Flying With an 8 week old Puppy

[Puppy Madness]

We're going to pick up our puppy next weekend and I'm a bit nervous about the trip back since it's a 5 hour flight. My mom and sister will be with me so we can tag-team, luckily it's non-stop so we won't have a layover. I've read tons of tips about not feeding him the morning of the flight, just water, and playing a lot in the morning to tire him out before takeoff. I'm most worried about the size of the in-flight carrier. It's a Mr. Peanut's soft sided dog carrier, says it will work for dogs up to 14 lbs but it seems so small. Has anyone else flown with an 8 week old Goldendoodle puppy? Any tips on the carrier you had or what helped you survive the flight would be great. 

Thanks! 

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Has your breeder told you how much your puppy weighs now?  As long as he fits in the carrier, and fits under seat on takeoff, you should be ok.  Once in flight, you can probably sit it on your lap and comfort him it need be.  I would bet he will sleep most of the trip home.  Usually a new puppy is very quiet the first day or two as it gets used to its surrounds - but maybe that was just our experience.  Try not to worry, and enjoy the trip.  Looking forward to homecoming photos.

[Ozzy - Courtney]

I've flown with Ozzy (my puppy) many times until he got too big for the carrier and he did great. He was so quiet that the person sitting beside me didn't even know there was a puppy on board. And no, I didn't give him a Benadryl LOL.

I used the medium sized Sherpa carrier and he had plenty of room and it fit perfectly under the seats on a Delta flight. I always called Delta to book my flights and the representative would ask for the dimensions of the carrier to be sure that it would fit under the seat. I always had treats or a little bit of his kibble to give him in case he got excited, plus we always had layovers. Also, I would take about two potty pads just in he had to potty. The finally thing is just make sure that you have whatever health records your airline requires. Good luck and I'm sure that you all would do just fine during the flight.