You can fly to the breeder's home and pick up your puppy in person.
OR
You can ship a puppy cargo.
FLYING TO YOUR BREEDER'S HOME
PICKING UP YOUR PUPPY IN PERSON
Things to consider before purchasing your airline ticket: Purchase in advance and save money. If you purchase your ticket a month or more in advance, it will be less expensive. Purchasing a ticket in advance is normally done when you have placed a deposit on an upcoming litter. If you live close to the breeder, a ticket for you and your puppy could be less expensive than flying a puppy
cargo.
Which airline to choose: I recommend flying Southwest. Why? I have found that Southwest has one of the best ticket refund policies in the business. If a problem were to arise, you can easily change your ticket and you will not loose money. I never recommend purchasing non refundable flights.
Cost of Your Puppy's Ticket
As of 2011, the puppy's ticket cost $75.00 when you fly Southwest. The $75.00 puppy ticket is in addition to the cost of your ticket.
Booking Flights For You and Your Puppy
Step #1. Research flights for you first. Find one you like, but do not book it yet.
Step #2. Call the airline and make sure there is flight space for your puppy on the flight you have researched and are ready to book. Airlines have above board pet limits. (5 above board pets per flight)
#3. If there is room for your puppy above board, then go ahead and book your flight.
#4. Once your flight is booked, immediately call the airlines, give them your newly purchased flight information and reserve your pet's flight space on the plane.
It is best to do all of this in the same day because availability changes by the minute.
#5. Remember...You can book both your flight and your puppy's flight reservation from your end when flying a puppy above board. You pay for your flight in advance. You do not pay for your puppy's flight until the day you fly with them.
How To Check In Your Puppy At The Airport
You stand in the normal check in line with everyone else. You pay for the puppy's flight when you reach the counter. There is no special place to check in when you are flying your puppy above board. Stand in line and have your funds & information ready and organized.
Booking Flights Around Deposit Pick Dates
(If you are purchasing an older puppy, this does not apply) As soon as you place a deposit to reserve a puppy, the breeder should give you a "Pick Date". I do picks at 8 weeks old. I give everyone a pick date starting at the 8 week old mark. Example: Pups are 8 weeks old June 1st. First pick is assigned June 1st as their pick date. They fly in on
that day to pick which puppy they want in person or pick via email. Second pick gets June 2nd, etc... I do not move these dates once they are set. Buyers who want to fly or drive in to pick up their puppy have to stick to their pick day. If they do not, it will interfere with everyone's flight schedules. If a person can not stick with their pick day, they have to pick which puppy they want via email. They will have to choose a puppy based on
all the pictures and videos I have sent them. The benefit to flying in to pick up your puppy in person is that you get to meet the puppies before you pick. It is a special experience picking out your puppy in person. You will get to pick a puppy that you connect with.
Purchasing Above Board Sherpa Carriers
You will have to purchase a Sherpa carrier if you are flying your puppy above board. A Sherpa carrier is a large purse with breathing mesh air vents on the sides. Make sure you contact your airline for the flight approved dimensions. Only puppies weighing 20 lbs or less are allowed to fly above board in a Sherpa carrier. The puppy must be able to fit into the Sherpa. Not a problem with
8 week old Tibetan Terriers. These pet carriers are found at your pet store for around $80.00.
Showing Up At The Airport With Your Puppy
Airports have leash laws and other dog regulations to protect. When I show up at the airport, I place my puppy in the Sherpa carrier with the top unzipped. The puppy rides around with their head sticking out the top. I also have a leash on the puppy and one hand holding the puppy into this riding position. You do not want to worry about the puppy trying to jump out. This
seems the safest way to keep the puppy calm and safe. You do not want your puppy to get stepped on or injured by people in a hurry when attempting to walk them on a leash. You do not have to zip your puppy all the way into the pet carrier until you board the flight.
Potty Time With Your Puppy At The Airport
Potty your puppy before checking in. Make sure your puppy has a collar and leash on at all times. After you have checked in, there will be time to pass. Pups are unpredictable when it comes to potty time. When in the waiting area, pick a far corner and let your puppy play around. (If allowed by the airport) Be fully prepared with a blanket for it to play on, toys &
potty pads to catch accidents. If your puppy starts to potty, do not over react and make a scene. Simply slide the potty pad under the puppy as fast as you can. Toss it in the bathroom garbage. If you over react it will draw attention to the incident and cause anxiety in your puppy. You want to keep the puppy as calm as possible so they will sleep on the flight. Instead of over reacting, be prepared for potty accidents in advance. Have your potty
pad ready and waiting at all times.
Walking Your Puppy While At The Airport
Not all airports have an outdoor grassy area to walk and potty your puppy. Large airports often do not. Small airports often do. If the airport does not have a grassy area you can often exercise your puppy in the parking garage prior to checking in. If you arrive to the airport extremely early, find a nearby shopping / hotel area to walk your puppy prior to driving into the airport.
Have lunch but do not feed your puppy much prior to flight. Allow time to check in your rental car, then spend time walking your puppy in the grassy area or the parking garage. Wear your puppy out as much as possible. They will be ready for a nice nap come flight time.
The Flying Experience
Once you board the plane, you absolutely can not take the puppy out of the Sherpa carrier. No exceptions. I recommend sitting towards the back of the plane. If the puppy gets restless, it is harder for people to stare and you will be close to the bathroom in the case of a puppy poo accident. Call the stewardess for assistance if this happens. Do not remove the puppy from the carrier. Puppies
seldom potty in the Sherpa carriers. I have never had it happen. Once they are zipped in, most puppies will sleep the trip.
You have to place the Sherpa carrier under the seat in front of you. Just like you would with your purse. If the puppy wines, you can reach into the bag, but you can not let the puppy out. I carry a small bag of Royal Cannin puppy kibbles. They are very tiny kibbles. I will reach in and give the puppy a kibbles and try to keep them calm. Absolutely do not give the puppy something it could
choke on.
If the puppy cries during flight, oh well. Guess what...Babies cry on planes too. Stay calm and just smile at people. This is your new baby. The passengers will just have to get over it. You will only be doing this once.
SHIPPING A PUPPY CARGO
First things first: Find out if your breeder will even ship a puppy cargo. Some do and some do not. This is my least favorite option, but I do ship a puppy cargo when necessary.
Pricing The Difference:
Flying a Puppy Cargo vs Flying You With Your Puppy
Weighing the cost difference will depend on how far you live from your breeder. If you live close, purchasing a ticket for you to fly in to pick up your puppy in person can actually be cheaper. If you live far away, purchasing a ticket for you is very expensive. There is a huge difference in price if you are flying from Idaho to Oregon...Or from Florida to Oregon.
$$ Cost of Cargo Shipping Your Puppy $$
When shipping a puppy cargo, destination and distance does not make a difference in the price of the cargo rate. The cost is solely based on the weight of the dog and the size of the crate.
Puppy Weight Cost: The more the dog weighs, the higher the cost. A Tibetan terrier puppy only weighs around 12 pounds.
Crate Size Cost: The larger the crate, the higher the cargo cost.
The cost of a Tibetan Terrier puppy's ticket is usually around $220.00. (As of 2012) This ticket price is based on both factors. If you purchase an oversized crate, this will be more.
Other cost of cargo shipping: Cost of the crate is around $80.00 to $100.00 It depends on how fancy you want to get and the size of crate you want.
The size of crate needed: The puppy needs to be able to stand up and turn around in the crate. A medium crate is sufficient. If you want a larger crate that you can use as the puppy grows, you will have to discuss this with your breeder. Large crates cost more money. I do not use these types of crates for everyday use. They are hard to clean in the event of an accident. I prefer the
metal crates with removable plastic trays in the bottom for everyday use. You can not ship a puppy in a collapsible metal crate, so most people buy both types of crates.
Type of crate: This needs to be a plastic pet travel carrier that meets the USDA and IATA requirements for shipping live animals. They have a secure locking metal door with wire windows and vents for air circulation. They also have holes in the edges for securing the puppy in the plane.
Cost of water dish: $20.00 These water dishes are designed to attach to the front of the crate's wire grid. You can purchase these special dishes at the pet store. Ask the store clerk for assistance in finding the right kind.
Blanket: You will also need a blanket for the bottom of the crate. I prefer fleece blankets. Do not put anything in the crate that the puppy can choke on. Strings from blankets can be a hazard. Some people use shredded newspaper. I prefer not to. Potty pads can also be shredded up and eaten by your puppy. If the puppy potties on the blanket, no big deal. It can be cleaned once
the puppy arrives. No dog chews are allowed inside the crate.
Stickers And Labels For The Crate
Each cargo dog crate needs to be marked with the appropriate stickers and labels used for live animal transport. The airline will give you these when you arrive to drop off the puppy. You can put the stickers on when you get there. A breeder can also request extra labels in advance if they will be shipping more than one puppy. The placement of the labels can be done prior
to dropping off the puppy at the cargo hold. The puppy cargo crate also needs to be clearly marked with the Breeder's contact information and the Buyer's contact information. Names, cell phone numbers, address, etc. They have a label for this or it can be written directly on the crate with a sharpie marker. It is also recommended that you write the dogs name on the front of the crate. This is for the employees. It helps the puppy stay calm if they are called by
their name.
Official Veterinary Certificate of Health
There are strict rules when flying a puppy cargo. The airlines request that the breeder secure an Official Certificate of Health prior to flying your puppy. The cost of this can vary. It will involve a well puppy check up with your veterinarian and the additional cost of the certificate. The well puppy check can cost between $35-$60. The certificate can cost between $15-$25.
Rabies Certificate
A rabies certificate is not required by the airlines unless the puppy is over 3 months old. It is very important to fly a puppy before they reach 12 weeks old, or you will also have to give a puppy their first rabies shot. I personally feel that this is too young for a rabies. But the law is the law. Flying a puppy prior to 12 weeks will not require a rabies shot. Post 12 week....You will
need to give this shot prior to flying the puppy.
Vaccines & Flying Puppies
Absolutely do not fly a puppy who has had a vaccine within 4 days of the flight. Some studies show that 25 % of puppies can have delayed vaccine reactions up to 5 days post vaccine. You do not want to give a puppy a shot, then put them on the plane. They can become ill and even die from the stress the vaccine puts on their body.
Picking the Right Airline
Not all airlines have pressurized and climate controlled cargo areas for pets. This is the first question I ask. You want the cargo area to be both pressurized and climate controlled. I usually fly a puppy Continental Airlines. However, not all of Continental's planes have pressurized and climate controlled cargo holds. Only certain planes have that capacity. You need
to ask which flights offer this capability when you purchase the puppy's cargo flight. You may be limited to early hour or late night flights. The airlines will tell you which Boeing plane has this capacity. Knowing this will help when booking a flight for your puppy. The flight schedule reflects which plane they use for that flight.
Some airlines also have climate controlled transport buses for the dogs. The dogs are never out in the heat or cold for long periods of time when boarding the plane. Very important feature. This appears to be standard with Continental. If flying a puppy cargo with a different airline, you need to ask those important questions.
Feeding a Cargo Puppy
Your puppy will definitely need a water dish. Your puppy will not need food on a cargo flight unless they have a two stop flight. If the puppy's flight is very long and they have more than one stop, then the breeder will have to send some puppy food for the trip. This dry pet food is placed in small baggies and duct taped to the cargo container along with the feeding instructions. Otherwise, the
puppy will not need food. The airline will place ice chips in the puppy's water dish. But a food dish will only be necessary if it is a very long flight with flight changes. From what I have experienced, the airlines take very good care of the dogs.
Purchasing Puppy Flight Insurance
The airline offers insurance for your puppy if you are flying it cargo. If something were to happen to the puppy, the insurance is meant to cover losses. I prefer to purchase this, even though it is highly unlikely that something will happen to your puppy in flight. You can discuss this option with your breeder. It is not very expensive.
Dropping a Puppy Off When Flying Cargo
You do not drop a puppy off at the normal people check in area. The puppy is dropped off at the cargo hold area designated by the airline. It is a completely different area and usually found blocks away from the airport. Ask your airline for driving instructions.
Picking Up Your Cargo Puppy
When the buyer arrives at the airport, you will not be picking up your puppy at the normal people pick up area. You will need to ask your airline where the cargo pick up hold is for the airport. They will give you directions and instructions on how to pick up your puppy from cargo. Once again, this area is normally located a couple of blocks away from the airport people drop off area.
Paying for the Puppy's Cargo Ticket
The puppy's ticket MUST be paid for at the breeder's end. The airlines will not let you pay for this over the phone via credit card at the time the reservations are made. You have to show up and pay for the ticket in person. They will take a credit card in person...But not from your card, over the phone. They will only let the breeder use their credit card. They also take cash or checks.
That being said....The breeder will have to pay for the flight at the time of the flight. If your breeder does not cover the flight cost, then you will have to send them this cargo ticket cost & crate cost in advance.
Other Important Health Tips
Never drug a dog prior to flying them cargo. Never feed a puppy within 4 hours of flying them. If a puppy shows any kind of sickness, do not fly the puppy cargo. Book a new flight and ship them when they are feeling better.
Total Approximate Cost of Flying a Puppy Cargo
Ticket cost: $220.00 + Crate cost of $80.00 + Water dish $20.00 + Blanket cost $10.00 + Pet Insurance $20.00 ?
Total Cost: $300.00 - $350.00 to fly a puppy cargo.
I charge the buyer $300.00 set cost to fly a puppy cargo and cover everything over that. I do not charge extra to drop a puppy off at the airport.
Hope you find this link informative. Good luck shipping your puppy. Here are some videos for you to watch...
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There are many videos on Youtube the cover the subject of flying a puppy cargo. Here is one for starts. I recommend that you watch several of these videos. They all touch on different aspects of flying a puppy cargo.
