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Life's journey is more fun with a dog! So here we go.
When traveling with a dog by plane, you must inform yourself of the company's conditions for taking it. From what we understand, the number of animals is limited, so it is important to know before buying the ticket if there is still space available.
You should know the box measurements and weight when making your reservation.
It is important to take the dog to the vet in advance. Duna had to get a booster of the rabies vaccine to then take the exam and had to pass a month from the time of vaccination until the harvest.
The vet will do all the necessary papers, passport, chip paper, etc… we really recommend the Duna vet. 4patas Office, in Vila Nova de Gaia. The concern with Duna made us sure that we would take everything we would need for a successful trip.
We also pack some medicines for the Dune. As we are going to travel in tropical places, it is advisable to wear a collar that is also repellent against mosquitoes.
We bought the carrier, and we tried to get him used to it. We tried! Leave the carrier open at home and offer your dog the best treats inside. Duna would fetch them and go outside to eat them. It was the most we could manage, in the end I was less afraid.
We read that it was important to identify the carrier with the dog's name, and that it was better if the carrier spread love, to get the attention of people working at the airport, and so it was. We printed a photo of her, and glued some hearts together, or it wasn't love's journey.
The day before, give your dog a good meal, and the day before, just a light meal. Do not give them water or food less than two hours before the flight, because then they are anxious to go to the bathroom and it is worse.
As Duna is very nervous, we gave her a tranquilizer, the tranquilizer only takes effect for 4 hours, so and as she was calm, we only gave her at boarding time.
At the airport, at check-in, they weigh the dog and then it's only almost time to board that the animal is taken to the out-of-format baggage area and that's it.
