A Long Way Home

If someone had told me they traveled across the country to pick up a puppy, I'd have thought they were nuts. But last year, I was that person. 

Before traveling from one coast to the other, the longest trip I had ever made to pick up a puppy was about 90 minutes. This puppy pick-up was a two-day affair that involved a five-hour cross-country plane ride, an hour on a shuttle bus, and another 30 minutes in the car. Then, less than 24 hours later, i repeated that same trip -- in reverse, with said puppy in tow. 

I came armed with an airline-approved crate that could be placed under the seat in front of me, a couple of puppy toys, a collapsible water dish, some puppy pads, and a few tips from a travel blogger who often brought her small dog with her on vacation. I told myself if things didn't go well, and by that, I mean if the puppy yipped or whined nonstop on the shuttle, in the airport, and/or on the plane, it was likely I would never see any of the other travelers ever again. Whew!

Fortunately, things went better than anticipated. To my fellow travelers, I apologized in advance for any possible disturbance caused by my nine-week-old puppy. Most told me not to worry about it. After all, they said, "He's just a baby." Nonetheless, I was grateful the fur baby didn't press our luck too far. 

In fact, he performed like a champ for most of the adventure. The travel blogger had advised skipping any designated doggie potty areas at the airport and instead, taking the pup into the handicap stall in the restroom, placing a puppy pad on the floor, and having the dog or puppy do his business on that. The breeder had used puppy pads in her kennel area, so I had my fingers crossed my puppy would know what was expected when I took him out of the carrier and put him on the designated spot. Surprisingly, success! 

He slept in his carrier on the entire flight home! And even better, he didn't have an accident. 

After a six-month search for just the right puppy, weeks of trip planning, and a long two days of travel, we finally arrived at our home sweet home!