Traveling with a Pug

Ever since the day we became parents to little Leonard (Bones, for those who are confused), we have prepared ourselves for the month of December. December meant that we would have to travel home to California with Bones and we were well aware of the possible difficulties. Only a few weeks after Bones arrived, I researched the internet for the most suitable carrier for him. Everyone seemed to have their own opinions on bags, but after reading a pet blog, I knew I had to go with the Argo Pet Carrier. It was airline approved and it looked to be the most comfortable for our little pup. As most of you already know, as Bones grew up he traveled in the bag during train and bus rides. Bones had three months of practice and even though we may have prepared a bit too soon, I am happy with our decision to do so. Bones feeling comfortable and safe in his bag made our trip (and his) much easier.

As the day of our trip came closer, I prepared myself by reading websites, blogs and message board discussions. This ended up being my greatest resource because reading about other people's experiences really helped me understand what to expect. I knew what I had to do, what I could and could not do and even though I was extremely nervous, I felt well prepared. After doing our research, we chose not to medicate Bones due to the high risk of dangerous effects on Bones' body and health. Instead we wore him out with hours of exercise and excitement at daycamp before heading to the airport. Our plan was slightly jeopardized when we missed our flight but Justin's efforts to keep Bones from falling asleep during our wait, paid off. We boarded the plane and Bones could not wait to take his well-deserved nap.

Bones did get spooked by the sudden loud noise before take off, but he never cried or barked and remained in his carrier. He slept so well that Justin and I actually thought something was seriously wrong with him. Luckily when I nudged him, he was alert. Towards the end of the flight, we did hold Bones. I am pretty sure we violated airline rules, but we held him in my jacket and even kept him on Justin's lap during landing. Rebellious! The descending of the plane must have been weird for Bones because he did throw up. This did not surprise me since the descending part makes me feel nauseous too. Justin was fast enough to catch Bones' throw up in a cup and before we knew it, we landed.

Success.

Returning to Chicago, I had to fly alone with Bones. I dreaded the thought of not having Justin there to help me. This time, I opted for the seat with extra leg room (more room for Bones' carrier). There happened to be a crying dog sitting in front of us and I feared it would get Bones worked up. To my surprise, Bones was not phased and took his nap. I looked down a few hours in to the flight to find Bones lying half way out of his bag and on the floor. I put him back in the bag and held the carrier in my lap until we had to land. Bones actually sat in his carrier and under the seat for landing and this time, there was no throw up invovled.

Success x 2.

Bones has been beyond impressive and a lot of the people on our flight also agreed. The owner of the crying dog was shocked when I told her Bones was not sedated and everyone who saw him complimented him on his well-behaved traveling skills. We are so happy that we did our research, we are happy that Bones did so well and we are happy to have safely made it back to Chicago!

Happy 2010!