Best padded crate for Xoloitzcuintli travel

Travelling with a Xoloitzcuintli needs a bit more thought than most breeds — without a coat, their skin is directly exposed to the crate's interior surfaces, and hard plastic walls or rough mesh can cause real abrasions during a journey, especially if the dog shifts around or braces against the sides. Travel crates also have very specific requirements depending on whether you're driving, flying in the cabin, or checking the dog into the hold — and airline rules vary enough that the wrong crate can mean your dog simply can't board. To point you to the right thing: what's your Xolo's approximate weight, are you travelling by car, cabin, or hold, and if you're flying, which airline?

Useful to know — though I should flag this immediately: British Airways does not currently allow dogs in the cabin on any route, including European flights. Only assistance dogs are permitted. If you're set on flying with her, you'd need to look at airlines that do allow small dogs in-cabin, such as Ryanair, Vueling, or Iberia — all of which permit dogs under roughly 8–10kg in an approved soft carrier under the seat. Would you like to proceed on that basis, or are you open to revisiting the airline?

Good choice. Vueling requires the carrier to fit under the seat (max dimensions roughly 45 x 35 x 20cm) and the combined weight of dog plus carrier must be under 10kg. At 6kg, you've got comfortable margin. For a Xolo specifically, the critical thing is the interior lining — you want something soft throughout, with no exposed hard frame edges she can press against. The carrier I'd recommend is the Sleepypod Air In-Cabin Pet Carrier. It's one of the few soft carriers that's genuinely airline-approved across multiple European carriers, has a padded interior with a removable fleece liner, and the mesh panels are fine-weave so there's nothing abrasive for bare skin to catch on. The frame is structured enough that it holds its shape under the seat without collapsing onto her, but the walls are padded fabric rather than rigid plastic. It comes in at around 1.2kg empty, so you're well within Vueling's limit.

Yes — the Sleepypod's fleece liner is good but fairly thin, so I'd add a second layer for a longer flight. A fitted crate pad in a soft sherpa or faux-lambswool fabric cut to the base dimensions works well and gives her something to settle into rather than slide around on. Avoid anything with raised stitching or a waffle texture on the surface — smooth fleece or sherpa only. Also worth checking the zip pulls: some carriers have small metal hardware on the interior side of the door — just tuck or tape those flush before she's in, as a hairless dog will find them faster than you'd expect.

For EU travel post-Brexit, your Xolo will need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) issued by a UK government-authorised vet no more than 10 days before departure — this has replaced the old EU pet passport for UK-originating travel. She'll also need to be microchipped and up to date on rabies vaccination. Vueling will want to see the AHC at check-in. Book the vet appointment as early as possible because the 10-day window is strict and many practices get booked up. Safe travels to both of you.