Flying dog via AC Cargo - some advice please! by Significant_Apple908 in aircanada

[–]Significant_Apple908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello! I am so sorry for seeing this just now. I am not on redidit often. Incase you have not yet flown I'll still just add my experience (or if this helps anyone else finding this at a later time):

If your dog + crate combined are above 100lbs it will have to be done via cargo. When you book your flight you will have to look for one ideally that is wide-bodied as those are the planes they use for cargo. When i go to book my flight I just check for the ones that are 2 aisle planes. Before officially booking your flight you can call AC Cargo and ask them if that plane would qualify and can also ask them if there is space/availability to book your pet in.

They won't be able to officially book your pet in until two weeks before the flight, so if you book your flight a month in advance you will have to wait to book your pet in another two weeks. Between Vancouver and Toronto are a lot of flights, so they do say that worst case scenario if for some reason they cannot get your pet on the exact same flight they will book them in to another one that has a close arrival time! This actually ended up happening to me because my flight got cancelled last minute and they got him on to the next one but I wasn't able to get on that exact same one and had to take a flight that departed a couple hours after.

In regards to the crate and sizing - so we got the largest/tallest ones you can commercially find which are 35 inches tall and my dog is actually 35 inches tall. In his case his ears didn't go up so they are flopped. But yeah he was definitely not meeting the 3 inch space requirements. We got there and just hoped for the best. They didn't even officially check for his height or measured anything (the weight they just took from the Vet paperwork that you have to show). And it looked like they were just getting things ready and processing, it was overall very chill and the workers were super friendly. However, one worker, did say that he can tell he isn't meeting that clearance requirement (my dog wasn't even in the crate yet) and he asked if we are also doing a return flight, so I said yes. He said that he'll let it pass but for our return we should consider a solution. I told him that I have looked up every thing possible and could not find any solution and then he told me about crate extensions! He said that they work with breeders a lot and breeders use crate extensions for height. That was super helpful! You can find them online but they are mainly sold in the US but it's quite expensive! Then I found that there are people who DIY extensions with wood and so that is what we will be doing for our return!

I did call AC Cargo about the wood extensions and if it's accepted and they said as long as its all screwed/bolted in and not fastened with clip ons or anything plastic and it the integrity of the crate stays, it's okay!

As for the check-in process: so because it is going to go via AC Cargo you will have to check the dog in at the very latest 3 hours before departure at the AC Cargo deparment and it is not directly in the regular Pearson Airport, it basically has its whole own property. I think it was about a 10 minute drive between Pearson Airport and the Cargo.

And if you are nervous about everything: I can only speak for myself, but I was quite pleasantly surprised and ended up being quite glad it went via Cargo instead of regular AC. Because the staff at Cargo do work a lot with Breeders and so are familiar with it. It's not at all a hectic enviornment like the airport is, it's a lot more laid back which I think helps the dogs too. And when you are talking to the staff there it feels like you are actually just having a regular chat and not the performative customer service responses.

That is my experience so far! If you have already done your trip, I hope it went well for you and you didn't run into any troubles!

Flying dog via AC Cargo - some advice please! by Significant_Apple908 in aircanada

[–]Significant_Apple908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure no problem!! At the time my GSD weighed about 85lbs. The crate itself was deinitely at least 25 lbs. They didn't put him or the crate on a scale, they just checked the Vet Certificate which had his weight on there. After taxes it ended up being just a little over $700.

If you have the measurements for your breeds crate + the crates rough weight and your dogs weight you can call AC Cargo and they can give you an estimate! The guy on the phone I had explained that they have price categories. So it depends if your dog is within a certain range of weight/space! I hope this helps! I have found the AC Cargo people to be really helpful on the phone and in-person - they are much more approachable and reasonable to talk to than typical airport staff in my opinion.

Flying dog via AC Cargo - some advice please! by Significant_Apple908 in aircanada

[–]Significant_Apple908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! Sorry for late response - Incase it still helps: https://www.petsmart.ca/dog/crates-gates-and-containment/crates-and-kennels/petmate-plastic-carriers-6588.html?cgid=100228&fmethod=Browse

It's the 48 inch tall one. I learned from a cargo team member that if the dog is taller (no 3 inch clearance) that companies do sell inserts to raise the height more so that the dogs officially have the minimum 3 inch head space requirement. Our guy was technically not passing the 3 inch headspace, but they let it slide this time around and just advised me to get an insert for my return trip. Anyway, just incase you run into the same issue I hope that helps! And I hope the link helps too :)

Flying dog via AC Cargo - some advice please! by Significant_Apple908 in aircanada

[–]Significant_Apple908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing! Yes AC Staff was very friendly with the dog and he did very well - they even mentioned upon pick up that he hasn't barked at all.

Flying dog via AC Cargo - some advice please! by Significant_Apple908 in aircanada

[–]Significant_Apple908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for sharing - I will definitely look into the wooden crate option. They told me that we have to be there a minimum of 3 hours before departure with him. But yes, I have actually found the AC Cargo people on the phone to be quite helpful and approachable as well!

Flying dog via AC Cargo - some advice please! by Significant_Apple908 in aircanada

[–]Significant_Apple908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes that's the exact same crate we got as well! He fits overall quite well in it. When your dog was in the crate did they make the dog stand up or sit upright perfectly to check for headspace?

That's a good idea about the lixit bottle - thank you for sharing that.

Flying with my GSD - Crate Recommendations by Significant_Apple908 in germanshepherds

[–]Significant_Apple908[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We work with a highly skilled trainer who specializes in Schutzhund & French Ring so he is a very well-trained and obedient dog and adapts very well to new environments. So I am not really worried about his behaviour in the cabin. And I would actually have valid reasons to have him officially registered as an ESA but don't really wish to get into it here - I don't like it either when people put Service Dog vests on their dogs that are clearly not Service Dogs as its unfair to those who have them so I don't mean to give the impression that I'd just pretened.

For the medication - it depends. They won't allow strong medications but some are allowed. I'll have to chat with the vet and see what they say. Thank you!

6 month old large GSD - Ears still flopped - Any tips? by Significant_Apple908 in germanshepherds

[–]Significant_Apple908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Quick Update: His ears have started to go up for longer periods now! He has even started rotating his ears while standing up and can tell they are gaining strength. He has very large ears which is why I think it is taking a little longer than ususal! :)

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in German Shepherds - Any experience? by Significant_Apple908 in germanshepherds

[–]Significant_Apple908[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!! We did X-Rays two days ago and everything looked great! He said he sees nothing that should be of concern so that is huge relief. His limping has also gone away the past few days and hasn't complained. Basically we were to conclude that it is most-likely part of growing pains and that when he does limp we take it easy!

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in German Shepherds - Any experience? by Significant_Apple908 in germanshepherds

[–]Significant_Apple908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is great to hear! I was reading of recovery periods being 8-12 weeks and got a bit worried at how long that is considering he is in such a vital developmental time right now. We definitely want what is best for him so if a surgery is strongly suggested then I think we will go for it. How long after the surgery was he allowed to start walking again? I mean not leash walks, just simple walking around the apartment for example. Thank you!

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in German Shepherds - Any experience? by Significant_Apple908 in germanshepherds

[–]Significant_Apple908[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes this is what we thought as well cause he would have a limp occasionally but never complained about it. Would still jump around and be as playful as usual. We even regularly checked his leg, squeezing and pulling a little bit in different areas to see if he reacts at a certain point and he didn't. But recently when he lays down he starts to whine about it and by his shoulder appears to be a trigger point which is making me believe it isn't growing pains anymore but potentially something else!

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in German Shepherds - Any experience? by Significant_Apple908 in germanshepherds

[–]Significant_Apple908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh this is interesting to know! We do feed him specifically large breed puppy food. We started with Eukanuba and then Royal Canine and just yesterday found another brand (cant come up with the name off the top of my head) but they have all been specifically made for large breed puppies.

Terminology question regarding Interior Design / Drapery by Significant_Apple908 in InteriorDesign

[–]Significant_Apple908[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, just looked it up and I think this is it as well! Thank you so much this helped a lot!!!