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).

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!

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.