Taking any dog with you on vacation will require you to do some extra planning. This ensures your fluffy best friend will be comfortable and well cared for. However, traveling with a Cavapoo can be challenging if you’re unprepared. Cavapoos are intelligent, playful, and curious about their surroundings, making them great adventuring buddies. But can cavapoos go on planes?
Yes, cavapoos are allowed on flights, but there are some things you need to know. First, not all airlines are pet-friendly, and not every airplane can accommodate pets. Secondly, pet-friendly airlines have breed restrictions, weight limits, and other rules and regulations you must know and follow to bring your dog. Thankfully, cavapoos and their purebred parents are not on any restricted list.
If you are planning to bring your cavapoo with you on flights, then there are three crucial things you need to know:
- All pet-friendly airlines have a limit prohibiting dogs weighing more than 20 pounds from accompanying their owners in the plane’s cabin.
- All dogs allowed to travel on airplanes need to be vaccinated and well-trained.
- You will need to fill out paperwork and pay additional fees, and your cavapoo might also need its own passport.
As you continue to read this article, we will cover the rules and regulations you need to know to ensure your Cavapoo has a safe flight. We will also provide a list of helpful products to guarantee a safe and easy flight for your Cavapoo.
Traveling With Your Cavapoo on an Airplane
If you love to travel but hate leaving your dog at home, you should familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations for flying with your dogs. Taking your dogs on a plane can be complicated if this is your first time. Thankfully, learning the ins and outs of flying with your dogs is pretty simple.
All airlines have rules and regulations regarding traveling with your furry companion. The two most essential requirements are that your dog is up to date with its vaccinations and that your dog is very well trained (if flying in the cabin).
Ensuring your dog is up to date with its vaccinations is very simple; consult with your vet a week or so before the flight to ensure your dog’s vaccinations are up to date. Conversely, training can be difficult for some breeds, but cavapoos are not in that category. Therefore, the only training you need for your dog revolves around keeping them quiet during the flight.
Aside from that, you need to know specifics if you choose to fly with your dog. We will discuss the following:
- When your dog is in the plane cabin
- When your dog is in the cargo hold
- Specifications for emotional and service animals
1. Flying With a Cavapoo in the Plane’s Cabin
If you want your cavapoo to fly with you in the plane’s cabin, there is one significant restriction that you need to follow. All dogs flying in the cabin need to weigh less than 20 pounds. This ensures your dog can fit into a carrier or cage under your seat. However, every airline has its own rules, and the size or weight restrictions can vary.
Unfortunately, cavapoos are a breed that exists in multiple size categories. Toy and miniature cavapoos should be able to fly with you in the cabin, but standard cavapoos are too large and will need to fly in the cargo bay instead. Furthermore, some miniature cavapoos can grow to weigh up to 25 pounds, requiring some to fly in the cargo bay.
Another requirement of flying with your dog in the cabin is that they are well trained. Owners should train dogs flying in the cabin to stay as quiet as possible so they don’t disturb the other passengers.
Thankfully, one of the cavapoo’s parents is one of the most intelligent breeds in the world, and that intelligence is passed down to their cavapoo offspring, making them very easy to train.
The final requirement for your cavapoo to travel with you in the plane’s cabin is for them to be in a TSA-approved carrier. These carriers should be well-ventilated and able to fit comfortably beneath your seat.
Every airline will have restrictions regarding carrier sizes, so it would be best if you called ahead to determine if your carrier would work. Thankfully, there are tons of TSA-approved carriers that you can find online and in stores.
2. Flying With Your Cavapoo in the Cargo Hold
You’re pretty much good to go once your pet is cleared to travel in the cabin. However, traveling in the cargo hold is a different story. Unlike the cabin, the cargo hold is not temperature-controlled and will fluctuate throughout the flight, which can be difficult for your dog.
As such, some airlines have breed restrictions for cargo transport, and some will refuse to transport pets in the cargo bay during summer. Some airlines don’t offer pet cargo transport because they can’t or won’t pressurize the cargo bay.
If your cavapoo exceeds the size requirements for traveling in the cabin with you, they will need to travel in the cargo hold instead. The rules are more lenient for pets traveling in the cargo bay, with the most vital restrictions being specific requirements for your pet’s travel crate. However, if your cavapoo is too large for cabin travel, you need to book your ticket at least ten days in advance to ensure the airline can accommodate your cavapoo.
Regarding crate requirements for cargo transport, all airlines will require specific prerequisites to be met. To be allowed in the cargo hold, your pet’s crate must be large enough to move, sit, stand, lay down, and turn their head. Your pet’s crate needs a sturdy, secure metal door, and the roof can’t have holes. Finally, the crate must be made of a sturdy material that will not bend under pressure.
3. Is Your Cavapoo a Service or Support Dog?
In December 2020, the Department of Transportation revised its regulations regarding service animals. The most significant change is that emotional support animals are no longer considered service animals and can now be denied from flying. Emotional support animals must now follow airlines’ size restrictions when flying in the cabin.
However, airlines are still legally required to allow service dogs to fly in the cabin regardless of size. Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities, including but not limited to:
- Deafness
- Seizures
- Visual impairments
- Mobility impairments
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
If your cavapoo is a service dog, there are some extra steps that you need to take before you board the plane. Airlines require you to provide DOT service forms up to 48 hours before the travel date. Furthermore, airlines require your service dog to sit comfortably between your legs during the flight. Your service dog must also be equipped with a harness, and its leash must always be attached and or tethered.
Helpful Products to Keep Your Cavapoo Calm & Happy During Your Flight
After the airline has confirmed that your cavapoo can fly, consider preparing to make the trip as easy as possible. Make an appointment and talk with your veterinarian before you make plans. Your vet will be able to recommend when to feed your dog before the flight and how you can reduce anxiety or if a sedative is necessary.
After talking with your vet about traveling with your cavapoo, you can purchase some extra equipment to help your cavapoo stay as safe and comfortable as possible. Here are some products we found helpful when traveling with our cavapoos:
1. Thundershirt Anxiety Jacket
Thundershirts are a product that fits your dog like any other doggy clothing. However, Thundershirts apply gentle pressure as if you were hugging or swaddling your dog. The gentle pressure applied by Thundershirts helps calm dogs during stressful situations that cause anxiety, like veterinary visits, stormy weather, fireworks holidays, and traveling. They come in many sizes that can fit the smallest Chihuahuas to the largest Great Danes.
While Thundershirts are a great drug-free way to help calm your dog’s nerves, they do not work immediately. It will take a period of adjustment for your dog to get used to a Thundershirt, but there will be instructions to help acclimate your dog to it.
However, Thundershirts are not guaranteed to work on every dog. Each dog will react differently to calming products like this one. If a Thundershirt does not help reduce anxiety for your cavapoo, you should talk to your vet about other calming methods.
2. Sherpa Original Deluxe
This TSA-approved in-cabin pet carrier is one of the best you can buy and is a fantastic example of what to look for when purchasing a pet carrier for your cavapoo. In addition, this pet carrier comes in small, medium, or large, so you can pick the carrier that is suitable for your cavapoo.
The Original Deluxe has many features, such as a shoulder strap, storage pocket for treats, locking zippers, and a seatbelt strap. This pet carrier is also certified by Guaranteed on Board, which makes boarding a plane with your cavapoo a breeze. Guaranteed on Board acts as a liaison for pet owners and airlines by allowing owners to submit a form to the airline with their flight details, pet information, and the type of carrier they are using.
The best part is if you are ever denied boarding due to an issue related to your carrier, Guaranteed on Board will reimburse you for the total cost of your ticket and any pet fees.
3. Sky Kennel Pet Carrier By Petmate
If your cavapoo is too big to fly in the cabin, you will need a proper kennel to ensure your cavapoo has a safe and comfortable fight in the cargo hold. Thankfully, many kennels meet airlines’ requirements for cargo-flying dogs, and Petmate’s Sky Kennel is one of the best.
The Sky Kennel has a heavy-duty, high-impact plastic shell that meets all the requirements. In addition, the Sky Kennel comes in a wide array of sizes for dogs of any size and is equipped with a heavy-duty metal wire door and windows that provide plenty of ventilation.
Petmate provides live animal and pet identification stickers to help ensure your pet’s safety during the flight and help you find them once you land. The Sky Kennel also comes with clip-on food and water bowls to keep your pet fed and hydrated during the flight. Petmate also makes their Sky Kennel out of recycled materials, which is always a plus in our books.
4. Zesty Paws Calming Chews
Look no further than Zesty Paws’ calming chews for those looking for something natural and soothing for their pet to take during the flight. This is Amazon’s number one selling dog supplement brand, meaning many dog owners highly trust it.
This product contains chamomile, ashwagandha, valerian root, L-tryptophan, and suntheanine (a clinically studied form of L-theanine that helps promote calmness and relaxation.) These chews support overall peace and may help reduce your dog’s hyperactivity.
Final Thoughts
Cavapoos are a fantastic breed with no flying restrictions other than size and airplanes that don’t have pressurized cargo bays. As long as you make a reservation for your flight and follow the rules and regulations set by the airline, your cavapoo will be allowed on the plane.
Be sure to talk with your vet before departure to ensure your cavapoo is healthy enough for the flight. Your vet will also be able to help you keep your cavapoo’s stress and anxiety levels as low as possible during the flight.
