Last year K9 Chief and I started flying from Seattle to Chicago one week per month in order to do schutzhund training with a trainer flying up from Dallas and to be with old schutzhund friends. The first flight was uneventful. Chief flies as checked luggage - no problem. The second flight got more interesting. I had him and his kennel checked out by the TSA people, put him back in his kennel and said "see you in O'Hare". While I was waiting in the security line I felt something very close to me, looked down and there was Chief, sitting next to me in heel position giving me perfect eye contact. Shortly thereafter the police arrived. Apparently Chief broke out of his kennel at the TSA station and started searching for me. First he ran outside to the curb searching, then back in to the terminal and the ticket counter. While his searching was going on the police had been alerted that a wolf like animal was doing  what looked like a systematic search. After the terminal search Chief moved back to the security lines and found me - before the police did. I gave Chief a big pat on his head and got his leash on. His reward was finding me. We were escorted back to the TSA folks for a re-check in. This time bigger ties were put on the kennel door in order to prevent him from pushing  the door out. Someone high up in the TSA arranged for priority boarding for me or I would have missed my flight. Next time Chief and I met again was in O'Hare. Lesson learned: I have drilled holes in his kennel and 2 sets of metal bars go across the door. Heavy duty ties are put in the 4 corners where door and kennel meets. Short of chewing himself out of the kennel there is no way to escape any more.

Inge and her [mis]Chief.