A step by step guide to measuring a dog.
The best way is to completely forget using a tape measure until a bit later!
As you can see from the first photo the best thing to do is find a suitable corner inside your home or maybe garden. Put your pet’s bottom into the corner and their side flat along the wall.
To get measurement ‘A’
Hold their head level and make a mark with a pen or pencil where the tip of their nose ends – make sure they have not arched their body as this can artificially shorten the measurement. Please also note that you must not include the tail in the measurement.
To get measurement ‘C’
Again, holding their head level, make a mark with a pen or pencil level with the top of their head. If they have pointed ears like a German Shepherd for example, then please measure to the top of the ears. It is important to note that some dogs can be slightly taller when in the sitting position – please make the two measurements – we only need the larger of the two measurements.
The great news is that your dog can run off and play while you only have to measure the marks on the wall (second photo) which won’t wriggle nearly as much!
It may be tempting to add to the measurement – please do not do this. See the section below “Why do we need measurements? Why are they so important?”
Why do we need measurements? Why are they so important?
Firstly, you may wonder why we need to measure your dog. We need accurate measurements to build a crate that is suitable, safe and comfortable for your pet to ensure they have the best possible journey. We use a tried and tested formula based on the measurements you supply to build a crate that is the perfect size for them. The size of the crate significantly affects the final price you will pay.
If a crate is too small not only is this incredibly unfair on your pet it is also against the very strict airline rules. Pets must have a certain minimum size of crate to comply. At check-in the airlines thoroughly check the size of crate compared to the pet inside – they will not hesitate refusing your pet to travel in the crate if they deem it too small. As you can imagine we then have to source a new crate adding unnecessary stress to your pet (and you!) which may be a little on the large size to ensure your pet can fly as planned. Note; this can have a dramatic effect on cost.
At PetAir we will never skimp on the size of the crate as we always aim to build a perfect sized bespoke crate. Nearly all airlines (there are some exceptions) charge on the size of the crate i.e. the volume of it. The added bonus of supplying us accurate measurements from the outset is that there is less hassle for all and you get the best possible price as an added bonus.
