service animal in pet carrier?

[NanaHamid]

I am confused about the pet carrier for service animals, when in training we were told that the SERVICE dog should not be in a carrier in case the dog needs to alert their owner the pet needs to be free from the carrier. I am now being told by cohearts that they CAN be in a carrier. can someone please give me the right info.

[floridaguy]

There is a difference between "can" and "must".  Yes, they can be in a carrier and they can also be in a box of donuts.  

[tappingmom1 · Accepted solution]

What you learned in training is correct...service dogs should not be crated while working.  They are usually only crated at home during rest or to de-stress.

Would your service dog be able to work and alert if he was in a crate under the seat in front of you??  If the answer is yes, then he can be crated during the flight.  If the answer is no, a legitimate service dog should not be crated, as it defeats the whole purpose of allowing him to do his job.  

[NanaHamid]

Thank you for your reply

is this stated anywhere in a handbook for Southwest or the federal website? 

I want to be able to provide this to my colleagues so the confusion can be over