C A N I N E S   O N L I N E ™
Copyright 2001 Canines Online ™
Issue No.2, Vol.2, July 6, 2001

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CONTENTS:
=>Canine Topic Corner:
   -- Plane Travel With Your Puppy
=>Tidbits:
   -- Howling
   -- Dogs and the Rain
=>News Briefs:
   -- More animals up for adoption during summer months
   -- Be a dog for a day
   -- Summer heat demands safety precautions for pets
=>Featured Site:
   -- National Animal Interest Alliance
=>Featured Breed:
   -- Schnauzer
=>The Tail End
============================================

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CANINE TOPIC CORNER
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Plane Travel With Your Puppy
by Tracey Biscontini Information compiled by PETsMART.com staff and
PETsMART Inc. experts.

Puppies must be at least eight weeks old to travel on an airplane. If
you do decide to travel by plane with your puppy, do some research first
and arrange your plans far in advance of the trip.

Always choose an airline that offers nonstop service--a flight without
stops--to and from your destination. If you can't get nonstop service,
try to get a direct or through flight, which is a flight that stops but
doesn't require passengers to change planes.

Naturally, if you have to travel on a direct flight, look for one with
as little time on the ground as possible during the stopover. Also, use
the same airline for your entire trip.

If your puppy is small, it can travel in the passenger cabin with you or
it can travel as checked baggage. However, if your puppy is larger,
you'll have to ship it as either standard cargo or counter-to-counter
cargo.

The Passenger Cabin
Most airlines will allow your puppy to travel in the passenger cabin if
you follow certain rules. For example, puppies in the passenger cabin
must remain in a safe kennel that's placed under the seat in front of
you. A kennel is actually a Pet carrier.

If you want your puppy to fly with you in the passenger cabin, make your
reservations as early as possible. Airlines restrict the number of Pets
allowed in the passenger cabin of each flight.

Also, the clerk needs to assign you a seat with enough room for your
puppy. Space under the aisle seats can be narrower than space under the
center and window seats.

In addition, some airlines don't allow passengers with Pets to sit in an
exit row. So, if you don't register early, the flight may be either
closed to additional Pets, or there may not be a seat left with enough
room for your puppy.

Check your airlines for the maximum dimensions for a kennel in the
passenger cabin. In general, the maximum dimensions are usually around
21 inches long, 13 to 16 inches wide and 8 or 9 inches high.
Zippered, soft kennels work well in the passenger cabin because they're
flexible. Make certain these kennels have lots of cushioning and that
the zipper is secure. (It's really embarrassing if your puppy gets out
and decides to run around the plane.)

Also, the kennel must be properly ventilated on at least two sides. Be
certain to label the kennel with your name, address, and telephone
number. In addition, make sure your puppy is wearing a collar with an
I.D. tag.

Once you call and reserve your puppy's space, you may pick up its ticket
when you pick up yours. A ticket for your puppy in the passenger cabin
will cost around $50 for a one-way trip.

Some commuter airlines don't allow Pets in the passenger cabin, so you
want to use jet service whenever you can. Most airlines insist that
there must be enough room in the carrier for the dog to stand up, turn
around, and lie down.

(They won't let your puppy on the plane unless it can do this.)
Therefore, your puppy or dog must be relatively small in order to travel
this way.

Checked Baggage
Most dog owners prefer their dogs to fly in the passenger cabin, so they
can watch over them. However, it's not always possible for your dog to
fly this way.

Larger dogs can't fly in the passenger cabin. In addition, airlines
only allow one dog in a carrier, so if you're flying to visit a friend
with your two poodles, the airline won't allow your dogs in the
passenger cabin. (A few airlines do allow two very young puppies to
share a kennel.)

Another alternative is to put the puppy in a larger kennel and fly it as
checked baggage. You can ask the airline to confirm a checked baggage
space for your puppy when you make reservations.

This way, you're absolutely certain that space will be available. A few
airlines have a policy that prohibits them from confirming space, but
this doesn't mean they won't have a space for your puppy; it just means
that they can't guarantee it.

Although it doesn't cost more to fly your puppy as checked baggage than
it does to fly it in the passenger cabin, the kennel requirements are
different.

For instance, usually, you need to put your puppy in a hard, plastic
kennel rather than in a soft one. If you buy a hard kennel that's
airline approved, you shouldn't have any problems.

Also, buy the strongest kennel you can find, since your puppy will fly
with the luggage instead of with the passengers.

A few airlines insist that you give them written confirmation as to when
your puppy last ate and drank, which means you have to write it down for
them.

Most require that you have food and water in the kennel. Some kennels
have dishes built in that you can fill from the outside, which is really
convenient.

You'll have to label your puppy's kennel with your name, address, and
telephone number. Also, mark the kennel with a one-inch high 'live
animal' sign.

Standard Cargo
Most airlines have a choice of either standard air cargo or a premium
service called counter-to-counter cargo.
If you ship your puppy as standard cargo, sometimes called freight, it
must be at the cargo facility about two to four hours before the plane
takes off. (Most cargo facilities are somewhere other than where you
would normally check in for a flight, so you have to find the cargo
facility first.)

And, when the puppy reaches its destination, it will be held an
additional one to two hours. This lengthens the puppy's flight
considerably and causes it more stress than necessary.

In addition, cargo doesn't have the same loading priority as baggage,
which mean it's possible that weight limits for a flight could be
reached before your puppy is put on board. If this happens, your puppy
will have to wait for a later flight.

Whether or not your puppy can fly standard cargo also depends on the
temperature. The temperature at both destinations must fall within an
acceptable range or the airline won't put the puppy on the plane.

Counter-to-Counter
A much better way for your puppy to travel is counter-to-counter cargo
service. Unlike standard cargo, this type of service allows your puppy
to be brought to the passenger terminal only 30 to 60 minutes prior to
the flight's departure. And, after the flight, you can pick the puppy
up as soon as the baggage is unloaded.

Health and Security
Airlines won't let your puppy on a plane unless it's healthy. Within 10
days of the flight, you must take your puppy to the veterinarian and get
a health certificate. In addition, the airlines will visually inspect
your puppy's health before they put it on the plane.

Security differs between airlines, so it's best to keep your ticket and
your puppy's ticket, health certificate, and rabies vaccination
together, since some airlines will request this information more than
once.

Most airlines will want to x-ray your puppy's kennel, so you'll have to
take your puppy out of the kennel. (Make sure your puppy is wearing its
collar, leash and I.D. tag!)

You and your puppy might have to walk through a metal detector together.
Never let your puppy be run through an x-ray machine.


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TIDBITS
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Howling
Dogs that are often left alone for long periods of time often howl
because they are lonely. The purpose of the howl in the wild is to
gather the pack so they can face impending danger together. The group
howl is a kind of tribal bonding experience.

Dogs and the Rain
Dogs often hesitate venturing into the rain, not because they’re afraid
of getting wet, but because the rain amplifies sound and hurts their
sensitive ears.


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NEWS BRIEFS
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More animals up for adoption during summer months
OCEAN COUNTY, NJ -- As a result, several shelters have stepped up
adoption efforts, going out to pet stores and flea markets for weekend
adoptions. More info:
http://www.app.com/news/app/story/0,2110,414354,00.html

Be a dog for a day
BBC NEWS -- Dog owners are being auditioned by Battersea Dogs' Home to
be "strays" for a day. More info:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1414000/1414152.stm

Summer heat demands safety precautions for pets
MODESTO, CA -- Helping your dog beat the heat means paying close
attention to his environment. More info:
http://www.modbee.com/living/story/0,1155,278498,00.html


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FEATURED SITE
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National Animal Interest Alliance
http://www.naiaonline.org/
The National Animal Interest Alliance is an association of business,
agricultural, scientific, and recreational interest formed to protect
and promote humane practices and relationships between people and
animals. NAIA was created to address the absence of any common vehicle
for interdisciplinary communication between various animal interest
groups, the media, and policy makers. NAIA provides the network,
expertise, and leadership necessary for diverse groups to communicate
with one another, to describe the nature and value of their work, to
clarify animal rights misinformation, and to educate each other and the
public about what they do and how they do it.


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FEATURED BREED
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Breed: Schnauzer
Country of Origin: 15th century Germany
AKC Group: Working
Function: Companion
Life Span: 13-15 years
Appearance: Sturdy, docked tail
Color: Silver/gray or black
Coat Type: Thick, little shedding, no odor
Grooming: Periodic brushing
Height: 17-20 inches
Weight: 30-45 pounds
Activity Level: High
Watch Dog: Yes
Protection: Yes
Intelligence: High
Trainability: Difficult
Good With Children: Ok
Good With Pets: No
Good With Strangers: Ok
Character: Active, smart, bold, affectionate, alert
Home Environment: Exercised daily
Best Owner: Firm, active
Potential Problems:
Behavior: Noisy, dominant, bitter, restless
Physical: Hip dysplasia, skin problems

Books:
Standard Schnauzer: A Complete and Reliable Handbook By: Barbara M.
Dille
Retail Price: $19.95
Our Price: $15.96
http://bn.bfast.com/booklink/click?sourceid=12475608&bfpid=0793807565

The New Miniature Schnauzer: The Breed since CH. Dorem Display By: Dan
Kiedrowski
Retail Price: $27.95
Our Price: $22.36
This is the first revision of this contemporary classic. It is a
must-have reference for everyone with any serious interest in this
popular breed, originally used as a ratter in its native Germany.
Includes, history, care, the show ring, training, top producers,
Miniature Schnauzers in other countries and much more. Profusely
illustrated. Truly, a worthy successor to the highly-esteemed original.
http://bn.bfast.com/booklink/click?sourceid=12475608&bfpid=0876052413

Rescue Groups:
The Schnauzer Rescue Message Board
http://disc.server.com/Indices/10309.html

Potomac Valley Standard Schnauzer Club Adoptables   
http://www.pvssc.org/adopt.html

Saint Louis Schnauzer Rescue and More (MO)
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/stlouisschrescue/index.html


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THE TAIL END
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“He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men.
We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
-- Immanuel Kant