# Flying a Puppy



## Jenny Bond (Oct 9, 2013)

Hey everyone, I have a friend who is getting a Malinois puppy and will be flying the dog home with her in January when it is 8 weeks old. She is looking for an airline that will allow her to fly the dog as carry on however, each one has a specific requirements. She is also trying to save as much money as possible. The airline she is currently looking at has a weight limit of 16 pounds and a crate size of 8.5'' high x 18.5'' long x 13.5'' wide. My questions on her behalf would be...

What airline would you recommend?
What was your Mal's weight at 8 weeks, as many of them have weight limits?

Thanks,

Jenny Bond


----------



## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

You don't mention the airline. But at 8 weeks her mal should be just under the 16lb limit. My last shorthair was the largest, heaviest of the litter and still under 16lbs. I'm picking up my new pup (a german shorthair) the end of December and using United for the flights. The only issue I have with them is that I have seen 3 different max sizes for the kennels listed. one for soft kennels, one for hard kennels and when I made the reservation was given a third size. So will have to call to confirm which is allowed. 
United does not indicate a weight limit but must be a minimum of 8wks old. With Delta the pup must be a minimum of 10 weeks. But both charge a $125 fee for bringing a pet on-board.
Delta just says that the animal must be able to fit into the carrier and not protrude from it and the carrier must be leakproof. United doesn't indicate any weight limits so I guess they feel that " if it fits - its ships! " 

Just pulled Sam's first training log. He weighed 18 lbs at 10wks, 34 lbs at 16wks

Sarah


----------



## John Squire (Jul 18, 2011)

I just flew my Mal pup from San Francisco to Columbus about 3 months ago. She was 9 weeks old when I picked her up, and I had exactly ZERO problems. Honestly, your friend will be fine--tell her not to overthink it. I found Southwest to be the most pet-friendly airline. They're also the least expensive at just $75/animal. The only thing you really have to do is call ahead of time to make a "reservation" for your pet, and then you just pay the $75 at the gate before you board the flight. It was really easy. Southwest's carrier size requirements are the smallest of the major airlines, but I used a Medium Sherpa carrier that technically exceeds their guidelines without any problem at all. As long as it fits underneath the seat in front of you, then you'll be good to go. My other concern was that a 9 week old Malinois would be a huge nuisance to others. Maybe I just got lucky, but my little girl did not make ONE PEEP on either leg of the trip. We flew SFO to PHX to CMH, and I sat next to women on both flights who literally, not figuratively, LITERALLY didn't know I had a puppy underneath the seat until we were exiting the airplane. The one said she thought I was just some weirdo because I had dog treats with me! The biggest obstacle she might face is everyone wanting to pet and say hi to the little gremlin in the terminal! Also, at 8 weeks the puppy should be plenty small enough to fit in the required carriers. Mine was 9 weeks, and she was a lot smaller than the pictures I'd seen of her would have led me to believe. That carrier was only viable for another 10 days or so, but I'd say an 8 week old Mal that DOESN'T fit must be on his way to being an absolute monster. I don't think your friend will really encounter any hiccups at all. Good luck!


----------



## Faisal Khan (Apr 16, 2009)

Ditto on no issues bringing a pup, I used a cat crate to fly Gnash with me back to Dallas. Just don't feed him too much before flying, Gnash barfed on the TSA agent when we went through the x-ray  I fed him because I had to check food drive.


----------



## Annamarie Somich (Jan 7, 2009)

Faisal Khan said:


> Gnash barfed on the TSA agent when we went through the x-ray


Ha Ha - good boy!


----------

