Pick up from the airport --any tips?

[NS]

HI there, what can I expect when I go to the airport to pick up our puppy? Any and all suggestions are welcome. We are NEW pet owners, super excited but nervous as well. Is it best to take him out of crate and carry him to the car? Is it best to let him sit on our lap in the car?? Seriously, any and all advice is GREATLY appreciated. 

[Heather & Brinkley]

We didn't pick Brinkley up from the airport but here are my two suggetsions:

 

1) Bring lots of papertowels in case he gets car sick. 

 

2) At lest wrap him in a blanket if he comes with one so he has the old scent with him to keep him calm.

 

I think everyone else will give you mroe advice on how to get him home safely (crate, harness, etc.)

 

Good luck!  And just remember, you will get through the puppy stage alive.  There will be times that you wondered what you got yourself into but they are so worth it in the end!

[Gail and Bailey]

How old is your puppy?  The picture you posted looks like he is about 4 months old or so.  I think the age of the pup make a difference in what you do when you pick him up.  If he is just a baby you must do as advised and not put him on the ground for fear of germs but if he is older and has had all his shots it would be different.  Let us know more about the dog and we can help more.

[NS]

hi, the photo i posted is our puppy. we will be picking him up at the airport and he will be 8 weeks old. thanks!!

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

First, congratulations on your puppy.  What a cutie!  

I, too, thought that your adorable pup was about four-months old.  To me, the picture looks to be of a puppy that's much older than eight weeks, but I'm certainly no expert.  I hope that this doesn't make you nervous, but have you met him/her yet?  I'd double-check to be sure that he or she is the age that you expect.  

Since I didn't pick up either of my doodles from the airport, I don't have any additional suggestions to offer.  You will surely get loads of excellent advice here.  Lots of luck with your pup -- I love his color and coat.

[Ginny Nightingale]

I agree that an 8 week old pup would never have that much of a coat--here is a pic of one of my 8 week old pups when he was picked up and he is considered to be a HAIRY guy--sometimes breeders (unscrupulous ones of course) send a picture that has nothing to do with the pup you are getting.

[Ginny Nightingale]

And here is a pup that is 4 months old...it takes a while for the hair to grow that long and your pup has curls, so the hair is actually even longer when stretched out.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Take him out of the crate immediately and if it has been a long trip, he will be a bit messy so bring towels and lots of them. He will be sooooo happy to be out of the crate that he will bond with you immediately as his hero!! This is the one trip that you should cuddle him and hold him all the way home. If it is a long trip, sit in the back seat--I always worry about fender benders and air bags going off in the front seat--but I am a nervous Nelly! After this trip, he should be in a crate in the car, not wandering about and when older, you can get a harness for him that attaches to the seat belt--much safer for everyone.

All other suggestions about bringing a puppy pad, water are perfect, but don't expect too much of him until the next day.If it was a long trip he will be exhausted and will just need lots of loving. Many people suggest putting him in his crate at bedtime and putting it in your room the first night and/or near you so that he is reassured.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

We picked up both ours at the airport and here is what i did for each arrival. We opened the crate and let him/her come to me. They were both shaking and timid at first. They both had water in their crates, so I figured they needed to go potty. I did let them walk out and put a leash on so they wouldn't bolt and let them smell their new surroundings. On both occasions they peed soon after coming out of the crate and potty training began with "go potty" , "good boy/good girl".

I sat in the back seat holding Murphy as I wasn't driving. I had the items from his crate with him. Even though it was only a 30 min ride, he whimpered once and we stopped to go potty again and he did immediately. I had paper towels and a blanket for my lap in case of any accidents. I didn't bring water as I knew there would be some in his crate and didn't want to put anything in his tummy that could upset him.

With Bella I drove alone to the airport and started out with her in the crate, but she pucked right away, so I put her up front with me on blankets and she continued to puke the whole way home. Not too much I could do as I was driving, so just petted her and talked to her. They both stopped shaking pretty soon after we got on the road.

They both went potty outside as soon as they were outside of their crates, near the loading dock, in the parking lot. I did not bring potty pads, wasn't overly concerned about parvovirus. Both good ideas, but I doubt either one would have gone right on the pads anyway.
Take lots of pictures as the first moment you see your pup is just an amazing moment and you will want to look back at it through the yrs.

[Dot, Maggie and KoKo]

When we  picked Koko up at the airport we had to take her out of the crate so we could do an inspection which was required by the airline.  They want to be sure she was delivered in good condition.  After we cuddled her for a while, we put her back into her crate for the walk from the terminal to the car.  I didn't want people stopping us to pet her and exposing her to germs and frightening her more. Poor little thing had enough changes in her young life that day.   Once in the car, she rode the whole way home in the laps of my granddaughters who accompanied me to the airport to pick up the new addition.  It was a mystery ride for the girls since I never told them where and why we were going. They were as excited as the puppy.   Today she is two and a well adjusted handful. 

[Margaret & Pebbles]

When I picked up Pebbles at the airport, it was a separate building from the airport which made it easy.  I brought paper towels and doggie wipes with me, I didn't know if she would be messy.  I also brought some puppy biscuits and a leash and collar.  Her crate was dry, so when we got to a grassy area I put the collar and leash on her, and she did pee.  My friend came with me and we put her crate in the backseat with her in it, and my friend sat next to her.  I'm a good hour drive from the airport.  My friend gave Pebbles a few biscuits, she was hungry and barked for more!  I had a good experience with Continental.  Good luck on your new pup!

[Stephanie and Jellybean]

I had to pick up from the airport alone. Bring some wet wipes to clean out the crate with. Our puppy had thrown up all over the crate from the flight. It was a mess. Also a lightly damp towel to just wipe down the puppy if need be. Water and bowl of course. I could not drive and ride with puppy on my lap, so she had to go back into the crate for the hour ride home.

[Meridith and Lola]

When I picked up Lola from the airport, the breeder had taped her collar and leash on top of the crate so I took it off and put it  on her to take her outside immediately.  I assumed (incorrectly) that the collar had been fitted for her,  I too was a first time dog owner so didn't really know what to expect.  Well we get outside and a second later she is out of the collar - I freaked out to say the least but was able to grab her quickly.

A friend had come to the airport with me and had her small dog with her with a harness.  She gave me the harness to get her home more securely.

Just an FYI!!

Good luck and enjoy