bit shorter. We all agree our dog would be happier with D (and our other D in the same city)…will he make it through the trip? And, if so, will he be so traumatized that it won’t have been worth it? If he can make it and ‘quickly’ get over the trauma, the answer is yes. More family discussion will need to occur…
We moved across the country two years ago and our 12 year old dog flew out with us. We used Air Alaska and they could not have been better. I was a nervous wreck about the whole thing and they were just great. Even upgraded all of us to first class (not the dog though!). He did fine, but I don’t know if I would do it again today at age 14. It’s hard on an old dog.
We did the crate thing and the mild sedation. We started months before our trip getting him used to the crate and testing out the sedative.
You do have to plan around the warm weather. The airlines will not accept a dog in certain cities during warm weather. You can check their websites for details. They don’t want the animal sitting on the tarmac in the heat. We booked a 5 am flight just for that reason. A red eye might be even better.
We placed an elderly dog in a kennel for 2 days during an emergency. Came back & the dog was a shell of his former self. May have suffered a stroke. We don’t know. But this dog had stayed at this kennel several times when younger, and stayed for half days to be groomed on dozens of occasions.
Even if your dog was much younger, flying is much too traumatic & dangerous for dogs. A 14 year old dog should not be relocated unless absolutely necessary.
Many years ago my dog traveled Philly to Denver. He was a big boy (100+ pounds) and he was about 10 years old. Did fine. It was October so cooler weather. Big crate, mild drugs so he was a little groggy but not out cold.
