Right from the start, we will be direct and honest, so we have to tell you that flying by plane can be stressful for your pet. The most common reasons that negatively affect dogs are:
• moving to an unfamiliar environment that it is not used to;
• dogs are sensitive to sound and smells, and on the plane they encounter completely new and unfamiliar sounds and smells that confuse and sometimes frighten them;
• the specific g-forces that appear during turbulence, take-off and landing are unknown to dogs and affect them during the journey;
• changing the air pressure in the cabin, as it sometimes does with children, can upset the dog as well;
• most of airlines require that dog larger than 20 pounds usually travel in the cargo area of the plane. They are separated from their owner and therefore lose their security and cannot rely on the trust they have built with their owner;
• some airelines do not allow dogs in the cargo area if there are risk of difficulty they may have breathing in warm temperatures
Of course, it’s not all that bad and it won’t be that stressful for many dogs, but all of the above reasons are real and can affect your pet. It is up to you to think carefully and evaluate before each flight.