We got to bring these pups home with us for the holidays, and a few of you reached out with questions about traveling with pets. Honest truth: it's not bad, but two vs. one is a game changer. A few words of advice...
- Research Airlines– We love Alaska Airline, so when traveling with the pups, we are exclusive to Alaska. The pet fee is reasonable, and the service is exceptional– in fact, once you're seated, a flight attendant will bring you a note with your pet's name confirming they're safely on board too. It's all in the details.
- Map Your Route– While flights to Alaska are long, when traveling with the pups, we always try to keep our total travel time to a minimum. When possible stick to direct flights.
- Plan Ahead– You'll need a health certificate, so make sure to schedule a vet visit a day or two ahead of travel. Depending on your vet, this certificates should be valid for 10-30days. Depending on your pet and travel destination, your vet may recommend additional vaccines/medication.
- Burn Energy– Before heading to the airport, (when possible) play catch or go for a run.
- Supply Comfort– We do our best to make the pups kennels comfortable. If all goes well, hopefully they sleep the whole flight, but regardless we make sure they each have a sleeping pad and favorite toy for comfort.
- Finally, brace yourself for the heartache... – While our pups have traveled a lot, I've never met a dog who actually liked flying. Long story short, they get super excited when they see our suitcases and realize they're coming with us. The excitement continues when we reach the airport and they have a hundred new faces to greet! If they've gotten to burn some energy prior to arriving at the airport, check-in runs pretty smoothly. In general, all is good and well, until the kennel door opens and they realize they'll be separated from us. This is the hardest part and always tears me up a little, but in our experience, they're so excited to arrive at our destination, that it makes the whole journey worthwhile!
One last word of advice, don't make your pets fly for just a few days. We never bring our pups along for weekend getaways, thats when we hire a sitter. We only consider bringing them along, when travel arrangements extend beyond 7-10 days. In our experience, this gives them enough to to adapt to new surroundings and take a break before making the journey back. Bottom line, know your pet, consult your vet, and if possible start them early. Both of our dogs started flying when they were puppies, and they usually get 2-4 flights with us a year.
Hope this helps all you fur momma's out there, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Also, don't forget to follow along in Instagram stories- Camp Grandma & Grandpa is their favorite!
