Shipping Your Puppy Commercially
If you ship your puppy commercially, you will pay all shipping fees, including vet bills, shipping crates (if needed), airfare or ground shipping fees, etc. These extras are not included in the puppy’s price and are the buyer’s responsibility.
Payment in full for puppies must be made, and puppy contracts must be signed before shipping arrangements can be started. All vet fees and transportation-related costs must be pre-paid before the trip is booked and are non-refundable.
We have two options for making the shipping arrangements. You can make the arrangements yourself following the directions on this page, or we will make them for you for an additional fee. More info on that is below.
Traveling By Air or Ground - Pros and Cons
Clients often wonder which is better, shipping their puppy by air or ground. Generally, air travel is less stressful and safer for puppies than long road trips. The trip is over quickly and less stressful for the dogs and humans. The dog’s chance of escaping or picking up some disease is almost zero. Ground travel has more risk, though the risk will be minimal if you use a reputable, responsible shipper. The trick is that finding suitable ground shippers is harder, and the airlines generally are more reliable.
The other consideration in this choice is the weather. The airlines won’t ship if it’s too hot or too cold. Generally, this means the temperatures must be between 20 and 85 degrees in the city of origin, destination, and any connections. Therefore, ground travel might be the only option at certain times of year (middle of summer or dead of winter).
How to Schedule an Exam for the Health Certificate (CVI)
All pups who are traveling commercially will need a CVI (Certificate of Veterinary Inspection). Our veterinarian will do the CVI exam at our farm or in her office. You will need to contact her office to set up a new patient account and leave a debit or credit card on file to pay your bill. We advise you to do this as soon as you’ve decided how to ship your puppy, as it can sometimes take time to get an appointment.
You will be responsible for paying for the farm call fee, the exam fee, the rabies vaccine, or anything else required for interstate travel. The vet’s office should be able to give you an estimate for the costs. The CVI is only valid for ten days, so you will want to time the exam and shipping of the animal appropriately.
Once you have established a new client account, the vet’s office will contact us to schedule your puppy’s appointment. No appointment can be set until you have contacted the vet and given them your payment info, so be sure to do this ASAP. The vet will need your and the transporter’s information for the CVI, including name, address, phone number, email address, and travel dates.
We will then arrange the appointment, inform you of the date, and confirm when the appointment is over. Once the appointment ends, you must call the vet’s office to confirm payment, as they will not sign the CVI until it’s paid for. The vet’s office will issue the CVI once the bill is paid, and we will print it for the airline or shipper.
Below is our veterinarian’s contact info:
Kayla S McCrone
Valley Veterinary Services
PO Box 389
Hanford, CA 93232
(559) 942-1101
ValleyVetServices@gmail.com
Info for Shipping Your Puppy by Air
- The cost to ship a puppy depends on the destination and the size/weight of the puppy or dog. (They ship by the pound.) You will need to call the airlines to get a shipping quote for air cargo. The airlines will need to know the puppy or dog’s weight plus the crate size (36″ or 40″) to give you a quote. Ask us for an estimated weight for the pup you’re buying. Most crates are around 20-27 lbs.
- Your puppy will need an airline-approved crate, food and water dishes, and an absorbent crate pad. This can be ordered online and mailed here or purchased in our store. The crates we recommend are below, along with pads and other items. Please note that the padding cannot be a disposable pee pad, as the airlines won’t approve that.
- Pups of around 12-14 weeks (and some slightly older) can go in a 36” crate. Bigger pups and adults will need a 40″ crate. Only Alaska Airlines can ship 40″ crates.
- Alaska Airlines is our airline of choice and the easiest airline to work with. The only drawback is that some destinations (East Coast) require overnight kenneling, which is an extra expense and stressful for some dogs. They are the only airline that ships 40″ crates, so the only option for bigger pups (50 lbs and up) and adult dogs. If your pup needs to be kenneled for the layover, you must arrange it with the kennel yourself.
- American Airlines agents are extremely rude, and we avoid them unless there are no other options. We have never had anything but bad experiences with them. Seriously. They are awful. And they will only ship 36″ crates, so they are only good for smaller pups.
- For our Canadian clients, we can fly your puppy to the American airport nearest you, and you can drive down to pick them up yourself. Then you drive them over the border yourself. This avoids any major red tape and is super easy. All they need is a standard CVI. We have shipped several pups into Canada this way with great success.
- No airline allows you to pay over the phone during booking or at drop-off because the dog and crate must be weighed at the airport for the exact cost. The quote from the airline is just an estimate.
- If using American Airlines, you must pay us in advance for the airline fees, as payment must be made at drop-off. They don’t allow COD and won’t let you pay over the phone.
- If flying your puppy with Alaska Airlines, you can have your puppy flown COD. You must tell them you want this option when you book the flight. Then, they will collect the fee at your destination airport. If you don’t specify COD, you must pay us in advance, as outlined above.
- We will give you an estimate of your dog’s weight and the crate so you can get your quote. We’ll let you know if there’s a big price difference when we get to the airport and either refund the difference if you overpaid or request extra payment if your dog’s weight exceeds the estimated weight.
- Don’t forget to bring a harness & leash to the airport if you plan to let your dog get out to relieve themselves before driving home! Or you can purchase a harness from our store, and we can send it with the dog. (Our pups are not used to being walked with a collar, so you’ll need a harness, not a collar.) This is usually a better option for older dogs as they will be more at ease being handled by strangers if they are already wearing a harness.
- We highly recommend sending your dog with a harness purchased from us if they will be staying overnight in a boarding kennel. Most kennels use slip leads, which can be aversive for dogs. If they are already wearing the type of harness they are used to, they will be more relaxed with the kennel experience.
Airline Info
Your puppy will be flying out of Fresno Yosemite International Airport. We cannot deliver to LAX or any other airport as they are too far away from us.
Our preferred airline is Alaska, but check to see who has the best routes to your area. Alaska requires an overnight kennel stay to some destinations for an additional charge. Most pups do fine in the kennel, but if we think your pup will be too stressed, we may suggest ground travel or using American.
American Airlines is EXTREMELY difficult to deal with, so use them only as a last resort.
Airline Crates for Flying Your Puppy
Your puppy will need an airline crate for air travel. Pups from about 12-14 weeks usually fit in a 36″ crate. Bigger pups and adult dogs will need a 40″ crate. You will also need a reusable cloth (not disposable) crate pad and food and water dishes. Disposable pads are not allowed by the airlines.
You can order these items from Amazon and have them shipped to us, or you can order a shipping package containing everything you need.
Airport Delivery Fee
Airport drop-offs take a minimum of 3 hours and two people to execute. It takes an hour each way to drive to the airport and back, and it takes at least one hour to stand in line and fill out paperwork. Sometimes, this takes up to two hours at the airport, not to mention getting the dog and all the necessary supplies ready. Flights usually leave at 6 am, so we have to go to the airport at 3 am, arriving when they open at 4 am. Drop-offs take at least two people, requiring my husband to take off work to assist me. There is the gas needed to drive the airport and parking fees. There is also the veterinarian’s appointment for the CVI exam.
All of this results in a lot of extra time and expense not required for those picking up their puppy here at the farm. Because of this, we have to charge an airport delivery fee.
You can pay the fee below, or we can send an invoice. The payment must be paid before the dog is delivered to the airport. If you’re purchasing and shipping two dogs from us at the same time, the fee is waived for the second dog.
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Done for You Travel Arrangements
Are you feeling overwhelmed by trying to make travel arrangements for your Maremma? Our done-for-you service can help! We will book the airline, vet appointment, and kennel stay (if needed) and inform you of the costs and dates before details are finalized.
The fee for this service is $100, payable in advance. Once we have quotes for all the costs, you will need to pay for those before we book everything. The airline fees are only estimates since they won’t know the exact fee until they weigh the dog. If there is any difference, we will either collect the extra from you or issue you a refund, as needed.
Order a Harness for a Your Maremma Below
If your puppy is traveling commercially by ground, you will need to order a harness ahead of time for your shipper to use, as ground shippers do not supply them. Our pups are not used to being walked with a collar, as harnesses are safer and more comfortable for dogs. We use Blue 9 Balance Balance Harnesses for our dogs and puppies and sell them in our Online Store. You can purchase a harness from us or order one from Amazon and have it sent to us. We will provide a complimentary leash with every harness.
If you’re flying your dog, don’t forget to bring a harness & leash to the airport if you plan to let your dog get out to relieve themselves before driving home! Or you can purchase a harness from our store, and we can send it with the dog. This is usually a better option for older dogs as they will be more at ease being handled by strangers if they already wear a harness.
We highly recommend sending your dog with a harness purchased from us if they will be staying overnight in a kennel. Most kennels use slip leads, which can be aversive for dogs. If they are already wearing the type of harness they are used to, they will be more relaxed with the kennel experience.
Harness Sizing Info
- 3-5 months old – a size medium generally fits these pups
- 6-12 months old – usually a medium/large fits, but some larger pups may be ready to move up to a large sooner
- 1-2 years old – medium/large or large, depending on the dog – please ask. (Most males and some females need a large. Most females can fit a medium/large as adults.)
Long Lines for Your Maremma
We include a complimentary 6′ leash with each harness, but we usually walk our dogs on a 15-foot-long line for training purposes. You can buy one of those through Amazon if you like.
Don’t send a harness to us if your puppy is flying, as it won’t fit in the crate. But you can order one to be delivered to you so you can use it once your puppy arrives home.
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Ready to Join the Family?
The best way to start the process is by filling out our Maremma application. Then, we can send you information on available puppies and dogs. The application isn’t pass or fail. It simply helps us better understand you and your needs so we can match you with the perfect puppy!
