Wherever Shio’s travel bag goes, Shio is sure to follow.
Why you ask? Because he knows that when we bring out the bag, he goes somewhere fun.
We bought Shio’s bag for him when he was a mere 3 months old. It’s the large Original Sherpa bag that will hold a dog up to 22 lbs. At the time, we figured that Shio would be no bigger than 23 lbs and boy, are we wrong with that assumption. Turns out that Shio is a big-boned Shiba and is up to a whopping 25 lbs already! Yikes! Not to worry though, this does not deter him from trying to fit into his Sherpa bag.
We didn’t intentionally train him to follow his bag around. Initially, I tried to lure him in with treats and toys and that didn’t work. Eventually, we just forced him into the bag for taxi/train journeys and Shio started realizing that when he emerged from the bag after the trip, he would wind up somewhere he loved (Central Park! Places with grass to run on! New dog run! Long Island!). So as a result, Shio gets super Shiba excited when he sees us bring the bag out and will try to fit his 25 lbs self into a 22 lbs max bag.
Normally, I would object to this but its really better that he curls himself into the bag for trips because:
1. I have not found any other pet bag carrier company that will make bags to hold dogs >22lbs.
2. Our only other option would be to lug his giant plastic crate around for trips. I am too feeble to carry this giant plastic crate around and my handbag and other accessories for the trip and it is a giant pain to figure out what to do with if we are just taking a taxi up to Central Park to walk around.
Luckily, most train conductors and taxi driver are okay with the dog’s head sticking out of the bag as long as the body and legs are contained in the bag. So I usually wind up with a Shiba whose head is popping out from the top of the bag or a Shiba whose head is coming out the side of the bag.
Evidence below:
[Btw, we highly recommend Sherpa bags. They are constructed well and are reasonably priced.]
Shio, you are so adorable, and I love all your photos. The third one is especially nice though ’cause you look all happy and excited about being out in your sherpa! M.
I didn’t know you are allowed to take pets on the train! Pongy’s way over the weigh limit though.. she’s around 28 pounds and I can’t imagine Jada staying in a bag.
Hi –
I have a 20 pound Shiba (Pixie) and we use the Nantucket Pet Tote (in X-large). They basically look like those L.L. Bean tote bags with a scoop for the dog to stick her head out of and with a small leash that connects the dog to the bag. It’s perfectly acceptable to use on the NYC transit system and is easy to carry. Pixie enjoys being lugged around all over the city and the subway rhythm always puts her to sleep.
Thanks for the suggestion Ray! I just searched for the bag and its beautiful… perfect for summer!
[...] that Shio is too large for his Sherpa bag, his head was poking out and he attracted a lot of attention and smiles from the other passengers. [...]