Traveling with 2 dogs required another checklist of items. We are getting to the final steps and have to consider the packing, passports, and paws of the journey. The airport I was leaving from Teterboro, NJ was 6 hours by car. The flying regulations for the dogs were that they could not eat after 12:00 p.m. Which would be an adjustment for them as they eat twice a day with the last meal being at dinner time. Each dog is required to have a muzzle. Prior to the flight the staff would evaluate the dogs and observe their interactions to determine if a dog needed to wear a muzzle. In the event a dog became aggressive with another dog a muzzle was required.
Shopping for a muzzle I went to our local dog food store who carries muzzles and will fit the dog with the correct muzzle. There are a variety of muzzles, a basket muzzle which allows the dogs to eat and drink and the other model muzzle consists of a strap over the dog’s snout which prohibits drinking or eating. I chose the basket muzzle for both dogs. It is important that the dog is fitted correctly so that they are able to wear it comfortably.
Muzzle Training the Dogs
In addition, it is very important that the dogs become acclimated gradually wearing the muzzle. During the training process there should be plenty of positive reinforcement. The dogs should not have a negative association with a muzzle. A training tip is to place a little bit of peanut butter in the mouth section of the muzzle to motivate them not to be fearful of something on their face. Both Lily and Lucy acclimated to the muzzle within a week of training without much difficulty. Each day they would wear the muzzle for 10 minute increments and increase the time every other day until we reached 30 minutes. Luckily, both dogs did well with the other passenger dogs and did not have to wear a muzzle.
Packing, Passports and Paws – Dog Food
For their food I brought measured portions of food for the next several days of travel. I packed enough food and snacks for our 2 day car trip and for a meal when we landed. Their feeding dishes were silicone collapsible dog bowls. These dishes can are available at most pet stores and Amazon ( see image below).
Last but not least on the packing list is a blanket. Lucy, the larger dog, used the blanket to rest on during the flight. Lily the smaller dog would be staying on my lap.
The final items to pack is the required certified USDA health certificates for both dogs. In addition to their rabies certificates. In the near future I will write about the international requirements for dogs flying to France.
Thanks for being here,
-Soraya
Curious about the steps to take when flying internationally with dogs? Check out my post Moving To Europe With Dogs
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