Robin and I were at a Dog Training session in Miramar last night helping a client and his dog with Separation Anxiety. Being June, everyone is either on their summer vacation trim or preparing for their summer vacation trip. Our client was getting ready to take his family and dog to California and Disneyland. This meant that his dog was going on his first plane flight. He wanted to know what he needed to do…
We first explained that getting a dog ready for a plane is not something that can be done overnight. Like most behavioral issues and socialization requirements with dogs, it requires time, patience, and consistency. There are many things that you must reinforce with your dog before you get in that scary, cramped seat. It is often scary for “us humans” who have traveled many times before. Just think of what it must be like for our dog!
The one thing that our client had going for him was that his dog is a Toy Poodle and can be taken on the plane with him. With this said, here are the instructions we provided:
- Be sure you have an approved and appropriate carrier for your dog. Contact the airlines you will be using and ask them for the proper specifications for the dog carrier. Most Dog Carriers that are “airline approved” will have that noted on the purchase tag.
- Confirm with the airlines that your dog is the appropriate size to travel with you. Ask for all specifications you will need to confirm. Different airlines have different rules and they can change from time to time. Make sure that your information is up to date.
- Airlines have a specific number of dogs they allow on any. Make sure that you have a confirmed space for your dog.
- Start to socialize your dog with the dog carrier by placing him in it for short times during the day. Increase the time that he spends in the carrier and carry it around the house. Take him to public places and carry him around in the crate. This will simulate your carrying him through the airport.
- Put him in his carrier, walk from one room to the next, sit down, and put him at your feet. Next, read a book for an hour or two to simulate the flight.
- Make sure that your dog has toys and other distractions in his carrier to keep him busy and to stimulate his mind.
- We don’t want a “poopy accident” while on the plane. Feed him far in advance of the flight and make sure he had gone to the bathroom.
- If he still seems fearful of these actions as you approach your flight day, try giving him Bach Flowers Rescue remedy or a relaxant prescribed by your Veterinarian before you board the plane. (This is the equivalent of all the nervous human passengers hanging out at the bar next to the boarding gate.)
Remember that all we are doing is socializing our dog with the notion of staying in his carrier for an extended period of time. If we turn the carrier into a happy and safe place, he will embrace the carrier and we will have no problem. For more information about flying with your dog or general dog training information, please contact us at (954) 424-0170 or The Best Dog Trainers inMiramar and South Florida.
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar