How To Pick The Right Size Travel Kennel For Your Dog or Cat

At Furry Freight your pets safety is our #1 priority! Because of this it’s important that you get the best quality travel kennel and required accessories for your dog or cat. It’s also important that you get the right size kennel for your furry friend. We have produced this guide to assist you in selecting the appropriate size and best quality kennel and accessories.

Most (PP90 and PP100, Impact Kennels excluded) of the kennels we recommend are produced by PetMate®:

“Considered the Gold Standard for pet travel, the Petmate® Sky Kennel® keeps your pet safe and comfortable during car or air travel. This heavy-duty travel kennel meets IATA requirements for live animal transport, including door, side, and back ventilation requirements. It also meets most airline cargo specifications for safe travel; always check with airlines beforehand.”

Airline regulations require at least 3” clearance on length and when sitting inside the carrier. Please keep in mind the water absorbent mats we recommend are 1” thick. For most dogs the sitting height is the determining factor in choosing the right size, however, with Daschunds and “weiner dogs” and similarly shaped breeds length will be the determining factor.

Cats and Small Dogs

The minimum kennel size for cats is the 100 or 200 Series listed below, depending on the airline. The 200 series is fine for small dogs such as chihuahuas and yorkies. Any dog with a sitting height 15” or less will have plenty of space inside this kennel.

PetMate 100 Series Kennel — Mat for 100 Series Kennel, Water Bowls (2 required), Live Animal Stickers & Zip Ties
Small 200 — 28 x 20 x 19 — Mat for 200 Series Kennel, Water Bowls (2 required), Live Animal Stickers & Zip Ties & Mesh
BB45 IATA Approved for Cats — Mat for BB45 Kennel, Water Bowls (2 required), Live Animal Stickers & Zip Ties

Medium Sized Dogs

If your dog’s sitting height is between 16” and 19” you will need a 300 Series Kennel.

Medium 300 Series PetMate Sky Kennel — 33 x 22 x 23
Mat for 300 Series Kennel
Water Bowls (2 required)
Live Animal Stickers & Zip Ties

Large Sized Dogs

If your dog is between 20” and 22” sitting height we recommend the 400 Series Kennel.

Large 400 Series PetMate Sky Kennel — 36 x 24 x 26
Mat for 400 Series Kennel
Water Bowls (2 required)
Live Animal Stickers & Zip Ties

Extra Large / Larger Size Dogs

For dogs with a sitting height between 23” and 25” you will need a 500 Series Kennel. Smaller labs and retrievers, cattle and sheep dogs, or most terriers fall into this category. For dogs that are 35” or less long but that sit above 25” there is a height extender that adds 3” as well.

Extra Large 500 Series PetMate Sky Kennel — 40 x 27 x 30
Mat for 500 Series Kennel
Water Bowls (2 required)
Live Animal Stickers & Zip Ties

Big Dogs

If you have a German Shepherd, husky, or larger lab or retriever than you will need a 700 Series Kennel. Please remember, sitting height includes your dogs ears when they stick up. With Husky’s, German Shepherds, and Dobermans you will often need a Height Extender which adds 5” in height to the 700 Series Kennel.

Giant 700 Series PetMate Sky Kennel — 48 x 32 x 35
Mat for 700 Series Kennel
Water Bowls (2 required)
Live Animal Stickers & Zip Ties
Metal Bolts for 700 Series Kennel

Alaska and South America

Some airlines, including Alaskan and COPA have a maximum height limit for travel kennels. In that situation, if your dog is too big for a 500 series but no taller than 29” sitting height you can use a PP90.

REALLY BIG Dogs!

Ok, your dog is huge and you need the biggest off the shelf kennel on the market. Allow me to introduce you to the PP100. This crate will fit just about any dog and is great for very large German Shepherds, Mastiffs, Great Danes, Great Pyrenees, and St. Bernhards.

PP90 Kennel — 52 x 31 x 33 / PP100 Kennel — 52 x 31 x 39
Mat for PP90 or PP100
Water Bowls (2 required)
Live Animal Stickers & Zip Ties

Dangerous Breeds

Some airlines and countries have restrictions on what they consider “dangerous breeds” such as pitbulls, rottweilers, and other related breeds. In some cases they will require an CR82 Impact Kennel to fly on their airline. In some cases the XL size is also cheaper due to it’s volume being just over the cut off to get a lower rate for destinations such as Japan, Korea, and the Philippines.

To make the collapsible kennel IATA Compliant you’ll need the: Collapsible Rear Airline Rail; Impact Collapsible Bracket (IATA) – Required for older models, contact Impact Kennel Support to Order.

Impact Kennel Medium — 34.5”L x 23”W x 29”H — Mat for Medium Impact Kennel, Water Bowls, Live Animal Stickers & Zip Ties
Impact Kennel Large — 40.5”H x 23”W x 29”H — Mat for Large Impact Kennel, Water Bowls, Live Animal Stickers & Zip Ties
Impact Kennel XL — 40”L x 27.5”W x 34”H — Mat for XL Impact Kennel, Water Bowls, Live Animal Stickers & Zip Ties
Impact Kennel XXL — 48″L x 27″W x 33″H — Mat for Extra Large Impact Kennel, Water Bowls, Live Animal Stickers & Zip Ties

Call (424) 421-1650