First Flight for the 11 Pound Wonder Dog

August 2nd, 2010 was a big day for the entire family. We would be flying out of Ontario, CA and headed to Indianapolis, IN. This was our first move where the dog went with us. Taylor is an 11-pound Dorito eating dog that thinks she weighs about 75 pounds. Our kids were flying experts but we had to take some extra precautions for Taylor.

We went out and got her one of those expensive airline carriers. They cost enough that you wonder if the airline gets a cut. Then we went to the vet to get some pills to safely get her some rest on the flights. When we got to the flying day, the first thing I did was break up the pills in some milk. She was appreciative of the milk and did not notice the extra flavor. I was sure that the pills would get Taylor at least 8 hours of rest. Of course, with an airport comes curiosity.

The pills that were supposed to put her asleep for 8 hours made her groggy for two hours and ornery for 6. On our first flight, she was still groggy. We went through the TSA checkpoint and she tried to give security a lick in the face. That brought a smile to their faces and got us through quickly. Her pre-flight and first flight were fairly uneventful. She was a little scared but we talked to her throughout the flight.

When we hit Atlanta, she was up and moving. There were no dogs to bark at but all interesting looking people were given a taste of the puppy bark. Keep in mind that Taylor firmly believes that she is a 75 pound monster dog in a 11 pound body. We went looking for food but had to eat outside because Taylor did not meet the restaurant codes. During that time, she protected us from all overbearing waiters and waitresses.

We ate and then boarded our flight to Indy. As a carry on, at least Taylor was always close by. When we hit the ground at Indy, the puppy was glad to be grounded. She also was quite happy to be able to go to the bathroom and eat some treats. It was humid outside. Taylor adjusted. She did a great job of flying. A lot of that success came by looking out for her safety and preparing her for the flight. Remember, flying can certainly be a very nervous time for a dog.