Flying a dog on a commercial airline can be maddening or simple. It all depends on the fickle weather—and each airline. Some airlines won’t allow certain breeds of "short-nosed” dogs such as pugs, bull dogs and Shar-Peis to fly at all. Some won’t let any dog fly as checked baggage if the outside temperatures are predicted to be above or below certain parameters. Sometimes these are specified, sometimes rather vague, suggesting a local agent could turn you away at the last minute.
Oddly, these same airlines might let you ship a dog on those dates via cargo, sometimes on the same flight you’ll be on, sometimes on another f ight. You must have up-to-date (no older than 10 days) veterinarian-certified health papers for your dog. Shipping kennels must be hard-sided and big enough for a dog to turn around in and sit and stand without its head touching the roof. Rules vary by airline, so check carefully before you book fl ights. All details are on the airline websites.