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Flying with Your Dog  This article is verified by a vet

Written by Franziska G., Veterinarian

Whether you're moving overseas or embarking on a long holiday to a distant land, sometimes it's unavoidable to bring your pet on a flight. Travelling by air is always stressful for any animal, involving adapting to a new environment and unfamiliar climate. Therefore, this risk should not be taken lightly! However, with the right preparation, the big journey can be made much more bearable for your pet. 

Dog sitting in a travel carrier at the airport, prepared for a flight to reduce stress

© Volha Krayeva / stock.adobe.com

A flight can be very stressful for your dog. Good preparation is therefore essential

Important Information about Flying with Dogs

  • Some airlines allow small dogs and cats up to a weight of approx. five to six kilograms in the passenger cabin. Make sure to check specifically, as the maximum dimensions and required specifications of the transport box for the dog are determined by the airline! In any case, the box must be escape-proof and waterproof; basket-covered boxes are unsuitable. Sturdy plastic transport boxes or bags are better alternatives depending on the airline’s regulations. These should not exceed the allowable dimensions for hand luggage of 56cm x 45cm x 25cm. 
  • Animals exceeding the permissible total weight must travel in the air-conditioned cargo hold. There are special dog transport boxes designed for air travel. Although you won’t have your pet in sight, the larger transport boxes offer more freedom of movement and possibly enough space for a small cat litter tray. 
  • Unfortunately, there are no universal rules for every airline. Many airlines do not transport animals during the hot summer months, while others never allow pets in the cabin or permit only a certain number of animals. 
  • Be sure to check the regulations of the destination country: Does your dog need a specific vaccination or your cat a health certificate? 
Small dog in a travel carrier placed under an airplane seat, allowed in the cabin as hand luggage © Eva / stock.adobe.com
Small dogs are generally allowed to travel in the cabin as hand luggage with some airlines

Preparing you Dog for the Flight 

If you want to calm your dog before or during the flight, you can consider using Bach flower drops. For cats, pheromone sprays like Feliway are recommended, and for all animals, simple aids like lining the box with a worn T-shirt can help. Air travel is a stressful situation for any animal, and a familiar item or odour can provide comfort. 

By the way, you can find dog transport boxes in the zooplus shop! 

Franziska G., Veterinarian
Profilbild von Tierärztin Franziska Gütgeman mit Hund

At the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen I was extensively trained as a veterinarian and was able to gain experience in various fields such as small animal, large animal and exotic animal medicine as well as pharmacology, pathology and food hygiene. Since then, I have been working not only as a veterinary author, but also on my scientifically driven dissertation. My goal is to better protect animals from pathogenic bacterial organisms in the future. Besides my veterinary knowledge, I also share my own experiences as a happy dog owner and can thus understand and enlighten fears and problems as well as other important questions about animal health.

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