I’m Taking My Dog to Aruba for the First Time… Send Help (and Tips)

Alanna O'Connor
3 days ago
7 min read

Okay dog people! I need your help.

I’m about to take my newly adopted dog on a plane in May… and not just any flight—2 longer flights, one being a red eye-to Aruba! 😅✈️🏝️

I think I have everything lined up on the logistics side. I have a vet appointment scheduled with a USDA-certified vet, and we’ll be getting his electronic health certificate about 12 days prior to our trip. I’ve also added him to my United flight reservation, so he’s officially booked, reserved, and paid for!

But this post isn’t really about the rules…

It’s about the real-life tips and tricks for actually traveling with a small dog, because I know a LOT of you do this regularly.

And I need your advice. I’m very excited to introduce Kuzco to Aruba… so I need this to go well if he’s going to become a regular visitor and beach dog!

A Little Backstory on Kuzco

I adopted Kuzco on January 4th, 2026. He’s a 9.7 lb Yorkiepoo who’s a little over a year old.

I waited almost three years after losing my last dog to cancer, and I really took my time. It’s such a big decision, and I didn’t want to rush it. I wanted it to feel right—and when I found Kuzco, it just did.

One thing I knew for sure—I wanted a dog small enough to fly in-cabin. That was my #1 requirement. I wanted him to be able to come to Aruba and travel with me whenever I go, especially since I spend months there at a time.

Because after going through that loss… I just knew I didn’t want to build a life again where I had to leave my dog behind or not be able to come to Aruba. I wanted BOTH!

He’s part of my life now—and that life includes Aruba!

And yes… Kuzco. Like the Disney character (Emperor Kuzco 😂).

Do I love the name? Eh, I don’t hate it. Am I still considering changing it? Also yes.

BUT… for now, he knows his name, and from a training standpoint, we’re sticking with it.

Priorities lol.

What We’ve Been Doing to Prepare

Since mid-January, we’ve basically been in “operation get this dog ready to fly” mode.

• Practicing in the travel carrier almost daily

• Moving the travel carrier around the condo so he’s comfortable in different environments

• Putting him in the carrier and walking around with him

• Even putting the carrier on top of my suitcase and rolling him around

And honestly… he’s doing SO well.

He also sleeps in his crate in our bedroom every single night—no issues at all.

He goes right in, sleeps through the night, and doesn’t make a peep.

And yes… eventually he’ll be sleeping in bed with us 😂

But for now, until full trust is established, he’s in his crate—and honestly, he loves it.

Socializing + Building Confidence

I’ve also been getting him out as much as possible:

• Walks (with traffic and other dogs here and there)

• Smaller outdoor events (I live in Scottsdale so it’s super nice here year round)

• Restaurant patios

• Just hanging out in busy places watching from a bench

• Trips to Home Goods and TJ Maxx

• Rides in the car

He actually feels way more comfortable in a crossbody sling vs. on the ground, so I use that a lot and will be bringing that with me as well. Plus, it helps protect his paws from the hot pavement as the day goes on. It's a win-win!

That said… this little guy has RANGE.

On our daily walks, I’ll carry him for like 1–1.5 miles… and then he’ll walk 1.5-2 miles back pulling me like he’s training for a marathon. The legs on this dog?? Unreal.

Some noises still spook him a bit, but his confidence is growing every single day, which makes me feel so much better about this trip.

The Flight Plan (aka: Please Sleep 🙏)

We’re on a red-eye for the first flight, which I’m really hoping works in my favor.

My plan:

• Get him tired out earlier in the day (long walk in the early morning, playtime, puzzles, etc.)

→ It’ll be way too hot to walk him later in the day unfortunately since I’m in Arizona 🥵

• Stick to his routine as much as possible

• Take him out in his carrier for a few “test runs” at night, so he doesn’t think it’s weird when we suddenly leave the house in the dark

Because let’s be honest… if I randomly grabbed him at 9pm and walked out the door with a bunch of stuff, he’d be like:

👉 Mom… what is happening right now? 😂

If this dog sleeps through most of the flight, I will consider it my greatest life achievement.

What I’m Bringing (Over-prepared but Not Sorry)

Here’s what I’ve got planned so far:

(for easy access on the flight)

• His travel carrier (airline approved- 11 x 11 x 17)

• Favorite small stuffed animal in the carrier

• Pee pad underneath pad in carrier + extras

• Favorite (high value) Treats

• Poop bags

• Portable water bowl

• Small, portable, handheld fan (because… Scottsdale → DC → Aruba in May 🥵)

• Crossbody sling (his emotional support sling lol)

• Meds from the vet

And this GENIUS tip I found on TikTok:

Put peanut butter on a plastic spoon, store it in a Ziploc, and use it later to give meds.

WHY did I not know about this sooner?! So Smart.

Slightly Extra (But Smart?) Idea (from a follower!)

I’m also planning to:

Sleep in a t-shirt for a few nights and put it in his carrier (maybe wrap the bottom panel with it so it doesn't take up space).

So it smells like me and hopefully keeps him calm.

Over the top? Maybe.

Do I care? Not even a little.

I mean, look at his FACE!!!

LOVE.

What I’m Nervous About

I’m not going to lie—I’m nervous.

I just want him to feel safe, secure, and not stressed… and honestly, I want him to do well so we can travel more together in the future. And ideally not look at me like I’ve completely traumatized him after this whole experience lol.

I also want everyone around us to have a good experience too.

The last thing I want is to bother anyone.

My biggest fear?

That he randomly starts barking like a psycho.

To be fair—he has never done that in public before.

But… you just never know.

And also… he’s never been on a plane before 😅

THIS is Where I Need YOU!

If you’ve:

• Flown with a small dog

• Traveled internationally with a pet

• OR specifically brought a dog to Aruba

PLEASE tell me everything.

What am I missing?

What would you do differently?

What made the biggest difference for your dog?

Also… Let’s Talk Luggage for a Second

Normally when I travel, I bring my Away hard-sided carry-on and a black bag that sits on top of it. Easy, organized, done.

But now… I have a dog under the seat and can only bring one other thing with me as he counts as a carry on 😅

I also have a smaller bag inside that I pull out before I stow everything once on the plane—this has all my essentials like my Kindle, headphones, sanitizing wipes, passport, etc., so I have everything I need right at my seat. Since it’s all in one pouch, I just throw it on my seat and I’m good to go—super fast and efficient.

I’m hoping this pouch will now fit in one of the exterior bottom pockets on the new carry-on (pictured below) and that Kuzco's extra small stuff will also fit in there:)

So I’m thinking:

Check my usual hard-sided carry-on
Ditch the black bag and leave it at home (no wheels)
Switch to a soft-sided carry-on with exterior pockets so I actually have places to put all of his stuff & mine (pictured below -Swissgear 21' Carry-on)

Because right now, everything I need access to has to fit either:

In the pet carrier (which has like… one tiny pocket that doesn’t zipper)
Or on me

And that feels… not ideal, lol, or possible.

Also… I will be checking a suitcase (or two), but there are certain things I absolutely refuse to check.

I always keep my essentials with me—like medications—and I make sure I have at least a few outfits and swimsuits in my carry-on so I can get by in case anything gets delayed or lost.

And just to make this even more interesting…

this trip is for 3 months.

But I’m basically packing like I normally would for 2 weeks…

plus a whole bunch of dog stuff 😂

So yeah… this whole luggage situation is about to get very strategic.