Transport Dog Crates for Travel With Your Dog
An alarming number of dogs and other pets become injured, lost, or even die on board an airplane when traveling in transport dog crates. Compared to the number of successful animals transported from one location to another via the airlines, this number is low. But dog enthusiasts and breeders routinely fly their dogs in transport dog crates or pet travel carriers without having any trouble at all. The airlines claim to make every effort possible that dogs that travel on-board will be perfectly safe.
Even though thousands of pets are safely transported via rail or air every year, this is not a signal to pet owners that they can become complacent if they need to travel with their pet, or send their pet via dog transport methods alone. Think how you would feel if disaster struck while your dog was traveling, and you had not properly prepared for the dog transportation.
The best precautionary measure you can take, of course, is not to transport your pet at all. The next best is to drive to your destination and take your dog in the car with you – you will preferably need to use pet travel carriers for this purpose, but your dog will be right alongside you all the way. If you have a puppy, or small dog, then the trip will not be so traumatic for your dog if he is allowed to travel in the passenger compartment with you, tucked safely underneath your seat. There are some really stylish pet carriers you can use for this purpose, as well as the very small sized transport dog crates.
Before proceeding with dog transport of any type, it’s a wise decision to see your veterinarian for a general checkup for your dog to ensure that he is in fact in good health, and well enough to travel safely. He could be suffering from a medical condition that could put him at risk during travel that has never been pointed out to you, or that has only recently arisen.
The best time of day for your dog to travel is when the outside temperature is at a medium level. So if you’re traveling in a warm climate, early morning or the evening are the best times. Conversely, if you’re traveling in especially cold weather, the middle of the day is best. This will help ensure that your dog does not overheat, or catch a chill.
Puppies, in particular, are likely to suffer from stress or anxiety if put into transport dog crates in the cargo area of the plane. Unless your puppy is already very large, it is really important to ensure that if flying is your only option, that you will be permitted to bring him with you in the passenger compartment.
All dogs, no matter what their age, can be affected by separation anxiety. And unfortunately larger dogs have no option but to be placed in the cargo section of the airplane in transport dog crates for this purpose. Travel pet carriers that go underneath seats are not an option for larger dogs.
Separation anxiety is a real condition that should not be overlooked. It is estimated that almost 20% of all dogs suffer at some level from separation anxiety. These personality types make very poor candidates for dog transport by airplane, unless they can travel in the passenger cabin with you (which medium and large dogs obviously cannot). Such dogs should not be left alone and when their condition reaches elevated levels, it is not uncommon for a dog to literally chew through a metal cage in the attempt of trying to escape, causing severe injuries that can cause the dog to bleed to death. It may be possible to treat your dog with natural anxiety remedies, or you may even want to talk to your vet about a sedative if you think your dog will react badly to being transported.
Luxury pet carriers are all the rage today. But if you’re doing any serious traveling around with your dog, or dog transport, you may want to forego stylish pet carriers for heavier duty transport dog crates.