How to Fly with Your Corgi
Flying with your corgi can be stressful. We've assembled some tips to make the plane ride as seamless as possible.
My partner and I recently took a trip down to Florida. Given that we were seeing the family who originally took care of Monty before we adopted him, we couldn’t just leave him behind.
This is the seventh time Monty has flown on an airplane and each time gets a little easier. Even though we have a few repetitions under our belt, it’s still a stressful experience for us and much as it is for him. I figure in this post, I can share our experiences traveling on an airplane with our corgi, so that it might help someone else.
Step One: Talk with your Vet
So you want to take a lovely vacation but you don’t want to leave your corgi behind? I love to rush into planning – it’s so much fun to think about the strolls on the beach, the hikes, or stops at various breweries that you’ll make with your pup. However, you need to consider if they’re healthy enough to travel. This is doubly true if your corgi has never flown before.
When talking to your veterinarian, you want to make sure your pup is up to date on all vaccines, discuss any behavioral concerns, and talk about the specific destination.
You’ll need an up-to-date vaccination record to fly, as many airlines require a record of shots (we usually keep this on our phone, though we’ve never been asked to provide it). Your vet may be able to comment on behavioral concerns, such as anxiety or reactivity, and provide guidance. In our case, our vet recommended as-needed medication that’s worked well for Monty.
The destination and type of activities you’ll be doing there are notable for a few reasons. First, your vet may be aware of pet restrictions at the destination (think Hawaii’s former pet quarantine). Additionally, there may be disease concerns in that region of the world. If you’re hiking in tick country, your corgi may need a vaccine against Lyme disease, where that was never a concern living in a city.
Step Two: Learn the Airline's Rules
The next thing you should do is check out the airline rules for traveling with pets. Our family has exclusively flown with Southwest (only because it’s the only direct flight to our usual destination), so we’re most familiar with their rules and I’ll explain below.
Monty has never flown with the other major U.S. airlines, like Delta or American, but I'll leave links to their pet policies (Delta, United, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines). Hopefully it saves you a Google search. 😄
Southwest allows pets to fly under the seat. This means that they have to fit in an approved pet carrier (with "maximum" dimensions 18.5” long x 8.5” high x 13.5” wide, I add the quotes around maximum because ours exceeds this and Southwest has never checked); your corgi must be able to completely turn around inside the carrier to show that it's comfortable. Southwest sells their own carrier, but we use a padded Sherpa that I'll describe later.
To book a flight for your corgi, you book your flights for you and your other human travel companions first. After booking, immediately call Southwest at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792) and ask to add a pet to your reservation. Each flight has a maximum number of pets that can travel in the cabin. Calling ahead ensures that they have room for your corgi on the flight.
Finally, when you arrive at the airport, pay for your corgi's reservation at the ticket counter when you check in. At the time of writing, it's $125 each way, unless you're travelling between Hawaiian islands. Please double check this amount before booking, it used to be $95 each way back in 2020, so the price may go up periodically.
Each time we’ve booked with Southwest, it’s been pretty easy. We’ve never experienced a time where there were too many pets on board the flight and they denied our booking. But this is why you call right after making a reservation, so you’re covered under the 24 hours refund time limit.
Paying at the counter has also been super easy; they’ve never asked for vaccination records, measured the carrier, or asked him to turn around the carrier. Monty does have a lot of room on the carrier, so maybe they’re just passively observing his behavior. Who knows?
Step Three: Selecting a Carrier
Some airlines, like Southwest, provide the option to purchase their own custom pet carriers. We haven’t tried that one, but we’ve had a lot of good experiences with the Sherpa line of pet carriers. We have the larger size and, even though it’s slightly larger than Southwest’s approved sizes, it fits under the seat no problem.
This might not be a solution for your corgi; Monty is very small for his breed. He weighs just 24 pounds. We always field questions asking, “is he a puppy?”. Although he can’t stand up fully, he has enough space to lie down completely without being scrunched up and can also turn around. He does not seem uncomfortable.
We like a few things about the carrier. For one, it has a removable soft liner that is machine washable. During a car ride, he did get sick at one point and spit up some bile. Being able to just un-velcro the liner and throw it in the wash was great.
The sides have ample ventilation and allow Monty to look outside and be aware of the environment. The zippered end of the bag, where he enters, is not perforated. We’ve noticed that when he wants to sleep, he’ll turn around to face the zippered end, maybe to block out some of the lights.
We also like that there is a zipper on the top of the carrier. This is how we feed him treats during the flight. We’ll simply unzip the top of the carrier a smidge and reach down with a treat to let him know he’s doing a good job.
In the end, though, the dimensions of the carrier that we use is over the limit that Southwest defines. We’ve never had a problem because it fits under the seat and Monty is well behaved. But perhaps we’re rolling the dice each time we bring him up to the ticket counter.
Also, be aware that usually, on Southwest anyway, the carrier counts as your personal item. So you won’t be able to roll up with overhead bagged, a backpack, and a pet carrier.
Step Four: Bag Training
I think this step is overlooked. You can't, or shouldn't anyway, expect to drop your pet into a bag and assume they'll just deal with it. You have to make it a safe and comfortable place. That's where bag training comes in.
Bag training can take a number of different forms, but I'll tell you how our family does it. First, we get the carrier and a large bag of treats (we like these really small training treats). Then, with a treat in hand, we'll show Monty the treat and guide it into the carrier while saying "in". If this doesn't work, you might have to show the treat and then toss it into the bag for them to retrieve.
At first, Monty would go into the carrier, turn around, be rewarded with the treat, and immediately leave. We then progressed into making this a bit more difficult by making him wait in the carrier before getting the treat. Then we progressed even further by making him wait while we zipped up the carrier before immediately unzipping and giving him a treat. We slowly bumped up the amount of time he was left zipped up in the carrier before receiving a treat.
Eventually, we got comfortable sitting in the carrier for around ten minutes with us around. For longer durations like this, we’d open the open top zipper and feed him treats without letting him out of the bag. Note, we never left his side while he was in the carrier. This is different from crate training and likely far more stressful considering it’s a smaller enclosure.
Step Five: Travel Day
The actual travel day has arrived! You’ve paid for your corgi’s ticket at the counter and all is well. Getting through security is also easy. TSA has you take out your corgi from the carrier, place the carrier on the rolling X-ray machine, and hold your dog as you pass through the metal detector. Given that Monty has a bionic knee, I’m actually surprised we’ve never set the metal detector off!
On the other side of the metal detector, you’ll put your pup back in the carrier and be on your way. This process is ten-times easier with another person to help you out. I’m usually the pack mule that takes care of all the bags while my partner holds onto Monty. I would recommend working out a similar system if you can. Otherwise, deal with the bags first and then your dog.
Everything else that follows is pretty seamless. The gate agents have never requested to inspect the dog or the carrier. They’ve never even verified that we’ve paid for his ticket. We just get on the plane and tuck him under the seat, with lots of treats along the way, of course.
I do recommend trying to get a seat closer to the front of the plane as these are the quietest. For Southwest, that means we pay for either business class or early bird automatic check in. This gets us checked in between A1-A15 and all but guarantees us a spot at the front. We've made the mistake of sitting just behind the wing, where the engines are, and Monty did not seem to enjoy the experience.
I mentioned the treats before, but to be explicit, I'd recommend bringing a large bag of training treats (100+ count). Again, we like the Zesty Paws treats, though I might try making my own in the future to save money. If your dog isn't treat motivated, you may have to consider something else to comfort your dog. If you find something that works, let me know down in the comments below.
Step Five: Enjoying Vacation
Whew, the planning stages can be rather stressful, but when you’re at your destination, there’s nothing better than kicking back and relaxing. Just don’t forget that it was likely a stressful time for your pup as well. Usually, our first day at the new location is just spent getting adjusted to the new location. Maybe we’ll checkout a juice or coffee shop.
As you notice your corgi becoming more accustomed to the new environment, you can feel out when it’s appropriate to introduce dog parks, interaction with new humans, and other higher stress activities.
Most importantly, stay safe and have fun!
