There are many requirements that a pet owner must meet before traveling by air with a dog. While specific regulations will vary by airline, most airlines work with the same general rules when it comes to flying dogs.

Photo: blog.airgorilla.com

Dogs Cannot Fly Alone

Every airline that was researched for this article has a rule against flying unaccompanied dogs from one point to another. Understand that dogs are considered to be cargo to the airline. You can’t send your luggage to a city somewhere across the country without going with it (only the airline can do that – insert rim shot here) and you can’t send your dog. Unaccompanied dogs must be transported by a licensed and approved pet transportation company.

Clean Bill of Health

All airlines require that a dog that will be flying with you receive a full physical examination and be tested for various diseases (most commonly rabies) before they’ll be allowed to fly. Usually the airline will require that the exam certificate be dated within a certain amount of time before the date of the flight, so the exam you had your dog undergo two years ago will not suffice for a flight you intend to take next week.

Weather Related Restrictions

The cargo hold on an airplane can become very hot. Because of this fact there are restrictions on what times of the year dogs may travel to and from certain cities. Most airlines will also enforce specifically weather and temperature related restrictions. For example, if the temperature in the arrival or departure city exceeds eighty or eighty five degrees Fahrenheit, pets will not be permitted on the plane.

Photo: eatbitter

Pets in the Cabin

Many airlines are now permitting the transport of pets in the cabin of the plane, provided they can fit into the in-cabin kennel cage (22" long by 9" high on most airlines). The cost for this service also varies by airline but is under $100.00 in most cases. This is a considerable improvement compared to the pets transported in the cargo hold which many consider an unsafe practice and which can cost more than $300.00 in some cases.

International Flights

The customs laws of many nations restrict the passage of dogs and other pets over their borders. Airlines must comply with these laws and in many cases your dog will not be able to join you on an international flight at all.

Have you ever seen a beagle?  Sure you have.  What about a basset hound?  Of course!  How about a Polish Owczarek Nizinny?  Didn’t think so.  Its one of many unfamiliar breeds of dogs roaming the Earth and though it has a funny name (to Americans anyway), it is a beautiful creature.  There are a great many dog breeds out there that, unless you’re a dog expert, you may never have heard of.  Here are a few.

Affenpinscher

Photo: breederretriever.com

The smallest dog in the family that includes pinschers and schnauzers, the Affenpinscher is a toy dog with a good demeanor.  These little guys are very intelligent and trainable and make wonderful family pets.  They have a dark, wiry coat and are naturally affectionate towards humans.

Anatolian Shepherd

Photo: puppyfind.com

The Anatolian Shepherd has a large frame and is considered to be quite courageous. These are strong and loyal dogs that see a good deal of use in the United States as military and hunting dogs.

Basenji

Photo: breederretriever.com

The Basenji is a medium sized muscular dog that is also known as the African Barkless Dog.  They never bark, but not because they are mute; apparently they just don’t want to.  Basenjis were originally bred in Africa as hunting dogs.  They do not naturally make good pets, but overcome their aversion to humans if they are handled consistently from an early age.

Bouvier des Flandres

Photo: wikimedia.org

These small but sturdy dogs have the appearance of a sort of terrier.  They usually have a dark rough coat and a generally calm manner.  They were originally bred as herders in France and today are used in both police work and as guide dogs or assistance animals for the blind.

Central Asian Ovtcharka

Photo: rusguard.com

The Central Asian Ovtcharka is a large and muscular dog.  It is known as loyal and fearless and has protective instincts that make it an excellent herder and watchdog.  Typically they have their ears and tail docked at an early age.

Polish Owczarek Nizinny

Photo: greatdogsite.com

This guy is a medium sized shaggy dog with a long coat that covers its eyes.  Loyal and devoted dogs, they make great pets as long as they won’t be left alone for long periods of time since they are known to cause trouble when unsupervised for too long.

Used in the beginning to train marine mammals, click and treat breaks down the process into two separate steps, information and motivation. While other trainers still emphasize on these two steps, they try to teach them all at once, which can confuse the animal and prolong results. It becoming the first major improvement in dog training since choke chains and spiked collars, click and treat has quickly revolutionized itself in becoming a big hit on the training circuit. Currently, there are over 10,000 trainers who are using this method regularly.

Photo: genuinedoggear

Most trainers will verballypraise a dog for good behavior, while at the same time motivating the dog to repeat his actions. This can be a good method, however it takes longer for the dog to understand which behaviors and actions caused the praise from the trainer. With the click and treat method, the processes are easily taught. In normal training, a person would say "good boy" when a welcomed action occurs and proceed with giving a treat.

The clicker becomes a substitute for verbal praise and can actually catch the "good boy" behavior quicker than saying it, letting the dog know exactly which behavior he is being rewarded for. First things first, in order to try click and treat, the trainer must invest in a clicker, which can be found at most pet supply stores.

The training itself is quick and rather easy for the dog and his trainer. Another way to look at click and treat training is viewing it as a secondary reinforcement, while food, water, physical affection and play (things the dog wants) become primary reinforcement. When you take a dog for a walk, the leash works as a secondary reinforcement.

Photo: charleebear

It is obvious to the dog that the leash is not taking him for a walk; the owner is, however, it triggers a reaction in the dog, telling him that the leash will let him know where he will go and where he will not. And if he reacts to the leash with good behavior, his reward will be a nice leisurely walk. Click and treat works the same way. When a dog hears the clicker, he will know that he performed a good behavior and as long as he keeps hearing a click, there are rewards coming to him.

So, the clicker works as a secondary reinforcement, teaching him boundaries and appropriate behavior. A good method to use when getting started with click and treat is to stand in front of the animal. Click the clicker and give a treat. Continue doing this for 20-30 minutes, or until the dog becomes startled by the sound of the click. This will familiarize him to the clicking sound, while teaching him that every time he hears it, he has done something good.
 

Whoever said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, must not have owned a dog. If dogs are anything, they are extremely intelligent and can learn many new things given the chance to show you. When training your dog, keep in mind that yelling, hitting, cursing or punishment is uncalled for, as dogs will retreat backwards the more they are yelled at. Besides, you wouldn’t treat a child like that and dogs are essentially just little children with tails and four legs!

Photo: artsandammo.com

The first thing to learn when training your dog to do anything new is to never change your verbal expression, tone or volume. If you say, "come here, boy" then do not change to "Fido, come here". By doing this, your dog will become confused and it will cause unneeded frustration for both of you.

A couple of tips to take into consideration when training your dog is to reward him with treats for good behavior, however be sure to also give a lot of praise and patting to ensure he does not rely totally on the treats when being good. You may also think about enrolling your dog in an obedience class. Even if training is going good at home, this will give him extra practice with interaction between other animals and people.

When training your dog don’t cram everything into one day and expect him to remember it. Dogs have short attention spans and will quickly become bored, so try to keep training time down to short sessions throughout the day. Here are a few of the easier and more popular commands to teach Fido.

• Come- Use a toy or treat to encourage him to come towards you. Say "Fido, come." As he makes his way towards you, praise him. Once he is in front of you, hold onto his collar for 30 seconds and then let go.
• Sit- Press gently down on his backside and say "sit." You can also hold a treat above his head. When a dog is forced to look upward, he will automatically sit on his hind legs. Just as he bends to a sitting position, say "Fido, sit." Remember to praise and reward.
• Down- Get your dog into a sitting position. Slowly guide his legs straight down in front of him until he is flat. As you are doing this, repeat "Fido, down." Keep him in this position for 30 seconds and then praise and treat.
• Stay- Have Fido sit. As you slowly take a couple steps backward, say "Fido, stay." Hold your hand out as you do this, palm facing him. If he moves from position, tell him "no" and return him to the starting point. If he stays, praise and treat. Don’t forget to find a ‘release command’ like "ok", or done." This will tell him it is okay to move.

By using persistence, consistency and patience when training your dog, you will almost effortlessly be able to teach new commands and tricks. The ‘trick’ for you is to always praise and treat. Start with these easy commands and before long you will have him doing somersaults!