Puppy Flying Interstate

[Cavstar]

My puppy is coming next week. She'll be 9 weeks old. She is being sent from Sydney by plane to me in Perth. All up its around a 6 hour flight then another half hour (in good traffice!) to my house. I had a chat with the breeder today to say that she will probably be unsettled for around 48 hours, may be off her food & water & have an upset stomach for up to 48 hours too. I'm really worried about her doing the long flight & basically just need some reassurance that all will be ok?

Has anyone recently flown theirs on a long flight & how did the pup handle it?

I know I'm probably worrying about nothing but I've been waiting so long for her & would just be devastated if anything was to happen.

Thanks in advance!

[Dogsfevr]

My guys fly all the time BUT i always make sure the flights i pick are dog friendly for the weather .

So alot depends on what time the flight leaves Sydney as to how hot it may be ???

Yes your pup may be unsettled & we recommend people don;t invite every Tom,Dick or Harry around to visit the pup for the first few days .

Those days are for the pup to settle plenty of time for visitors or big outings .

[Dxenion]

Our pup flew at 12 1/2 weeks from Stockholm in Sweden to Sydney via London (overnight stop) and Singapore (3 hr turnaround - stayed in crate for quarantine). After 4 weeks at age 17 1/2 weeks he then flew Sydney to Perth. We worked with the breeder to get him used to the crate so it became an awesome place to be, not a frightening one. Quarantine reported that he travelled well from Sweden and when we picked him up at Perth he was bright, alert and full of beans. No problems with appetite after arrival either.

Will your breeder play some crate games with your pup and once she's used it, take her for a couple of road trips with her travelling in the crate? It did wonders for our pup and all up he spent 52 hours in the air for the first trip and 6 hours (air and waiting time) for the second.

[k9angel]

I was worried about the same thing when my little one was flown from NT to me in Sydney in October. I was also going to start a thread. She was fine though. A little quiet when she came out of the crate and on the drive home but as soon as she was home, had something to eat and drink, she came to life. But gee she slept well that night. She was just on 8 weeks old, and is a husky pup.

I am sure your baby will be fine.

[Asalei]

I guess to get the puppy it's either putting them on a plane, or driivng over and them spending a lot longer cooped up in a car. I know which I'd rather.

To be honest, if puppies are exposed to flying as pups, they tend to deal with it better when they get older.

She'll be fine. Flight or not, it's a huge adjustment for a puppy going to a new home. They don't have their familiary surroundings, siblings and mum. So even if driving 20 minutes up the road, pups can be unsettled for days. We got our two puppies from someone 40 minutes away and it took a good week for them to start eating properly.

Good luck!

[Tassie]

My BC boy came to me from Perth at 10 weks - 10 hour flight including 2 hour stopover in Melbourne - overnight flight was used because it's more pup-friendly, especially in summer. He arrived in Hobart quite settled and happy - took the whole thing in his stride (I'd had a night with not too much sleep ). Travelled to Melbourne on the ferry a couple of weeks later. His lovely breeder had spent time getting him used to being alonne, and being crated.

A previous pup on a much shorter flight took a couple of weeks to settle down when he got here, but he was a more anxious dog generally.

So it's great if the breeder can do some preparation, but it also depends a bit on the individual pup. Second the advice abouit planning a quiet couple of days for the first days. :D

Enjoy!

[Cheyd]

Both my boys came from NSW to Perth, Merlin came on his own and settled immediately (he is pretty laid back anyway), Dexter travelled with another 2 pups as his breeders flew over and delivered him personally, which was great as we got to meet them

[Cavstar]

Thanks everyone for the tips! I feel so much better now! I should find out today/tomorrow what time her flight is booked. Hopefully its early in the morning! 8 more sleeps!!

[Tassie]

:D