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Dog travel guide

Your breed is your travel plan

No other factor changes a dog's journey like breed. Four profiles cover almost every hard case.

Plan this routeCabin, cargo, breed and crate checks
Happy French Bulldog and Pug with a dog travel carrier
Snub-nosed dogs

Cabin if small enough, surface route if not.

Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Pugs, Boxers, Boston Terriers, Shih Tzus, Pekingese and similar breeds are widely restricted from aircraft holds because heat and stress raise breathing risk.

  • Check every airline's brachycephalic embargo before booking.
  • Avoid summer cargo routings and tight layovers.
  • Price ferries, Eurotunnel and road routes early.
Responsible restricted breed dogs prepared for travel near a ferry terminal
Restricted types

The rule is about appearance, not just paperwork.

Pit bull-types, Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Amstaffs, Staffies, Rottweilers and Akitas can trigger bans, permits, insurance, muzzles or transit refusals depending on the country.

  • Check destination and transit-country breed rules.
  • Carry pedigree, registration or vet letters where useful.
  • Do not assume a connecting airport ignores breed rules.
Great Dane standing beside a large travel crate and measuring tape
Giant breeds

The crate, not the dog, sets the price.

Great Danes, Mastiffs, Newfoundlands and Irish Wolfhounds need oversized IATA crates. Cargo price is usually based on volumetric weight, and some aircraft cannot take the required crate size.

  • Measure standing height, body length and elbow height.
  • Confirm maximum crate dimensions in writing.
  • Ask whether the aircraft type can carry the crate.
Small dog sitting happily in an airline-approved cabin carrier
Cabin-sized dogs

Small dogs get the simplest flight plan.

Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Yorkies and small terriers often fit the soft carrier route: under-seat travel, limited paperwork beyond the destination rules, and far less handling stress.

  • Weigh dog plus carrier against the airline limit.
  • Book the pet place as soon as the passenger ticket is held.
  • Check aircraft-specific under-seat dimensions.

Airline embargoes

Breed rules can be stricter than country rules. A destination may allow your dog while the carrier refuses the route.

Border rules

Some countries regulate named breeds nationally; others leave restrictions to regions, cities, landlords or insurance.

Season matters

Heat embargoes can block hold or cargo travel for snub-nosed and large dogs even when paperwork is perfect.

Check your breed against your route.

The Dog Travel Planner cross-references breed, weight and destination in one pass, including banned-breed hard stops, cabin limits, cargo realities and summer embargo timing.

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