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Has YOUR pug ever flown on an airplane?
I recently had the opportunity to go to New Jersey/New York to visit my best friends and I wanted to take Molly with me. I checked into how to be able to take her and found out if I registered her as a emotional support animal, she could fly with me (sitting on my lap) on the plane.
Getting her registered was a bit of a challenge, but it turned out to be a great thing. I signed up online to register her as an emotional support animal. I was flying with United Airlines so I had to find out what their stipulations were to fly with an animal. I ended up filling out several airline forms and Molly had to go see her vet for a physical and to make sure she was up-to-date on all of her shots. Also, I had to talk with a counselor and explain to them why I wanted Molly to be registered as an emotional support dog. Everyone was very nice and helpful. I believe it cost me around $160 to get all this done.
When the day arrived for our flight, I was pretty nervous. I didn’t know how Molly would react to the plane. She is a very calm pug and I hoped for the best.
Getting checked in at the Kansas City airport was uneventful and easy. There were not many people and we got through check-in and security quickly. We found our gate and sat down to wait for the plane. Molly was super calm and just sat in the chair and watched people come and go. She got a lot of attention- people would stop and ask me if they could pet her. She loved every minute of that.
When we boarded the plane, we found our seats in the very last row. I had an empty seat right beside me and that worked well because Molly had her own seat. She looked a little worried when we got on the plane, but she was still calm. When the plane took off, the noise scared her. She climbed up real close on my lap and I could feel her heart beating faster than normal. Luckily, the noise didn’t last long and she calmed down and fell asleep on my lap. Molly didn’t like the plane window… at first anyway, so I shut it. When we landed, I opened the window back up and she looked out of it. She could see cars, people, etc… out of the window and she watched them until we unloaded.
Our time in New York/New Jersey was wonderful and went by quickly.
On the trip home, the NY (Newark) airport was way busier than Kansas City and we waited in line for quite a while to get checked and to go through security. Everyone loved Molly. She got lots of attention and all the people wanted to pet her. We didn’t have any problems… it just took longer. Once we arrived at our gate, Molly slept in an airport chair until we loaded.
The trip back was a little crowded for Molly and I because the seat next to us was occupied. Molly did great, however. It was a bumpy ride because of the wind gusts but it didn’t seem to bother Molly at all. When we took off, I partially covered her ears with a NY sweatshirt that we bought, but the takeoff didn’t bother her as much as the trip out. I guess she knew what to expect the second time.
Would I take her again? Absolutely!! She was a wonderful companion (as always) and I believe she enjoyed the trip as much as I did. My friends totally spoiled her and she even got to make a new friend while she was there (my friends have a cat named Jasper).
Tips for taking your pug on a plane:
Here are a few tips from Molly and I.
**Don’t try to take any dog food, treats, etc… that have been opened. They will be confiscated. You can, however, take food that has not been opened.
**Take small treats (unopened package) for the plane ride. It is a good way of distracting your pug so they are not nervous (the stewardess gave me a package of cookies and Molly and I shared them- it took her mind off of the noise after the plane took off).
**Take a jacket, sweatshirt, etc… to put over your pug’s ears when the plane takes off. The material will partially muffle the noise of the plane.
**Don’t feed your pug a lot before getting on the plane. Molly ate early the morning we left, but not much. She never got sick, but I have heard of dogs throwing up.
**Take baby wipes in case of an accident.
**Take puppy pads too.
**When you land, make sure you give your pug a good drink of water. Flying dehydrates people (and dogs). I didn’t know this, but Molly was really thirsty when she got off the plane. Someone told me that flying dehydrates you.
Last of all, don’t be afraid to take your pug with you. Pugs are easy to take, they love people, and they love to be with their owners. I probably would not have gone if I couldn’t have taken Molly. It was a great experience for both of us. Take your pug and let them vacation too!!
Molly and I are now going to rest from our vacation… LOL!!
Until next time,
Hugs and Pug Kisses,
Candy
