We have two dogs. Pup 1 is Lola, a boxer mix, who turned 10 in January 2022.
Pup 2 is Bitsy, a pittie mix, who just turned 10 in August. Bitsy was a foster failure. Initially we kept her in the crate with Lola. Bitsy goes happily into a crate. Lola, not so much.
Because of our 2 cats, who were born in 2002, we kept the dogs in their crates at night. When we moved to a multi-level house and got invisible fence, we eventually stopped putting them in the crates. Did you know you can use invisible fence inside to prevent dogs from going places you don’t want them to?
Ours do not go up the steps. This meant the cats had a total safe zone (they hated the dogs). I worried sometimes that if there were a fire that the dogs wouldn’t stand a chance. Anyway, they haven’t even seen their crates in a few years now. This will come into play in a minute. Oh, and, as you probably know or guessed, I’m speaking of the cats in the past tense. They lived good long lives. Eddie went over the Rainbow Bridge in 2019 and his sister, Shadow, followed him just this past June (2022).
We’ve taken the dogs with us on a lot of road trips. They get very excited when they realize they can go with us in the car. Yeah, but what about ACROSS THE OCEAN??
Our kids Austin and Megan have 2 boy dogs that are close in age to ours, slightly bigger than and WAY fluffier than ours. They, too, have been on road trips. They once lived at our house for 6 months or so. Megan is in the army and has been stationed in both South Korea and Germany. Luca and Meeko are not just road trippers, but international travelers! They have traveled more than once in the cargo hold of airplanes. They have not seemed worse for the wear.
I think Lola could be ok. Not happy, but ok. I’m not sure Bitsy would ever be the same. She’s one of those dogs that shivers through thunderstorms and fireworks. Sometimes she’s just randomly nervous and comes to snuggle. I don’t think she’d ever be the same if she had to go through that. I’ve read that they would not allow them to be in the same crate. That’s the only way I see that Bitsy would be able to do it.
I’ve been trying to find alternatives. If you know of anything I can do and it works out, you will for sure win my undying gratitude and some primo Pampered Chef! I love these silly dogs beyond reason!
1. Boat. From what I’ve been able to find, The Queen Mary 2 is the only trans-Atlantic, commercial ship that ever allows dogs. As this is a Cunard ship, on the surface that sounds like an AWESOME adventure. I see myself with Scott and the pups like Kate & Leo having a fancy time (no hitting ice bergs please).
Good ole Google…
Caveats:
a. It’s not cheap. It appears that it will be $800-$1000 PER dog. Then there are the humans!
b. We have to go to New York to get on the boat. It will let us off in Southampton England. So, then we have to get all 4 of us to southern Portugal.
c. Seems that it’s necessary to book this WAY in advance.
d. There are a lot of forms and hoops to jump through.
There’s lots of info on the Cunard site itself, but this seems like a good, comprehensive source. https://cruisemaven.com/travel-with-your-pets-aboard-the-queen-mary-2-kennels-to-england/
2. Private jet
I’m finding 2 basic choices for non-commercial flying.
A. Rent a private jet
B. Find some other people who want to go in together to rent a private jet.
This is even more expensive than the Queen Mary.
Watch this space to find out what happens. I can't put them in the cargo hold. I just can't do it. Of course, a lot depends on when we actually move….
