Keeping Calm While Flying in a Crate
Depending on how anxious and used to being in a kennel your dog gets, you may want to consider anything from a sedative to simply covering their crate with a sheet. Usually, a darkened kennel or crate will help calm large dogs during transportation. However, if that does not work, you can talk to your vet about a mild sedative or try natural remedies.
The Basics of Flying with a Large Dog
Flying with your furry friend isn’t as traditional as flying with a child. Understanding the right way to fly with a pet, especially large dogs, requires planning. It’s not something you want to figure out on the fly (pardon the pun) or wait until the day-of to figure out. Look into the airline you are flying with and figure out if they accommodate large dogs and what their policies are. Some airlines provide crates, but most require that you bring your own.
If you do not have a crate, you need to give yourself enough time to find and purchase a comfortable crate as well as train him or her not to panic when they are inside their crate. Ideally, your dog is properly crate trained. But, if not, they should at least have some familiarity with spending time in their crate. Even if you just buy the crate a week in advance and put your dog in it with treats for a few hours a day, that will help tremendously on the day you depart.
Costs of Flying Large Dogs on Airlines
Air travel with pets certainly isn’t cheap. Major airlines in the United States charge an average of $95 – $125 for a pet that travels with you in-cabin, on a one-way trip. Since you’re essentially traveling with your pet as carry-on, the fees are paid at the airport and not when you book your flights.
Flying with a large dog internationally sets you back around $200 for cargo holding fees on a one-way trip. The fees could be much higher with other airlines that will charge based on the weight of your pet and the kennel. If your trip has layovers, you can expect to pay additional fees.
As you’re preparing to go on an airplane trip with your large dog, you would also have to shell out some cash for documents that you’d be required to present to the airlines or when you arrive at customs. These fees would typically cover veterinary certification fees. You’d also need to buy a carrier that meets the standards set by the airline you’re flying with.