How strict is Amtrak about dogs?

December 3, 2018 2:11 PM

I'd like to take my 23-pound pup by train from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania in March, but Amtrak's website says the weight limit is 20 pounds. Are they super strict about this?
posted by Camofrog to Pets & Animals (9 answers total)

I have not taken a dog on Amtrak but have done a ton of Amtrak traveling and I’d be surprised if anyone noticed or said anything. I love how flexible and chill Amtrak travel is compared to air travel. If you were bringing on an obviously 50 pound dog I’d be more concerned but a 23 pound dog should be no problem. I can’t recall but do they require your dog to be in a carrier? If so you’re most likely golden.
posted by caitcadieux at 2:50 PM on December 3, 2018 [7 favorites]

Best answer: I take my dog on the Amtrak (NYC to Boston) a few times a year, I too posted a question about the rules on this very site! I have never had a conductor scrutinize my dog in any way. The most they ever do, if that, is ask for a signed copy of the pet release form you download from their website, so be sure you have that.
posted by cakelite at 3:16 PM on December 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I have been taking my cat (in his carrier) on Amtrak several times a month for the last two years. The only time I've had a conducter take a second look at him - or at any of the many other pets I've seen - has been to make sure he's in his carrier.

I wouldn't worry. Like cakelite says, just make sure you have the waiver by download or from the ticket window at the station.
posted by minervous at 4:23 PM on December 3, 2018

Best answer: (I am fairly certain they do have scales, by the way, however) They are about as strict in this as they are strict in their carry on baggage policies, which is to say incredibly generous (each person gets 100lbs by default?) and more understanding of normal circumstances by far compared to airlines. I would not worry about it; 3lbs is like two water bottles worth of dog. I have never seen them weigh bags once you are boarded, and have seen some incredibly ridiculous abuses of their generous carry on policy (holidays, northeast corridor) where folks probably had like 4 100lb bags and the only bad thing was it annoyed the amtrak employees because they had to move the bags to the oversized luggage area. Note: they also have a pretty generous oversize luggage policy if you tell them in advance!

I don't see why a slightly too big doggo would be a problem in any way. Unless somehow your dog is like, twice the size of a normal dog that weighs 20lbs.. in which case you could probably buy a seat for the dog anyways.
posted by love2potato at 7:07 PM on December 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have always assumed that the 20-lb limit was meant to instruct that the dog must fit into the required carrier ... that's it's more about keeping the dog contained than how much it actually weighs. 20 lbs is the number on the specs of the dog carrier, so ...
posted by mccxxiii at 8:04 PM on December 3, 2018

Best answer: They have never weighed my pet. I have probably traveled hundreds of times on Amtrak with him.

That said, I advise you to avoid conversations about it with Amtrak people. Just stay out of their way and they'll stay out of yours. You don't need to check your pet in before you board the train; just print out the pet rider and carry it with you (90% of the time they don't ever even ask for it, but for the remaining 10% of the time it's nice to have along). Keep pet in carrier, walk on with confidence, put pet under seat, hand ticket to conductor, if they ask "where's the pet?" that's a good sign—point to carrier, smile, "you hardly even noticed them, right? Such a good dog!" No need to worry.

Under-seat space is more generous than airlines and if it is not a busy train of course usually you can take up the whole row. I have taken a SturdiBag XL on the train before, and I would not hesitate to try bringing a very large dog (possibly even a 40 lb dog!) in such a carrier as long as (1) I could carry it in the carrier and (2) it could stay quiet in the carrier on the floor the whole time. They just don't usually care at all.
posted by branca at 6:01 AM on December 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

Three pounds is within a commonsense +/- even for those of us who fall more on the letter side of rule-followers. You and your pup are fine.
posted by desuetude at 7:29 AM on December 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you for the answers! Amtrak's approved max carrier size is 19x14x10.5, which seems like a tight fit for my girl; she needs a bit more length and width I'm afraid. And I'm not confident she will be mostly quiet--I think so, but I've only had her four days. (I'm sure the vet would give me some mild sedatives to be sure.) If she stays pretty much this size, I might try this after I've had her a couple of years, but right now I think I should drive down.

I will check back to see if anyone has an opinion on whether they measure carriers and where carriers can be while traveling. If my pup can't fit into a career that fits under the seat and the train is full, I would be kinda screwed!
posted by Camofrog at 2:42 PM on December 5, 2018

they don't measure carriers, that's actually what my original question was about! Soft sided carriers are your friend here. Also, there isn't a lot of clearance under the seats on Amtrak trains, even with my tiny dog the carrier is more sort of just by my feet and in the way than tucked under the seat.

MA to PA is kind of a long train ride for a dog, though. I could see some dogs sleeping the whole time and other dogs offering vigorous protest. Maybe get to know your new dog a little more first?
posted by cakelite at 11:47 AM on December 6, 2018 [1 favorite]