travelling with dogs - advice please!!

Hello everyone! I haven't been on here for ages!

I moved to Colombia last year and the plan for this year is for my dogs to join me here. (For those that don't know, my dogs are a WFT and a JRT called Archie and Ziggy)

I just came on to ask general advice about bringing them over. Both dogs have their passports and everything so it's more general advice about how to transport them.

The plan is to fly london-miami (9h30min), stop in miami for a few days to let them breathe a bit and then fly from there to Colombia. The second flight is 3hrs30min and apparently I can take them in the cabin with me.

Can anyone with experience travelling with dogs offer any practical advice? I'm wondering about crates, how the dogs will react to such a long flight (more archie than ziggy as archie is very spoiled) and all those things. help please!

Other advice that will be appreciated is about socialising the dogs when here. They will go from living in the city to either living on a working farm (with my mum) or possibly living in a house in the countryside.... we're not sure about the house in the country as they will have to get used to living with a very dominant akita bitch and i'm worried she might eat ziggy! so any advice about this will be appreciated too

thanks...

Do you mean British Colombia, Canada?

I'm a bit thick when it comes to geography!

If you hadn't already guessed!

hey rips

nope, colombia, south america!

Hello! :smt039

Holy cow, that's a long way!

First things first you'll need to buy specially designed crates for them to travel in that are approved for air travel, like vari kennel. You'll need to measure the dogs length and height to get the right size otherwise they won't let you travel!

From what I can understand airlines are very used to transporting animals and the place where they travel is temperature controlled.

Can't really say more than that, have never taken a dog on a plane before, just looking into it at the mo.

Goodluck!

My advice...Check that your dog is actually on that plane you are going...
I almost lost Sammy once - he was placed in the wrong ariplane! And I also heard some other people have similar experience! So do ask them to check before you leave - afterall you don't want your dog to end in another part of the globe (lost luggage)!

also - give them water, but try not to give them too much food.
Do not give them calming drugs as pressure in airplane change and it can cause complications.
I always give Sammy his blanket and a tedy, he doesn't play but I think it calms him.
Try to make yor dog tired before each flight (go for a long walk, play fetc, do some obedience) so that he will sleep most of the time.
try to arrange so he will be the last "lugagge" to be put on the plane. Have them with you before.
The kennel should be that made of plastic, not the kennels you can see through - when transported, it may hurt your dog and pull his hair. It is also less stresfull for the dog if it is darker inside.

As for ajusting - take it slowly. It is usually easier for dogs to adjust from city to rural life so I think no prob there.
Be carefull, there are some dogs that are not friendly, in rural areas they can form packs so be careful about that.

Good luck!

thanks rips, i'll have a look at the crates

Oh, I bought the transport kennel at the airport and I both the largest one available, although he could have a tad smaller crate
You know that you have to make reservations for your dog, right. Are you going to accompany your dog or not (it is far more expensive if you don't)? You know that in extreme temperatures most airlines won't take your dog over the ocean flight becouse of the danger that it could freeze/get heatstroke.
I once had to wait for a month so the temperatures where normal again (had ta wait till begining of september

thanks for the advice paw-paw

yes i'll be travelling with the dogs, should be easier that way. Also we are hoping to bring them over in the spring to avoid extreme temps in miami, otherwise we will have to wait till autumn!

Yep i remember you and Ziggy & Archie.
No advice regarding travel I am afraid, but to say it is lovely to have you back on the forum. Your new life in Colombia sounds fantastic - and I wish you all the very best when you transport your lovely dogs x