Dear Dog Lady,

The woman who wrote to you about traveling with her dog first needs to contact the country where she's traveling so she can determine the requirements for canine entry. Certain countries require a passport for the dog.

You incorrectly stated the cargo areas of planes are not pressurized. Nearly all planes have a small section in the cargo hold that is pressurized and temperature controlled. This particular section is reserved for a casket returning a deceased person for burial or for a large dog kennel.
The deceased person has priority over the dog. If the space is not available, the dog and owner will be rebooked.

The size of the dog is not an issue as I have flown with my Irish wolfhound for years. Should a proper flight kennel not be available from Pet Smart, one can be ordered from Amazon.
Depending upon the country of entry - a vet may be present to examine the dog before entry is allowed.

Many airports now have pet parks and the dog can be unloaded between flights for water and a walk; benches are available for the dog's companion.

Marjorie

Dear Marjorie,

Thank you so much for clarifying about the comfort and convenience of unloading your precious freight into the hold of major carriers. As you know because it prompted you to write, Dog Lady incorrectly stated that all cargo areas in planes are not pressurized for dog travel in steerage.

However, readers, before you blithely book your dog for air travel, please check with your airline about the rules of unloading this living baggage. For example, not all cargo holds are suitable for animal conveyance. The temperature in these spaces of an aircraft is not so keenly monitored as in the human passenger cabin. When it's too hot or too cold, it's best not to subject your animal to a temperature extreme on a long flight.

Dear Dog Lady,

I just read your response to the women who wrote about her basset hound Chester, the dog who would only walk well with her. I had to laugh because several years ago, my basset, Precious, liked to play a similar trick on people. She would eagerly go for walks with my Mom or the dog sitter while we were on vacation, but, at some point, she would decide she was tired and no longer wanted to walk.

Precious once lay down in a mud puddle and refused to budge, forcing my Mom to carry the dog for almost a mile back to the car. A few months later, she did it to the dog sitter, a very petite, elderly nun who thought Precious was ill, scooped her up and carried her back the house. Talk about pampered pets!

Nothin' But A Hound Dog

Dear Nothin' But A Hound Dog,

Wait, there's more. Read on.

Dear Dog Lady,

I have been training dogs for nine years using rewards-based methods. Your advice usually leans towards those methods also so I was surprised to read you advising the owners of Chester the basset hound to get a good collar "for tugging/training him" because he only wanted to walk with the female owner and not other members of the family.

Rather than attempting to force him to walk, the better idea is to show him why it is wonderful to walk with anyone -- bring out the high-level treats and start asking him to follow others on leash for short distances for treats. In no time he should be happy as a clam to walk with anyone.

Christy

Dear Christy,

The immediate answer reflected Dog Lady's own intolerance with her four-legged darling when he was growing older. Aging and cranky, he moved at a worm's pace on walks, forcing Dog Lady to tug, lug, plead and beg. It didn't make any difference because a dog's gotta do what a dog's gotta do. However, we humans can make it easier by offering positive rewards for the right moves. This means carrying treats and rewarding when the dog walks the walk. If he doesn't budge, no goodies; if he does, he is rewarded.

Bear in mind, this motivation method requires lots of persistence-something many of us don't have in abundance when dealing with our dogs.

To ask a question, write askdoglady@gmail.com.