How to Fly With a Dog in the Cabin (WestJet): Tips From our Experience - International Flight

I documented my experience bringing our dog in the cabin on an international flight (Canada to USA) on WestJet airlines (but this applies to Air Canada and other similar airlines). I have the medium sized Sherpa pet carrier and it fit perfectly under the seat.
In this video, I share tips about flying with your dog in the cabin (under the seat below you), including booking your ticket (and prices), choosing your seat, size and weight limits, checking in at the airport, going through security and customs, etc.
Our dog measures 13″ high from shoulder to feet and 17″ long from shoulder to bum. She is not an emotional support animal.
I hope this eases any concerns or anxiety you might have before flying with your dog (or pet), because I know I did!
If you have any questions or if there was anything I didn't cover, please ask in the comments or head to my blog post (linked below) for more details.
The Best WestJet Approved Pet Carriers (tried and tested for most airlines)
likewhereyouregoing.com/westj...
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Sherpa Pet Carrier:
amzn.to/35EkkmA
Collapsible pet bowls:
amzn.to/3u0iequ
My purse that fits under seat:
amzn.to/3J2I8xW
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READ MORE:
I have a travel blog!
Full blog post about flying with a dog:
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My pet friendly travel posts:
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//
About me - Aly Smalls:
I'm the CFF (Chief Fun Finder) of my travel website - Like Where You're Going.
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A former Tourism Development Officer who now makes fun and easy to follow travel itineraries for your next trip. Wherever your travels take you, I'll help make sure you like where you're going!
My free travel and destination guides focus on unique & fresh itineraries - showcasing Canada, USA, Mexico and a bit of Europe.
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#dogtravel #petfriendlytravel
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[@TL-cm5bd]

Great info! I just bought the Sherpa medium size and am glad to see it fits well on westjet. My dog is 15” neck to tail and 12” from ground to withers so it’s good to see how your dog fits in the medium.

[@andrescvega]

Thanks for this video. I’m travelling to Canada with my dog that is similar sized as yours. This video really provided me lots of information I needed to now 🙌🏻

[@tracemarcy9962]

Wow. Very clear and helpful!! I attempted two previous searches on airline websites and couldn't get any conclusive answers on sizing or seating. Most helpful to know about the under-seat-room of window seats (who knew). This video answered all of our questions even which carrier is in your video/ pictures. Thanks again for making this video.

[@alysmalls]

I'm so happy it helped you! That was the reason I made the video, I couldn't find a whole lot of specific info before we flew. Happy travels

[@chitakoz3152]

Thanks for the tips and the review of this Sherpa carrier.I’ll having a flight with WestJet next month with my puppy.Big Thanks!

[@alysmalls]

Have a great flight! Thanks for watching :)

[@Oxford322]

Your dog is ADORABLE w those ears! ❤❤❤

[@BrunoKalix]

Very useful, thank you! We are travelling with our small dog for the first time for Christmas.

[@surfsiren1026]

Me too, but we took a trial run on a short flight last year. No problem!

[@doncameron7618]

That was amazing! You answered all my questions :)

[@vhaileyb7653]

This video was so helpful and well made, thank you! :)

[@shainasuleman9595]

super helpful!! thank for you the detailed info!

[@ellebelle8515]

Thank you so much for this helpful video. We will hopefully be making an international WestJet flight in the next couple of months.

[@alysmalls]

Glad it helped! Hope the trip goes well :)

[@jennifermcgannon5163]

That was really helpful thank you 🥰

[@greggstolinski1298]

I plan to fly West Jet to bring a puppy from Saskatchewan to Toronto. Your video was very helpful! Thank you!

[@junzengz]

Very helpful, thanks!

[@impartial.observer]

Great video!! Thank you so much for the tips. I want to add that if you're traveling on Volotea Airline in Europe, they require that the person traveling with a pet sit on a window seat - so you will want to consider that when selecting a seat. Happy pet travels!

[@alysmalls]

Good to know!

[@KristenyBridges]

Is it typical for a window seat to have the biggest under-seat room?

[@impartial.observer]

@@KristenyBridges I didn’t notice any difference between the two seats. I am guessing that it may be to keep you pet away from aisle traffic, which may make it bark more… that’s just a guess. 😊

[@SheiladeCurhalek]

Thanks for sharing. Big help for me.

[@alysmalls]

So happy it helped!

[@daysisalg6163]

Great video❤

[@mikeligammare5773]

We found that pet carrier size is less dependent on the airline and more reliant on the type of plane you are on. We had to switch to the small Sherpa brand carrier for Air Canada cause the plain was a Boeing 737 Max 8. So just be aware of that and check the plane you are on.

[@RoamingRamiDodger]

This is mega helpful for us thank you! We are worried about the carrier have a choice of flying air Canada which depending on the 2 options of flights carrier has to be 8inch or 8.5inch then if we fly Lufthansa (which is the same flight as air Canada) it’s 9inch! So confusing and worrying!

[@normaromero7271]

I’m traveling with my dog from Mexico to Amsterdam . Thanks for the traveling tips ! 😀

[@alysmalls]

Have fun!!

[@cesargonzalez6828]

@ Norma Romero how’d it go ?

[@normaromero7271]

@@cesargonzalez6828 really well ! KLM just checked the papers once . Didn’t weight my dog with the bag , not even once 🤷🏽‍♀️. Very easy !

[@owenoone9445]

Great video

[@trilexfix]

I only wanted to watch your video cause you had the best looking dog out of all the other videos.

[@Megan-el3kp]

i want to get a dog, but my family travels a lot so we wanted to make sure there is a way to take a dog with us on the plane for at least a cheaper price. this really helped. thank you❤️

[@Blankenshipable]

Awesome!

[@Happykay5722]

Thank you!

[@heathbar8015]

I'm flying with my pomeranian in a few days and am nervous because she's still pretty hyper. I'm honestly dreading it but your video makes me feel at least prepared on what to expect so thank you!

[@alysmalls]

I hope it goes well!

[@surfsiren1026]

How did it go?

[@heathbar8015]

@@surfsiren1026 it wasn't too bad. I got some medication from the vet for her which kind if helped but she still had separation anxiety and started howling when I went to the bathroom. Next time I had to go, I just took her whole kennel in with me looool ugh. Still, went smoother than expected

[@TT_AND_JOJO]

@@heathbar8015 that's good but do you have any tips

[@heathbar8015]

@@TT_AND_JOJO try and get meds from the vet to make them sleep. There's also pet relief areas in the airport where they can go potty which helped. I think the flight back was easier so I knew what to expect. Made sure to go to the bathroom beforehand so I didn't have to leave her. Honestly, it wasn't too bad. It was more work than if I had flown alone of course but staying calm and making sure she was heavily medicated is what helped me and my dog.

[@Raju]

Very informative video. BTW, you have a very unique voice. Did you ever try singing?

[@pavelkornej560]

Thank you

[@jeffleonard9983]

Great video, great information, thank you. We are heading to our house in Puerto Morelos, Mexico in October with our two dogs and we were unsure of all the rule changes. First time travelling with the pups and the one we adopted from Puerto Vallarta is pressing the limits of in-cabin according to your video. We can’t stand the thought of putting her below. ☹️

[@alysmalls]

Hi Jeff, maybe the rescue group can provide you with some more detailed info, a lot of them fly dogs back to Canada with volunteers so they might be able to help

[@teresalenaandprincessthedo8566]

Thank you🐈‍⬛👼🐶💙🌲

[@Laura-kb5sr]

My daughter and her dog were essentially denied boarding on a United flight because they had too many dogs. (There'd been weather issues, so I think they moved people onto new flights and didn't think about this, then the flight attendants were strict.) Because it was "dog spots" not "people spots," she wasn't entitled to "involuntarily bumped" reimbursements. But they did still give her a flight credit, esp since then she had a stopover instead of a direct flight. Now she always boards as soon as she's allowed.

[@ArtistTavia]

Thankyou for the tips ❤ did the airline check your paperwork including the pet flight certificate?

[@alysmalls]

Only when coming back into Canada they checked the rabies certificate and recent vaccinations. But flying into the US, the border agent did not check. Hope that helps!

[@Blessedtruly3000]

Thank you for this.. I have a new puppy and she will be flying and I was wondering what that was like

[@henrygehricke3702]

Thank you Aly for all the helpful information. I am traveling w/ Westjet YVR to HUX next April with my 9 lb Chihuahua and it will be his first flight. He's definitely a small dog but not a tea-cup and he has longer legs. I am debating with my self about either a medium or small size Sherpa for him.

[@alysmalls]

If you have Prime, you could order both and then see which one fits best (then return the other)

[@henrygehricke3702]

@@alysmalls great idea thank you 😊

[@tmarineo]

Thank you for the Video and article! I'm taking my 6 year old extra small miniature schnauzer for his first flight next week on WestJet. I was a bit anxious and had so many questions, thanks for the answers! I have also purchased the medium Sherpa carrier which I've had no trouble training him to go into as we had crate trained him as a puppy. I am flying out of Edmonton, do you know if there is a dog lounge in the international area?

[@alysmalls]

There's a dog-relief room yes!

[@MarcosTechHero]

I have well behaved pit bull would need a whole seat wonder how that would work, good video

[@luannemacdonell8251]

Great video! I'm going to Mexico with my 15 lb pug mix via WestJet. What worries me is that the Sherpa medium carrier is slightly larger than what West Jet specifies but the small would not support Brin's weight. I am terrified of being denied.

[@alysmalls]

The carrier I used in the video is the sherpa medium and it was fine. If you're worried, book a window seat which will have more space than the aisle and middle seats.

[@GalCharlotte]

I think we’ll mode seats have the least space.

[@RoamingRamiDodger]

We are going to be flying from UK to Canada in September and I’m panicking about the bag size majorly! It seems air Canada has different sizes for different planes. Our chihuahua is similar to yours slightly longer legs so would of liked to get the Sherpa medium but it’s to high for their size restrictions sadly. I don’t know if they are super hot on this or not but I might have to go for a smaller bag, hoping our pup fits in, he loves being in small spaces and curls up tiny!

[@mysukes]

Hi, how was your flight with air canada with your pet? We are going to fly from Hungaria to Canada and I am super anxious about size of carrier. A will be very glad for all informations. Thank you😊

[@stephanienguyen38]

Great video. Thank you! One quick question. I did not hear you mention but do they ask for a pet passport or microchip to fly between Canada & USA? Much appreciated! We are going to visit Toronto, Canada this upcoming December so we need to plan ahead :D

[@alysmalls]

We had proof of rabies vaccination and list of recent vaccinations and microchip proof yes - that seemed to be sufficient.

[@stephanienguyen38]

@@alysmalls Thank you!

[@davidblanco6249]

You have to have a microchip ?

[@stephanienguyen38]

@@davidblanco6249 Hi flew with my baby a month ago with Air Canada. The way there they asked for vaccination records (the rabies vax) and nothing on the way back to the US. They did ask me about the microchip. Have a good trip!

[@jelosanquino7822]

Hello. very good video. I watch many times just not to miss any. Question though. What exactly is the certificate for rabies would look like. was that even provided when your dog had the vaccine? I am have the receipts and all for recent vaccines and vaccination for rabies this year. would be great to hear from you. catching a flight tomorrow morning with my 9 month old toy poodle for this first time. Cheers!

[@alysmalls]

Yes, when your pet gets vaccinated for rabies, your vet should provide you with a document that indicates that your pet is up to date on his/her rabies shot, which shows the date it was administered.

[@jelosanquino7822]

@@alysmalls found it :) More power to you!

[@cinthyaortiz8780]

Hi Aly! When you say "updated" rabies certificate... within how many days of travel did it have to be? And did you have to get one for the outbound trip to US and then another one to go back to Canada?

[@alysmalls]

It just has to be still valid - so not overdue for your dog's rabies shot. Just to be sure, I would make sure that your dog isn't due for its rabies vaccine within 6 months of travel. You don't need a separate one for Canada/US, just has to be valid.

[@jessiedelarosa1]

I've flown westjet and air canada with a pet in cabin. While westjet requires the carrier to remain under the seat the entire flight, Air canada allows you to put the carrier on your lap except for takeoff and landing.

[@alysmalls]

good to know!

[@Laura-kb5sr]

Good to know! In the U.S., Alaska Airlines and United want the carrier under the seat (and they grouch if you let your dog peek the head out)--but Delta apparently allows the carrier to be on the lap. Within that, a lot also depends on individual flight attendants.

[@jessiedelarosa1]

@Laura-kb5sr I agree that it depends on the flight attendant. We flew Alaska Airlines to Hawaii a couple of years back and were able to keep the carrier on our lap during the flight. Their website and safety pamphlet on their planes state, "The pet must be stowed under the seat, in its carrier during taxi, takeoff and landing."

[@paulaoyedele2081]

I took my dog(Maltese) for the first time on a flight from Calgary, through Toronto, to the NL and will never do it again. Toronto is not pet friendly and with long layovers it was a nightmare. And my dog was in such distress during the flight that she was thrashing around in the carrier....thankfully I was in business class and they allowed me to take her out of the carrier to comfort her. And then allowed me to place the carrier on the seat strapped in .....where I could pet her. She was panting profusely. She was sick almost the entire vacation after that. How do you get them to be relaxed in the carrier? And with the planes noise?

[@_Meadows_]

Great info! Have you taken your dog to Mexico?

[@alysmalls]

We haven't yet, but hoping to on an upcoming trip :) she's a chihuahua-mix, so I think she'd love it haha

[@_Meadows_]

@@alysmalls I ordered the carrier with your link for our Shih Tzu. He's going to visit Gramma in Edmonton 😃

[@alysmalls]

@@_Meadows_ thanks for your support! Enjoy your trip :)

[@leeleesmith9638]

At John Wayne you cannot take your dog out of the carrier at all in airport. And you cannot use carryon luggage as your pet is considered your caryon. :( I have that same carrier. It’s great. But southwest sears are not that wide I struggled putting her under

[@renewong2114]

The medium Sherpa bag looks to have dimensions that are larger than what Westjet lists as the maximum allowable size on its website (16 x 10 x 8.5 inches). Did the agents seem to focus on whether your carrier can be compressed or squished to that size to fit under the seat?

[@alysmalls]

The medium fits under the seat with lots of room to spare. Westjet agent didn't even bat an eye at the carrier. All carriers must be soft side and be able to be squished down to fit, as long as your pet isn't disrupted by that. But I didn't have to squish it down at all

[@pamdleve]

I noticed that your carrier was bigger in size then what is on the airline website. My dog will fit in the one you have.

[@kristelgonzalezvargas6637]

at checkin they measure the conveyor

[@omarkhater3891]

Hi so I’m getting my 10 week old gsd puppy from the states and taking him on the flight with me back to Canada and flying with west jet all the way. I was wondering if they are strict with the carrier on bag size because on the west jet website it says it has to be 16inx8.5x10inch. So i was wondering if they are like strict on those numbers or it can be off by a couple of inches

[@alysmalls]

Hi Omar, I used the medium size Sherpa carrier, which is 10.5 inches tall and it had plenty of room under the seat. So as long as its around that size you should be fine

[@chiaretta3401]

Did any of you brought a Large carrier on westjet? I have a medium, but i want to get a large. However, i am afraid they will not allow it.

[@donnabush7938]

I was on a flight once where the passenger had her service dog, and he sat between her legs the whole flight. So I guess they are allowed, even if they’re too large to under the seat

[@bernadettemccormick1651]

hi thx for all the info. im just a little confused about the requirements for the carrier does the dog have too be able too turn around inside it.? my dog is 15lbs and i bought the medium Sherpa carrier but its quite snug would i be better off with the large thx

[@alysmalls]

Ideally yes. They should be able to stand and turn around comfortably inside. If your dog is struggling to do that than it's too small

[@TheBeckaboo4]

I used the large Sherpa carrier for my 13 pound dog (the medium was too snug) to fly on Southwest airlines and it fit just fine under the seat and my dog had plenty of room to move around inside the carrier.

[@palomahealing5073]

This is my nerves about the whole thing! My dog looks alot like yours, but she's 17" tall. Yep, her legs are long like yours, but she's taller and weighs like 10-12 lbs. But Idk if she'll do well in the hard crate in the Cargo area! So I am like, freaking out of my mind!😳

[@surfsiren1026]

I got a backpack style on Amazon, the largest allowed size, so my dog has tons of head room when it is upright.

[@baldeepsingh505]

Hi, i want to bring a 10 inch tall puppy from edmonton to vancouver. Do you thing 10 inch will be a bit too tall? Also, do 3 month old puppy have rabbies shots ?

[@Curious859]

Hi. Thank you. Where did you show your dog’s health information; In Canada or when you landed in the US?

[@alysmalls]

Only when we landed back in Canada

[@Curious859]

Thank you! So, the airline doesn’t ask for any health documents when boarding on the plane, it’s only the airport customs, right?

[@alysmalls]

It could vary by airline & country, so always have them handy

[@cydnieclyde7315]

How tall is your carrier? I can't for the life of me find one that's only 8.5" tall! I have a dachshund and I'm worried he'll be too long if I don't get a carrier that can expand once on the flight.

[@alysmalls]

Hi Cyndie, my carrier is 10.5 inches tall

[@patriciasampier6705]

What size is the carrier? I’m traveling from Omaha Nebraska too Seattle Washington in July,I’m taking my min poodle,she will be 8 months old then.I was reading the rules and regulations on carriers,and Southwest says the ht of carrier to be 9.5,um most of the soft sided carriers are 11” high.

[@alysmalls]

I was using the medium (17″ L x 11″ W x 10.5″ H), which is technically larger than the airline allows, but I had room to spare. There are multiple comments in the review section on Amazon that states it fit on a Southwest flight.

[@marietaylor2043]

Mine hates his carrier he chases and bites and grows at his tail I have been trying to figure out how to get him to stop doing that behavior

[@klodi.]

Heey thanks for the video, what kind of documents need for my dog to travel from canada to overseas (Europe) beside the rabbies? Does she need to have microchip? And what else? Thank you

[@alysmalls]

I recommend you check the requirements for which countries you'll be visiting. I haven't brought my dog to Europe, sorry!

[@donnadibiase2316]

Not sure if you have travelled yet but there is definitely paperwork required for your dog. They will need to be signed by your vet then by Canada Food Inspection Agency in order to enter Europe. In my case Italy.

[@klodi.]

@@donnadibiase2316 I already traveled and do this thing but thank you 😊

[@bernardopratta3076]

So the dog needs to stay inside the bag for the entire duration of the flight, does that mean he does his 'necessities' inside? If so, are there any tips in regards to that?

[@alysmalls]

Many airports have dog relief rooms near the gates, so I recommend trying to get your dog to go before the flight

[@chiaretta3401]

Westjet told me that the dog must be able to stand. My dog looks similar to yours but i am worried i can't take her because she is tall. It looks like your carrier is bigger than the size they provided on the website, you think i can get a bigger one? Was your dog able to stand?

[@alysmalls]

My dog can stand in it, but her back presses up against the top. We have the medium size and to me there was still lots of extra room for a bigger size. You could always order the medium and if it doesn't fit you can return it

[@SmartWentCrazy]

Wait they count the personal item as the carrier??

[@catherines5791]

Thank you for your video. It is great! Please don’t endorse Air Canada. Their check in agents are untrained and rejecting small dogs that fit correctly in the medium Sherpas. I had booked miniature dachshunds. Each in their own medium Sherpa. They are 8 & 9 inches tall from floor to back and each 15 inches long, chest to rear. Loads of room. They are 9 & 10 lbs and as you know the carrier is approved up to 16 lbs. The check in agent wrongly thought that the dogs heads must be below the the height of the carrier while standing! They are using a weird diagram on their website of a dog in a carrier to deny boarding dogs. The diagram is obviously showing keeping the carrier closed vs open but agents are using it a sizing image and think the dogs can’t be taller than the carrier. Any attempt to correct Air Canada is falling on deaf ears! They really need to label the diagram for what it is to protect future dog passengers.

[@Laura-kb5sr]

Check-in agents in some U.S. companies are also really inconsistent--on maybe my daughter's 8th flight with her dog, one check in agent said no, and she said she flies all the time with the dog (just under 10 lbs) then the person said she'd check and came back to say it's ok.

[@z414141]

I was interested in when to feed the dog, bringing water for the pet, how to time it so they do not need to potty or when they do....stuff like that would have been very helpful.

[@alysmalls]

limit food and water before flight, use the pet bathroom in the airport before you board, use the collapsible water dish referenced in video to provide water & light food.

[@yoururbanchic]

Can pets travel during winter also?

[@user-ci6xy3gy7n]

Where did you get your extra blanket for the carrier?

[@alysmalls]

Amazon! Very similar to this one: amzn.to/48Qwapm

[@firebird16may1979]

Thank you so much for the useful information 🙏🏻 I’m actually traveling to Canada with my chihuahua and I’m a bit concerned about the flying time as it may take up to 14 hours, I wonder how would my little dog handle that😢 I’m all new to that and this will be my first time traveling with my pet

[@_Celine_26]

How did it go?

[@firebird16may1979]

@@_Celine_26 not yet Celine, i decided to keep my dog with a family to take care of him until I come back and take him again, probably in summer as the winter is getting harsh now in Canada and I need to settle in a good place 😃

[@MollysMum-A.K.]

Was your dog able to stand in the carrier with her long legs? This seems to be a problem with a lot of dogs 😖

[@alysmalls]

Yes she is able to, which is why I like the carrier that I featured in the video, it's soft top and slightly expandable so it works out!

[@darinkalaviada5850]

My dog is slightly bigger than yours- 7,800 kilos and 18” length. I bought a carrier similar and medium but my dog needed more space than yours so I bought a large. We will be traveling on a window seat. Do you think there will be a problem letting her come with me in cabin? I’m so scared! She’s a shitzu.

[@alysmalls]

Window seats have the most room, should be fine

[@malgorzatawejtko4898]

And how is it when your pet wants to pie? On the plane - Do you go to the toilett with a kind of diaper? At the airport? Do you know airports in Europe with a space for pets?

[@reve1er382]

Hi, is there a weight limite for the dog in cabin?

[@alysmalls]

There isn't technically a weight limit, but WestJet has stated that most dogs over 22 lbs won't fit

[@joellacson4506]

What if they want to poo or pee? What do you do?

[@sydneybailey7000]

Was there an age requirements (12 months)? Did they ask for proof of age?

[@alysmalls]

I believe they just have to be older than 8 weeks

[@Dawnofdelusion]

I flew with a fully certified service dog, and the cabin crew was a nightmare they treated me and my dog like crap to the point that I had a full-on panic attack.

[@illiah2447]

Seems like rules changed, and now Medium sized Sherpa pet carrier now is not ok to travel with. The maximum size for your kennel is 41 cm L x 21.5 cm H x 25.4 cm W (16 in. L x 8.5 in. H x 10 in. W),

[@alysmalls]

The rules haven't changed - these have always been the dimensions. Like I mention in the video, the medium fits under the seat with room to spare, and a large would fit also.

[@illiah2447]

@@alysmalls thank you)

[@Elizabeth-so6zp]

I don't understand because Westjet is asking for a ridiculous size kennel. They ask for a 21.5cm of hight, but all kennels have 25cm. I see your Kennel is similar to mine. I called Westjet and told them the hight of the kennels I could get here are only 25 of hight (I've been looking Kennels for 2 months) and they told me is too much. That it should be 21.5cm or 8".