Flying Internationally?

[catherine grose]

We are considering moving from Europe back to California but i am really upset about flying Hector my 8 month old MGD. He has been on a small airplane in a crate for half an hour and was fine but LHR to LAX is 11 hours!!

I'm trying to do research but i keep freaking out and crying.

I guess we could get through one flight, one time. But if it is too awful to repeat then does this mean he will never visit the UK ever again!

Extra stress added by the fact that we waited years to get Hector. We didn't want to get him while we were unsettled and were going to move country. Low and behold, we are considering moving again after just one year of being 'settled' in France.

Any flying stories here?

Especially recent ones as flying regulations changed in 2012. 

[Zoe, Benny and Tyler]

We live in the Netherlands and o e of my dogs is coming from a breeder in the US. Therefore he flew from Los Angeles to Amsterdam bu himself. I have good experiences with this. Both at LAX and AMS is an animal hotel where they are boarded before and after the flight. They do not need to stay in their crate there but are put into a larger pen. Also in Amsterdam my dog had been walked already for a potty break by the staff there. While I was doing all the paperwork I saw other dogs also being walked by staff of the animal hotel. They have vets there who do the examination before and after flight to check if the dog is fit. My breeder prepared Tyler well in advance. He loved his crate and considered it as a secure place. He had towels with scent from the family in his crate and 2 chewing toys. Before and during the flight staff checked that his water bowl in the crate was filled. They are not allowed to open the crate but are checking on the animals flying during the flight. When we got Tyler it was not visible at all that he had come straight from an 11 hour flight. When his crate was brought his tail was wagging and when we let him out he was a happy active dog. I hope this story helps a little to overcome your anxiety re the flight. I would also still avoid a flight but am very positive that my boys would cope well in case it is ever needed again.

[Jennifer & Truffle]

I would love to hear about other folks' experiences as well.  We live in the States, but my husband is French and all of his family still lives there.  Every 2-3 years we return for several weeks during the summer and I wonder how feasible it would be to take Truffle with us - both in terms of the flight and the paperwork involved in bringing him into and out of France (I did some quick research a while back and it doesn't look like quarantine is required, so that's a plus).  If anyone has done this before, I'd love to hear about it!

[catherine grose]

I think the microchips in France are different to USA but that may not be a issue for vacation visit. Obvioysly you need up to date rabies and worming. FYI. Our research showed us that the cost of European flights for dogs is crazy (over $1000) but you can get a new York to Paris flight for less than a human.

[Zoe, Benny and Tyler]

Quarantine is indeed not applicable, but you need up to date vaccinations and in particular rabies shots. If you travel for visits the procedure is much easier as you do not need customs clearance (you will need that when you mive). If you have a European pet passport from your vet this document will mostly be it what you need when travelling. Hope that some other members can share their experiences as well so that you get a couple more opinions.

[Pam Thomas]

I keep watching this site but there in not much here. I plan on retiring in 1.5 year and want to go to Ireland for a month and take my dood. Is it worth it or too hard on the dog.?

[catherine grose]

So far we have only taken Hector on a 30 min flight. Tiny plane where I walked him on and put him into their crate. He was so relaxed and sleepy that he didn't notice take off or landing. I think that he found it identical to being in a car with windy roads and speed bumps. So I wouldn't worry about the stress of a short flight. My concern is with long period of confinement and the loading process on 'real' flights.