Each pet has its behavioral characteristics and we have to take them into account when traveling by plane with animals, especially.
Dogs or cats have common general behaviors according to the species, but each individual has its peculiarity.
Just like humans, the animal also has its own personality and unique characteristics.
Some are more fearful and cornered, others impose themselves more in stressful situations.
There are those pets that have anxiety behaviors when they separate from their tutors on trips, others who may bark and get more agitated in different places than usual.
The important thing to planning a plane trip with a pet is about observing and understanding the animal’s behavior and adapting it to the new situation it will experience before it actually happens, so you’ll be prepared when it’s time to travel.
At the time of check-in, if the animal is unusually agitated, it may be prevented from boarding.
In air travel specifically, your pet cannot behave in a way that disturbs the passenger next to him.
This includes barking and meowing, unpleasant smells, aggression at any level and for those who do not travel inside the crate, obedience to their owner.
These attitudes of animals are required whether on a plane trip with animals both in the cabin and in the hold.
But only in extreme cases, such as attacks by animals against passengers or crew, can the animal and the owner be expelled from the flight.
For this reason, it is possible to train and accustom the animal to different situations in its daily life so that it can have a safe and peaceful journey.
How to solve my pet’s behavior problem?
For the plane trip with animals to go smoothly, sometimes the help of a professional specialized in animal behavior is necessary.
For example, if the owner has a plane trip scheduled for a few days and your pet will travel inside a carrier.
A trainer can help a lot in this “last minute” adaptation for a plane trip with animals.
It must be taken into account that if not trained, the pet can suffer from anxiety and stress during the trip and make the trip tense not only for the owner but for the other passengers.
How much time do I need to adapt pets for plane travel?
When there is a longer time to travel by plane with animals, the owner himself can make the animal adapt to the new reality by changing its behavior.
But for that, patience and a lot of persistence are great ingredients. We didn’t get overnight changes in the behavior of the animals.
Usually, the minimum time required to document a pet for international travel is 6 months.
The important thing is to think that regardless of where the animal will travel, whether in the transport box or outside, its good behavior will be required throughout the journey.
The ideal is for the animal to have at least one year (12 months) to adapt to the idea of moving around in places with high human traffic or staying inside the transport box.
Tips to adapt your pet to different everyday situations
Check out our tips below so that PET can make a smooth trip without major surprises:
Adaptation in the Transport box
The animal cannot be forced into the box, as this will create a barrier and will hardly be comfortable inside the kennel.
A valuable tip is to put different and tasty foods inside the box, removing the door, so that the animal has a feeling of freedom, feeling that it can come and go as it pleases.
Another important tip is to place the blanket and toys that already belong to the animal inside the transport box to create the bond of home and so the animal has the confidence to stay of its own accord.
One way to create a pleasant feeling for the pet in the transport box is to leave some of the owner’s clothing inside it, to convey safety to the animal.
Leave the animal with trusted relatives/friends to get used to the absence of the owner
Anxious or angry pets tend to have a very strong affective bond with their owners and in their absence they can be very stressed.
So one way to unlock this need for the tutor to be with the animal is sometimes for the animal to spend the day at another trusted person’s house.
So, little by little, the animal will build trust in other human beings, making it much easier when boarding and disembarking, and throughout the journey.
Make the animal’s life active
If PET is not used to walking and interacting with other animals, the experience of a plane trip is a great opportunity to create this habit in the animal.
In this way, the animal will spend its energy and have experiences outside its environment, thus, it will be easier to deal with the situations of a trip.
On the day of the flight, it is very recommended to take long walks so that the animal uses the flight time to rest and not get so agitated.
How to have a safer and more peaceful trip?
Taking your pet to the veterinarian for examinations and a general check-up is very IMPORTANT!
Thus, the tutor is ensuring and validating the health of the animal to carry out a trip without any obstacles.
There is no point in adapting the animal to the situations it may encounter during the trip, if the pet is not in perfect health.
Now with the certainty of the pet’s well-being and all the proper training, this will make everyone’s trip more pleasant and safe!
If you want a peaceful trip for you and your pet, count on the PETFriendly Turismo services
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