In today’s edition of Share your story we join Bella and her five-month-old Bichon puppy on a flight from Paris to Venice. What was meant to be a calm trip quickly turned into a comedy when her little traveller decided to test the strength of his carrier.
About the trip
- From: Paris, France
- To: Venice, Italy
- Pet: Dog, Bichon Frisé
- Age of the pet: 5 months
- Airline: Air France
- Guide: How to fly with dog
I took my Bichon puppy on a flight from Paris to Venice when he was just five months old. I thought it would be an easy trip – but of course, it didn’t quite go that way.
Me and my boyfriend were sitting in the last row of the plane and at first all was actually fine: check-in went smoothly, the carrier nicely fit under the seat and puppy seemed calm enough. I started to relax a little. Then I heard some scratching.
By the time I looked down, he had already chewed a hole in the side of the soft bag. Not a tiny one either – big enough for him to think about crawling out. From that moment until landing, I had one hand stuck on the side of the carrier, covering the “escape door” he made.
The steward noticed and came over. Luckily, he turned out to be a dog person himself. Instead of making me feel worse, he laughed and said his own dogs had done plenty of damage at home too. That small bit of kindness really helped in the moment.
We landed safely in Venice, with the puppy still inside the bag, and me with a clear lesson: never trust a young pup not to test the strength of a carrier.
Thank you, Bella, for sharing your story with us as it shows you never know what kind of often funny surprise awaits you when travelling with pets. 🙂
You can check our recommended soft bag carriers here – but of course, we cannot guarantee your puppy won’t chew a hole in one!
Have a travel story with your dog you’d like to share? We’d love to hear it! Tell us about your journey and help inspire other pet travellers. 💌