SherpaOriginal Deluxe Travel Pet Carrier, Airline Approved - Black, Large

This carrier worked perfectly for flying my 14-year old, 16-pound Westie from San Diego to Milwaukee (and back) during the Thanksgiving holiday. We flew US Airways and despite the large size being slightly bigger than required dimensions, we had zero problems whatsoever. Here are a few answers to questions I had before flying that may help ease your concerns:1. US Air did not check that he could stand up or turn around2. It was tight, but he could, in fact, stand up and turn around3. US Air did not check any health certificates- all I had to do each way was sign a short form that the person at the counter filled out on my behalf. Although I was very nervous about getting turned away due to the size of the carrier, I acted like we had done this a million times (unlike the woman in line next to me with a dog that did not stop barking/squealing for the entire 15 min I was next to her). We both had a large Sherpa carrier and we both got through.4. The strap is extremely sturdy and my dog felt comfortable with me holding him through the airport5. I brought a blanket with me to cover the carrier in case it didn't fit completely under the seat. The carrier DID fit with a little squishing and maneuvering, but since the flight atttendants on some of the flights were very strict, I used it to be able to pull the carrier out from under the seat mid-flight and give my little guy some reassuring pats on the head. The blanket was also helpful when my late night flight had all the lights on- I wanted my dog to sleep and be relaxed, so I covered the holes. When it got very warm mid-flight, I threw him a few ice cubes to rehydrate.6. TRAINING: To get my Westie ready for his first flight, I bought the carrier about 2 weeks before. The first day or two, I motioned with treats and he walked in himself. I left the top open so he wouldn't feel claustrophobic. Once he was comfortable with the "box" (as we called it), I started closing the front door and placing him in the top hole (again, always with treats). I didn't let him walk out on his own after this part of the training; I wanted him to know that once he was in his box, he couldn't leave without me taking him out. Once he became comfortable sitting in the box, I put a treat on the bottom and as soon as he put his head down to get it, I zipped the lid and let him enjoy his treat in there. I expected him to freak out the first time (my dog is not well-trained by any means; he will not even sit on command most days), but he stayed calm, so after about 5 minutes of me sitting by his box, I picked it up, did a few laps around the apartment, went down the elevator, loaded him up in the car and took a short drive to the pet store. He didn't mind at all. After I saw that, we toned down the training to every couple of days. Some nights after work, I would put him in his box (always through the top and always with a treat before the lid was closed) and put him at my feet while I watched TV for an hour or two. I would never walk away from the box and occasionally gave him reassuring pats or words of encouragement every 30 mins or so. Due to time constraints, we never trained for staying in the box longer than 2 hours, despite us having about a 7 hour trip time with the layovers. A few training tips: buy soft treats and use VERY tiny pieces. Especially at the beginning, you will likely be going through quite a few treats, so the smaller, the better. You don't want your dog throwing up in there (or expecting large treats on the plane!) Also, never give in to your dog if he/she tries to bite its way out of the bag. Stop the behavior and do not let it out of the carrier until the behavior has stopped and some time has passed. This is not fun to deal with mid-flight, so stop the behavior before you get in the air.7. To help with his ears popping, I brought several nylabones on the plane (the pocket on the carrier is perfect for a few treats, a collapsible water bowl, a potty pad for layovers if you don't have time to take your dog out between flights, and a Kindle for yourself). During takeoff, I handed him a bone (I put PB on them so he would lick and bite) as I pet him. He's used to car rides, so this didn't phase him much.8. Every so often throughout the flight, I would unzip a tiny hole (he did want to escape, so I had to be careful) and give him a small piece of treat to check on him.9. The mesh on this carrier is STURDY. My dog has a bite similar to a pitbull, and the determination of a 6 year old trying to reach a giant piece of candy that was put just out of reach, so when he started trying to eat his way out of the carrier during the last 30 mins of the flight, every scenario of him running through the aisles like a mad man started running through my head. Luckily, however, the mesh held up and we landed safely shortly thereafter. I was left with a bruised hand due to the struggle, but the bag was just fine.10. Day of flight: check in with plenty of time to spare. This is not the time to add stress. Once your bags are checked in and your dog has the "ok" to fly, check out the security line. If it's short, I recommend walking out of the airport and giving your dog some last-minute fresh air, one last bathroom stop, and a moment for the vet-recommended Benadryl to kick in. When the time comes to go through security, you'll put the carrier through (I also had a backpack with the blanket tied to it and a large coat) and carry your dog through the x-ray machine. I put my dog back in the carrier at this point, but if your dog's leash is easily accessible, you could probably get away with walking it on its leash to the gate (at least that seemed to be the case at SAN, PHX & MKE). You'll want to be one of the last to board (you won't have luggage, so carry on space won't be a concern). If you have a layover, check out potty areas ahead of time. Few airports have potty areas behind security (SAN is one), so you'll need to know what your options are and if you'll have time. During our short layover, I had planned to take my dog to the bathroom stall and lay out a potty pad. Since he had just gone about 90 min prior however, we spent our 20 mins between flights with his head poking out of the carrier while he observed the craziness of Thanksgiving travel. If I could do this again, I would have taken him on a quick walk in the airport to burn off some energy.All in all, flying with my Westie was much less stressful for him than boarding. The large Sherpa was great and I would highly recommend it. The only thing I would change would be adding mesh on the top of the carrier, but not a big deal.

Great carrier!- Very well ventilated with enough viewing scope for the pet inside which was critical in our case as my dog is not comfortable at all in enclosed spaces- The flexible frame is very important coz even though the Large size carrier exceeds allowable dimensions on most flights, the flexible frame allows to adjust to fit below the plane seat- The look is simple and classy and carrier is pretty light weighted- The chain on top is extremely vital as I could have my dog pop his head out from inside while I carry him or even during the flight to check on him. Not all carriers have this design.I have a 15lb Shih Tzu that fit well in this carrier. He couldnt fit in the Medium size carrier from another brand that we ordered first.We flew our dog for the first time ever in cabin couple weeks ago through WestJet! As over-worrying first timers, we went to the Westjet counter at the airport a day before the flight to confirm with them if the carrier size is ok (dimensions of the Large size exceeded limit for WestJet). They readily said it should be fine although they didnt measure the size.Tips for flying:- Have your dog get accustomed to the carrier with positive reinforcement using treats and carring them around in it as early as possible before the flight. We got the carrier just 2-3 weeks earlier and although my dog didnt really seem to mind it but wasnt obsessed with being in the carrier either- My dog has never been crate trained really and is used to roam at free will from day one in the house so we were very nervous to fly as the rule is for the pet to be completely inside the carrier at all times in the flight- During the flight, we had to keep the chain on top open enough that he could pop his head out coz he wouldnt allow us to zip the chain completely, especially in the first 30 mins of flight as he was maybe getting used to the new setting. And the noise during take off can be overwhelming for anyone for the first time. Just pet them as needed.- None of the flight attendants in WestJet in our 4 flights total made any issue about the chain not zipped up completely. Also, during boarding they will come to you and give the standard instructions about flying with a pet in cabin- The pet will mostly sleep likely due to the plane buzzing noise. Make sure to tire your pet through long walks and runs on the day of the flight. It’s important.- We had to pet the dog constantly during initial period of the flights to make him comfortable and relaxed in the carrier- A lot of the ‘inconvenience’ caused by my dog in flight about trying to pop out a few times could be due to the fact that he was not too well. But mostly all pets will sleep shortly after the take off.- Make sure you obviously give very little to no water or food few hours before the flight and that they pee/poop before the flight as they’ll be relaxed- I gave my dog some Zen Licks Calming aid gel few hours before the flight. It did make him sleepy within an hour and probably helped him doze off.Dont try this for the first time on flight. Try it several times before so you know how your pet reacts to it- Research locations of pet relief areas at all the airport terminals that are in your itenirary. During layovers, its always a good idea to give a little water, walk them and stretch a bit in addition to allowing them to relieve themselves. We had a layover at Toronto Pearson airport Terminal 3. They have a nice pet relief zone outside the terminal and although it had synthetic grass, it was the best I could expect.- Do give a few treats across the flights if needed- This might be obvious but DO NOT put the carrier in the overhead storage bins! Its supposed to go below the seat in front of you. Make sure the flight attendant knows you have a pet if they unknowlingly ask you to put the bag in the carrier!Good Luck! It might seem overwhelming to fly a pet but in the end, it’ll be a memorable journey.

Easy to travel with