Travelling with PUGS

[fedi67]

Hi. I have an adorable pug girl who is the absolute princess in our house and has been with us for over 1 year. Every summer we go on holiday in Sicily for 3 weeks and last year, when she was still a puppy, I left her with a family of very good friends and she was very happy. However she can't stay with them this year. We had anyway decided to take her with us and she's booked on the plane (to fly in cabin with me inside a carrier), but now, two weeks from the departure I am having second thoughts. I am really nervous about the flying her- 2 flights for a total of about 4 hours of actual flying but between airport transfers and stop-over it will be 8 hours on the go. She is a nervous traveller, gets really stressed in the tube and the car, but OK with trains. She flew once when she was a tiny puppy but it was a domestic flight of 50 minutes. I am nervous about her getting stressed by all the travelling: tube, bus, planes and car. Also worried about the plane, if she gets breathing problems or it is too hot and I am not allowed to take her out the pet carrier.

Aside from travelling I am also not sure she would enjoy an holiday where she has to spend most of the time indoors with air con because it is too hot for her to be out!

However- she is clingy and follows me everywhere. She just wants to be with me, no matter what I am doing and is used to spend a lot of time with me. Hence the dilemma- would she be happier at home with someone looking after her (a friend would move in although she works so the puggy would spend part of the day on her own) or if she came on holiday with us?

She had BAOS surgery a month ago to help her breathing better and the vet said she can travel but I wonder if it would actually be just a stressing time for her!

I am calling on all pug (or frenchies) owners who travel or not travel(especially by plane) with their furry friends to help me make a decision. I am torturing myself here trying to do what's best for my pup. If onlyshe could talk...!!

It doesn't seem like there's much in it for your pug - you say she won't enjoy the travelling and won't much enjoy the holiday because she'll have to be indoors most of the time - and presumably this will also be quite limiting for you.

Does she already know and like the friend? If so, I'd leave her with the friend and save her the stress. I've got a non-brachycephalic dog who travels fine (long distance train anyway, never tried plane) and TBH I'm not sure I'd choose to take him on holiday abroad; he goes to DF who he adores.

I also remember this particularly sad case of a Frenchie in a carrier in a cabin... globalnews.ca/news/4084291/french-bulldog-puppy-dead-united-airlines-flight-probe/

Tbh it doesn't sound as if you're going to be doing her any favours making her go through all that. I think in your shoes I be leaving her at home with the friend.

If the friend came to stay and you could break up the day by having a dog walker or doggy day care, if friend works a long day, then surely it would be less stressful for your little dog.

I'm on my own with the dog - so we're pretty close - and have no one to leave her with and I've had to put her into kennels a few times - not for holidays - and she's been fine (she's also small, but not a pug).

I searched out kennels and found one I felt I could trust and even then I was really nervous about leaving her the first time, but as I say, she was fine. I've left her with them about 4 times now.

What you're contemplating sounds like an awful lot of stress for a small dog to go through and to be brutally honest I suspect you're doing it more for you than the dog.

I've a chug...no breathing problems runs like a maniac ...no way would I risk that journey for her.shes to precious...could you look at dog sitters in your home? Or a very good heated kennels

Sorry OP, I read that as you had a friend who could stay at you home.

So yes, as Summersnake says, perhaps a dog sitter or someone who will take the dog into their home, pricey but you might be happier with that than putting her into kennels.

I wouldn't put my dog through an unnecessary flight, I think it's just not fair.

I have a brachycephalic breed and there’s no way I’d do this, she might
Miss you if she goes in kennels but she’ll be safe.

Another vote for a dog sitter or someone who will look after her in their home.

Thank you everyone, you have definitely reinforced my decision to leave Mimi at home.

Initially I genuinely thought she would be happier coming with me as she is so clingy and spends all day by my side, so I really wasn't being selfish but instead putting her first- in fact, taking her with me would be a great limitation and I would't be able to do things on a whim! But then, on second thoughts I felt that even if she'll miss me this trip would be too stressful for her- and you all seem to agree.
Cheers everyone for taking the time to post a reply :)

I really don't think you'll regret your decision to leave her.

Whatever you decide to do, kennels or dog sitter, you might be surprised at how well she copes.

I found a lovely kennels - not actually the most expensive or posh - where they have a separate section for the small dogs well away from the big dog section, that was important to me as I felt my small dog would find less scary than having to listen to large dogs barking.

They were very careful about seeing the dogs settled in well and just generally seemed like they cared.

When I pick her up from them she's happy and bouncy and always seems to have had a great time.

The owner of the kennels told me that they've had dog owners in tears when they've left their dogs and it's the dogs that cope better than the owners.

Hope you find something that suit you and Mimi and you have a good holiday.

I know you have reconsidered anyway, but were you flying from the U.K. with her? You might have been able to take her out in the cabin, but on the way back in, she would have had to travel as cargo.