Home for the Holidays? How to Travel with your Dog

I have received a few emails regarding Teddy's first flight, as seen on Instagram.  With the holidays coming up, people are working on their plans to visit family and friends, and don't want to leave their puppies behind!

A couple of months ago, I took Teddy with me on a short flight to visit my grandparents.  I did a ton of research ahead of time, planned what to bring, and still learned a lot along the way.

Please don't leave me behind!

Preparing for your first (or any flight) is just as important as the flight itself.  I will provide you with a list of things you should bring on board, and pack in your luggage, and then walk you through Teddy's experience.

Before You Book Your Ticket

Before I booked my ticket, I called my airline, Air Canada, and reviewed their pet policy with them. They only allow a certain number of pets in the cabin at any time, and they need to know (and charge you, in advance).  Right after you book your ticket, you need to get in touch with their reservations team and let them know that you plan on bringing a pet.  You need to tell them at this time the dimensions of your carrier, and the weight and breed of your pet.  Once this is done, you are booked and ready to go!  

You will not be able to check in online, as an agent needs to verify the information you provided at check-in.  They are supposed to weigh your pup in the carrier, and do a visual check to make sure they are comfortable in there, and that they have room to stand up and turn around.  

If you are travelling within Canada, you do not need any certificates from your vet, but the US and international destinations have different rules.  You should consult their customs offices before you go.

Choosing a Pet Carrier

Choosing a pet carrier for Teddy was a difficult decision.  They really range in price and quality, but I was looking for something that would double as a safe way to transport him in the car.  There is really only 1 pet carrier that serves this function, and is also crash-safety tested: The Sleepy Pod.  

Only here for the treats

There are a few different models of this carrier.  The one that I think would serve me better day-to-day, the Original Sleepy Pod, was not an option, as it is too big for the airplane.  I like it because it can stay buckled into the car, just like a child's car seat, and the top part zips off to turn it into a bed, when away from home.  They do make a miniature version, but Teddy is too big for it.

I Love Teddy's Sleepy Pod Air, and he doesn't hate it either.  He sleeps in it on long drives to the cottage, so was not too shocked when he went in at the airport.  I was sure to leave it open in the house for him to explore in the days leading up to the trip, and even hid a treat in there.  I could not find him the night before we left, and after looking under every chair, couch, and bed, found him snoozing in his Sleepy Pod.

Packing List

Your dog carrier is considered a piece of hand luggage, so you will lose the personal item you are used to.  It is important to have some key items accessible at all times, so, I recommend bringing on board a tote back or backpack, filled with essentials for you, and your puppy.

I packed the following on-board in Teddy's tote:

1. 2 Top Paw Travel Bowls from Petsmart - one for food, and one for water
• These come in a variety of sizes and colors
• They have a carabiner on them which is very  handy, as I kept them clipped onto Teddy's Sleepy Pod
• For use not only in transit, but at your destination as well
2. 1 Gulpy from Global Pet Foods
• It is a system, where a water bottle is essentially attached to a bowl.  You just squeeze the bottle, and water drips into the bowl part for your puppy to drink.
• This is great for when you are on the go.  I often bring it on long walks, but in the airport, when you can't really set up your water bowl and have your dog roam around, it is a great mechanism for them to just sit up and have something to drink.
3. Lots of treats - whatever they like
• Because Teddy is still unsure whether or not he actually likes his carrier, I like to reward him every time he goes in.
4. 1 Kong
• Along with bones, Kongs, filled with cheese or peanut butter, are always great for long periods of puppy distraction.  For this particular trip, I packed Teddy's Kong with peanut butter, and froze it overnight to make getting all of the peanut butter even more difficult.
• I gave him his Kong once we were in our seats on the plane and he started crying to come out.  It tied him over until takeoff, when he got distracted by all of the loud noises and vibrations.
5. Teddy's Favorite Toy- Pizza by Zippy Paws
• If you follow Teddy on Instagram, you will see that he likes to bring his pizza everywhere, and will not let anyone take it from him.  I couldn't think of anything more comforting to him on-board the flight.
6. Pee Pads - I tried to get Teddy to pee on one just before we boarded, but he does not actually know what to do with these, as he was never trained to use them.  He really just tilted his head to the side, thinking "wait, you want me to PEE INSIDE".
7. A few portions of food - You never know if your baggage will be lost, or your flight will be delayed.  I kept some food with me on board, just in case.
8. Leash and roll of poop bags

   

   Teddy's Gulpy and bowls clip right onto the SleepyPod

The items in Teddy's tote covered most of what we needed for our long weekend away, but, there are still some things that were needed in my suitcase:

1.  Teddy's Crate, and Crate Bed - Midwest Icrate
• One of the reasons why I chose Teddy's crate is because it is collapsible.  When it is folded up, it fits on the bottom of a medium sized suit case, and does not take up much space.  For car trips, it comes with a handle.
• Teddy is used to being crated when he is home alone.  He even stays in there when the door is open, and waits for me to tell him it OK for him to come out.
• We stayed with my aunt, and I did not feel comfortable with him roaming around the house when we went to dog-unfriendly places.  Most pet-friendly hotels still require pets to be contained when you are not with them in the room, so that, for example, cleaning staff can do their jobs.  The Icrate is perfect for travelling.
2. Pet blanket - I get mine at Dollarama
• Teddy thinks that everyone's couch is his couch, and even if he is allowed on other people's furniture, I like to protect it with one of his blankets.
3. Pet towel
• Messes happen, and sometimes it rains.  I wanted to be prepared with something to wipe Teddy down in case he got messy. If I was staying at a hotel, I would plan to use one of their towels, but, I wanted to be more prepared for my aunt's house!
4. More food - Just because

The Experience

I gave Teddy a bit of food and water right before we called the taxi, hoping that he would need to go to the bathroom right when we got to the airport, and then not again until arrival.  This was a success, and we did not have any accidents.  Yay!

Teddy in the Lounge

I researched the pet policies at Pearson Airport before heading out, and learned that there IS a dog relief area, it is just outside of security, versus inside of the terminal, which would actually be helpful.  According to their website, pets are not allowed outside of their carriers inside of the terminal, but, this would prove to be difficult, as I did not want Teddy confined for such a long period of time.

I carried him into the terminal for check in, and the agent did not ask to see him, or his carrier.  I took him out, and let him walk on his leash to security.  I put all of his stuff through the X-Ray, and walked through carrying him.  According to policy, the pets are supposed to go right back into their carriers, but no-one said anything to me, so I let him walk on his leash.

Teddy was very calm in the terminal, and people were stopping to pet him.  No one seemed to mind that he was not in his carrier.  

Teddy in the Terminal

I checked into the Maple Leaf Lounge, but Teddy was very restless in his carrier.  I gave him some dinner there while I ate, and then tried to sneak him on my lap.  They said he absolutely had to be inside of his carrier there, so decided to find somewhere else in the terminal to hang out.  

We found an empty gate, and I set up a pee pad for him in case he wanted to go.  We waited there until just before our flight was scheduled to board.  I tried to be discreet and hide Teddy under one of the chairs, but he decided lounging on the chair was more comfortable.

The airport in Winnipeg proved to be even more relaxed than Pearson. We were very delayed on the way home, and Teddy took the opportunity to make himself right at home.  I set up his food and water, he lounged in his Sleepy Pod, and ran around with some kids.

Teddy's Setup in the Winnipeg Airport

When it was time to board the plane, I encouraged Teddy to go back into his Sleepy Pod with some treats.  He gladly obliged, turned around a few times, and settled in.  He was totally fine until the engines of the plane started to make noises, and then he started crying.  I gave him his Kong, which kept him occupied for a little bit, but then the screaming started again just after take off.

It is normal for a dog to become distressed in a situation they have never been in before, especially when there are so many new sounds and feelings.  Teddy started panting as the plane was taking off, so I tried cooling him off by unzipping the carrier a little and feeding him water with his Gulpy.  It worked a bit.

Teddy was still upset after takeoff, so I asked the flight attendant for some ice cubes, and put them in one of his bowls.  I read online before the trip that chewing ice will both stop their panting, and help their ears.  Teddy seemed to really like the ice.

Air Canada's policy is that the pet needs to stay in their carrier for the duration of the flight, but, some flight attendants are a little more relaxed.  I brought Teddy's Sleepy Pod onto my lap and unzipped it a bit, letting his head poke out.  he was then relaxed and fell asleep on my shoulder.

On the flight home, Teddy was completely fine, with a little whimper every now and then.  I think he knew what was going on, so was less stressed out about it.  I know that his experience flying will get better each time we travel together.  His first flight was uncharted territory, with lots of new noises, so I understand why he was scared.

Good luck on your first flight with your puppy! Let me know how it goes, and if you learn any new tricks for getting them to stay calm and happy.

For more how-to's, tips and ideas, make sure you keep checking KeepingUpWithTheodor.blogspot.ca, and subscribe! Don't forget to stay in touch on my Instagram @KeepingUpWithTheodor for a regular dose of cute pictures. 

Happy Holidays!

Home Sweet Home

Teddy’s personality changed to be completely outgoing once he took some time to explore his new environment and made new people friends.  His first night at home was very easy.  He was a quiet, shy puppy who followed all of the rules and was perfectly potty trained.  He slept through the night in its entirety.  I obviously bragged about this to all of my friends and family, who assumed I was being a typical mother, boosting his finer qualities, suppressing his wrong doings.  Well, I should not have said anything, because he quickly became a typical crying, peeing, pooing puppy.  Its ok- he is still my angel sent from heaven, and everyone loves him.

Teddy was very timid and afraid of everything when we first pulled into the driveway. With a lot of stuff to carry into the condo, I assumed Teddy would walk alongside us on his leash.  Teddy was so scared and shaking once I put him down, that I was actually very worried about him.  I scooped him up, put him close to my chest, and he calmed down instantly- a tactic that definitely came in handy on our first visit outside, and our first bath (more on that later).

Teddy took a long time to explore his new surroundings.  He was definitely unsure of what to do and where he was when he first walked in the condo.  I should have taken him right to his Pet Loo, because he peed on the floor.  I was not angry, as I should have known better.  He had not gone to the bathroom in 4 hours, was scared, and had no idea where he was.  DUH time to pee.

Before I headed to Spencerville, I left treats around the home in the key areas that I wanted him to explore, in order for him to get accustomed and to condition him to like certain places, namely his crate.  After learning that puppies need their crates covered so that they are dark, I entrusted my cousin Sarah, who is a talented seamstress to make him a glam, custom crate cover- how beautiful is it?! She even made a cover for his bed in there, and a spare one for when it is in the laundry.  His name is embroidered beautifully in gold on his bed covers and door.

I left a trail of kibble towards his water and food bowl, but he did not have much of an appetite for lunch or dinner.  I left some cheese near his crate, a small piece just inside of it so he would go in and explore (he LOVES Kraft singles).  Upon first sniff he loved his crate (to change once he realized he cannot come and go as he pleases).

As I mentioned before, Teddy did have an accident when we first walked in, but, his bathroom area was already set up (he just did not know to go there).  Teddy had been trained for a week or so to only use the bathroom on newspaper. 

It is not in my training plan for him to be using the bathroom inside, so I purchased a product called the Pet Loo which is pretty smart.  It is plastic drawer, filled with some powder similar to litter, and on top, a piece of astroturf.  His solid waste needs to be picked up, but his liquids filter through the grass, into the drawer, and then turn the powder into a solid for simple disposal.

I put newspaper on top of and around the Pet Loo, so that he knows he can only go there.

Timid Teddy was too scared to jump on and off the big scary Pet Loo at first, but now actually enjoys jumping off and doing some tricks.  He goes there for most of his bathroom breaks, but lately, we have been having some issues where he would rather use the floor. 

Teddy LOVES to cuddle.  He follows my right foot everywhere I go, and nuzzles beside me whenever I am still.  If he can reach, he jumps into my lap, or into my arms and just buries himself.   He is honestly the cutest, most heartwarming being, and I genuinely believe that if every nasty world leader or terrorist had a puppy as special as my Teddy, there would be world peace.

Teddy’s first sleep was amazing, and led me to believe that this whole crate training, puppy raising thing would be a piece of cake.  He fell asleep while lying down with me, watching TV, woke up to use the bathroom, and went into his crate at around midnight.  He did not make a sound or wake up until 6:30 the following morning when he ran out of the crate to his Pet Loo.

For more how-to's, tips and ideas, make sure you keep checking KeepingUpWithTheodor.blogspot.ca, and subscribe! Don't forget to stay in touch on my Instagram @KeepingUpWithTheodor for a regular dose of cute pictures.