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TRAVELING WITH
YOUR WESTIE
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by Ineke Rühland
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Here are a few helpful hints on traveling with your
Westie:
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Each airline has different rules, so you need to
check the specifics before traveling. You can
usually find the pet rules on each airline's
website.
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 What
you generally need to fly abroad, or even
domestically, is a health certificate from your vet
less dated than 30 days before your flight. It is a
standard form that your vet will have, and it
indicates that your Westie's rabies vaccination is
current.
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We would never let Fritz fly in cargo because way
too many animals die that way. There are sometimes
pressure and temperature problems in cargo,
particularly with older planes, and it's just not
worth the risk. We would only ever take Fritz in
cabin.
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The most common pet carrier allowed in cabin is the
"Sherpa" bag. A Westie should have the largest
size. Fritz is a big boy at 23 lbs. and he only
just fits in the bag. The dogs need to be able to
turn around in the bag, although we've never been
asked to prove this. Actually, Fritz *can* turn
around in the bag. Westies are lucky that they're
short and long, just like the Sherpa bag and the
space under an airplane seat.
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Make sure you get a Sherpa bag with windows
(vents). We got ours online and a quick Google
search on "Sherpa dog carrier" lists dozens of
websites that sell them.
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 It's
important to train your Westie to be comfortable in
a Sherpa bag before you travel. We put good treats
in it and carried Fritz around in it at home and
then in the car.
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The airlines have a maximum weight, sometimes 20
lbs. (United) and sometimes 15 lbs. In six flights
or so, they've never asked to weigh Fritz, which is
a good thing since we're a few pounds over the
limit. They seem to go by the bag size only at
check-in.
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There is a limit to the number of dogs in the cabin
so it is important to reserve early. The cost for
the doggie ticket runs from $75 each way (domestic)
to $150 each way (international).
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We try to take Fritz only on direct flights,
although he once managed a 16-hour flight with a
connection. The key is not to feed him or let him
drink too much water directly before the flight. We
had a bathroom problem on one flight and were glad
that we had brought an extra fleece for the Sherpa
bag.
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 The
seats in economy can be awfully tight, so business
class or first is of course much better for your
Westie if you can manage it. Save your upgrade
certificates for when you have your Westie! The
flight attendants in business and first tend to be
more accommodating as well. We've generally had
good luck with flight crews but we once had a dragon
lady that would not let Fritz stick his head out of
the bag. All the other times he's been allowed to
stick his head out, and I've generally been allowed
to put the bag on my lap after take-off, which is a
much less stressful place for a Westie than on the
floor.
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Fritz actually doesn't like flying very much, and
gets frightened by the cabin pressure changes during
take-off. He's normally a very courageous dog, even
macho I would say ;-), so it's a bit out of
character for him to be scared but it's something
you should be ready for. Once Fritz even started
hyperventilating, which was quite scary. We made
him breath into a paper bag (just like for humans),
and that worked well, believe it or not. They say
that you shouldn't tranquilize dogs before a flight,
but my (holistic) vet suggested giving Bach's Rescue
Remedy before the next flight, saying it should work
just like "a stiff martini" in calming him down.
I've bought it and have it ready to go for next
time.
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Beware that some countries, particularly islands,
have quarantine rules for dogs, so they need to be
avoided. England has currently relaxed its
quarantine rules, but dogs going to England have to
come in cargo.
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 Fritz
actually didn't like Paris that much because dogs
aren't allowed in the parks and he's used to having
grass under his feet everyday. We did take him to a
couple of large parks in the outskirts of Paris that
do accept dogs. The
Bois de Boulogne
is particularly good for dogs. We also went to
Normandy with Fritz, where he was much happier.
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Although the flying isn't always a lot of fun, we
figure Fritz would still prefer to come along since
he hates to be separated from his pack, and we would
also miss him far too much.
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Happy travels with your Westies!
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Ineke, Bill & Fritz (a 7-year-old Westie from
San Francisco)
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