We are home. Pepper did not like flying on United Express. We were right over the wheel on a 50 passenger plane, and whenever the wheel goes up or doen it creates a great vibration that is quite unpleasant.
Pepper flies under the seat in front of me, and all my carry-on items go in the overheads. I took her harness off during flight and put it on to get off the plane. She does not need her own seat and is not allowed on the plane seats. Since she boards with me as a working animal and is under my control at all times via her leash, she does not need a carrier.
In the past, I have always kept my dogs’ harnesses on during flight. The under-seat area has become much smaller in recent years, and it is less feasible to do this without the possibility of the dog getting caught under the seat while trying to get out. This is what I have been told, though I have also been told that dogs much larger than Pepper fit under the seats.
Some people prefer to sit in the bulkhead. I am short, and I like to have my dog under the seat between my feet. The bulkhead is awkward since my feet don’t reach the floor over the dog, and I have less control of my dog. She also takes up the leg room of my seatmates there.
Pepper is doing well at home. She has met Angel, the little black cat who missed me very much. They touched noses upon Pepper’s arrival.
Pepper sat still while I held Kira, but Kira is pretty afraid of Pepper so we are taking that introduction very slowly. Jade is coexisting but not interacting. Pepper is down in the office with me as I write this. She has her own feeding space away from the cats, and she will spend some crate time during the next few days som the cats can walk around her, look at her and get used to her. During our meals and my office time she comes out to be with me, and the cats have to walk around her live and in person.
She is handling the transition to home very gracefully and we are all very pleased.
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