Training Your Dog to Behave in the Carrier is No Small

admin — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:35:49 +0000

Most people with pets know that dogs usually hate portable
dog carriers. There is something about being confined to a small space that most dogs detest—and can you really blame them? Most people would not like to be confined to a small enclosure for hours on end; such torture is akin to jail for a dog, but not if you train them to think that being in their carrier is not a bad thing. Giving them something
to look forward to—like a treat and the opportunity to travel with you—is often reward enough for most well behaved pets, and can have a good hand in training them to behave while in the carrier. For untrained pets, a dog carrier can be dangerous, so properly training your pet to be carried in a carrier is the only way to go.

Start Out With Something Softer

For those who anticipate a bit more difficulty carrier training their
dog, it may help to invest in one of the many soft sided dog carriers on the market today. These are excellent pieces that allow you to carry your pet around in a bag under your arm so that they can be with you throughout your daily errands. The softer carriers are excellent for such purposes, as your pet is bound to feel less confined in a carrier with soft sided walls. They are more comfortable and a great deal less confining, making them ideal for the more finicky pet whose carrier training is proving to be a bit more difficult.

Another perk for these softer carriers is that they often double as a
bag as well, giving you the option of carrying your phone, keys, makeup,
or anything else in the bag with your pet. The items will be out of
their reach but right at your fingertips, eliminating the need to have a
second bag or overstuffed pockets for the sake of having your pet with
you.

Car Carriers are a Great Option for Safety

Dog carriers for cars are another option for your dog, but yet another type of carrier that requires a certain type of training. These carriers are best introduced to your dog at a young age; of course, that is not always possible. If you must train your dog at an older age, try having someone in the back seat with them to reduce the amount of stress they go through.

Having a familiar face and a few treats never hurts, and neither does associating the car carrier with something positive—a dog park, beach, or something equally pleasurable at the end of the ride. Positive associations are what is going to make or break the car carrier training experience with your pet.

Dog Travel Carriers Are Never Easy

One thing that is important to note is that when it comes to travel
carriers. Official dog travel carriers adhere to the guidelines that are set forth for safe travel by a pet via airline travel and train travel. These carriers must be a certain size as compared to your pet, be sturdy and easily closed and open, and provide them with enough room to sit up, stand, turn around, and move about freely.

The fact that these carriers are often associated with long periods of travel away from their beloved owner, many pets who have ever been introduced to these carriers tend to react negatively toward them.

Having the travel carrier in the home and dressing it up with a few
treats and a comfy bed is a good way to associate positive connotations
with the carrier for your pet. Allow them to see their travel carrier as
a place of comfort rather than a confined space associated with a
torturous travel experience.

Whether you prefer luxury dog carriers or designer bags to carry your pet around in, it is important to know that they will not always react to the carrier the way that you want them to. Getting them used to the carrier is a long process sometimes, but one that is well worth it in the end. Having a well trained dog riding in a carrier makes the experience more pleasurable for both you and your pet.

Carry-On Dogs? A New Allowance Enters the Airline Industry

admin — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:42:15 +0000

If you have a small breed dog, you may have wished at some point
or another that you could just put your dog in one of your dog carriers and sneak them onto the plane under your arm. It is always so much
nicer to have them with you rather than mis them when you are away, and while it may seem a good idea at the time sneaking a dog on as carry on luggage is not the best idea. Somewhere along the way, your little guy is bound to scream out or bark at least once—landing you in the hot seat. That doesn't sound like fun at all, but traveling with your dog as allowed carry on luggage certainly does, doesn't it?

It's Slowly Catching On...

While the idea of being able to take your dog in as carry on luggage is
not confined to only one airline, it certainly does not meet the
industry standards. These rules only allow people with small dog carriers and equally tiny dogs to ride on board. The airline industry has
responded to the increase in numbers of small dogs and toy breeds being taken in by people who like to travel with them, and responded to that with this new thing. Many times, no more than two dogs are allowed on the plane at once—one in the front, one in the rear.

If there is a person who swears by a bad enough allergy to not want to
travel with the pet or there is a person who is scared enough of the
pet not to board the plane, the traveler with the pet will normally be
scheduled another flight. While the health of human passengers always
takes precedent over the small dog allowance, most flyers are accommodated for their inconvenience.

Getting Airline Approved Carriers

It's important to note that dogs must be in airline approved travel pet carriers in order to be allowed on the plane. The carrier is one of
the things that is assessed by the airline employee before the pet is allowed on board the plane, and if the carrier does not appear to be big enough for the pet or even seems to be too big, the pet will not be allowed to board.

In addition, there must be some means for absorption of any messes that the dog may make in their crate, and pet owners are expected to take care of any such incidents properly and as sanitarily as possible.

When looking for carriers that adhere to airline carry on standards,
it is best to buy the carrier from places that know what the airline
standards are. All pets in their carrier must be able to fit underneath
the front seat, although that will not be expected. That regulation is
the size by which the airlines go by in order to determine if the carrier
and dog combined are too big for a comfortable lap ride.

Pet Carriers on Wheels

When it comes to pets being able to ride in your lap, pet carriers on wheels usually do not work too well for such a need. While the end
result is completely up to the person who decides whether or not the pet is allowed to board. If the wheels can be taken off or discarded, most travel carriers that are appropriately sized for a dog can be taken on, although that is up to the airline itself. It is a good idea to leave wheeled pet carriers at home if hoping to travel with your small dog in your lap as opposed to underneath the cabin with the rest of the animals.

If you want to travel with your pet, there is nothing wrong with
that—at least in the eyes of some of the airlines. Of course, it is advised
that people who want to travel with pets make their reservation as far
in advance as possible as only so many pets are allowed per flight,
normally capped at one to two per plane. Passengers are only allowed to bring one pet aboard the flight with them, and they must have a 'ticket' of their own. In most cases, these pet boarding passes start at $100 or so and move up from there. In the end, being able to travel with your most loyal friend is well worth the price.

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Training Your Dog to Behave in the Carrier is No Small

Carry-On Dogs? A New Allowance Enters the Airline Industry