My little guy passed away nine years ago. We always took him with us on the plane. The carrier had to fit under the seat in front of you. The carrier has to be big enough for the dog to stand up and to turn around in. We never had to show shot records. We always flew United, and they charged $125 each way to have him in the cabin. Also, they only allow a maximum of two pets per flight, so you have to make arrangements ahead of time. It may be more expensive now. Good luck with your new puppy.

Is it a service dog?

Puppy
 

A puppy is not a service dog.

It was supposed to be a joke, but you never know these days.

Call the airlines for restrictions. I would NOT ship a pup, too hot. Fly and bring back in cabin. Reservations required.

service dog
 

I am so sick of these fake dogs nothing would surprise me. Thanks for making me laugh.

This has been a really good thread with so many good ideas and information. Thanks to all. I might have to start looking for a companion now that I know how easy it is to to ship one cross country ....

I can't fathom that a breeder would allow a puppy to be shipped. There is too much opportunity for something to go terribly wrong. It's stressful enough for a puppy to leave its mum and littermates. Adding to that stress and confusion is truly not advisable.

When we got our most recent pup (August 2016), we had to fly to MN, rent a car to drive to the breeder's home, then meet her/meet the pups. There was no way to do this in one day, so we stayed in a hotel, then traveled home the following day. The breeder had clear, concise instructions for us which included what we needed to bring, what she was sending us home with, and what we could potentially expect. It was a long weekend, which began with a 6 am flight Saturday and ended with us pulling into our driveway at 11 pm Sunday.

I'd be very wary of a breeder who shipped- I'd also be wary of a breeder who doesn't provide explicit instructions.

We flew Delta. Pup flew in an airline-approved, soft-sided carrier, in the cabin, with us. He was in his carrier, under the seat, for take off and landing and most of the flight. The fee was about $100-150. Confirm with the specific airline, as they have differing policies/instructions.

There aren't any directs from Orlando to Ithaca. You can do nonstop from Orlando to Albany, then rent a car and drive to Ithaca. It's only a bit over 3 hours from ALB to Ithaca (we live close to Albany). Albany is a small, easily-navigated airport.

Wishing you all the best with your new pup. Maybe we'll meet you someday at the Atlas Doggie Park :)

Air fares are really reasonable these days. I would strongly suggest that you fly up and pick the dog up. Take an "in cabin" pet carrier with you, and bring the baby in the cabin with you! It is WAY TOO HOT to ship a dog. In fact, most airlines ban 'pets in cargo' by this time of year.

If you don't have a 'pet in cabin' carrier, and don't think you'll need one ever again (i.e. don't want to buy one), you can use mine. The only ground transport groups/teams I am aware of are for rescue dogs/cats/etc only.

Check with the shih tzu and furbabies rescue. They transport dogs by car (each person drives 90 miles) from Florida to Massachusetts with stops along the way. These are rescued dogs going to permanent or foster homes. It happens twice a month. Email tzumom1@gmail.com. That is Meredith, the director. They might do it if you give a nice donation. However you would have to make arrangements for someone in New York to meet up with the transporter. Good luck.

I would never put my dogs in cargo, If I didn't have to and it is feasible to drive with the dog. I would sooner put my kids in cargo then my dogs! LOL If it's a big dog and the drive is too much, take the Amtract car train. Otherwise, if it's for the day , fly frontier since you wont need luggage. You could get a VERY cheap flight. BUT, If they tell you to put your puppy in the overhead bin, tell them you'll stuff them in the bin!

Puppy
 

Do your homework, call the airline

OP, we brought down 2 cats, each cat had to fly with their own passenger! Each cat had to have their own carrier and own ticket, this was over 6 years ago and at the time cost about $100 per cat. Now i have read that all of the airlines have changed their requirements, and is some cases have a long waiting time prior to transporting the animal. Of course there is a LOT of paperwork, you will need to call the airline about this. We had also checked Amtrak, and they were a no go at the time, but you can check again.
Good luck with getting your new dog home.

Not in the summer
 

Having flown for the airlines for 35 years, my best advice for you is DO NOT ship a puppy especially in the summer, too many things can go wrong. Go pick the little guy up.