Traveling with a JA (car rides, plane trips, etc.)
Hello everyone! I'm stuck on a couple questions I can't seem to find any information or experiences to help me determine what I should do. So I'm popping my head up to ask for your help. Please share any experience you have with car rides, plane trips (both as cargo & carry on) and any advice or suggestions you have for me on how to handle traveling with an Akita.
Before I explain my travel dilemma let me give you some information on my job and reasons for travel:
I work for a company who trains and certifies dealerships on new car models. Our company usually does work for the Gulf States Toyota branch(States such as Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas etc.), but occasionally does work in SoCal such as the OC and LA auto shows. When I am doing "out of Cali" tours it is usually for a major launch. For example, I am currently in Arkansas doing both the 2014 Tundra and Corolla launch. These tours usually last about a month and I return to the same states and cities each time. I initially fly from Cali to Dallas and from there we begin our 2-3 day shows per state and then drive to the next state. These tours usually happen a few times a year when Toyota launches their new models.
Now, my questions:
-Are long car rides an issue with Akita?
When I am home, I like going to beaches or visiting family in the Big Bear mountains. Both of these examples are over an hour drive from where I live(big bear being over 3). I'd love to attend shows and events as well. I know there are few closer to home such as the Bloomington event, but most are based in LA county, so I'd have to make the hour and a half trip to attend those.
-Would bringing my Akita with me on tour make its life miserable, or is it possible?
I should say that I do plan on only bringing the Akita with me when it is a bit older. I do not plan on flying the Akita every time I travel. I would just love to be able to occasionally bring him with me on a tour. We stop many times during each show and visit some great locations that I'd love to have the Akita experience(Cali is so limited on nature hikes/lakes & snow). My job with Toyota is not my primary source of income, and I can always opt out of some launches so that I'm not away from home while the pup grows up. I plan on taking plenty of time off from it anyway to make sure I'm open to attend training classes and such. And if this isn't a possibility, of course I will not do it.
I know that there are many factors involved in determining this, such as getting the pup familiar with car rides and so on. And that most of this will rely on me and how I raise him, but I was just wondering if the Akita is naturally uneasy or jittery when in the car or plane. And if occasionally traveling with me would be okay for the Akita.Gosh, it sounds like a really stupid question thinking back. But I just have to ask. The more I read about the the Akita the more I fall in love and want to make the best life for my future companion. These are just questions I find myself wondering about. I tend think about things I should probably wait until later on to look into, sorry! Please share your knowledge or constructive criticism! I'm on this forum to learn and avoid as many mistakes as I possibly can.
Thank you all in advance!
Before I explain my travel dilemma let me give you some information on my job and reasons for travel:
I work for a company who trains and certifies dealerships on new car models. Our company usually does work for the Gulf States Toyota branch(States such as Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas etc.), but occasionally does work in SoCal such as the OC and LA auto shows. When I am doing "out of Cali" tours it is usually for a major launch. For example, I am currently in Arkansas doing both the 2014 Tundra and Corolla launch. These tours usually last about a month and I return to the same states and cities each time. I initially fly from Cali to Dallas and from there we begin our 2-3 day shows per state and then drive to the next state. These tours usually happen a few times a year when Toyota launches their new models.
Now, my questions:
-Are long car rides an issue with Akita?
When I am home, I like going to beaches or visiting family in the Big Bear mountains. Both of these examples are over an hour drive from where I live(big bear being over 3). I'd love to attend shows and events as well. I know there are few closer to home such as the Bloomington event, but most are based in LA county, so I'd have to make the hour and a half trip to attend those.
-Would bringing my Akita with me on tour make its life miserable, or is it possible?
I should say that I do plan on only bringing the Akita with me when it is a bit older. I do not plan on flying the Akita every time I travel. I would just love to be able to occasionally bring him with me on a tour. We stop many times during each show and visit some great locations that I'd love to have the Akita experience(Cali is so limited on nature hikes/lakes & snow). My job with Toyota is not my primary source of income, and I can always opt out of some launches so that I'm not away from home while the pup grows up. I plan on taking plenty of time off from it anyway to make sure I'm open to attend training classes and such. And if this isn't a possibility, of course I will not do it.
I know that there are many factors involved in determining this, such as getting the pup familiar with car rides and so on. And that most of this will rely on me and how I raise him, but I was just wondering if the Akita is naturally uneasy or jittery when in the car or plane. And if occasionally traveling with me would be okay for the Akita.Gosh, it sounds like a really stupid question thinking back. But I just have to ask. The more I read about the the Akita the more I fall in love and want to make the best life for my future companion. These are just questions I find myself wondering about. I tend think about things I should probably wait until later on to look into, sorry! Please share your knowledge or constructive criticism! I'm on this forum to learn and avoid as many mistakes as I possibly can.
Thank you all in advance!
Comments
DRIVING
I have made the drive from Los Angeles to Chicago and back with multiple Akitas twice and two additional drives to Dallas and back. I have also made one shorter drive from Los Angeles to Oregon with five Akitas packed in one vehicle. At least once a month I do a short drive somewhere with some dogs, such as up to San Luis Obispo or down to San Diego for dog shows.
FLYING
I have had puppies shipped to Los Angeles as cargo from Japan twice and puppies or young adults flown as accompanied baggage (technically the same as cargo) from Japan three times. I have also flown with a young adult as accompanied baggage from Los Angeles to Dallas. I have had two of my puppy buyers fly with an eight week old puppy in cabin to/from Alabama and New York. I have shipped four puppies to Chicago, New York, Boston, and Miami.
I've never had a single problem with the dogs in any of the above situations. One of my imports I picked up personally in Japan got car sick driving around Mount Haruna in Gunma prefecture, but it was probably one of the first car rides she'd ever been on. Mountain driving dd her in! She does great in car rides now, no longer gets sick, even when we went to Big Bear Mountain.
I have had problems with airlines from time to time. Delta is the best in my opinion. Great for shipping, great for flying in cabin or as accompanied baggage, great flights in general. I like flying accompanied with American, but shipping with them (at least out of LAX airport) has become a headache. SNA is better since it is an American hub. Both of my puppies that flew in cabin went on United and had no problems; in fact on one flight, the attendants let the owner take the puppy to the bathroom, take her out of her crate, and put her on a puddle pad to relieve herself partly through the flight. However, if you fly on United (or any Star Alliance airline) you will pay cargo prices, which can be $500 to $3000 for an adult Akita, even if the dog is flying as accompanied baggage. Japanese Akita puppies over eight or nine weeks old (male) or nine or ten weeks old (female) are too big to fly in cabin and must fly in the cargo section. American Akita puppies are too big to fly in cabin at the minimum age of eight weeks.
I see no problem with taking your puppy on a tour, and I actually think (once its shots are complete by 12 weeks) you should do it as much as possible. The more new experiences the pup has during its first few months, the better it will be able to adapt and take life in stride when its older. While you can teach an old dog new tricks (I wouldn't be worried much about obedience training a young puppy, that can come later) its much harder to get an old, sheltered dog to accept new things and change without anxiety. Unfortunately fear/anxiety is a big issue in Japanese Akitas, especially the bloodlines in the US.
I have traveled by car a lot with dogs (not JAs though) before, and getting them used to it young seems to be a big determining factor in whether they enjoy it or not. My Lapphund would curl up into a ball and sleep the whole time, sitting up when the car slowed down such that she figured we were probably stopping for a while (she traveled a lot from puppyhood). The Sheltie mix my stepmom had (who didn't travel at all until she was about 9, with a few exceptions when she was younger) would sit there panting most of the trip until she got tired enough to want to sleep. Thankfully, neither of them tended to get carsick.
The possible problems you will face with flying your dog as cargo or excess baggage are:
1) Seasonal restrictions because of bans during the hot summer months. Many airlines do not fly animals as cargo/excess baggage during the summer months, especially to places like Texas. If your trips are during the spring, fall or winter, this is not an issue.
2) Getting a domestic flight on a plane that will accommodate the crate of an adult Akita. Of course flying a pup or young adult usually is not an issue, but a full adult can be trickier. Most international flights are on jumbo jets, so no problem. But for domestic flights you have to be VERY careful when you book your flight to make sure the plane is big enough. The rules are that the ears cannot touch the top of the interior crate. For me, all the flights from San Francisco to Atlanta, Birmingham or Nashville were on planes too small to accommodate my AA's large crate in cargo. So this essentially nixed the flying for me.
If you want to fly your dog in cabin, your dog must weigh 20lbs or less and the carrier must fit under the seat in front. Even if your dog is a service dog, there is no guarantee that your dog can fly in cabin. If for any reason the flight crew thinks a service dog will cause a disruption to the flight (aggression, stress, etc) they can require that dog to fly cargo.
As far as driving long distances, I agree with poeticdragon. Driving with an akita is not only easy, it's a lot of fun! As long as you stop enough for potty breaks and provide shade from the sunlight streaming in the windows, akitas are easy to drive with.
@BearMom I'll definitely be sure to only bring him on tours during the cooler seasons. I know how brutal Texas weather can be #:-S Thank you for your help!
@Jellyfish Good to know that Akitas generally do well in a car. I do a lot of driving even when I'm not on tour. Any suggestions on a good cover for the back seat? I love JA's, but I love a clean(or as clean as possible) car much more. Lol
I've also taken her 4x4 and when we do that she is in a crate in the back seat area. I just make sure that I've always got water, bags, and some treats. She isn't very into toys when we travel.
As far as events go and distance, we have a lot of people stay at the Holiday Inn in Torrance for the shows in Feb. We do an event Friday night, show Sat (JACA) and sun (Akiho) both events are setup so that people have plenty of time to walk, talk, and meet.
Now he's a nervous rider, but seems to like it. So I think, yes, getting them used to it is important, but some dogs don't seem to adjust as well as some others. My Kai Ken doesn't like it either. But my Shibas love(d) car rides. Both of them also had long drives as puppies, but it didn't seem to bother them at all.
As for flying, I personally would not fly a dog in cargo unless I had to. Importing dogs or sending dogs to a new home--sometimes you have to. But flying in cargo is stressful and too many things can go wrong, and have, and I would only do it unless I didn't have other options, so I personally wouldn't want to take a dog out that way in cargo for a long tour. I'd say read up A LOT on flying dogs, so you get a good sense of the risks involved and then can decide what will be right for you and your dog.
Now the he is 11 months old I still do not have any problem with him, we make at least 2 times a week a 4h drive and he just lays on the back seat or just watches through the windows. He never got car sick or had any problem in the car.
Tanuki was sitting in the backseat with my friend's dog. The car was too small to fit cages, so we used seat belts for them (you know the doggy kind). It went very smoothly with no car sickness or accidents inside the car.
I do prefer airplanes though.. the trip we now spent two days on takes two hours with a plane
Air travel: is usually an unpleasant experience for both dog and owner. Typically due to airlines and the risks/hassles they pose. Of course, some get lucky and have less of a hassle, but it's best not to take the risk.
-I will fly with my pup as accompanied for as long as I can. Then, once the pup is too big to fly as accompanied baggage, I will only travel by plane if I have to. (e.g., a very long distance move)
Car travel: Generally an okay experience with the Akita. Some enjoy it more than others and some experience car sickness. Usually depends on the amount of time spent on getting them used to long drives and making sure they are comfortable.
-I will do my best to familiarize future pup with car travel early on and be prepared for possible chunks of vomit
New experiences/places: Very important and good to introduce any dog to as many new experiences and places as possible, both early on and continued throughout their life.
-Obviously essential so I just want to reiterate its importance for any one who comes across this post later on. I will work on these things as much as I can to avoid any fear/anxiety issues that can happen with Akita and problems that stem from poor socialization.
Once again, thank you all for your help. It is very appreciated.
I guess my point is that anything can be conditioned as long as it doesn't make them physically ill.
I've taken many many road trips with my Shiba (Kiyomi) and Shikoku/Laika (Meeko). My boyfriend and I are both in the Navy, so we travel quite a bit in order to see family. We have a car hammock (similar to this one http://www.petco.com/product/109576/Solvit-Waterproof-Hammock-Seat-Cover.aspx?CoreCat=certona-_-ProductListTopRated_Dog_2-_-Solvit Waterproof Hammock Seat Cover-109576) that we use to protect the seats.
Meeko has a tendency to get car sick, so in addition to the hammock, we lay puppy-pads (not the scented ones) on her side just in case. It makes for easy clean-up.