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Blog Tag: pet blog

Budweiser Super Bowl Commercial is Here!

Budweiser Super Bowl Commercial is Here!

January 29, 2015/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

I was extremely fortunate to be invited by Studio Animal Services to train the puppies again for the 2015 Budweiser Super Bowl commercial.  We trained the puppies for about three weeks, they were approximately 8 weeks old when we started, and then in the middle of December we headed up to central California to shoot the commercial on location.

Once again (and as always in past commercials) the amazing team of Budweiser Clydesdales were involved and being trained by Robin and Kate Wiltshire of Turtle Ranch in Wyoming, assisted by the ever present Budweiser ‘handlers’ – a team of great guys who make sure these horses want for nothing – who also assist Robin in the training.

I tried to take as many photos as I could, but my days were slammed with 8-10 hours of puppy training, 7 days a week right up until the shoot.  Luckily we had many people around who took some great photos as you can see in this post.

We had 8 puppies – all of which were trained to do various things that were needed for the commercial.  I was joined again by best friend and fellow trainer at SAS Deborah Dellosso – there’s nothing we enjoy more than training puppies!!

The Gang

Taking of the hill

All together

Myself and David getting the puppy muddy!Photo credit: Dianna Radermacher

Comic relief

Don Jeanes!!

Making friends

Oustanding in a field!

I LOVE these guys!!Photo credit: Dianna Radermacher

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Kama The Surfing Pig

Kama The Surfing Pig

July 7, 2014/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

I owe a post explaining how I ended up here – but the above photo is a sampling of what July 4th looks like in Waikiki, Oahu.

Oh yes, that IS a pig!  He is quite famous here in Oahu.  His name is Kama The Surfing Pig.  You can follow him on Instagram at: http://instagram.com/kamathesurfingpig

You can also follow me on Insatgram at: http://instagram.com/tailsticks

And The City Farm: http://instagram.com/thecityfarm

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Water your birds…With Bird Baths

Water your birds…With Bird Baths

May 6, 2014/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

 

Normally in the winter we get some relief from the dry, desert conditions here in southern California, but this year it seems we missed out.  With the temperatures continuing to be above average take a second to think about all of our beautiful backyard birds that would not only love to have a sip of cool water – but maybe take a bath here and there.

I have always set up bird baths in my gardens.  Not only is this welcomed by the local bird population, it provides me with some entertainment from the regular visitors and from the occasional passerby.

You will find that once you put a birdbath out – word gets around pretty quickly.  And soon you will have all kinds of birds dropping in.

I usually dump the water late afternoon and replace with fresh cool water for those that stop by before dark.  I also put a mister out on extremely hot days and you will find that hummingbirds will especially enjoy this treat – as will the occasional dragonfly.

Over the years I have had quite a few wild bird encounters, there was the screech owl that flew into my car late one night on a mountain road just above Los Angeles.  I stopped went back (because the thud sounded like a small animal not a small bird) and there was the owl laying on his back dazed and confused!  I scooped him up in a towel, kept him wrapped up – and once I got home I placed him in a wire dog crate.  I left him wrapped up as I was sure he was in shock and that lowers their body temperature, so I thought he could just be swaddled for the night.  I left a perch in the cage with some wet canned dog food and water.  The next morning he was sitting on the perch with dog food all over his face!  He (or as I later found out “she”) went off to rehab at the raptor center in Ventura. About 6 weeks later they called me…”your owl is ready for release”.  So I picked up the owl in a cardboard pet carrier, and that night my friend and I drove up the mountain to the scene of the crime and we released the beautiful owl into the night sky.

Driving to shoot a commercial one day – I was following a line of vehicles into the location on a dusty, dirt road out in Thousand Oaks.  On the road in front of me was a bird – spreadeagled – wings out to the side, face down in the dirt. I stopped, jumped out, picked him up and put him in an extra crate I had in my SUV. Amazed no one had run over him, we headed to the base camp for the shoot and went to craft services to find some sugar and water.  I kept him in a cool spot all day and regularly dropped sugar water into his mouth.

He was beyond dazed, in fact I took him home and kept him in a wire dog crate for over a week, hand feeding him through the door.  This one was a woodpecker.  He ate and drank from me for as long as his little brain was addled and prevented him from being scared of me.  Slowly, weeks later he came around and started to become more and more flighty.  By this time I had sectioned off a portion of my garden shed and he had his own birdhouse, complete with bark stapled to the wall.  He lived with me for about 3 months until I felt he was well and truly recovered – then one day I opened the door and let him fly off.

The hummingbird that could not stand 115 degree heat for days on end several summers ago, crashed into my neighbors fence and lay on the floor – he ended up spending a couple of hours in a shoebox, another recipient of sugar water.  As I held him in my hand and held a dropper to his beak, I could literally feel him refueling.  His body came back to life and he was invigorated by the much needed sugar rush. Once it cooled down, right before dusk I hand released him into my back garden – another success story!

I feel like I have pretty good bird karma.

So go get some birdbaths – add a small water pump to make it even more enticing and enjoy the benefits of the sound of a fountain – hang up some hummingbird feeders and maybe, in the late afternoon on really hot days, hang a mister from your porch or under a tree – and watch the birds flock to your sanctuary!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Take a trip on the wild side…whale watching!

Take a trip on the wild side…whale watching!

March 17, 2014/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

Next time you plan a trip to southern California think about planning a whale watching trip.  We have one of the best spots in the world to offer – the Santa Barbara Channel.  Truly, I’m not kidding.  Not to mention its actually a marine sanctuary.  Year round there is a possibility of seeing whales – all kinds. Gray Whales, Humpback Whales, Blue Whales and about 25 other species of whales and dolphins have been identified within the waters of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.

My favorite are the humpbacks, they tend to visit during the summer, especially June through September.  They can be playful and engage with the boats that go out to look for them.  The grays are on a mission when they pass through the sanctuary, traveling from Alaska to Mexico to their breeding ground, there is little time to stop, this happens around December/January. Then on the way back up the females travel with their calves and that takes place around the months of March, April, May.  This is when you can and will see gray whales from the beach.  When they travel north the moms tend to keep the young close to the shore, especially when they get a little further north, around Monterrey.  This is because the Orca’s are known to lay in wait and prey on the calves.  Orca’s need depth to attempt an attack and staying in shallow waters close to the shore gives the grays and their young some relative safety.

Sitting on the beach in Malibu one year around May, I saw no less that 15 gray whales pass by me during that day – it was like a super highway of whales.  Just beyond the break point were the spouts from their blowholes.  It was amazing, such a sight to see.

I have yet to see Orca’s on these trips – they tend to make random visits, usually in the winter months.  The transient killer whales making a stop in our channel, looking for something good to eat.  I have tracked them over the years, once they arrive on our shores I try to guess if they will head north or south during their visit – and then waking up and trying to make the decision if I head south to Captain Daves (www.dolphinsafari.com) or head north to www.islandpackers.com or www.condorexpress.com for a full day out at sea.

All the whale watching boats are excellent. Captain Dave’s is a little further than I like to drive – its a good two hours away, but if its a nice calm day and they have had some good whale sightings I will head down. The nice thing about their boat is its a catamaran and the hull of each pontoon has underwater viewing windows that you can climb down into and see the whales and dolphins underwater.  They literally have to drag me out of there when I go down – its captivating and I never want to leave.

Island Packers is the closet for me – in Ventura and probably the one boat I go out on most.  Condor Express is a bit further north in Santa Babara and I will head up there if the Orca’s have been sighted going north.

I highly recommend dressing for winter – even in summer.  As I stand on the dock and prepare to board I look around at the pour tourists in their flip flops, shorts and t-shirts and know that its too late to warn them of the impending cold.  This is what I normally take on any trip, does not matter what time of the year.  Always jeans, a polartec top and a waterproof shell.  Then I pack in a bag with the following: a down jacket that can be worn under the shell, a beanie, gloves, a scarf, sunglasses, a wide brimmed hat, a cooler with snacks and beverages, binoculars, my cameras/lenses, an arm to attach my iPhone to so I can get video from different angles, a seat cushion (you’re on this boat ALL day on a plastic seat!) and lastly a thin polartec blanket.  You may snicker at this list, but you will be grateful to be so prepared. At the very least if there is no wind and it gets warm (usually on the way back, in the summer) you can use all that clothing for resting your head on when you take a nap in the sunshine.

It has never done me wrong!

Below are some more of my photographs from numerous trips.

 

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Watch the Super Bowl for the Budweiser Puppy

Watch the Super Bowl for the Budweiser Puppy

January 29, 2014/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

As most of you know I train animals for the studios. Well one of the most rewarding jobs I have done in a long time has been working on the new Budweiser commercial featuring the Clydesdales and a Budweiser puppies! …8 puppies. We trained 8 puppies to play the part of one puppy in this fabulous new commercial directed by Jake Scott. Check out this link for a quick tease behind the scenes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mXTklvnGYo&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D6mXTklvnGYo

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The “Santa Ana’s”. Being prepared for brush fires.

The "Santa Ana’s". Being prepared for brush fires.

January 26, 2014/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

As an animal trainer working for a company that supplies so many animals for the entertainment industry, one of the worst times of the year would be October and November when the weather brings us a local condition known to all who live here as the “Santa Ana’s“.

Sadly, our fire season has become more of a year round problem.  Right now, at the end of January, when we should have had some decent rain, we are parched dry.

The Santa Ana winds are a warm offshore wind that creates perfect conditions for brush fires – especially after a hot summer, when the surrounding canyons and landscape are now dry and crispy.

Having an animal company with hundreds of dogs, cats, squirrels, birds and other small animals set in the heart of a dry canyon can be nerve wrecking at this time of year. Studio Animal Services has evacuated many times over the years, one of the worst times was October 2007, when we had to evacuate everyone.  We are prepared, we have multiple horse trailers fully loaded with crates, food, water etc., so we can load up, pull out and can be self contained if need be.  In 2007 we had to stay away for 3 days while the fire roared down our canyon burning everything in sight, except the 8 acre ranch we work from, the firefighters did an amazing job of saving that.

Being prepared is the key.  I personally have my house set up with bins of stuff ready to load up and move out in the event of a local brush fire.  I label them in order of importance, depending on how much time I have to evacuate, depends on what I grab and leave with.

I took all of these photo’s including the one above, when many people swarmed the local Wildlife Waystation to help evacuate all the animals.  The fire was moving up the canyon toward the facility.  I left that evening in a horse trailer with 3 emu, (or maybe they were ostrich) and 2 pigs.  Luckily the fire did not make it to the Waystation and days later all the wildlife were returned.

If you live in Southern California (and other dry states) make a plan, be prepared – especially when it comes to your animals – and especially if you have larger animals like horses.  No good waiting until it happens and panicking.  Get set up now!

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A Christmas Bird…European Robin

December 19, 2013/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

In England where I grew up, the European Robin (much different from the American Robin) is always associated with Christmas.  Featured on many Christmas cards is a beautiful friendly bird.

I remember seeing the bird around the garden in the winter months.  Watching my Dad work on the garden, the Robin would often find its way to the handle of a shovel, stuck in the ground , just as my Dad had left it – looking for the warmth of the wooden handle left by my Dads hands shoveling away at the land.

I took this rather shaky picture at my parents house a few years back.  I was sitting in the living room and took this with a zoom lens through the window – that’s why it’s a little blurry.  Still, you can see the beauty of this Christmas bird.

0 0 supportadmin@onceinteractive.com https://thecityfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/logo-cityfarm.png supportadmin@onceinteractive.com2013-12-19 22:56:422013-12-19 22:56:42A Christmas Bird…European Robin

Today. In my World.

December 5, 2013/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com
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Today. In my World 14

November 6, 2013/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com
0 0 supportadmin@onceinteractive.com https://thecityfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/logo-cityfarm.png supportadmin@onceinteractive.com2013-11-06 21:48:292015-09-21 13:13:24Today. In my World 14

Carmel. A dog lovers paradise.

October 19, 2013/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

Read more

0 0 supportadmin@onceinteractive.com https://thecityfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/logo-cityfarm.png supportadmin@onceinteractive.com2013-10-19 20:53:152013-10-19 20:53:15Carmel. A dog lovers paradise.

Dog Day Afternoon with Red From Titanic Movie

October 5, 2013/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

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This is Red.  Red is a beautiful Afghan hound, and we used him on the movie Titanic.

There were animals on Titanic I hear you say?  Why yes, there was!  We actually had the same breeds of dogs that were checked onto the ship along with their human owners, the four dogs we supplied for the production were the Afghan, a French bulldog, a wirehaired terrier and an Airedale.

Gentle Jungle supplied all the animals and they also provided a slew of horses for the opening scene where all the people were boarding the ship, being pulled up in horse drawn carriages.  There were also had a few stray dogs, milling around the dock.

It was a fun shoot – mainly because we were in Mexico, it was my first BIG movie to work on and being on a slightly scaled down version of the Titanic was incredible!  We would stay up until 4am in the morning to watch the night shoots (when we weren’t working) especially when they tilted the ship into the “sinking” position and the stunt people were jumping off – quite spectacular.

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This is me on set waiting to work with our dear little wire hair fox terrier, she was a sweetheart.

And below – I am in wardrobe with the two “stray dogs” that we let loose to run around the dock while all the passengers were boarding.  I was in wardrobe to keep a close eye on them.

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0 0 supportadmin@onceinteractive.com https://thecityfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/logo-cityfarm.png supportadmin@onceinteractive.com2013-10-05 02:00:182013-10-05 02:00:18Dog Day Afternoon with Red From Titanic Movie

Introducing…Dog Day Afternoon.

September 13, 2013/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

Oscar 7 months a

Dog Day Afternoon…What a perfect way to spend an afternoon sorting through the hundreds of dog pictures I have taken over the years.  These will be regular posts giving you a chance to meet these wonderful dogs.  Some have long since passed, some are new into my life and have many more photo shoots left in them.

This cute little long haired dachshund was called Oscar and he had a brother called Mayer.  They were trained movie dogs and belonged to Studio Animal Services where they were trained and went on many jobs for TV shows and commercials.

0 0 supportadmin@onceinteractive.com https://thecityfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/logo-cityfarm.png supportadmin@onceinteractive.com2013-09-13 22:17:422013-09-13 22:17:42Introducing…Dog Day Afternoon.

Luv a Duck!

August 22, 2013/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

A few years back I trained a slew of ducks for a movie – appropriately titled DUCK – www.duckthemovie.com

I like training ducks. They are fun and different from your average day of dog training. We have about twelve of them and they all have different personalities and funny little quirks and behaviors. The reason we have so many is because we work and train the ducks for their daily food. As you can imagine, that is not much food, consider the size of a ducks stomach! So when a duck becomes full, we move onto the next one!

The other reason for twelve ducks is because they all bring something different to that table (is that a bad food joke? NO!). One duck may be great with the actor and loves to be held in someones arms, while another runs really fast. Trying to make a slow duck run fast is pointless, just take the fastest of the bunch and use that one.

At the beginning of each job I “audition” the ducks for their new jobs – actions – that they may be required to do. Sometimes we have a limited amount of time in which to train. So for example, using the more “aggressive” duck, the one that always bites you and grabs at things, to train for scenes that require the duck to pull on something, is much easier than trying to coax a more quiet, less aggressive duck into doing it. And therefore using the quieter duck for scenes with the actor is better than using the “grabby” duck, who may decide he suddenly wants to bite the actors nose!

And let me tell you – getting bitten or more realistically “pinched” by a duck, hurts! And leaves a bruise!

 

 

0 0 supportadmin@onceinteractive.com https://thecityfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/logo-cityfarm.png supportadmin@onceinteractive.com2013-08-22 01:45:282013-08-22 01:45:28Luv a Duck!

Heroes – The TV show

August 6, 2013/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

When you have my job, you can find yourself in the most interesting places.  For the TV show Heroes we needed to place a cat on a rooftop for a quick shot.  As you can see by the above picture, getting to the rooftop in an alleyway was no easy feat.  Strapped into this contraption was a little nerve wrecking, but you have to put your faith in the professionals you work alongside and trust they know what they are doing.  It was a little wobbly at its fully extended height I have to say.  Luckily we had an awesome laid back cat called Baxter that we used for this shot.  Nothing fazes him and he pulled this off with no problem.  Definitely not your average day at the office!

The picture below is of Chrissie (in the green shirt) my fellow cat trainer.  I took this from my position, she was helping place the cat on the roof.  Notice she is strapped in for safety also.

0 0 supportadmin@onceinteractive.com https://thecityfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/logo-cityfarm.png supportadmin@onceinteractive.com2013-08-06 18:08:462013-08-06 18:08:46Heroes – The TV show

Today. In my World – 11

July 27, 2013/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

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Today. In my World…Working in Hawaii

July 3, 2013/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

And sometimes you find yourself working in Hawaii for five weeks…

0 0 supportadmin@onceinteractive.com https://thecityfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/logo-cityfarm.png supportadmin@onceinteractive.com2013-07-03 06:57:332013-07-03 06:57:33Today. In my World…Working in Hawaii

California Cows love…cheese. Just kidding.

June 26, 2013/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

For many years Studio Animal Services supplied the cows for the numerous and humorous California Cheese commercials.  They were always fun jobs.  We nearly always shot up in central California around the area of Petaluma.  There’s a slightly better chance of green-er grass up there compared to down here where it tends to be dry and crispy!

We would truck up there in convoy, horse trailers full of cows and horses and sometimes we had adorable calfs for a few of the spots.

A lot of the times the cows just had to stand there.  sometimes they had to run and sometimes…they stood on my foot!  Not advisable by the way.  It bloody hurts!

How to make a cow run.  Have a bucket of grain.  Look silly while running.  Don’t fall over.  Don’t be the slowest runner, always be in front of the guy with the grain. Ha!

0 0 supportadmin@onceinteractive.com https://thecityfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/logo-cityfarm.png supportadmin@onceinteractive.com2013-06-26 06:43:322013-06-26 06:43:32California Cows love…cheese. Just kidding.

Flying with your pet – All you need to know

June 4, 2013/in Pet /by supportadmin@onceinteractive.com

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In the past 20 years I have flown hundreds of animals with me and without me on flights, domestically and internationally. So for what its worth here is my little piece of advice.

Make sure you call the airline and check the availability. Most airlines have a limit as to how many animals they fly per plane (in the hold and in the cabin).

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First of all if you have a small dog and can get your dog in the cabin in a bag do it!  Get the bag weeks in advance or even better months, and carry your dog places so he gets used to it. When you book your flight, get a window seat so you don’t have people climbing over you and him mid flight. Even though the sherpa bags claim to fit under the seat, unless you have a 6 pound poodle, and you are in first class they very rarely do…you just kinda push the first bit of the bag under and that works fine, the rest of it will be sticking out, put a blanket over your lap and let it drape down, no-one will ever know that the bag isn’t all the way under the seat. Also a lot of times aisle seats have a box of some kind (probably electronic stuff for the TV in the back of the seat in front of you) under the seat in front of you, so this is another reason to get a window seat.

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Just be prepared not to have a huge carry-on along with your dog in a bag, as it all gets a little crazy carrying everything. I just flew back from Mexico City with a 17lb Pekingese under the seat and let me tell you he got heavy after a while!  Hopefully you have got your dog used to being in a bag before you fly. When you are on the flight you want him to settle down and go to sleep…If you keep opening the bag to check on him every five minutes, you will create a fussy dog who is probably more anxious than calm. You don’t need to administer water every half hour either – your dog will survive a 5 hour flight just fine without, the least amount of interaction with your dog (or cat) during the flight, the better behaved he will be for that flight and future flights. I used to fly everywhere with Gidget the Taco Bell dog – 99% of the time people had no idea I had a dog in a bag under the seat, she had no expectations of getting out of the bag, so she was quite prepared to hunker down and go to sleep.

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Flying your dog in cargo requires a few more steps. Sometimes you will check your dog at the check in counter, other times you will have to drive to cargo and do the check in there…it all depends on the airline and whether you will be on the flight or not. Please be prepared and allow extra time when flying your dog through cargo – it is usually in a completely different section of the airport.  There are restrictions for flying in the winter and flying in the summer, so be aware of these ahead of time so you are not in for any surprises. Also, book a direct flight if at all possible, having to change planes just adds the worry that your pet will not make the connecting flight and you end up at the final destination and your pet does not.

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If you have to fly your dog in the hold, Get a plastic Vari Kennel as they seem the strongest.  Again, purchase the crate ahead of time and have your dog sleep in it at night and for short periods of time during the day. The main reason flying a studio dog in a crate does not stress out the dog is because they are used to being in a crate…Whether its in the home, in the car, in a van or on the set. If its Winter, outfit it with a nice thick plush bed that he can sink into the middle of. If its summer do not put anything thick or plush – if for some reason he gets too hot you want him to be able to push aside the bedding so he can lay on the cooler plastic – the equivalent of a tile floor if you were at home…Attach the plastic crate cups, but don’t put anything in them. It spills within the first 10 minutes after they leave you and who wants a wet Frenchie? Write in magic marker on the front/top of the crate “DO NOT OPEN” and “DO NOT FEED/ON SPECIAL DIET”. Also write this on the paperwork they have you fill out at check in. You will always have someone who thinks the dog looks starving and gives it food, unless you have this written on the front – trust me, before I did this, my cats or dogs would arrive with strange looking food in the cups. Your dog can go without food or water for most domestic flights, its better than a wet dog bed. For international flights you have to be a bit more creative. I fashion a non spill water bowl that attaches to the crate, but that’s a whole other story! You could purchase the thicker plastic, screw in cups (like in the picture above) and freeze water in them if you like, but again, to me its not worth the chance that your dog will be sitting in a pool of water when you pick him up.

If its winter, you have a small dog and he is used to wearing a sweater put it on – the hold is climate controlled (also remember to check with the airlines where you are flying as some planes holds are not climate controlled and they do not allow animals to fly in them) but only put on a sweater if he is not the kind of dog to wriggle right out of a sweater and maybe get it caught up around him. Put a couple of laminated luggage tags on crate to identify it. And make sure he has a snug fitting collar and tags with the correct info. Worse case scenario – should your dog get out of its crate for any reason and someone reaches for his collar to grab him, the last thing you want is a loose collar that he can slip out of. If you are going to a really cold climate, in the past I have padded the inside of the crate with carpet scraps, and put flaps over the ventilation holes and gate to keep him warmer. Do not fly a dog wearing a choke chain!

Get a couple of large cable ties/zip ties attach them together to make them longer, and attach a metal clip (like the kind on the end of a leash) and fashion a strap, I guess you can call it that, it starts on the side of the crate, put the zip tie through the side vents and then the zip ties comes around front with the clip on the end – then attach the clip on the front of the metal gate. Its just one more precaution to make sure the gate stays closed, should anything happen where the gate pops open, this will prevent it from opening when attached tightly. Of course check all the crate screws, to make sure they are tight. It goes without saying to not feed your dog before the flight and to give him lots of exercise. If he pee’s on concrete, then you can do one last dash to a concrete pillar (away from the masses) at the airport. Do not sedate! It has been said that they are better adapted to deal with different situations if they have their wits about them and are not drugged up. As a side note – you can also buy these rather nifty little devices that are GPS collars. I am sure everyone heard about the show dog in NY that escaped his kennel (probably because some idiot opened it to pet him – hence the added strap to keep him closed in!) anyway, they are expensive, but at least you would know where your dog is under the absolute worse case scenario of course!!

Okay, so when you get to the airport, I ALWAYS get a skycab. Nine times out of ten, they will get you to a separate line or to the front quicker. You will be asked for Health Certificate and Rabies Cert, sometimes they won’t ask you for any paperwork. You will fill out the sticker or paperwork that attaches to crate – don’t forget to write (as there is no option to check off) DO NOT FEED/ DO NOT WATER on the paperwork. Depending on the airlines you may be asked to take your dog out of the crate while they put the crate thru the baggage x-ray (where you drop off your suitcases) so be prepared with a leash. And finally, and here is the most important part TIP the skycab at least $20.00. He is the one that takes (or if for some reason they switch – tip the person who takes the dog away on a cart as well) the dog down to the area where they put them on the trolley to the plane. You want him to move your dog around with care and $20 or more has an affect on them! I think!

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When you get on the plane – ask the flight attendant to check if your dog is on the plane BEFORE YOU PULL BACK from the gate! This is hard for a lot of them to do – as they are so busy preflight. So keep asking if you sense that departure time is near (but be nice) – or ask another attendant. I can’t tell you how many times they tell you as you are taxiing – what good does that do you then? Actually, I have started to say, “if you could check that my dog is on board, if for some reason he is not before we pull back I would like to get off the plane…” that usually makes them remember!

Again in 20 years I have not had a serious problem flying a dog, a cat, squirrel or a duck.

Do remember in winter each individual airline has their own regulations as to the temperature that they will allow a dog to fly. So to be safe in the winter do not fly early in the morning or late at night as the temp may be too cold. Try for flights in the middle of the day when it has warmed up. I once had a midday flight in January from Des Moines back to L.A. The guidelines if I remember correctly, stated that the temperature on the tarmac be 8 degrees…It was about 2 degrees. We had to wait for another flight to see if it warmed up. Which it barely did. It was just at 7 degrees and they allowed us on the flight because we had big sturdy dogs (a Labrador and a German Shepherd) that could handle the colder temp. Also, in the summer the opposite applies – they will not fly a dog if it gets too hot. So flying at night or early morning is best. They are going by the temperature on the tarmac, because at some point your pet has to be taxied out on the luggage trolley to the plane and will be fully exposed to the elements.

I hope this helps – some dogs handle it better than others, most actually handle it okay, its usually the owner that doesn’t!

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Don’t hate.  Jackson was flown in the first class cabin because he was working on a movie. A nice perk.

FYI if you fly internationally – use an animal broker to handle all your paperwork such as PacPet based out of Los Angeles (most major cities have them, if you cannot find one in your area contact PacPet for help) that way you’re not missing anything and they handle everything so its much easier. And if you know you may be flying to Europe then contact PacPet http://www.pacpet.com at least one year before your trip as there are some requirements that take that long…

Safe travels!!

 

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