Lucy flew probably 10 or 12 times all told. The first time by herself - I sat in the car and cried after dropping her off. But she never had an issue. Are the dogs ever in crates?

March is a good time for flying dogs, since you don't usually have cold or heat issues to manage for. Is there a direct flight? I would be concerned about having a dog make a connection.

Chiming in really late just to say that the Miracleborns rock for being such loving, involved parents. You are so doing the right thing, and Em will thank you for it. Truly.

I am so going to Walgreens right now for my H1N1 vaccine.

Re: dog move. She is about 70 lbs and some kind of collie/sheperd mix (I think). She is a rescue dog that I've had for about ten months and in that time, I've learned that she hates cars (whines when she realizes she has to get in it and throws up even on short trips) and hates kennels, which is understandable since she was in the local shelter for almost three months after having been an outside dog out in the country for the first 3-4 years of her life. She is going to have a rough trip no matter what so I'm going to talk to my vet about the possibility of medication to help her sleep through it. I had considered driving with her but it is a three day trip and I think 8 hours of traveling (to and from the airport and a four hour flight) will work better for her.

I'd definitely look at medicating her, for her safety and comfort.

lcat, sounds like a case of motion sickness - so do ask the vet about medication - fortunately most motion sickness remedies are sleepy things as well. If the vet's no help, consider ginger capsules to help keep the tummy calm.

What's the chief advantage of getting vaccinated at Walgreens? Why, being able to treat oneself to a jar of Nutella without making any extra stops.

What are people planning for dinner tonight? We discovered a new Thai place during our adventures out today. So, we're going to get take out and open a bottle of wine.

I've got a strip steak thawing and will be making roasted fingerling potatoes and brussels sprouts. I've got a bottle of a Spanish red I'm going to try. I think I'm going to bake something in a bit so I have something sweet for after.

I've got some pre-packaged meal, I don't even know what.

My two cents on shipping dogs is this. Many (most) airlines will not let you ship a drugged dog. Also, I think most vets recommend strongly against it as it makes it harder for the dog to maintain their internal temperature and otherwise physically cope with the experience.

I've had good experiences with United (they shipped our dogs internationally with no issues including customs) but domestically Continental is the best. They were recomended and used by our vet and we also had great experiences with them.

Eta: if your dog is likely to get stressed, you can crate train for several weeks before the flight to help them adjust. I also recommend freezing their water and the putting a towel on the bottom of the crate to absorb water/puke/whatever, but then also pit in a foam bed to make them feel safe and have a puke/water/poop free place to sit/sleep.