flying dogs abroad

[bobbypinseverywhere]

looking for some advice from anyone who has any experience about flying their dog to another country - namely - how much did it unsettle your dog, and how often do you think it would be fair to do it?

we are moving abroad and undoubtedly would take the dog out there with us. in terms of logistics i have the name of a company etc and a brief understanding with whats involved/ how to arrange it. however - my main question today is around bringing the dog back and forth - there is a likelihood i may be spending 6 months of the year here and 6 over there.

if we can't, he would stay there with my husband who would take care of him, however he is ' my dog' and bonded strongly to me, and i can't imagine spending 6 months away from him. in either scenario he will be well taken care of but just wondering if its a possibility to fly him back to spend 6 months here, then out again, or if thats too unfair on him.

its a 5 hour flight, he is young - 3 - and in good health, and there wouldn't need to be any quarantine. thoughts?

[LifeOfBox]

I did it but only once with a 3 year old Labrador. Ten hour flight, she was absolutely fine. I just arranged it all myself, she flew on the same BA flight I was on.

Not sure I would want to fly her frequently for more than a couple of hours, not sure why but I wouldn't. You need to consider the ground temperature as they just go into the hold and have to be transported onto the plane in the heat, i.e. I wouldn't want her hanging around for too long in very hot temperatures.

[Whitney168]

I can understand that this is ‘your dog’ - and also that the likelihood is that if you are away regularly for extended periods that his bond with your husband will increase and this may be hard for you - but no, I would not be regularly flying a dog back and forth, it would be for your benefit at the expense of his settled life.

There is always a risk associated with flying animals too (worse with brachycephalic breeds, just in case he’s one of those?), and it frankly won’t be a pleasant experience for him. I wouldn’t do it any more than I had to.

[LochJessMonster]

I would not be flying a dog back and forth regularly.
No matter how fine the dog seems after, I can guarantee being in the noisy and smelly hold of a plane would terrify even the most confident dog.

[WorseWorseandWorserer]

We brought our two spaniels with us when we emigrated from UK to Oz - they seemed to have got over the journey well and were thrilled to be reunited with us on arrival - as we were thrilled to be reunited with them too

By the time we retire our two will be long gone (another 15 years and they are now 10 and 12) and we plan to spend 6 months each side of the planet we have had to resign ourselves to no longer having dogs as it wouldn't be fair to put them through the travel long distance - plus the expense would bankrupt us!

I would only consider travelling regularly with dogs if it were possible to avoid flying.

[Honeyroar]

I spoke to a man who had lived in America and flown his dog out there. He said the dog had never quite been itself afterwards. When he moved home he found a cruise ship that took dogs. It took a week, but the dogs were in kennels and were walked round the ship twice a day. He said the dog coped much better.

[Eledamorena]

We have flown my dog very long haul a few times due to relocations. All involved more than one flight. Longest individual flight has been about 16 hours. Longest time in her box was probably closer to 24 due to time taken processing her on arrival.

Obviously I would not do this lightly, and we have only done it when relocating.

For a 5 hour flight, if he handles it well the first time, I would think every 6 months is ok, while he's young at least. Especially if he will go from one 'home' to another. The hardest bit for our dog last time was that we had to take her from the airport to a dog hotel place while we looked for accommodation. We have never been so efficient at finding somewhere and moving in!!! I would avoid that scenario at all costs.

[BiteyShark]

I think it would depend on how your dog copes. I know mine would be terrified and very stressed so I would only do it once if I was relocating and had no option but to fly rather than by land/boat.

[shinynewapple]

Can I ask if your plan is generally that your DP stays in the other country for 6 months while you fly back or would he only be doing this to care for your dog? If your DP is staying there anyway would you not be flying back at some point in the 6 months to visit him?

I can't imagine that my dog would cope with a 5 hour flight twice a year unless he was sedated, but he's not a good traveler anyway.

[LimeJellyHead]

My 2 dogs traveled from the UK to Malta. Even though that is a short flight (3 hours I recall, or abut that) it is a massively long day for the dogs. They had to be at the airport in their cages hours before the actual flight and then at the other end it was a long time before they came off and were back with us. Then you have to wait for the vet to check them over. It was a very long time in a little cage with no food or water. It had to be done but is not something I would do regularly. I imagine it was probably very scary for them as well, in the hold. In fact they must have been petrified.

A lot of airlines will take small dogs in the cabin these days, in a travel crate under your seat, but I think they have to be under 11kg or something.