Flying with a Puppy: Tips and Experiences from Golden Retriever Life
Are you considering flying home with your puppy?
In this blog, I’ll share the good and bad experiences I had flying with my 8-week-old golden retriever.
If you’re interested in more training tips for your pup, we compiled all of our training content on The Hapco which is available to pet parents for FREE.
Planning for the Flight
Check Airline policies
Generally, dogs 20 pounds or less can travel in the cabin with their owner.
For reference, Emma was 12 pounds.
We called Southwest ahead of time to notify them we would be bringing a puppy on our return flight. Southwest typically allows six pets per flight, and this is on a first-come-first-serve basis. Our pet fare was $95 and we paid upon arrival at the airport.
Note: You may also want to check the airline about any procedure or paperwork that needs to be completed.
Disclaimer: Check each airline’s website for the most up-to-date policies before traveling.
Airline Pet Policies:
Packing for the Flight
Pet Carrier for Flying with a Puppy
A good pet carrier should be…
leak-proof
well ventilated
your pet can stand up and turn around with ease
fit under the seat in front of you
Dimensions: approximately 18 x 14 x 8 inches.
During the flight, your pet must be fully in the carrier with all sides zipped.
A pet carrier counts as one of your carry-on bags, so my wife brought along a second carry-on for personal items and puppy supplies.
🐾 Pro Tip: Facilitate a positive experience with the carrier by letting your puppy have time to explore, sniff and get used to the carrier before the airport. Allow your puppy to sniff the carrier. Lure them in and out with treats. Please do not force them inside.
In general, you’ll want to make sure you have everything for potty time, entertainment, and food/drink. Be mindful to pack enough food in case your flight is delayed or canceled.
We felt well equipped with these items to pick up Emma.
🛍 Shop our complete list for flying with a puppy on Amazon.
During our Trip
Check-In
We arrived early to check in with Emma at the airport ticket counter. This is when we paid the pet fare and received an ID tag for the carrier. Next stop: security checkpoint.
Security
When going through security with a puppy, the pet carrier goes through the Xray along with our carry-on luggage. I held Emma to walk through the screening device.
Terminal
We made it to the gate just before our flight was to board. This helped again with cutting down the time spent waiting, but it can also be risky! We avoided the pet relief areas since Emma is not yet fully vaccinated.
In-Flight
On the plane, your pet must always stay in the carrier. This means fully zipped and located under the seat in front of you. We had potty pads in the bottom of the pet carrier in case of an accident.
We had a delay at the gate, which was incredibly stressful. It was summer in Atlanta and the air was not working well. As a result, Emma started to get hot and we were told we couldn’t unzip the carrier to let her cool off. At one point I got an alert from my Apple watch saying my resting heart rate was abnormally high and it asked if I was okay.
Once we took off, the temperature became more comfortable, and sweet little Emma fell asleep until we landed. I think the rocking of the plane and white noise helped her relax.
Our Takeaways
We were relieved to be home. Flying with a puppy was more stressful than I imagined. If I had to do it again, I think I would opt for the 10-hour drive over flying.
Flying can be challenging because you do not know how your new puppy will do on the flight until you’re already in the moment and there are external factors that could significantly impact the experience:
▹ Flight delay with a long wait in the terminal
▹ Delay while on the plane, sitting on the runway
▹ Flight cancellation
▹ Extreme temperatures
▹ Perhaps even told you can’t fly because your puppy is too loud.
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