I just flew Presto home in August, Long Island, NY to Portland, OR.
I flew Alaska (they are GREAT with pets!) and it was $100 to bring him in the cabin. I borrowed a friend's Sturdibag in a large, and it fit under the seat. I really like this bag, but I know people like the Sherpas as well. Presto was 13 lbs. Linus, at 8 weeks, was 17 lbs. I highly doubt your puppy will be more than 17 lbs unless they are really chunky. Linus is a big dog and was the biggest of the bunch. Both dogs had CH or GCH parents, not field Labs. It didn't seem like Presto would fit in the bag, but laying down he was fine.
Here's my story and some suggestions, since it's all so fresh in my mind. I was super stressed about it, but it was way easier than I thought it would be. In fact, it was a really nice bonding experience for us and it was fun.
- Bring collar with tags, lead, a harness with tags. When you go through security, the puppy comes out of the bag. The puppy may freak out about a harness, but it's likely the pup is used to collars.
- Make sure breeder sends a health certificate with you.
- Call the airline to make sure they know you have a puppy. There are only so many allowed on the flight at once. Then, call at least two more times to make sure they still know.
- AviDog's Flying Home with Your Puppy (free) download was great! They co-raised Presto with their Golden litter at their house and sent me home with all the right stuff. Flying Home With Your Puppy - Avidog University Store
- Send your bag to the breeder a week or two before you pick up the pup. Let the puppies play inside of it (supervised so they don't chew it up) both to get used to it and also to get their scent on it.
- If at all possible, don't just grab the puppy and go. See if you can spend a day there getting the pup used to the crate. I flew in on a Monday, stayed with the puppies all day Tuesday and practiced crating and getting used to each other, then picked up my puppy on Wednesday. I went to dinner with my breeder and the co-raisers, and kinda relaxed, so that when it was time to fly and hang out at the airport, it was a pretty mellow experience (exhausting, but mellow!).
- Before picking up my puppy, he was exercised, bathed, nails trimmed, etc. so he was pretty tired (thankfully).
- Get to the airport with PLENTY of time, even though it means having to hang out with a puppy. We hung out in a quiet area in Newark where he could lay on the cool tile (it was August) and munch on a chewy. People stopped us every two seconds to take photos of him and crowded around us at the gate. I did find some really nice people who were very cool and would watch my stuff while I took Presto to potty. When you have a puppy, everyone is nice to you. Take advantage of it!
- I brought some puppy packs that included pee pads and paper towels. The breeder gave me clean litter that the puppies used in their pens. When I was in the rest room, I'd use the handicapped stall or find a one room bathroom, put down the pad and a handful of litter. He knew exactly what to do and where because of the litter. Then, I'd roll up the pad and put it in the ziploc that held the clean supplies and toss it in the trash. The paper towels were just in case and some moist towelettes might come in handy, but they can be messy so wetting the paper towels is another option.
- Bring half a Benedryl (with your vet and breeder's blessing) just in case.
- Chewies are good, but don't get stinky ones! These are great. Amazon.com : 7-9 Beef Tendon Chews for Dogs (10 sticks) | Natural Beef Strap Odorless Tendon Treats | Cleans Teeth | Free-Range, Grass-Fed Premium Beef | Free of Artificial Ingredients, Colors, and Flavors : Pet Supplies
- The Dry Fur pee pads were AMAZING because they are hard on the bottom and super absorbent. They won't bunch up in the bag. These fit perfectly in my Sturdibag. Amazon.com : DryFur Pet Carrier Insert Pads size Small 19.5 Blue - 2 pack : Pet Beds : Pet Supplies
- SUPER IMPORTANT: Lab puppies get hot and when they are hot they are fussy! Being stuffed under the seat in a bag = hot and uncomfortable. So, bring a couple gallon zip lock bags, something as leak proof as possible, and once you are through security, stop at a restaurant and ask them to fill the bag with ice. Put the ice bag in the crate with the puppy. If it melts, you can dump and ask the flight attendants to refresh. Keep an eye on it so puppy doesn't chew it. You can also offer the puppy ice cubes to lick so they aren't filling their bladder, but still quenching their thirst.
- My puppy slept the entire flight until about ten minutes before landing (then he started howling, but everyone thought it was cute, thank god). The ice melted by this point, and I knew it had, but I didn't want to wake him up to refresh it. The Dryfur bag saved the day and my puppy and the entire bag and the floor were dry. After a five hour flight. I mean, the pad sort of blew up, like disposable diapers will, but not dangerously so.
- Because Presto slept the entire flight, I never took him out. They don't really want you to, but if your puppy is screaming, and taking him out keeps him quiet, they might be a little more lenient. No one cared that he was outside of his crate in the airports. I kept a pee pad under him at all times (he never had an accident).