Government Shipping Standards
Most breeders will tell you that the government has very strict standards for shipping, and they do. First, a puppy must undergo a thorough examination from a licensed vet, and they must be found free from any visable signs of infection, disease, or health concerns of any kind. Honestly, this process only makes sense because the United States Department of Agriculture cannot allow disease to be transported from one region of our country to another. They must have safety standards in place which will prevent the spread of disease. Requiring a veterinarian-signed health certificate is how they accomplish this task. Second, there are several safety standards which must be met in regard to the puppy's crate, food dish, water dish, bedding, and paperwork. To summarize these standards, the puppy must be transported in a completely safe environment which is free from any potential hazard. You could say that the puppies are transported in their own little bubble. As a final precaution, once the airline receives the puppy from the breeder, they must do a thorough examination of both the puppy and the crate to ensure that all safety standards have been met. Ultimately, it is a very thorough process, and all safety measures must be met prior to the puppy being allowed to board the plane.
Price for Shipping
Due to a recent price increase on puppy flights, shipping now costs $450. My shipping fee simply reflects an average of the expenses required for shipping. These expenses include the price of the flight, all airline fees/taxes, an airline-mandated/veterinarian-signed health certificate, airline fuel charges, an airport-approved puppy crate, and puppy flight insurance--if puppy flight insurance is available. Please note, I do not add an extra fee for my time or gas. Shipping is already expensive enough. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Thank you.
*** Please note, I am still raising puppies, but I do all picture and video updates through Facebook. This website shows the history of my breeding program, past puppies, past breeders, details on me as a person, my family, my breeding philosophy, and good information on puppy care. For recent pictures, videos, and updates, please search for Tamn Harrington on Facebook. Also, you can text or call me at (405) 712-9477. Thank you, and have a blessed day.
(Last updated on 02/13/2024)
My Shipping Standards
I primarily use United Airlines (formerly known as Continental Airlines) because they set the standard for safe pet travel. They have won numerous awards on the local, state, and national levels for their exceptional safety standards. In addition, they have been recognized by several pet activist organizations, magazines, newspapers, and reputable breeder clubs as the best in the industry. They far exceed any other airline in their safety standards, and they win the government's safe pet travel award every single year. They are wonderful!!!
United treats their puppies like people. They only fly them on certain airplanes which are equipped with a special "puppy" cabin which is pressurized and climate-controlled just like the cabin in which the human passengers fly. At all times, the puppies are kept within two degrees of the temperature which the human passengers enjoy, and they are taken to and from the airplane in heated/cooled vans. They are not treated like luggage and hauled to the plane on the back of a tractor trailer like most airlines.
With most other airlines, a puppy's crate is simply placed on the back of a tractor trailer where the crate and the puppy are exposed to the weather. From the time the trailer is loaded, it can take anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour to get the puppy loaded onto the plane. During this time, it could be snowing, raining, sleeting, etc., and after being exposed to this type of weather, a soaking wet puppy would face a two to four hour flight in an area of the plane which is not climate-controlled.
However, United is not your typical cargo carrier. Their puppy passengers are always kept at human temperatures as they ride inside heated/cooled vans and as they enjoy the flight from a climate-controlled puppy cabin. Likewise, they are never exposed to the outside elements longer than the couple of minutes required to move them from the van to the plane and back to the van. In addition, United's staff tends to the puppies before and after the flights. They do an excellent job, and I fully trust them with my puppies because I have no doubt that they will be safe.
When you couple United's additional safety standards with the government's standards, you have excellence, and I take their standards even one step further. Several days prior to shipping, I begin getting my puppies acquainted with their crates. At first, I will put a puppy in his crate with his other siblings so he knows that the crate is a safe, stress-free environment. I will leave the puppies in the crate for increasing periods of time. By doing this, I am letting them know that I will be back to get them and that it's okay to be away from mom. After doing this for a couple of days, I will place each puppy in his own crate by himself, and I will again leave them for increasing periods of time. This process lets the puppies know that I will return and that they are perfectly safe in their crates by themselves.
In addition to the above training which reduces stress, I also nutritionally prepare my puppies for the flight. I accomplish this by giving my puppies a series of probiotics before they leave. A probiotic is simply an oral supplement which contains all of the good bacteria which a puppy needs for a strong, healthy immune system. During stressful times like weaning, traveling, or changing homes, a puppy's immune system can become compromised so I boost it in order to maintain a healthy, productive immune system. Also, on the morning of the flight, I give them a nutritional supplement which contains all of the nutrition required for a whole day. Some puppies will get a slight upset stomach when traveling, and as a result, they will not eat on the plane. By giving them the nutritional supplement, I know that they already have all of the calories, vitamins, and minerals necessary for a whole day, and as a result, they will be safely in the hands of their new owners long before they need to eat again.
I hope that I have convinced you that shipping is completely safe. I truly go the extra mile to ensure that my puppies arrive safe, healthy, and happy. If you have any questions about shipping, please ask.
