r/TravelWithPets

Hi everyone,

I have a 12 year old long haired dachshund and I’m trying to realistically figure out whether in cabin travel within international airlines is doable for us long term, especially between Japan and Barcelona.

She’s a bit chunky 😅 When I adopted her, the lightest she’s ever been was around 6.9kg, and currently she’s about 8kg. She’s otherwise generally healthy and okay for her age.

The thing is, she actually fits comfortably inside an airline standard soft carrier and she LOVES bags very dachshund behavior honestly lol. She tends to feel safer curled up inside one rather than exposed outside.

What I’m struggling to understand is the actual airline reality vs the written rules.

For people who have flown with dachshunds or similar sized dogs in cabin internationally, especially in Europe or Japan routes:

• How strict were they about the combined weight of dog + carrier?

• If the limit is 8kg total, would they really deny boarding over something like 8.5kg if the dog clearly fits comfortably under the seat?

• Did they actually weigh the dog at check in every single time?

• Were they more focused on whether the carrier fit under the seat and zipped closed properly?

• Any recommendations for VERY lightweight carriers that maximize space while keeping weight low?

I’m considering helping her lose a bit of weight again, maybe back closer to 7kg, but even then with the carrier we’d probably still be above many airline limits.

Also because she’s 12, I really don’t want to put her in cargo unless absolutely unavoidable.

Would especially love to hear experiences with airlines like Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, Iberia, JAL, ANA, Finnair, etc. between Japan and Europe.

Yesterday, my mom and her service dog, were trying to fly back from California to Washington, D.C. dog had already flown on three United flights as a service dog, all with his documents successfully uploaded to United’s system. The previous gate agents had no issues; they reviewed the forms and allowed him to board every time.

But last night, on the red-eye from San Francisco to Washington Dulles, a gate agent stopped them. This agent insisted that my mom produce physical, hard copies of the forms she had already uploaded. My mom is 71, and this was her fourth flight on the same reservation, all previously hassle-free. She explained she didn’t have hard copies on her—she’d flown without issue before—and the dog was fully licensed. The agent then claimed she’d have to pay to fly him as a pet, even though he’s too big for that category.

It was an overbooked flight, tensions ran high, and the gate agent was on the verge of denying my mom and her service dog entirely. My mom reiterated that Bentley was a legal service dog. She had his vaccination record, his certification, and her handler ID. None of this swayed the gate agent. My mom asked if she could print and fill out the form right there. The agent refused. She asked for a supervisor. The supervisor arrived and told my mother they wouldn’t delay the flight. They even began closing the doors.

Only at the last, begrudging moment did they finally allow her on. There was no apology, no acknowledgment of the ordeal. In that moment, both the gate agent and supervisor nearly violated ADA protections by almost denying a disabled person and her service dog their right to fly.

Has anyone else had issues with this? Is it worth complaining to United for points or something?

I’ve got a tiny well behaved corgi. He’s def at the limit for what’s allowed in cabin. Any tips from pet owners who’ve flown westjet? I’ve read a lot of stories of gate agents denying dogs boarding, but they’re all from 2024. I haven’t seen any recent stories. Not sure if they’re more relaxed now. I’ve taken him to the vet and they said he’s is all good to fly with me.

How long has it taken for some of you to get your travel cert? I set up my vet appointment months ago and they told me it took a day. I had my vet visit 6 days before travel. It’s now Friday, I leave on Tuesday and it’s “pending”. I am moving to Switzerland so this is not just some vacation I want to take my dog to. I’m so anxious about this whole thing- how have wait times been recently??

What's the one thing nobody told you about traveling with a pet before you actually did it? mine is Bruno, 2 year old Doberman who takes up exactly half the bed and has absolutely no opinions about this arrangement 😭

Hey everyone! I’m a cat mom moving up north from my college apartment to my summer internship. The road trip is totaling to around 13-14 hours, so I was wondering if anyone had any advice for traveling that long with their cats!

I’ll be cramming the car with her cat tree and the stuff I need to move, so space might end up a bit tighter. For reference, the cat tree takes up the entire car, and I have to move the passenger seat all the way forward for it just to fit. I love my cat to death, but she’s a total diva, and has pissed on my carpet after being angry that I put her cat tree away from the window. Aka, I fear the tree (or simply a cat tree) is a non-negotiable for her if she has to be living in a new place for 4 months.

I guess my question is, how did yall make sure ur cats were hydrated/fed? Did you do regular bathroom breaks/a mini litter box? My cat travels really really well (she does 3 hour trips often), but I’ve never done something this long before.

In addition, I’d love some advice on the tree? Should I replace her tree with a new, less bulky one? Her current one is massive, which is why it’s so hard to travel with. I leave in like four days, so any advice is appreciated!

Hey! I’m going to be flying with my cat next month from Pgh to Idaho. About a 9 ish hr trip. I have the reservation ready for her to fly with me.

While I’m glad that is taken care of, I need to prepare for the other fun parts. For those who have flown with a cat, what are some tips for litter? My cat is VERY vocal and gets anxious in a carrier. What are some medications that have worked for you? Also, anything I should be weary about while flying or look out for?

All your experiences help! I look forward to chatting!!

So I’m having a bit of conflict with what I should do. Here’s a bit of back story, I’ll try to keep it short.

I will be traveling for work soon, with no prediction on how frequently or how far. I’m not sure how my options will be for finding pet friendly air bnbs and hotels, as some of these areas will be extremely remote. I also will be going on a week vacation every six weeks, some of which my pets could come with me, and others they may not. I also will be working 5-7 day weeks, anywhere from 8-12 hours a day, with no prediction as how it will pan out.

This being said, getting rid of my dog is not an option. I have a cat that can stay with my mom, but my dog will stay. I also will more than likely be traveling with my boyfriend, who works for the same company, and will be staying with me as well, but it won’t always be guaranteed, and we also will be vacationing together.

Here’s what I’m asking. Has anyone been in a similar situation that knows how to make this easier? Here are my concerns: being in a kennel while I’m working, and having someone to watch her while I’m vacationing.

Here’s my other consideration. I brought up to my boyfriend I’m considering getting a second dog. He’s brought up some concerns about this that are valid, and I don’t want to make this decision without it being the RIGHT decision. Here are my reasonings for the second dog:

My dog already seems lonely after leaving a multi-dog household. I think if we got her a friend, she may be less lonely, especially when I’m gone at work all day. She’s almost a year old, and well trained. Not trained enough YET to be left alone in an air bnb or hotel, but I’m working on it, and have already trained multiple anxieties and reactive tendencies out of her. With that being said, I won’t be traveling for another 6 months, and have time to train her. I’d also plan on getting a dog that’s around 6-8 months old, so not entirely a puppy but young enough to still be pliable.

My goal would be to have two well trained dogs, trained enough to be left alone at home for the day without tearing anything up and if I’m gone too long they should use the bathroom on a puppy pad if it came down to it. Or if that sounds unreasonable, are there any better suggestions? Would it be better for my dogs mental health to get her a friend, or would it be too much work, and unreasonable, as someone who’s traveling for potentially the next ten years?

I can say, with my current schedule of 55 hour weeks I spend time with her daily and take her hiking every weekend, but if my work scope went back up to 70 hours and potentially 7 days a week, she probably won’t get that same attention.

So what I’m asking is, what is your opinion? Should I get a second dog? I’m willing to put in the extra money and work for training and baby sitters. Also, does anyone have any tips to make this easier, like how to find pet-sitters, training tips, any experience you may have or may have heard of. I don’t want to get rid of her, she’s a rescue and just generally a great dog, and I love her; she comes before everyone except my mom. Im willing to put in extra money and whatever time I have to giving her the best quality of life, but time will be limited to me.

Anyone who read this long, thank you and I’m open to all opinions.