We bought a new puppy. Whats better to do...?

Question

Have him flown in for an additional 250 dollars. OR Drive 11 hours one way (22 hours all together) to pick him up?



Additional Info: Puppy is 5 weeks so I have 3 weeks to figure this out..., a Saint Bernard, and most of the driving will be through mountains.

Not too concerned about the money but more the well being of the dog and whats better for him. But if there is no difference in his well being. I'll take the cheaper route!

Answer 1

Fly him.. It's a whole lot shorter a flight than it would be for a car trip.. Easier on the puppy to fly, than to be in the car for 11 hours. Make sure the breeder doesn't drug the puppy before the flight..
If she gets up early and gets your puppy tired, and then puts him on the plane, he'll sleep the whole way .. He'll show up at the airport refreshed, awake and raring to go !

Answer 2

Hi, We live 4000 km's from where we got our puppy from, we flew her over on the 20th October. She had to fly for 12 hours and drive another 2 to get to her new home. She was happy and relaxed when I took her from the airport and a bit tired I guess because she slept for the most of the drive. While she was awake she drove us all mad, she's a puppy so all she wanted to do was play and explore not very safe in a car travelling at high speed. Puppy is just that a puppy, I really can't see how a short flight can have any long term effects. A long car trip with a puppy that can't or won't settle would drive you crazy but only for the duration of the trip. My advice is if you want to take a long expensive ride in you car to collect you puppy then do it, my preference would be to fly him.
Hope this helps

Answer 3

I, personally, don't think either is the best choice for him. Flying alone can be scary for a puppy, but in most cases, they arrive just fine. However, I would recommend you take a flight out there to pick him up from the breeder at the airport, and fly back with him, if that is possible. If the crate is small enough, he can be put under the seat in front of you instead of being in the cargo area. If that wouldn't be possible, I do recommend flying him in because it will be a much shorter trip than driving.

Answer 4

Driving would be great. You can meet the breeder and your pup's dog family. It's good to see mom and hopefully dad and litter mates. Puppy will probably sleep most of the trip. Take a small crate for him. If you buckle it beside you, you can start bonding with him on the drive. The snow shouldn't be too bad in 3 weeks. Might be an enjoyable trip.
If you decide to fly him, find a direct flight and pay the extra$$ for the pet preferred service. Most airlines have a special service for pets for an additional fee. It's worth it.

Answer 5

I'd drive so you could meet the parents of the puppy. To see what the parents and puppy look like in person and to find out what their temperaments are like. Plus you can see how well taken care of and how healthy all the dogs are. I generally never adopt a purebred puppy without meeting the parents of the puppy so i have an idea what the puppy will look and act like when he/she grows up. Or better yet why don't you fly there and then rent a car to drive back home.

Answer 6

I would pay for the flight, there would be nothing worse than travelling 11 hours and after an hour find out he gets car sick, as quite a few puppies do on their 1st journeys. The good part of driving is you would have a lot of bonding time. I flew a pup from Australia to New Zealand with no problems.

Answer 7

Pay the extra money to have him flown in. With the price of gas the way it is, you would probably spend that much driving and spending 11 hours in a vehicle with an 8 week old puppy wouldn't be much fun either. Good luck with your new bundle of joy. New puppies are sooooo much fun!

Answer 8

My personal preference is to pick up my pups myself. Road trips with puppies can be a pain, but the husband and I swap off driving and wrangling with them. We are also friends with our breeder -- about 7 hours away -- so we go down and spend the weekend with them as a mini-vacation. Then again, a lot of people ship puppies with no problem. (And there's always the argument that a plane is statistically safer than a car.)

So, its really up to you. Each has its drawbacks. If you're up for a road trip, go drive and get the puppy. If you're comfortable with shipping a pup, do that. The cost is going to balance out either way, because what you save on the shipping, you spend on gas/hotels/food, and vice versa.

Answer 9

first of all congrats!
when they ship a puppy they just put them in a crate with some water and just put them in the cargo area with all of the luggage and boxes. this can be very stressful for your pup especially when they just toss that crate around like a luggage.
the 22hr drive is gonna be more stressful for you and not to mention dangerous. if money is not an issue i recommend you fly out pick up the pup. this way you can check out the facility you got it from and see the parents of the pup then you fly back with the pup on the plane with you. you just need to find out the pet policy for for the airline you choose. you need to get airline approved crate.

some useful links
http://www.lotsofpets.com/dogs-dog-carriers-and-crates.html

http://www.lotsofpets.com/resourcecenter.html#pettips

Answer 10

Drive if you can. Flights can be a bit un nerving especially if puppy has never been on one. Picture if you were a little kid and your parents took you to the airport, put you in a cage and they threw you in baggage for a flight. Not real good. If you pick puppy up, then at least you have the drive to begin bonding and puppy will at least have some company who loves him WITH him.