One way to get the most out of life is
to look upon it as an adventure.
William Feather

Traveling with a Service Dog

When my daughter was first granted her wish by The Make a Wish foundation of Ontario, I knew that the only way we could go to Disney was if we could bring her seizure alert dog "River". We depend on this dog so much and a week away from her could possibly be disastrous for Asia since River detects seizures before they happen. When I talked to Make a Wish about the dog coming they didn't hesitate to make arrangements for us. They were just so wonderful!
The tickets were purchased, everything was planned and River was coming with us. This was really great news, but I have to admit that I was a little worried because River had never flown before. There would be a lot of firsts for her. I just wasn't sure how she would do.
I know this dog is very highly trained but I really didn't expect her to be so incredible. The flights both ways went very well. She was amazing each and every time we went to Disney. She learned how to ride a mono rail, a trolley from the Disney parking lot, an airplane, and she didn't even bat an eyelid when she saw Mickey Mouse, Mayor Clayton, Miss. Merry, or Donald Duck. She was just so calm and amazing.

I was nervous about taking her to the parks because I wasn't sure if there were places for her to relieve herself. I had never been to Disney before and I was just worried about this. To my surprise they had special spots for service dogs. I was always able to find an area for her and at Sea World they even had signs up stating it was a Service Animal relief area. That was so wonderful.

•Getting ready for your trip

If you are planning on taking your service dog over the border you will need to have the dog checked by a vet no more than 10 days before travel.  Ask your vet for a letter stating the dog is a service dog and that he/she is healthy and able to travel. If your dog is an owner trained dog, rather than an association trained dog, have the vet mention this and that the dog has full access to public places.

Have your dog's immunizations up to date. It is the law and customs can prevent you form crossing the border if the dog hasn't had at least his/her rabies shot. Bring proof of immunization with you and be prepared to show it to the customs officer.

•Going Through Customs

When going through customs have the dog in a sit-stay and then walk through the metal detector first. Then turn around and call the dog. The alarm will go off if the dogs collar or jacket has metal on it. Customs is NOT allowed to remove the dog's jacket because that is an indication to the dog that she/he is off duty. Allow the officer to pat the dog down and if required open dog's jacket for inspection.

•Have all of the dog's paper work handy including the letter from the vet and your dog's immunizations record.

•On The Plane

If your travel plans include flying you need to be sure that the airline knows this. They will provide you with a bulk-head seat so the dog can lay on the floor at your feet.

Bring a blanket for your dog to lay on. This will prevent stray hairs form getting into the carpet of the plane. It is just a respectful way of flying with a dog.

If you suspect your dog will  have trouble flying I suggest that you don't feed the dog before travel. This will prevent most air sickness problems in dogs.

Dogs do not seem to react to the pressure changes in the cabin. You do not need to bring a bone for him to chew unless you want to. Oh, and like my daughter learned... you cannot teach a dog to chew bubble gum!

Ask to board  the plane first and leave the plane last. This will ensure your dog doesn't get stepped on.

Give your dog a bathroom break at the last possible moment before you go through customs. Once you go through customs you will not be able to take the dog out. Some flight attendants will offer to take the dog out for you. This is a great thing and I always take that opportunity if it is offered.

Here are some other things I learned while traveling with a service dog...

- make use of the handicapped bathroom stall and take the dog in there to have a drink. The dog is more likely to drink if there aren't crowds around. (use a dog bowl that folds up because it is easy to carry)

- be careful that the dog's feet don't get sore due to walking on pavement all day and give frequent rests.

- do not allow people to pet the dog unless they ask first and even then.. use your discretion. Service dogs are working when they have a jacket on and people need to realize that.

-brush your dog down each morning to reduce the amount of stray hairs that are dropped in public places.

-be careful that you don't feed dog foods that she/he isn't accustomed to. This could cause some scary surprises in public places.

-relax. If you are stressed you dog will feel that and become stressed as well.

-have all of your dog's paperwork handy at all times. You probably won't need it, but it's good to have in case.

-when eating at a restaurant have the dog lie under the table and tuck it's tail. Nobody wants to trip while serving you your meal.

©Samantha Knapp, 2009

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Last modified: 02/28/09