If you’ve decided to travel full-time or even long-term, you may want to take your dog or pet. Flying with a dog can be difficult, depending on the size and breed. Although it will take some planning, flying international with a French Bulldog is not impossible. Here’s how we did it successfully:

• • We got Gus down to a healthy weight
  • We talked to the vet about options to make traveling comfortable for Gus
  • We booked flights on the appropriate airline
  • We bought the right dog carrier
  • We trained Gus to go pee and poo on command

I think we were more stressed about the flight than Gus was on it. But our stress led us to take a lot of precautions.

In late-2021, Gus was a full-figured 27lb French Bulldog. Despite his complaints, we put him on a diet several months before our departure and got him down to slender 25lbs.

In the interest of full disclosure, Gus received nares and soft palate surgery that opened his airways two years earlier. In hindsight, this was one of the best decisions we made for Gus. He can breathe much better and is much more comfortable as a result.

At the next to last vet visit, I inquired about an anti-anxiety medication to make the long flight more comfortable for Gus. The vet recommended Trazadone and suggested I test it at home in advance to make sure there were no side effects. Gus tolerated it well so we gave him one dose before each leg of our flight.

Because he is a French Bulldog, riding in cargo was not a consideration for us – or, for that matter, allowed by any major airline (they no longer allow brachycephalic dogs to travel in cargo due to a couple of recent incidents). Unfortunately, most airlines have a weight restriction for pets flying in-cabin, and Gus is too heavy to fly with any carriers other than United Airlines and Delta.

We booked our flights with United and ensured we had a direct flight from the United States to our final destination in Italy. Importantly, any flight leg in Europe would be with a European airline, and their weight restrictions would apply. Once our tickets were bought, we called United to buy Gus’s ticket. I made full disclosure about his size and breed to confirm he would be allowed to travel in-cabin.

Even though the United Airlines pet policy does not have an in-cabin weight restriction, it does require the pet carrier to fit under the seat. Also, it requires the pet to fit comfortably in the carrier. This includes being able to stand and turn around. So, the size and material of the pet carrier are important considerations.

Katziela Pet Carrier

Six months before departure, I bought the Katziela Pet Carrier from Amazon. I liked that it has wheels and is tall but is soft-sided so that it can be squished down. We immediately started training Gus to get in it and lie down. He picked it up quickly (tasty treats were essential – I recommend Pet Deli Liver Loafs), and he seemed content inside.

After three months of training with the Katziela carrier, I went to Amazon and read the most recent reviews (I’m a curious and nervous cat). I was concerned to find that a few recent reviews included complaints that it was denied by the airlines. I started to worry we would be denied boarding and began researching backup options.

Maskeyon 2 Sides Expandable Dog Carrier

That is when I found and bought the Maskeyon 2 Sides Expandable Dog Carrier. Once the new carrier arrived, I immediately saw that it was smaller than the Katziela carrier. Even though the Maskeyon carrier expands on both sides, Gus is much more comfortable in the Katziela carrier because it is longer. So, I removed the wheels from the Katziela carrier to make it appear smaller to an airline agent. Still, we folded up the Maskeyon carrier and brought it as a backup option if we were denied boarding.

Luckily, all the pre-flight anxiety about being denied boarding due to the size of the carrier was unnecessary. Although the ticketing agent examined the carrier, she had no issue with its size. In the end, Gus was able to fly in the larger Katziela carrier and was more comfortable because of it.

The airline-approved dog carrier is pretty small for a French Bulldog. We started training months in advance to help Gus be as comfortable as possible during the flight. We bought a pet carrier with front and back doors to make it easier.

We trained Gus one step at a time until he would walk in the carrier, lie down, and relax with both doors closed. The process went something like this:

1. 1. Walk through the carrier with both doors open
   2. Walk in and lie down with both doors open
   3. Walk in, lie down, and close the back door
   4. Walk in, lie down, and close both doors
   5. Repeat until he was calm and relaxed

Finally, we trained him to turn around inside the carrier with both doors closed (technically, United Airlines requires all dogs to be able to turn around inside the carrier).

Ultimately, we had a smooth international flight from Austin, Texas to Milan, Italy. The make-or-break moment came at the Pet Relief Area in Newark International Airport.

Our layover in Newark was five hours, and Gus did great. We could have exited security and taken him outside to use the restroom, but we decided to try the Pet Relief Area. However, we worked with Gus several months in advance by saying “go pee” and “go poo” whenever we took him out to do his business.

That training was crucial with the Pet Relief Area. Gus did not like it. He acted like it was too smelly and way below his standards. He gave me a look that said, “NO WAY!” I said, “Gus, Go Pee! Go Poo!” He dropped his head down and went and peed and pooed.

As simple as that seems, it was incredible to board a flight from Newark to Milan, knowing he had an empty tank.

Once in Italy, our plan was to get Gus an EU Pet Passport to make travel around Europe easier. Things did not go according to plan, and we were not able to get him one. If you would like to learn from our experience and hopefully be more successful, check out our article, “How to Get an EU Pet Passport in Italy.“