As all parents know, getting a family ready for the first airplane flight is a big task. Getting a dog ready for the friendly skies is no small feat either. To prepare your dog for a flight the dog needs to be comfortable and well-behaved in many varied settings. Allow at least a month to practice with your dog and you will feel confident as you get ready to board the plane.
Considerations:
Here are some important considerations as you prep your pup. Your dog needs to be comfortable in elevators, focus on you in crowd situations, be able to walk on different floor surfaces, hold a long down/stay in a confined place and in a busy place, be able to calm himself and be able to stay in the down position for more than an hour. The dog also has to be old enough to have reliable potty behavior. You will want to potty the dog on command at one of the designated relief stations at each of the airports you’re passing through. Make sure your dog can be quiet when you leave his sight for five minutes, in case you have to get up and go to the bathroom on the plane or talk to an agent and leave the dog with someone else.
Practice Tips:
Practice the proper entrance and exit from elevators over and over until the dog is calm, and he’s paying attention to your commands as you enter and exit the elevator. Practice taking your dog on glass elevators and walking by openings in the interiors of buildings where there are open stairwells. Many dogs will balk at going on a moving sidewalk or an escalator, so avoid these conveyances unless you have had extensive practice with your trainer.
Take your dog for rides on the bus or the subway to prepare him for noises and crowds. Since service dogs are not allowed on the seats of public transportation, hotel lobbies or restaurants, your dog has to be comfortable lying on the floor.
Your dog must be comfortable being handled by strangers because the dog maybe have to have his service vest removed for close examination by the TSA agent.
Practice the “under” command using your desk while you pay the bills or put the dog under the cocktail table while you watch TV, so the dog gets used to being in a confined space.
Details You May Not Have Considered:
Take your dog into a public restroom on several occasions. Get the dog to do a sit or down/stay in the stall with you. The dog is not supposed to stick his head out from underneath the stall or look under other stall enclosures. The dog also needs to be able to sit and hold his stay out of the way while you wash your hands and use the towels.
Walk your dog on many different types of surfaces. Be careful about rushing on slick marble floors because your dog has to keep up with you.
As you practice all of these skills, be aware of which activities stress your dog. Go slowly, and if necessary, back up to where the dog is relaxed and can follow your directions. If the dog freezes and stands still without responding to your commands, then he’s overloaded and you need to remove yourself from that environment. Plan to return another day to practice. Once the two of you have mastered these skills, you’ll be ready to book your flight!
Jean Cary is the Service Dog Tutor, who offers private training for clients on the San Francisco Peninsula to adapt their dogs for service work. She also offers counseling for the selection of the most suitable dog for service work for a client. She can be contacted at jeancary@me.com or (650) 593-9622.
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