Flying With Buddy

Cathy and I are certainly not strangers to being on an airplane to fly to a destination. Not that we particularly enjoy flying but it is a necessary evil to get from point A to point B. The entire process of ticketing, luggage handling, security clearance and boarding can be stressful and frustrating when everything goes well. Add any type of delay or something out of the normal day to day situation to the flying process and that stress and frustration can quickly get elevated. An example of something out of the norm is flying with a dog in a carry on bag shoved under the seat. That dog would be our infamous Buddy who is a frequent flyer and no stranger to airports.

Buddy has his own carry bag for his traveling experience. Not that he has any say in what the bag looks like or the entire process because once he is zipped in he just has to go along for the ride. Just as we are not particularly fond of airplane travel, my guess is that Buddy is not all that crazy about it either. Navigating through the airport is a piece of cake because we let him walk with us on a leash. He walks around like he owns the place strutting along with his head held high. It is at boarding time when the fun begins. Thankfully he falls for the "come get your treat" line every time. What dogs will do for a treat. Once he realizes that he has been tricked with a treat (a little Halloween play on words) he gets that sad and depressed look on his face that will tear your heart out. He then tries to scratch his way through the bag and soon realizes that it is a battle he will not win and he settles down. 

All this has happened before we have boarded the plane. When the boarding process starts he awakens and attempts to scratch his way out all over again. Once he is under the seat he then calms down and goes along for the flight. I can only imagine what goes through his mind throughout the journey. What are they doing with me? What are all those noises? Why can't I sit on one of their laps? The reward for all of this is to see how happy he is when he is finally released from his carry bag at the end of his flight. The "I am free look" is priceless. Then we hurry to find a tree for him.

Buddy is part of the family and bringing him with us on our journeys is always interesting. One thing for sure, he does not bark on the plane, not once. Therefore, people are surprised at the destination when they see him get out of the bag and strut his stuff once again. They cannot believe that a dog was on the plane. Way to go Buddy!

All is well with Buddy still under the seat at 33,000 feet as I write this. Hopefully the return flight will be just as smooth.

Until the next Tom's Take...