So I'll be having to take Ahri on a flight at the end of this month, so I need to pick up a plastic crate for her to use on the plane and I'm not so sure about sizing. She's been using a 36" wire crate for at home, which has plenty of room for her now that she's outgrown the divider. I was taking a look at the 36" plastic Petmate ones, but they really look like they are smaller than her wire one, they are just barely long enough for her now, even though they are rated for 70lbs.

I just wanted to know what other people's experience here is for travel/airline crates are for their huskies. I was considering bringing the 36" one back and exchanging it for the 40", but that one might be a bit too big for her right now, although she is growing quick (17 weeks old, will be 19 weeks when we fly). The main problem is her length, the height and width of these crates have plenty of room.

Look at the airlines specifications for crates - I believe they have requirements based on height, length of dog.

Is it absolutely necessary to fly your dog? If not, you may want to rethink. I wouldn't recommend it unless you have no other option.

Like Ami said, check the with the airline and airplane specifications. The cargo doors on different planes have different size openings so you need to check what size will fit on the exact plane (or planes if you have a connecting flight) you will be on. Flying dogs cargo is dangerous and not to mention extremely stressful.

I flew my sibe years ago (I didn't know any better) and since one of the connecting planes had a smaller cargo door we were forced to go with a smaller airline approved kennel than was truly appropriate for his size. But when you cannot physically fit a larger kennel in the cargo door what choice do you have? I was young and stupid, now I know better and would never fly a dog cargo again nor do I recommend it. Perhaps your situation requires it but if not, consider alternative options.

It's a direct flight so there won't be any connections, but it is about 4 hours. The airline says up to a 40" kennel is fine, so I could get the bigger size. The drive would be close to 38 hours if I drove non stop, so that's not really an option for me, and probably equally if not more stressful for her being in a car that long. She is curently about 35lbs and 30" long. The 36" crate is 36" measured from the outside, but the actual interior space is about 32" long

I guess the point I was trying to stress was that if it's just for a vacation where it is not vital for the dog to travel in the first place then don't take it. Perhaps I should have been more direct, it wasn't about length of travel time. For a move that would be a different story as you wouldn't be returning, that's all.

Unfortunately it will be a longer term visit for about 2 months in toronto (I'm from edmonton so basically across the country) so leaving her back is not really an option, especially being only 4.5 months.

SonnyM wrote:

It's a direct flight so there won't be any connections, but it is about 4 hours. The airline says up to a 40" kennel is fine, so I could get the bigger size. The drive would be close to 38 hours if I drove non stop, so that's not really an option for me, and probably equally if not more stressful for her being in a car that long. She is curently about 35lbs and 30" long. The 36" crate is 36" measured from the outside, but the actual interior space is about 32" long

If you divided that up in 4-5 days, thats about 8-9 hours of driving per day. We traveled from finger lakes ny to southwest fl last fall with dog. Ami loved the travel...sleeps like an angel in the car, excited as all get out when we stop.