Flying with a Dog for the First Time

Flying with a dog for the first time was both intimidating for us and Pepper. With so much conflicting information on the internet, through word of mouth and even from the airlines themselves we were't exactly sure what to expect.

Practice Makes Perfect

What we did know was that we could control how we could prepare our dog to fly. We made sure to purchase a travel kennel weeks before the flight so that our dog felt comfortable in the kennel at home.

We chose it because both sides expand open. We were able unzip one side (once seated) of the kennel to widen Pepper's little house for her first airplane ride.

From what we understand, non service dogs are supposed to be in their kennels the entire time both at the airport and on the airplane but we couldn't believe how many non-service dogs we were noticing walking around O'Hare international airport.

Pepper on the Plane

We tested our luck and allowed Pepper to stretch out on the empty seat between us. She laid on top of a jacket and under another blanket to stay warm from the crazy cold airplane air conditioning!

She certainly wasn't bothering anyone there and wasn't even noticed until the end of the flight.

Our intention was not to "hide" her by any means and once the flight attendant informed us that the dog needs to remain in the kennel at all times back under the seat she went.

We do wish we would have found more concrete information on airline websites regarding specific regulations but since it seemed to be a grey area we took our chances.

As always though, make sure to respect your flight attendants and your fellow passengers. We made sure our dog was under the seat just as soon as she asked.

Of course, we also want what is best for our dog and Pepper was a bit anxious under the seat. Once she was up with us it was just another day on the sofa and she went right to sleep.