Flying Your American Mastiff Home

Bring a chew toy to put in puppy crate just before the flight, for your American Mastiff puppy to chew if she/he wishes.

Once your flight is airborne, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE PUT THE PUPPY ON YOUR LAP IN ITS CARRIER, UNZIP TOP AND PUT YOUR HAND IN TO COMFORT THE PUPPY. If the attendant sees you and insists you put the puppy back on The floor try this;

slide the carrier out from under the seat in front of you (so it is in front of your seat, under your knees) and open the top flap. Don't let the American Mastiff puppy get out. At the first opportunity, ask the flight attendant for a cup of ice cubes. The puppy will nap mostly, but if she /he is restless, hold a cube in your fingers and let the puppy lick it. S/he may consume two or three cubes at a time, two or three times during the flight. This is good, it does wonders to keep them satisfied and hydrated. If the American Matiff puppy is fussy, stroke with your hand. Then, the moment the pup quiets down, THAT is when you sweetly tell them what an utterly wonderful, brave, smart dog they are :-), thus reinforcing the desired behavior. Any time you can get the puppy out of the carrier -- before taking off, during layovers, whenever you are not on the plane -- do so. Play and walk around and give multiple pee pad opportunities. Note: look for an unused gate area to do this. Be prepared to attract a LOT of attention, even if you select the most out-of-the-way spot possible! While the American Mastiff Puppy is in the carrier there is a risk of overheating, Sliding the carrier out and opening the top once in flight will be important, as will the cup of ice cubes so you can feed a few from time to time (at least once per hour) to help keep the pup cool. Try to keep the carrier/puppy on your lap; Be discreet and enforce the "stay in the carrier" rule, as some flight attendants can be really strict about it. You might want put the carrier on your lap and "hide" it with a light sheet, etc; but actually, it's likely no one will even notice that your carry-on is warm-blooded! Once again, do your very best to keep the carrier/puppy on your lap; most flight attendants won't even notice.