Guide
Flying with a large dog from Toronto
The plain answer, from the airlines' own pages read on October 14, 2026: Air Canada and WestJet take a dog in the cabin only if it fits in a soft carrier under the seat. A large dog flies in the hold, as checked baggage on your flight or as cargo on its own.
Can a large dog fly in the cabin?
No, not on Air Canada or WestJet: both take a dog in the cabin only in a soft-sided carrier that fits under the seat in front of you. Air Canada's page says your "cat or small dog" can join you in the cabin in a flexible, soft-sided carrier under the seat, and WestJet's page sets a soft-sided kennel under the seat, one pet per guest. On both, the dog must be able to stand, turn around and lie down inside.
Service dogs have their own rules on each airline's service dog page. This guide is about pet dogs.
What size dog can fly in the cabin?
A dog that can stand up, turn around and lie down inside a carrier small enough to go under the seat: the airlines set the carrier size, and neither page lists a weight limit for a pet in the cabin. In practice, that is a small dog.
- Air Canada: up to 43 x 40 x 20 cm on most of its jets, and up to 55 x 40 x 27 cm on smaller aircraft such as the Dash 8-400 and E175 (length x width x height).
- WestJet: up to 41 x 25.4 x 21.5 cm (length x width x height). WestJet notes that the space under the seat varies by aircraft.
How does a large dog fly from Toronto Pearson?
A large dog flies in the hold in a rigid airline crate, either as checked baggage on your own flight or as cargo on its own booking.
| Air Canada | WestJet | |
|---|---|---|
| In the cabin | Cat or small dog, soft carrier under the seat | Cat or dog, soft kennel under the seat |
| Checked, on your flight | Dog and kennel up to 45 kg together; kennel up to 292 cm length plus width plus height | Dog and kennel up to 45 kg together; kennel up to 101 x 68 x 81 cm |
| Cargo, on its own | Air Canada Cargo (AC Animals) | WestJet Cargo (Pet'Air) |
As checked baggage
If you are on the same flight and your dog and its kennel are within the limits above, the dog can travel as checked baggage. Both airlines ask you to register the pet after you book your own ticket, and both limit the number of pets on each flight: WestJet's page allows 3 checked kennels on a 737, 2 on a 787 and 1 on a Dash 8.
The 45 kg includes the kennel, and big kennels are heavy. An empty Extra Large crate weighs about 12.7 kg, so a dog of about 32 kg in that crate is already at the limit.
As cargo
Over those limits, or when you are not on the same flight, the dog flies as cargo. Air Canada's pet page sends kennels over 45 kg or 292 cm to Air Canada Cargo. WestJet Cargo's page says you do not have to travel to send your pet. A cargo dog is checked in at the airline's cargo building, not the passenger terminal: see pet cargo at Toronto Pearson.
The airlines' cargo pages also say who can book:
- Within Canada: Air Canada Cargo takes bookings through its AC Animals team at least 24 hours ahead. WestJet Cargo takes domestic Pet'Air bookings through its customer service.
- To the US and other countries: Air Canada Cargo says these pet bookings must be made by a registered IPATA, IATA or ATA agent. WestJet Cargo sends international imports and exports to an IPATA agent or freight forwarder, and says an individual shipping across the border needs a freight forwarder.
When you move with us, we book the cargo space, collect your dog at home, check them in at Pearson, and our driver collects them at the other end.
Which airlines accept dogs as cargo from Toronto?
For pets flying on their own from Toronto, we book Air Canada Cargo and WestJet Cargo. WestJet Cargo's Pet'Air page says the service runs across Canada and to the United States, Mexico, London Heathrow, Paris, Barcelona and Rome. Air Canada Cargo's AC Animals page covers pets within Canada and, through an agent, to the US and other countries.
Which one suits a large dog depends on the route, the dates, the crate size and the aircraft on the day, so we compare them for each move rather than name one as the best.
What size crate does a large dog need?
One your dog can stand up in without the head or ears touching the roof, turn around in and lie down in naturally, worked out from four measurements of your dog standing. The big sizes are Large, Extra Large, Magnum and Giant. A dog the size of a Labrador is often a Large or Extra Large crate; giant breeds need Magnum or Giant, and sometimes a crate built to order.
Size also decides which plane can take the dog. Air Canada Cargo's page says not every aircraft can take every kennel size and each aircraft has its own animal weight limits, so we check the aircraft on your route before we confirm a big crate. Measure your dog and see the sizes on our airline pet crates page.
Are there seasonal or breed limits for large dogs?
Yes: heat, cold and the December holidays all limit when a dog can fly, and some large breeds have extra rules. From the cargo pages:
- Heat. Air Canada Cargo rebooks warm-blooded animals when it is 29.5°C or hotter on the ground at the departure city, the destination or a connection. From May 15 to September 30 it carries no warm-blooded animals to or from Atlanta, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando and Phoenix. WestJet Cargo embargoes Pet'Air to and from a list of stations, including Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, from May 15 to October 31.
- Cold. From November 1 to March 31, Air Canada Cargo does not take warm-blooded animals on some of its narrow-body aircraft, whose holds are not heated.
- Holidays. Air Canada Cargo takes no cats or dogs within Canada or to and from the US from December 15 to January 12. WestJet Cargo takes no pets on its 737 and Q400 aircraft from December 18 to January 4, and lists no restriction on the 787.
- Snub-nosed large breeds. WestJet's list includes the Boxer, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, Dogue de Bordeaux and Neapolitan Mastiff: these cannot go as checked baggage and must be booked with WestJet Cargo. Air Canada Cargo says the breeds on its restricted list, the Boxer among them, must be tendered through an IPATA listed company.
- Strong breeds. Breeds such as the Rottweiler, Doberman and the mastiffs fly in a reinforced CR 82 crate made of metal, wood or mesh, not plastic. WestJet's page lists pit bull type dogs as restricted for travel into or through Ontario.
Can you fly a large dog overseas from Toronto?
Yes, we arrange international moves to and from Toronto by custom quote. Besides the airline rules above, CFIA's export page, read on October 14, 2026, says most pets leaving Canada for another country need an export certificate issued by a licensed vet and endorsed by an official CFIA vet, by appointment, before the pet leaves Canada. Each country sets its own rules, and some ask for an import permit too. See international pet relocation.
What if your dog is too big to fly?
Then it goes by road. We move dogs door to door by road, and the airline crate sizes and breed limits do not apply on the ground. See dog transport.
Flying with a large dog: questions
Is the cargo hold safe for a large dog?
Can two large dogs share one crate?
Should my dog be sedated for the flight?
When should a large dog eat before a cargo flight?
Last checked against the airlines' and CFIA's own pages on October 14, 2026.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you book.
Moving with a large dog?
Tell us where and when, and about your dog. We plan the safest way, by air, by road or both. Some routes show a price on screen; for the rest we prepare your quote and email it to you.