Picking a pup up at the airport?

Sangmort

Something I've wondered about for a while, & figured I'd ask since many of you all have had your pups shipped

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When a pup is shipped, it is shipped in a crate, & you pick the pup up at the airport...right?

So...where exactly in the airport do you go? LOL I've only ever picked up humans from the airport & I am genuinely clueless about this!

What do you bring with you?

- Leash?
- Collar / Harness?
- Food / Treats?
- Water?
- Towels?

Will the pup have soiled the crate? [ guess this depends on how long the flight is ]
Do you let the pup out at the airport?
Do you take the pup home in the crate they arrived in?
Do you let the pup out in the car & let the passenger hold him/her?

Just realized....I've no idea whatsoever how this works! LOL Thanks guys ~

Sangmort

I'm mainly asking about shipping domestically [ ie: from one state to another ] but I'm curious how importing [ to the US ] works too. I guess there's the extra step of customs? ~

Edgewood

We picked up Sachi at the cargo area (which was about 2 miles away from the main PHL airport). I called the airport in advance and spoke to baggage first and they transferred me to cargo.

The dog crate came with a leash. I usually carry the puppy on my lap in the car while my husband drives. They usually want out of the crate by that time. Both Kuma and Sachi slept on my lap really well.

I did bring a saddle pad (but a towel would work) to lay across my lap for the puppy to lay on. I also brought leashes and collars, but they actually both had these already.

BradA1878

When a pup is shipped, it is shipped in a crate, & you pick the pup up at the airport...right?
>> Depends on how the pup is shipped. If it is shipped as cargo then you pick the pup up at the cargo place, which is usually close to the airport but not in the actual airport (in its own building). Chupa came to us via American Airlines, and for him we picked him up in the airport, but he was the only one that has gone that way for us - all others have been handled as cargo (which I actually prefer).

So...where exactly in the airport do you go?
>> For Chupa it was in the baggage claim area. For the others it was in a warehouse type building a few miles from the airport.

What do you bring with you?
>> Leash / Collar, Water / Water bowl, Treats, Towels, and cleaning stuff in case they have had an accident.

Will the pup have soiled the crate? [ guess this depends on how long the flight is ]
>> Depends on a lot of things, but none of ours have done #2 in the crate, but most have done #1, but #1 is soaked up via the absorbent material that is usually in the crate when you receive them.

Do you let the pup out at the airport?
>> If the pup is shipped via cargo, yes, we usually let them out there. When I got Chupa I waited till I was in the parking lot to let him out.

Do you take the pup home in the crate they arrived in?
>> Yes. I usually keep them in that crate on our drive home since our drive tends to be 4 - 6 hours, and I know they are comfortable in that crate. Some of our dogs we have let out tho, it really depends on their size, age, and situation. A little Kai or Shikoku puppy I would probably keep in the crate for the drive home (stopping to let them potty), but a 30lb CO pup I would just put in the back seat.

Do you let the pup out in the car & let the passenger hold him/her?
>> If Jen is with me, yes, mos def she will be holding any pup we get, no matter the size.

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BradA1878

For importing its the same drill, especially if you ship via cargo as they deal with all the customs docs and such.

shishiinu

I got Yuki at the cargo area of SD airport. When I bring a pup over, I usually dont feed or water until I arrive home uless the drive home is further then 20 min. I usually just leave the pup in the crate until I get to my house just to keep the pup still and to keep stress level down. The flight over can be really stressful for a pup so I feel the best thing is to slow every thing down for the pup when it arrives and let it get aclimated on its own terms.

As for feeding and watering, I start with small amounts first just to see how the pup does with eating in a completely new surroundings. Oh and almost always I will have the pup shipped with a piece of item that has the mothers scent or the previous owners scent on it.

tjbart17

The only thing I can add is expect to wait at least an hour after the plane arrives. Probably more like an hour and a half. They have to unload all pets and drive them to the cargo area. Bring something to keep you busy.

Sangmort

Thanks a ton guys! This was extremely helpful

I was really having a clueless moment, always hearing about people picking their pups up at the airport but not going into details ~

Kenshi

Bring some of that Pedialyte stuff - the unflavored kind - and a big syringe (without a needle....hmmm I don't remember where I got one of these actually).

That way if your pup is too freaked out to drink water, you can gently insert the tip of the syringe into the corner of their mouth and give them a little squirt of pedialyte every hour or so to keep them hydrated.