Sherpa on Wheels Pet Carrier, Large, Black

We were concerned about the size of this, as we have a BIG Havanese - he's 21lbs and 26" long x 17" tall - top of head (standing with head in upright position) x 9" wide. This was the only option we could find that he might fit in for a long flight from east coast to Las Vegas that claimed to be airline approved. As it turns out, he can't stand up in it without his head touching but he was not bothered at all. It took me all of 5-10 minutes to train him to get in and lie down while being totally comfy. When he curls up, he only takes up 1/2 the interior space. Because it's a soft/relatively collapsible travel kennel, it JUST fits under Delta seats (a little coaxing); sticking out into the legroom of one's seat about 3.5". This means it's a little tight on foot/leg room but my wife is only 5'4" and had no issues on the round-trip. We did sedate our 14 year old dog for both flights to avoid over stressing him as this was his first ever flight and 4+ hours each way at that. The wheels were a blessing! There were times where we had to carry it/him but the wheels were absolutely a lifesaver. If your pup lies on or towards one side of the kennel, it does throw the unit off balance and the whole thing wants to lean over and do a barrel roll. I found picking the unit up and giving it a gentle shake moved the dog and kennel so that it would roll again (still a lean but not a rollover situation.) There were a few times while rolling it that I had to touch the sides of the unit or reach in and reorient the dog to keep this from happening. In the moment, that was kind of frustrating but overall it was WAY better than carrying the whole thing! The top zippered 'door' proved VERY handy to access our pet both during flight to check on him and when needed if we weren't on the plane but in place where he was required to stay in the bag. I should also mention that part of the actual bag material often did drag the ground because the wheels are mounted in such a way that the bag itself is not very elevated from the ground. This is a catch-22. You get a lower bag that will actually fit under the airliner seat in front of you while giving up the wheels being the only thing touching the ground - they likely won't be. Because airport floors are usually smooth tile or wool flat carpet, there was no noticeable wear on the bag from this dragging. To be fair, we've only used it on two flights but this was CLT and LAS where there is a LOT of walking/bag rolling to do, including some trains (LAS). The roll-down sides have magnetized buttons that keep them mostly down. This was great for times when we didn't want others to see or know that the bag was a kennel... it just looked like a duffel with wheels. Several people commented on this when we did something that gave it away. We've now made this our dog's official travel kennel for ALL travel and while he doesn't yet use it as a remote 'crate'/home (i.e. go to it and lie in it on his own when he's bored, etc.), he has no issues or complaints getting in it and traveling. The handles are all comfortable to use and the pull strap is easily put on/taken off. If you have a larger Toy or Miniature sized dog, this is a very viable option, and we recommend it as we are very happy with ours. Especially after stressing that our big boy would not fit or be approved by the airlines (who never even said a word about it) even though you can register through Sherpa for a guarantee if you're turned down by an airline. That guarantee, of course would seem pretty paltry if you made it all the way to the airport and had to go through the hassle of canceled flights and trip because you got rejected. All in all, this is a great bag with just a few minor compromises: Tendency to roll over if pet is on one side; bag material drags in back when pulling it (making noise and potential wear); lack of pockets/storage (only 1 on one end of the bag).

Hard to review my dog brok through on one and only flight

I bought 3 of these for my 3 cats for my big cross country move from New Jersey to California. They had to spend ALOT of time in them and all 3 cats did great. They are extremely well made. And the wheels were a God Send. I have 1 siamese who is 9 lbs. And had plenty of room. He loves it! And even packed it with his toys! My Maine Coone who is 13 lbs fit fine and did great. She was comfy and no complaints. My buddah belly American Short hair is a chunk at 16lbs. He fit fine, but definitely was a tighter fit than the others. Thank God this thing had wheels. The airport at LAX is a BIG one and it is a looooong way to the baggage claim. The wheels and padded handle were great and we ended up pulling two on the ground and I was able to carry one on my shoulder. They are well ventilated and padded and I loved that it has pockets and multiple types of openings. Lots of ventilation and fit under the seats on Virgin Airlines easily. I had to push the sides down a little bit, but it fit with some maneuvering. I had to buy 3 seats on Virgin so each cat had a spot. One note, going through security with a cat! TSA requires you to take the cat out of the carrier and carry it through the metal detector, then step into a chamber with a door where they test you for explosives by swabbing your hands with a cloth. I had to go through 3 times with 3 cats! There are multiple ways to open the carriers and that was a God send. Because there is a lot of chaos in security and people waiting and a scared cat and conveyer belts etc etc. A real recipe for disaster. These carries having both a top and side openings made getting them out and more importantly getting them back in go very quickly and the cats were very happy to jump back into their Sherpa! I bought these a month before traveling and left them around the house open. The cats claimed them quickly and played, napped and ate treats in them for a long time before having to travel. They were totally at home in them for travel day. Also I opted not to give them tranquilizers. My cat lady friend said give them a pinch of cat nip in the carrier once you are on the plane and settled. That makes them a bit high and they fall asleep the natural way. Sedatives can make them lose control of their bowels etc and things can be quite unpleasant! (Just a word to the wise!) I flew on Virgin Air and they are a pet friendly airline. They do not allow any animals in the belly of the plane. They only allow them in the cabin and there is no limit per flight. They were terrific and these fit under their seats just fine. A big thumbs up for them! Sherpa is your best bet and worth every penny!

This review is for the LARGE SHERPA BAG ON WHEELS. My husband and I have flown on United with our two ten pound Maltipoo's for years. I often fly with both of them alone. I have been searching for the perfect bag and I finally found it! I LOVE this bag!!! I needed one that would comfortably accommodate both dogs, one that was on wheels so I didn't kill my shoulder while carrying them thru airports and most importantly one that fit underneath the seats. I ordered four different bags to try and this one fit the bill! The design is sturdy yet flexible enough so you can push, bend and sometimes crush the frame so it fits under the seat. The frame bounced right back into shape after the flight. It was also really convenient because it fit perfectly in the aisle so I could pull them behind me when i was getting on and off the plane. As I mentioned, I flew United with this bag. It fit with no problem in both Economy Plus (extra 5-6 inches of leg room) and First Class. Another nice feature is that the front unzips. I leave it open like that during the flight so my dogs can really stretch out and its just more open. I also leave the top unzipped and open while inflight. I should note I tried the aisle seat and the window and its fits best in window seats where there is more floor space. I also flew a small 30 person commuter plane with this and that was a really tight fit. In fact, it would not fit under those seats but neither did my other bags. Luckily the seat beside was empty so I sat the bag on the floor space of the empty seat. In my experience, the flight attendants are much more lenient on those small flights so its never really an issue. Overall, great bag, great quality, great price. My dogs were very comfortable in it.

I would have given it a 5, because the quality it great, and so are the wheels and pull/shoulder handle. However, there were a few negatives, that I needed to correct. Because I can sew, I was able to remedy them, or I would not have been happy. The carrying handles are too long. If one is shorter than 5'5", the bag will touch the floor. If you want to pick the bag up, like a shopping bag, the handles need to be closer to the carrier's thighs or knees to make it easier on your back. I shortened the handles by about 8", but 10" would have been better. Also, this carrier has a padded top door. Because I have another carrier that doesn't have wheels, I had the example of that one. It has a mesh screen in the top flap, so the dog can look up at me for reassurance as well as extra ventilation. I put screen in, by cutting a hole in the flap, leaving a 1.5" border to sew the screen to. One more thing. The two zippers on top are independent, and I wanted them to pull together, so I drilled holes in the zipper pulls (never saw a zipper pull without holes). You can attach a shoestring or something similar to the two holes, and pull both zippers at the same time. You then have a free hand for the dog if your dog doesn't really want to lay down and you don't want to snag it's fur. These are all minor, but make it a perfect carrier on wheels. I use it at airport terminals and malls most of the time.

I bought this for carrying my cat when I was moving from southern Mexico (where I acquired him) back to the US. My cat was a stray who adopted me, and he was indoor-outdoor when we lived in Mexico. Door to door, we had a 19 hour trip beginning with an hour plus cab ride to the airport, and then three separate flights, going through security for each one, and passing through migration and customs when we entered the US. I was terrified that he might break through the mesh panels and escape, and had visions of chasing him around the airport in Mexico City. Fortunately, everything worked out fine, although my cat was terrified the whole trip. My cat is 10.5 lbs. and about 18 in. length, 11-12 in. height, and he had plenty of room to turn around and get comfortable. The carrier also fit beautifully under the seat in front of me on each flight, and it was no problem at all to wheel through the airport. I was so glad that I got the version with wheels. I was also really glad for the flaps, which I kept down the whole time. Other people could not even tell that there was a cat in there, and when waiting between flights, I just put a sweater over the front panel which does not have a flap (although it has a double layer of mesh). With the top opening, it was also very easy to get my cat in and out quickly and smoothly when passing through security, and to open it just enough for the airline to inspect him when I got my boarding pass. The strap also has very comfortable padding should you need to carry it over your shoulder, and adjusts to different configurations for pulling. I bought the carrier several months in advance so that my cat could get accustomed to it, and he went inside right away and would even sleep in it. He never even tried to escape or scratch at the sides, which was my biggest fear. I don't know that I made the right choice to carry him in cabin, since we could have had a shorter trip had I just put him in cargo, and it was very stressful for him with all of the sights and sounds of the airport and going through security, etc.. But having this carrier made it as easy as it could have possibly been.

I bought this from the Amazon Warehouse. The item had obviously been repackaged by the original purchaser. Even though it was listed as like new it was in horrible condition. After talking to Amazon and being given a discount I decided to keep the bag. I can truthfully tell you the bag cleans up well. It was filthy when I received it and using a bleach clean up spray it looked and smelled much better. Shame on the person who returned this bag. Now on the bag itself. The bag is well made and not too heavy. It is definitely a large bag but I wouldn't put an animal that was over 15 lbs in it. The wheel system is very good. The two back wheels do not rotate so you get a better control while pulling it. The dog is able to see out of all sides but there are "curtains" that you can hang down over them. I wasn't real impressed with the "sheepskin" mat in the bag. It really doesn't have a lot of cushioning in it. My dog was not comfortable until I placed one of her blankets in it. My dog is only a 6 lb Chihuahua so this is like a large living room for her. I will not be using this as an everyday bag but will use it when she has to stay in a bag for a long period of time.

For now, I have to give this carrier only one star due to a problem with one of the wheels. After only one use today in an airport (no street or sidewalk use at all) one of the wheels has totally disintegrated and actually has a flat side. After just a very short time, I noticed a bumping sound and found the wheel was literally falling apart. I have sent it back and will be getting a replacement. If the replacement performs without further problems with the wheels, I will re-rate with a much higher rating. I love the cozy inside, the top and front load options and the roll up sides. And, it was very stable and easy to pull through the airport until the issue with the wheel. It fit under seat well with just a small portion protruding and I had no problem with SW accepting it size wise. I have to pick up pups in another month and should have the replacement carrier by then. It will once again be trekking through the airport and we'll see if the wheel problem was just a fluke or if there is some kind of quality control problem. Want to love it, but need to work out the bug with the wheel.

Love how it rolls smoothly, great product that I’ve used many times to pick up rescue dogs all over North America

I bought this to take my card onboard airfrance and it fitted nicely under the front passenger seat in height in length I had to put my feet either side of the bag but not a problem. It was really good to be able to wheel my cat rather than carry her in the long corridors in Manchester airport and CDG in France. However, if my cat decided to lean one side of the bag it would make the bag tumble on one side, after a while I got the hang of it by gently pushing my cat back centrally so I could wheel her along. I was very happy with it and would recommend it.

Perfect. Really great for my dog, he's a 17lb mini american eskimo and he just loves this bag. I've used it to travel on regular airplanes and the really small planes with no issues. People often don't even realize there's a dog in there when the sides are all down. Also, the little bed inside comes out completely so it's a good makeshift bed for him when we're in a hotel.

Cannot rate this pet carrier highly enough. My pet is 7KG and she fit really nicely into it and didn't freak out at all when she was in it (as opposed to the typical cages I've had for her before). Strap is sturdy and you can easily walk with it over the shoulder with minimum disruption to the pet. The mesh is great, but if you have a panicked animal or it's raining then the waterproof screens are a great addition. Also has wheels but don't need to use them. Very sturdy product for the price and would definitely recommend.

It was very good quality but too small for my dog who needed 26-28 inch long carrier. I returned it without incident, thank you.