Guide
Snub-Nosed Breeds and Flying
Pugs, bulldogs, boxers, Persians and other short-nosed breeds can fly within Canada, but the airlines treat them differently. So do strong breeds like rottweilers and mastiffs. Here are the lists and the rules, from the airlines' own pages.
Why these breeds have extra rules
Snub-nosed, or brachycephalic, breeds have short noses and narrow airways. Many of them breathe harder than other dogs and cats, and stress and heat make it worse. The airlines see them as a higher risk in the air, so they add rules: bigger crates, vet checks, higher rates, and limits in hot weather.
Strong breeds are a different issue. The airlines want a crate the dog cannot break out of, so they ask for a reinforced crate and, in some cases, a specialist agent.
Snub-nosed breeds by airline
Air Canada: dogs
Affenpinscher, American Bulldog, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Brussels Griffon, Bulldog, Chihuahua (Apple-headed), Chinese Pug, Chow Chow, Dutch Bulldog, English Bulldog, English Toy Spaniel, French Bulldog, Japanese Chin, Lhasa Apso, Pekingese, Pug, Shar-Pei, Shih Tzu, Teddy Bear (Zuchon / Shichon), Tibetan Spaniel.
Air Canada's list covers all bulldog and pug types. It lists no cat breeds.
WestJet: dogs
Affenpinscher, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Brasileiro, Brussels Griffon, Bulldog, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua (Apple-headed), Chow Chow, Dogue de Bordeaux, English Toy Spaniel, Japanese Chin, King Charles Spaniel, Lhasa Apso, Neapolitan Mastiff, Pekingese, Pug, Shar-Pei, Shih Tzu, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Tibetan Spaniel.
WestJet: cats
British Shorthair, Burmese, Exotic Shorthair, Himalayan, Persian, Scottish Fold, Selkirk Rex.
WestJet's lists cover all bulldog and pug types, and mixes of the listed breeds count too. If your pet is a cross with one of these breeds, treat it as snub-nosed.
What each airline allows
Air Canada Cargo
Snub-nosed breeds must be booked through an IPATA approved pet shipping company (IPATA is the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association). Air Canada's rules for these breeds are not consistent across its pages, so we check each booking with Air Canada.
A health certificate is required for every pet shipped as cargo, from a licensed vet, dated no more than 30 days before travel.
WestJet Cargo
WestJet accepts snub-nosed breeds as cargo with a vet health check, at a higher rate than other pets. The health certificate is valid 10 days, so the vet visit has to be close to the flight. WestJet may decline snub-nosed breeds in hot weather.
For most snub-nosed pets leaving Toronto, WestJet is the way to go. See WestJet pet cargo for the full rules.
A crate 10% bigger
IATA, which sets the crate rules the airlines follow, asks for a crate about 10% larger for snub-nosed breeds, to give them more air. We apply it to the length, width and height. Sometimes that is enough to move a pet up one crate size.
Our crate size calculator adds the 10% when you choose a snub-nosed breed. A bigger crate also costs more to fly, because airlines charge by crate size.
Summer heat
Neither airline has a dated summer embargo within Canada. But heat is the biggest risk for snub-nosed pets. WestJet may decline them in hot weather, and Air Canada rebooks pets when it is 29.5 C or hotter at either end or along the way. If you can choose, move a snub-nosed pet in spring or fall, and ask us about cooler early morning or evening flights. Winter has its own limits: see winter and holiday embargoes.
Strong breeds
These breeds must fly in a reinforced crate built to IATA Container Requirement 82, not a standard plastic airline crate.
Air Canada
American Bully, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, Caucasian Ovcharka, Dogo Argentino, English Bull Terrier, Kangal, Karabash, Mastiff, Pit Bull, Presa Canario, Rottweiler, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Wolf Dog.
The list covers all pit bull and mastiff types. Puppies from 3 to 6 months old do not need the reinforced crate. Air Canada's cargo rules say wolf dog hybrids are not permitted.
WestJet
American Bulldog, American Bully, American Staffordshire Terrier, Anatolian Shepherd, Bandog, Cane Corso, Caucasian Shepherd, Doberman, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Mastiff, Pit Bull, Presa Canario, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rottweiler, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Wolf Dog.
The list covers all pit bull and mastiff types. Dogs over 6 months old can only be booked by an IPATA registered agent. Under 6 months, WestJet asks for proof of age.
Why we price these moves by hand
For most pets, on most routes, our form shows a price straight away. Snub-nosed and strong breeds get a price from a person instead, because:
- The airline rate is higher for snub-nosed breeds, and the crate is often a size bigger.
- A health certificate is needed, and its timing matters.
- We check the season, the weather forecast and the aircraft before we suggest a date.
- Strong breeds need a reinforced crate rather than a standard plastic one, and adult dogs may need an IPATA registered agent.
- Some moves are not possible at all, and we would rather tell you early.
Send the form with your pet's breed and measurements. We reply within 24 hours with a price, or explain what is possible. See how pricing works.
Snub-nosed and strong breeds: questions
Can snub-nosed dogs fly in Canada?
Does a French Bulldog need a bigger crate?
Do mixed breeds count as snub-nosed?
Can I fly a pit bull out of Toronto?
Why can't I see an instant price for my breed?
Last checked against the airlines' own pages on October 1, 2026.
Airlines change their rules. Always check the official page before you book.
Moving a snub-nosed or strong breed?
Tell us about your pet. We check the airline rules, the season and the crate, and send you a price by hand.