Friday, February 15, 2008

Need Some Advice

We leave for Oklahoma tomorrow!!! I can't believe the time is finally here, after waiting for almost a year and a half. Woo!

However, something came up at the last minute that I need some advice on. The breeder emailed me yesterday saying that her vet said that if I was traveling with the puppy in the cabin of the plane I would need a soft carrier. I don't know where the vet got this rule, but it's not one enforced by the airline. I know because I called them and asked. They said as long as it meets the rules (about the dog fitting and having proper ventilation) and fits under the seat, it could be a hard carrier. So here's my dilemma: do I go out today and buy a soft carrier, or do I chance it and just rely on the hard carrier from the breeder? Those soft carriers aren't cheap, and I obviously wouldn't be able to use it beyond this one time since Corgis aren't exactly "purse dogs". But if it's something I really need, then I don't mind going to buy it. Obviously I don't want to be stuck at the airport with a puppy and then learn that I can't take him/her on board without a different kind of carrier. What would you guys do?

Update: I just checked out Petco's website (most likely the only store I'll be able to get to so last minute), and they only had one or two carriers that weren't $70 or more! Egads! Who knows what they have at the store itself! I'm going to have a real hard time spending $70 for one plane trip.

Update again: It turns out Mouth had a soft-sided carrier that he let me borrow. He has a small chihuahua mix, so I'm not sure it's big enough for a 8 1/2 week old Corgi. I'll bring it to the breeder's house tomorrow to fine out.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

YAY! I can't believe it's almost puppy day! When are you coming back? I can't wait to see photos! HAVE FUN!

If you could, I would either call the breeder and/or vet and explain to them that you talked to the airline about the soft/hard carrier situation and see what they say. I think it depends on your airline. For instance, Midwest Air requires a soft sided crate (that you have to buy from them).

JuLo said...

We're coming back Sunday afternoon. It's going to be a busy weekend! Hehe.

Well I emailed the breeder yesterday and said that I called the airline and they said they don't require soft carriers. I didn't hear back from her though...

Also, if you look on the airline's website, it says that the crates should be hard, but soft ones are ok if the dog is in cabin.

I'm tempted to just buy the carrier as a just-in-case. But really, that's a lot of money to spend for a one time use! Maybe I can keep the tags on and return it when I'm done. :p