🧳Travelling with a Chow Chow: car, crate and rules

Chow Chow : In the car, use a well-ventilated rigid size M/L crate and never travel in hot hours without air conditioning: heatstroke is its main risk. Its powerful neck makes an adjustable harness safer than a collar it can slip out of.

In short: Medium dog, 46 to 56 cm and 20 to 32 kg, very thick coat with woolly undercoat, low to moderate energy. Aloof and dignified like a cat, attached to its home yet undemonstrative. Its woolly coat mats quickly and makes it highly heat-sensitive: diligent brushing and cool-hour walks in summer.

In the car with a Chow Chow

For its 20 to 32 kg, two serious options: a rigid crate of about 90 cm strapped in the boot, or a crash-tested safety harness clipped to ISOFIX. An unrestrained dog of this weight becomes a projectile under braking — and a possible fine for distracted driving.

Trains, planes, holidays

Too big for the cabin, the Chow Chow flies in the pressurised hold in an IATA-approved crate — an ordeal to reserve for unavoidable trips. On trains, a muzzle and lead meet the rules. Plan the habituation: a Chow Chow that eats and naps in its open crate at home will treat it as a den, not a trap.

Identification and good habits

Identification (microchip or tattoo) is mandatory, with vaccinations up to date for boarding or border crossings (EU passport, rabies shot). In hot weather, never leave a Chow Chow in a parked car, even “for five minutes”: the cabin turns lethal within a quarter of an hour.

Frequently asked questions

What crate size for a Chow Chow?

Aim for 90 cm long for an adult: it must stand head-up and turn around freely — and for flying, only the model’s IATA dimensions count.

Can a Chow Chow fly in the cabin?

No, it exceeds the cabin limit (8 kg including the bag): it travels in the pressurised hold in an IATA crate — avoid it when you can.

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