[LittleLouie]

We're moving to Hawaii! I'm sure there are a few of you here who are familiar with the process of flying a dog, or any pet, to Hawaii. I've already started the process, and Louie's date that he can arrive in Hawaii is about Jan. 12-13. So far we're rolling right along. Our next steps are to get his health certificate and have the vet apply his flea/tick drops. That isn't until next month, though. And then I've got to get our plane tickets....

Does anyone recommend an airline? So far I've chosen Alaskan Airlines because they have a 150 lb. weight limit. Hawaiian Airlines has a 70 or 75 lb. limit, and I think they are a little more expensive. With his crate, he shouldn't weigh more than 85-90 lbs, at most.

What I'm most worried about is how he might act on the plane. He doesn't like to be in his crate and left alone for a long time, and has tried to chew his way out before, (Seattle to Hawaii, one way) so what are suggestions for sedatives? I'll be asking my vet, of course, but just curious if there are any suggestions. Will the airline allow me to cover his crate also? I don't want to risk him getting aggressive if he sees other dogs. Is there anything else I can do to prepare him for the flight??? I'm so worried about him! He's my baby, so I feel like I'm putting my child in the cargo section of a plane. :uhoh::uhoh:

 

[Dallas Gold]

Congratulations on your upcoming move!!

They aren't going to allow you on the tarmac or into the plane's belly where they keep the dogs and baggage/cargo beforehand so you won't be able to put anything over his crate yourself after you drop him off for loading and it's impossible to know if the airline will do this for you during the loading process. Don't worry--it's dark in the cargo hold and chances are there won't be a lot of dogs going on the same day you are flying him. My guess is he'll sleep once he gets settled after the take off and initial climb out, but you should discuss this with your dog's vet as to what to do and what to expect. I've been on a flight with a dog in cargo that barked a good part of the trip, starting at take off at DFW. We flew to LaGuardia in New York. We heard it in the cabin!

 

[Deber]

Check with your airlines as many do not want you to medicate your dogs for flights, but can't remember why? Health Certificate needs to be done close to departure date, keep your pups paperwork handy and take along pictures of him from front and both sides and keep in your purse for quick proof of identification. Make sure his crate is large enough to stand and turn around in and give him something he can spend the hours chewing on to pass the time. I think most dogs just sleep since it is dark. Do not feed at least a few hours before the flight and make sure he has a good poop and pee before leaving. Think he will do great and heck he is going to live in Paradise, what dog wouldn't love the end to this long trip. I envy you, never been to Hawaii, but the pictures are just breathtaking. You will have to take pictures for us.

Know it sounds like overkill with the pictures, but my daughter flew to Italy from Germany with her golden and found there there were two goldens about the same age on the flight. Because of her handy paperwork and pictures she was able to pass through customs & security much faster than the other people/golden.

 

[MGMF]

I would work on crate training your dog now. Get him used to it. That is all you really can do to make him more comfortable on the plane. When flying make sure his crate is labled with stickers: live animal, instuctions for care, your name and contact info. I would put an extra security on the gate to make sure there is no way for it open by accident. I would hold off feeding food on flight day until you get there. I would not medicate. It takes away their ability to move around the crate and have proper balance so they could get hurt. Medications can cause respitory and cardiovascular problems when the altitude changes. Just teach him to love the crate and trust it will all be great when the two of you get to your new home.

 

[LittleLouie]

Thank you guys so much! I'm going to get his crate out later today and we're going to work on getting him used to it again. He's crate trained, but I want him to be comfortable in there, which he usually isn't. I think we have enough time to work on that. No worries, we will take many, many pictures while we're in Hawaii! He will finally have a yard there (we have a roomy apartment right now, no backyard) and a huge dog park literally on the other side.

*Deber, thank you for mentioning the pictures. I hadn't thought about that, but now I think I'll be safe and get pictures of all sides, just in case anything happens.

I'm confident my little guy will do well, and hopefully after this process is over I can help anyone else with the same task... because heaven knows, moving a dog to Hawaii is no walk in the park!

 

[Dallas Gold]

Is he microchipped? It might not be a bad idea if he isn't, just in case something happens at the airport and he gets out of his crate. If he is, make sure to update it in advance with your new contact information and a current cell number, to be on the safe side.

 

[missmarstar]

Is he microchipped? It might not be a bad idea if he isn't, just in case something happens at the airport and he gets out of his crate. If he is, make sure to update it in advance with your new contact information and a current cell number, to be on the safe side.

I'm pretty sure part of the process to avoid the long quarantine is that the dog has to be microchipped and that microchip number connected to their rabies vaccine info. I remember doing all this research when there was the possibility of us moving to Japan with the dogs a few years ago. OP, you also want to make sure it is the kind of microchip that can be read by international scanners.. I guess there are more than one kind.

Good luck with your move, OP!! I would also avoid sedatives at all costs, it can disorient the dog even further, and even cause respiratory problems. Start doing some major work on getting your pup more comfortable in the crate. Lots and lots of positive reinforcement needed there.

 

[Dallas Gold]

I'm pretty sure part of the process to avoid the long quarantine is that the dog has to be microchipped and that microchip number connected to their rabies vaccine info. I remember doing all this research when there was the possibility of us moving to Japan with the dogs a few years ago. OP, you also want to make sure it is the kind of microchip that can be read by international scanners.. I guess there are more than one kind.

Good luck with your move, OP!! I would also avoid sedatives at all costs, it can disorient the dog even further, and even cause respiratory problems. Start doing some major work on getting your pup more comfortable in the crate. Lots and lots of positive reinforcement needed there.

That's good to know!

 

[maple1144]

Congrats on the move, I have no flight advice but Maple is very jealous of all that beautiful warm water your pup will have to swim in!

 

[Deber]

For microchipping, I would do the regular kind. My dogs from Germany have the kind of chip that you must have an Int'l. scanner to find. No good here since shelters only have the regular scanner. I just can't see chipping them twice, but all the others were chipped here in the states, so their chip shows nice and clear. And yes with the company you register the chip with you can insert AKC information, phone number, vet number and even your address.

Also get a bottle to hold water from your house to keep in your purse. When you arrive you are going to have one thirsty little boy and will be glad you have water he is used to for that first drink. The change of water might give him a bit of loose stools for a bit, so good to have that first long drink with water he is used to.

I have an idea,,,, leave Louie with my DH and I will ride in the crate to Hawaii! I am potty trained, have all my shots & if I have my teeth in can eat kibble! Anything to get to Hawaii for a few years. I can see it now, lots of sunshine, drinks with little umbrellas, wearing mu-mu's so I don't have to suck my gut in,,,,,what a life.

 

[LittleLouie]

Is he microchipped? It might not be a bad idea if he isn't, just in case something happens at the airport and he gets out of his crate. If he is, make sure to update it in advance with your new contact information and a current cell number, to be on the safe side.

He absolutely is! It was required from the rescue that we got him from, and is also required for him to get into Hawaii. I recently updated all of our info, but will do so again with our new address in Hawaii before we move.

 

[LittleLouie]

Here's what I'm doing with the crate:

First, we will now call it his "house". Hopefully giving it a new name, getting a new cushy padding for it, and tossing his Pillow Pet in there will help him start to like it. We are also not going to scold him and send him to his former crate, which is what we used to do if he was in trouble. If anyone has any suggestions, I am willing to try them. Right now he's sleeping in the "house", so I suppose that's a good sign.

Unfortunately, I don't think TSA would let me sneak a human into a dog crate....I see that all going very very wrong!!! Airlines these days have no sense of humor

 

[kwhit]

I would also buy some of this to spray into his crate...it might relax him enough to alleviate any anxiety he might have:

Comfort Zone® Spray with D.A.P.® for Dogs - Comfort Zone for Cats and Dogs

I've had customers say it worked wonders when they had to fly their dogs and also when they moved into a new place. I would try it out a few times before the actual flight to see how he responds to it, though. Good luck on your move.

 

[LittleLouie]

I would also buy some of this to spray into his crate...it might relax him enough to alleviate any anxiety he might have:

Comfort Zone® Spray with D.A.P.® for Dogs - Comfort Zone for Cats and Dogs

I've had customers say it worked wonders when they had to fly their dogs and also when they moved into a new place. I would try it out a few times before the actual flight to see how he responds to it, though. Good luck on your move.

I may give this a shot. It's a little pricey, but I'd rather use some spray than nothing at all. Tranquilizers or sedatives don't sound very safe at all. I'll talk the boyfriend into ordering some for me

 

[hvgoldens4]

We're moving to Hawaii! I'm sure there are a few of you here who are familiar with the process of flying a dog, or any pet, to Hawaii. I've already started the process, and Louie's date that he can arrive in Hawaii is about Jan. 12-13. So far we're rolling right along. Our next steps are to get his health certificate and have the vet apply his flea/tick drops. That isn't until next month, though. And then I've got to get our plane tickets....

Does anyone recommend an airline? So far I've chosen Alaskan Airlines because they have a 150 lb. weight limit. Hawaiian Airlines has a 70 or 75 lb. limit, and I think they are a little more expensive. With his crate, he shouldn't weigh more than 85-90 lbs, at most.

What I'm most worried about is how he might act on the plane. He doesn't like to be in his crate and left alone for a long time, and has tried to chew his way out before, (Seattle to Hawaii, one way) so what are suggestions for sedatives? I'll be asking my vet, of course, but just curious if there are any suggestions. Will the airline allow me to cover his crate also? I don't want to risk him getting aggressive if he sees other dogs. Is there anything else I can do to prepare him for the flight??? I'm so worried about him! He's my baby, so I feel like I'm putting my child in the cargo section of a plane. :uhoh::uhoh:

Whenever I have had to fly the dogs, we have used Continental. They are really wonderful and have wonderful policies and people working for them. With them, the dogs are the last thing loaded onto the plane and the first thing off-this is a good thing so there are no problems with heat/cold. They will sit with the dogs out on the tarmac in a temperature controlled van until it is time to load.

A health certificate is only good for 10 days. All airlines require these before they fly. You will also want to make sure that the dogs crate is large enough. They must be able to easily stand up and turn around and they are not supposed to be ducking their head down. If the crate doesn't meet the requirement for size, you will have to buy one from the aiport or the dog will not be allowed on the flight.

You also need to check to make sure that the plane is large enough that it flies dogs. Not all planes will allow dogs in cargo.

Better start working on crate training now. The dog is not allowed to be drugged or sedated in any way before being loaded on the plane because there is no one in the cargo hold to monitor them so there is no way anyone would know if the dog was having an issue with the sedative, etc. If the airlines know the dog has been drugged in ANY way, they will not allow the animal to fly.

You also must have those little cups that attach to the front of the crates for food and water.

You also want to try to book a non-stop flight, if at all possible. The more stops there are, the more problems can happen. You especially want to try to avoid having to switch planes. Make sure the people know you are flying with a dog and they will let you know when the dog has been loaded.

Jennifer
Harborview

 

[LittleLouie]

Update:
Louie made it safely on is plane ride! We flew Alaska Airlines. I was so nervous at the airport, but I had all of my paperwork, and the TSA guy and airline agent were very nice and helpful. Everything went smoothly! In Hawaii, at the quarantine facility, it was even better. We went straight there, and he had already arrived. I showed them my I.D. and in five minutes we had Louie! The only thing that didn't go so well was his plane ride. We found a lot of vomit in his crate, under the padding.

Now the little man is just chillin' here at home. He loves Hawaii, and he loves having a backyard. Though he does still want us to take him out for a walk to do business, he won't do it in his own yard. And I'm about to send off a thank-you card to my vet back in Washington. They were so amazingly helpful! Good luck to anyone who plans on taking their dog on a plane or to Hawaii! And thank you everyone who responded, I appreciated the advice! Big big help!!!

 

[kwhit]

Update:Louie made it safely on is plane ride! We flew Alaska Airlines.

Great news! I bet that's a relief.

My last Great Dane was flown to me on Alaska Airlines. I have a friend that's a pilot for them, so I really trust them.