Flying a puppy home

[jstead]

I'm hoping to pick up an 8 week old pup from a good planned breeding in Las Vegas in March and fly her home to Philadelphia. Is this a bad time of life for the pup -- I figure it will either be sedated or pretty well scared. I have shipped older dogs before without any harm (other than being called to the freight terminal in Chicago where my dog had put some workers up on boxes just for the fun of it).

Should the pup be sedated? Is this a bad idea all around at 8 weeks? What age would be better?

Thanks for your responses.

[tenbearsviz]

jstead,

I have imported 3 pups from Canada with flights form Ontario to Tampa FL. The dogs were all between 8 and 13 weeks old.

No reason to sedate them.

Two of mine were none stop Air Cargo on Air Canada. Last was on NorthWest with one stop in Detroit. Other then one messing the crate, it was an uneventful trip.

You will have to watch arrival time estimated tempuratures. I had to fly early in order to make a plane change before the airport temp exceeded 85 degrees.

NW also came to my seat at plane change and confirmed the pup made the transfer.

Piece of cake.

[topher40]

I wouldnt sedate the pup. ANY time you put something in an animals body you run a risk of reaction, especially with sedatives. Good Luck!

[jstead]

Thanks!

[kumate]

Just got my pup from kansas stopped in atlanta then to tampa, pup was fine. Had a big delay in atlanta, put the pup 4 hr late to tampa, total time in the crate was about 10hrs and he didnt go in the crate good luck

Jerry

[Killer Instinct]

Flew Abby out to Ohio this past 7-1-08 (she had just turned one year old).... Shipped from Alaska to Seattle to Cleveland on Continental via Cargo. They don't allow a dog to be sedated..... or at least this is what they said.....

[edondero]

if you are picking her up at 8 weeks you should be able to keep her with you at your seat, right?
I flew my girl from Las Vegas to NC. She was just six months and old enough for her rabies shots to fly, but too big and had to fly cargo. It was one day before it got too hot to fly animals so I was freaking out. We ended up getting delayed in TX and I raised cane until someone could confirm where my dog was and how the conditions were. Turned out the tarmac people were playing with her. I found most airlines pretty helpful and considerate.
Def wouldnt sedate though, I think if a pup that young suffers trauma it is certainly only temporary and some good loving when you get home will cure it.

[bwjohn]

flew my pup in from hungary when he was 10 weeks old. He has always traveled well.

brandon

[ohmymy111]

All 3 of my dogs have flown. 2 of have flown to or from France, one round trip to AZ, and one from Canada. 50% of the puppies I have sold fly out of State. I never sedate, or would consider sedating them for the flight. Yes thet are happy to get out of the crate, but for that matter, I am happy to get off the plane too. Puppies are exteremely resilient, they handle it just fine.

[CherrystoneWeims]

The only thing I have given my dogs when they have flown is some ginger. I've found it can help with the queasies if there is some turbulance.

I rented a Cherokee Six (back when we had our Warbird and couldn't fit a 500 crate into it!) a few years back and flew my dog to someone. We ran into some turbulance and I had forgotten to give him the ginger. Poor dog was drooling so much in the crate!