Features:

  • Perfect for traveling in style and comfort by plane or car, for an adventure or just a trip to the vet
  • Patented spring wire frame allows the rear end of the carrier to be pushed down several inches to conform to under-seat requirements
  • Mesh windows for ventilation, top and side entry with locking zippers for safety, padded adjustable, no-slip carrying strap, seat belt/luggage strap, machine-washable faux lambskin liner
  • Rear pocket for convenient storage of treats, leash, bags, or anything else your furry friend might need on the go
  • Approved for use on most airlines and included in Sherpa’s Guaranteed on Board program.Carrier is intended for safe and comfortable travel; the pet will not have excess room to move around
  • Size small is for pets up to 13" L x 7.5" H and up to 8 lbs
  • Small carrier measures 15” L x 10” W x 8.5” H
  • Do NOT select the carrier size based on weight only. Choose the carrier size based on your pet’s measurements first, then make sure not to exceed the maximum weight limit.
Perfect for air travel with Westie

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 around 2. It was tight, but he could, in fact, stand up and turn around 3. 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 airport 5. 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.

It fits perfect under your seat

I used this on Southwest Airlines with my mini schnauzer ! No one even noticed I had a dog inside . The airline didn't even question the bag . My dog was able to turn around in it but not literally stand up unless the top zipper was open ,which no one even checks. It fits perfect under your seat . I highly recommend to familiarize your dog with the carrier weeks or days before flying . My schnauzer did amazing and slept most of the time on my direct flights ! The bag is comfortable to put over your shoulder but after a while carrying my 15 pound pup you get a little tired (obviously ) . I will continue to use this travel carrier for all of our future travels with my mini schnauzer !!

Our cat loves it

The attached picture says it all: our 17lb cat willingly hanging out in his carrier. We decided to order this one because we needed something with a top load option. We used to struggle with getting this strong little guy inside our old plastic carrier, but were able to get him in the first time with minimal struggle. He's a large cat, but fits in perfectly with plenty of room to shift around and switch position. I'm a 5'3" female and found this much less cumbersome to carry than the awkward plastic carriers, and the shoulder strap is a welcome option.

Bought the large and traveled Southwest

Great carrier. I decided to go with the large, we were able to fit our "thick" 27 lb. pug in with no issues flying Southwest. He had space to turn and lie down but I don't think a pet any larger would fit. For reference the little guy is 22 inches long (excluding tail) and 14 inches high. We did start training him to get in a few weeks before travel so that he'd be ok in there for a couple hours, this step is highly recommended. We did not see any zipper failure as some have experienced. The bed was very stiff but seemed comfortable, the carrier held its shape when carrying nicely.

Great bag for dog traveling on southwest! Study

Excellent product! Bought it to take my dog on a Southwest airline flight. He's a 12 lb Pomeranian, he looks bigger than he is... Since they're pretty much all fluff. I went to my local Petsmart which carry this brand and put him in a few sizes to try it out, he fits in a Medium just fine but we got a large since it's about the same price and we want him to be able to move more. He can turn around and stand up in this bag (with head down). When I'm carrying him for an extended time I wish I got a medium as it is pretty heavy with my dog and the bag (the bag is about 4.5 lb I think). On the southwest flight middle seats have the most room. (Window has curve from the wall and isle is slightly smaller). The bag doesn't fit horizontally under the seat but vertically is fine, with a bit sticking out. I'm petite so it doesn't make me feel uncomfortable or anything, but if you're really tall you might need a little more leg room. The bag it self is sturdy, we only used it twice so far and it's still in perfect condition. The first time he went in the carrier he scratched the screens pretty hard but didn't break the screen or anything. He hasn't scratched since. It does the job well and designed well! I haven't used any other pet carriers so I can't really compare. The only thing is it's kind of heavy 😓 but anything for our little friend!

Good bag. Will fly again. Dog didn't seem to mind.

Qualifier- For me, the purpose of buying this bag was strictly to transport my dog as carry-on in cabin on a plane. I have no intention to use this as a regular crate for daily or frequent use. The collapsible soft sides are perfect to squish to fit tight spaces that it was intended for. Nice bag, I bought the large one for my 15.8 lb dog. It has a soft fleecy fake sheepskin floor mounted on a 1/8" or 3/16" rigid board, so your pet has a solid floor. I have used it on three flights so far, seems to hold up well. Zipper fits tight, zips tight. Small flat pocket on the side for treats, poop bags and I fit in some flat folded paper towels in case there is a leak (from my dog). It fits well under any of the seats of a Boeing 737-400. The first two photos were taken on a brand new 737-800 on Southwest in a 3-aisle-3 configuration, I'm sitting in the window seat. My 10 year old daughter wanted to have our 15.8 lb long haired dachshund in front of her, but he started to fuss a bit mid flight, so I moved the bag under the seat in front of me which is a window seat. The middle seat has the most foot room with slightly more generous width between the bench seat support. The window seat has the least room due to the curvature of the fuselage eating back into the floor space. I also flew on an older Air Canada Airbus A319, (photo 3 and photo 7) and that time it was an aisle seat, also not a problem. I wear size 9 shoes, 145 lbs and 5'8" so not that big, your mileage, as they say, may vary, especially if you have a big guy sitting next to you. I believe the aisle seat also offers the best ventilation / air circulation. The foot traffic may keep you pet more entertained, at the very least. Photo 4 shows how the top zippers open and your pet can have a look around. If he's not too squirrelly it allows the head to look around and still keep most of the body in there. Photo 5 and 6 I took to show that carrying around a 22lb bag-of-dog (the bag itself weighs around 4.7 lbs) plus all your other stuff through long airports runs does get taxing quickly and I had some success mounting it on my rolley carry on.

Cat traveled very comfortably in this case, decreasing sources of anxiety for her.

I usually travel Delta and didn't want there to be any issues with the sort of carrier I bought. The size is perfect- my cat is 12-13 lbs. I spent a few months putting treats in the bag for her before we ever flew. By the time we left for the trip, she was very comfortable with the bag. I used the side zipper compartment to put her vaccination/vet records, rabies tag and extra dry food in a baggy. She was very comfortable in the case. The bag is black and looks very nice. Most of the time, no one knew I was traveling with a pet. There are velcro flaps on the 3/4 sides- you can provide your cat privacy or a view as you like. They roll up, almost like tent windows, and the velcro holds them up well, they never fell. My cat enjoyed having the flap in the front up so she could see when we were walking, and on layovers I opened a second flap and she watched people walking around. The bag is squishy enough that if you need to push the sides in a bit or maneuver it into a space, it has the "give" to do so, yet retains its shape and doesn't fall in on your pet. I was surprised at how effortless it was to carry with the cat. She didn't bounce around or slip to the sides. It has a hard, removable "floor", and comes with a plushy mat for the pet which attaches by velcro and stays put. Very comfortable, and the flooring provides the lower support that keeps the bag in shape and level. Zipper openings on both the top and front provide easy ways to open the bag depending on your preference. Straps are comfortable (also has carrying handles). I was even able to use the other side pouch to slip my boarding pass into while waiting to board so I could be hands free until I needed to present it. There's a small strap and ring inside in case you have a bowl or some other accessory that you want to clip to it. I noticed another traveler with a "cheap" pink case. The bag was lopsided so the cat was clearly uncomfortable and being bounced around. The cat was also very upset about traveling and there was no privacy screening for it. That cat may have had a much better experience with a better bag (although any air travel for people and pets is bound to be somewhat anxiety-provoking with take offs, landings, people, etc.) Short of very loud noises, the bag provided my cat excellent comfort and ample space (for her size). She even jumped in the bag and sat in it while I was on vacation twice, giving me the impression that she felt safe in it and comfortable. While doing this review, I pulled the bag out, and my cat just jumped in and is sitting comfortably. Clearly the bag itself is comfortable for her. She's not an anxious cat and loves the car, so part of our good experience was her great cattitude, but I attribute a great deal of her air traveling success to this bag.

Our puppy liked to be in the bag and slept through most ...

I used this carrier to bring my 9 weeks old Whippet puppy in cabin from Europe to the US. We had absolutely no problems bringing our dog on the plane with us (Lufthansa and United). Our puppy liked to be in the bag and slept through most of the flight (10hrs). Front and top zipper entrances are very well designed and sturdy. Carrying the carrier with the puppy inside was good, using either hand or shoulder strap. All in all I would recommend this bag. I am adding pictures for size reference of the carrier with our pup (4.5 kg at that time) to this review. When I researched for pet carriers, I found pictures with animals next to or inside the carrier very helpful.

Get the DELTA carrier, do NOT get the Original!

I originally bought the Sherpa Delta Deluxe Medium in black as well as a Sherpa Original Deluxe Medium in Brown because I wanted each of my cats to have a distinctive carrier so I can easily identify them. They are littermates of the same color and look a lot alike, so different colored bags seemed to be a good way to distinguish them when we travel (we're planning an eventual move to Hawaii and they'll be on the plane with us). DO NOT buy the Original Deluxe in any size or color if you want the highest quality carrier! * The Delta Deluxe has thicker material while the Original has more mesh and less privacy. The material is completely different & is much flimsier. * The Delta has a MUCH stronger bottom. The Original sagged when I put my 6 pound kitten in it. * The Delta is noticeably longer (about 2") than the Original. The Original is closer to 15" than the 17" they claim and the Deltais slightly over 18" not 17" as described. I returned the Original Brown carrier and bought another Black Delta Deluxe carrier. I'll put their names in the tag that's attached to the Delta Deluxe carrier (but not on the Original) to keep them straight. They hate it when I call them by the wrong name.

Sherpa Delta Deluxe Pet Carrier in Medium and Black Review

This is a review of the Sherpa Delta Deluxe Pet Carrier Medium in Black. First of all, I did not know what to look for other than a rough size estimate. We have a Chihuahua puppy and wanted something that could help her transport in the car, or perhaps trips in the future. We were pleasantly surprised with this bag for a number of reasons. Positives: 1. Probably the best thing about this case is that it is very sturdy. My puppy and her sister loves to jump on the top of the bag, but it is sturdy enough to support their combined weight of 10 lbs without collapsing. My aunt's pet case collapses with just having a shirt on top of it. In addition, our puppy likes to sometimes bite on the mesh walls. However, the walls have keep together with no damage. This is very impressive! 2. The second best thing is that this case has varying privacy options. If you want there to be a lot of circulation or light going into the bag, roll up the flaps on the two small sides, which exposes more of the durable mesh walls. Also, the solid walled top can zip completely open, which can allow your pet to pop their head out. If you want more privacy or people to not know you have a pet, keep the flaps on the sides down and zip the top. It becomes so dark that people will not be able to see inside from the front side that has mesh and has no flap to cover. The back side is just solid with no mesh, along with the bottom of course. Other pet soft-shelled style carriers do not have options to cover the mesh, which many of them have on all four sides. Thus, people will always be able to see that you have a pet in your case. This Delta version can appear just as a common duffle bag. 3. The third best thing is the option to have the pet going in and out either from the larger top zipper opening, or the small side opening. When we are not taking the dog out, this case remains her "dog house" with just the small side being kept open. Our puppy is happy to use it as her house. 4. The design of the bag is very nice, but I also appreciate the pocket on the front side. It can hold an extra puppy pad and perhaps a wet wipe. I also like the two handles to hold it in the hand and the shoulder strap as well. It is well designed and constructed. 5. The sherpa liner is washable and replaceable, which is a must for puppies. It may attach very well to the bag via velcro, but a determined puppy is eventually destined to tear these out repeatedly. 6. The size is good. Our puppy started off around 2 lbs. This case gave her room to move around. Now she is closer to 6 lbs and on her way to 10 lbs. Currently, it is still tall enough for her to stand, and move around a little. Even if she makes it to 10 lbs, it will have plenty of room. It could probably fit a pet up to 16 lbs. I cannot think of any negative aspects of this bag. It may be nice if it could also include a larger pocket to hold some food. However, this may give a pet more reason to chew through the wall to get to the food. Anyways, I like this bag just the way it is. Overall, I give it a 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. This is highly recommended and I also bought this for my parents, who have the sister to my puppy. They love it as well. UPDATE July 30, 2016: The bag continues to hold up very well after close to 6 months of everyday use. When we are not transporting her around, in the car and going places on the weekend, our dog uses it as her dog house to sleep. My dog is about 8.5 pounds and has enough room to turn and move about the case. It can also fit her 6 pound sister as well, when we take them to the vet together in the one carrier (see attached picture). One of the best purchases ever.

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