Cybersuz,

I certainly understand your apprehension - I was absolutely panicked the first time my dogs flew. I know that traveling cargo sounds frightening at first ( I almost opted for divorce rather than put my baby through the first flight. ) but really - the flight isn't so bad. From my experience (I've flown my dogs around the world several times in the course of our moves) Mrs. D's advice is absolutely spot-on. And certainly well meant - from her many posts, it is clear that Mrs D is a true animal lover, and has lots of experience with pet travel - I respect her opinions, and value her advice.

The key thing you should think about is the length of the flight. Your dog will need to drink often to avoid dehydration during the flight. On a long haul flight, what about the need to urinate?

In the (climate controlled) cargo area in a properly outfitted travel crate, your dog can relieve him/herself if necessary. I fly my guys in larger crates - one end has a grate over a pad that absorbs any urine, If they need to urinate they can do so in that area, the rest of the crate stays dry and the dogs don't have to sit in their own urine the rest of the trip. This makes the trip far less stressful for them. Such a crate is far too large for the cabin; in a typical cabin sized crate, your dog will just have to deal with it.

My dog's travel crates are outfitted with drip-type drink bottles and a shallow dish to catch spillover - the water is frozen so that it gradually melts during the trip, giving the dog enough to drink without making a mess. As you cannot let your dog out of the crate in the cabin, keeping him/her hydrated is a bit of a fiddle.

The travel crates are large enough so that the dog can stand, turn around, and move about a little bit - also important on a long haul flight. Again, as you cannot let your dog out of the cabin crate, think about how your dog would cope in a smaller confined space.

In the large crates my dogs have their favorite toy (and can squeak away to their heart's content ) and a t-shirt which smells of me to comfort them.

The hold is dark, which helps the dog to settle and go to sleep. The cabin is lit, noisy; your dog can hear your voice but cannot be with you, which for many dogs is far more stressful.

Why not speak with a animal shipping professional for further opinions/information? IPATA is an umbrella organization of such professionals:

http://www.ipata.com/

Whichever route you choose, I'd suggest preparing your dog for travel by acclimating him/her to the crate - make sure that your dog learns that the crate is a safe, comfortable place to be, and learns to relax in there for a long period of time. Start with a few minutes, gradually build up time.

Hoping all goes well with your move.