How To Fly Confidently and Safely With Your New Goldendoodle, Aussiedoodle, or Sheepadoodle Puppy

We won’t fly our puppies cargo - entirely too much can go wrong, it’s just not worth the risk. It’s in-cabin travel only for Golden Valley Doodles, - you can fly to us and we will meet you at the airport with your puppy. Or if flying with a puppy sounds too daunting, we are delighted to fly to you!

Air travel with a young puppy has its challenges, but proper preparation will create a more enjoyable experience for everyone.

Booking your flight:

nonstop is a luxury where available
if you have the inevitable connection like we do, find flights with a minimum layover of 1hr 15min, but no longer than 2hrs when possible
the carrier must fit under the seat in front of you, so seat selections cannot include bulkhead or exit rows

The week of travel:

start pup on a rigid meal schedule, which translates to body conditioning and predictably timed toileting needs
short and frequent car rides will acclimate pup to motion, bouncing, jostling
crate exposure is an absolute must. Use the airplane carrier if you’re able, so it’s familiar to puppy on travel day

The day of travel:

time to throw a kink in that rigid meal schedule. I limit food and water in the hours leading up to flight time. What goes in comes out, and I’d prefer to avoid that at 33,000 feet.
while making your way through the airport, carry pup in your arms rather than in the carrier. We naturally swing our arms to and fro while walking - that pendulum motion is quick to make a puppy sick
the airport Pet Relief Areas sound like a good idea, but should be avoided. Puppies are not fully protected against a variety of diseases and illnesses until they’ve had all 4 age appropriate vaccinations.
find a Family Restroom to lock up in for a spell. Puppy can stretch her legs, and potty if necessary. I travel with pee pads for this reason. Don’t forget to take the obligatory bathroom selfie!

In flight tips:

no matter how tempting, don’t take puppy out of the carrier. Besides being against airline rules, you might end up with a lapful of urine, vomit, or worse. This is experience talking: a same day turnaround without spare clean clothes. Airport clothing is ugly and expensive.
their ears pop on ascent and descent just like ours. If puppy fusses, unzip the bag enough to slip two fingers in. This will reassure puppy.
don’t coddle an upset fussy puppy. Let him nuzzle your fingers, but otherwise, don’t engage. If you can relax and keep anxiety at bay, puppy probably will too. They feed off of our energy - if you’re upset and stressed, their stress level is instantly amplified. So calmmmm down.

Happy, safe travels from your friends at GVD