We have three dogs a large Leonberger, Bronco, and two small dogs, Daisy a Pug, and Ryu a Japanese Shin. We recently decided to take Ryu with us on a trip to North Carolina (from Dallas). Ryu has flown once before as a puppy, but we needed an airline approved dog carrier for his current weight, which is 16 pounds. We looked at the various airline approved dog carriers at the various pet stores and decided that this was the best one for his size and we also concluded that it was the best one for his and ours comfort.

For your information; small dogs can travel in the cabin with their masters as long as they are in a dog carrier while on the plane. The cost is $120 one way with American Airlines. Before you fly you need to get the dog’s vaccination record and fill out some paper work so I suggest you contact the airline before doing this.

The Sherpa on wheels medium size pet carrier is rated for up to 16 pounds. The exterior dimensions are 18 x 10.5 x 11 inches and your pet should be smaller than 16 x 10 inches (you lose an inch on the inside). Ryu is about 16 inches and he weighs 16 pounds but he could not have been much bigger than that. However, we found the carrier to be slightly larger and sturdier than some other pet carriers rated for up to 20 pounds. The people at Pet-Smart said that 16 or 20 pounds does not matter. It might as well have been rated 20 pounds. The inches are immutable though, unless you want your dog to be uncomfortable.

In any case Ryu is slim but a little bit on the long side, while our Pug Daisy weighs 20 pounds and is a little bit on the pudgy side. Daisy is shorter but wider. Both of them fit in this carrier, but naturally it was for Ryu. However, if you are ordering this carrier online you should probably make sure your dog is not longer than 16 inch and weighs 16 pounds or less. We had the benefit of being able to try it out and see Ryu’s reaction.

The Sherpa on wheels medium size pet carrier is black, and it has a zipper on top that opens the top like a suite case. In addition it has a zipper on each side so that the dog (or the cat) can walk in out instead being lifted out of the bag. The sides also have nets (mesh panels) with foldable flaps for ventilation and so that you choose daylight or sleepy time for the dog (flaps down is sleepy time). In addition the bag has a comfortable handle for carrying and an attachable strap so that you can drag it using the small recessed wheels under the carrier. We found that dragging the bag was easy and it did not tip over. Overall it is a very practical bag that is comfortable to handle for the owner.

I should add that you should be careful when you unzip and zip the bag so that the dog’s hair does not get stuck in the zipper. The fact that the sides are mesh panels with flaps helps in that regard. You can more easily see what is going on that way.

Inside the bag at the bottom there is some padding for the dog. However, we also put an additional small dog blanket there for additional comfort. I would recommend doing that for extra comfort. Just in case Ryu would go to the bathroom while being in the carrier, we put an absorbent cover on top of the blanket (they sell them at the pet store) but it turned out it was not needed.

Ryu loves to howl to get attention and if he wants to complain you’ll hear barking and howling. However, he was quiet in the bag and he spent most of the time on the plane sleeping. Since the dog is allowed out (but on a leash) at the airport, we let him out at the airport. Overall he seemed to be content. So in the end I can highly recommend this dog carrier.


Recommended: Yes