Going to the dogs!!!

MikeTuggle

MikeTuggle

Pre-Flight
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Oct 24, 2011
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Location
Rhinebeck, NY
Display Name
MikeT
Well, not really....

I am looking to purchase a Skylane this year and I want to carry my 60# Golden Retriever, Cami, in the back seat, when my wife and I travel to see the kids and grandkids.

There are lots of goodies that I can buy: "earmuffs" for hearing protection; a harness to keep her down in the seat; hammock-style seat protection that hangs from the headrests; etc.

What I can't find anywhere is any documented process of how to introduce her to the experience of flying this way.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Or, if you've flown with your dog, how has your experience been?

Thanks!
 
I have flown with a dog roughly once, last week doing a PnP mission. I had two 60lb boxers in my Cherokee. They flew great. I had one in the baggage area and the other tethered to the rear seat and my wife sat back there with her. She looked outside for a bit and then went to sleep.

How does your lab handle riding in a car? They say they act the same way in a plane. If she is restless in the car then she will be restless in the plane and so forth.

I would say for your first flight or two have your wife sit in the back with the dog to keep her calm. After a few flights I would think she would be fine. But then it goes back to the car ride..If the dog is always good in a car then I wouldn't worry much..A problem in the car and never got better, then.. But if I had to guess the dog will do fine after a few flights. Good luck!
 
Mike, it's my experience that a dog will fly like it drives. If it's good in the car, it'll be good in the airplane. All three of mine (not at the same time) just lay down and go to sleep once airborn.

Don't waste your money on Mutt Muffs. They're worthless, cheap junk in my opinion. If you want hearing protection for the dog then check out 4Paws aviation. They have a far superior design.

http://www.4pawsaviation.com/products/ear-muffs.php
 
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I was beyond also disappointed with my Mutt Muffs. Some like them but I am looking for another option.

Suggestion for the rear hammock...I found an inflatable filler cube kids thing at my local pet shop that fits on the floor in front of the rear seat so there is support for the do
g on the hammock rather than just being suspended from the head rests. The 182 has a LOT of seat travel when you get in and out so connecting those to the front seats may not work out too well.]

My pup is not a huge fan of the loud constant noise...but he behaves the same in the plane as he does in the car...and he goes everywhere with me in my car.

If the dog s used to the car, only conditioning you would need to do is ear muffs if you find ones that work well for you

He is appropriately named PAX
 
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Thanks folks... Cami is just fine in the car. And, thanks for the ideas about my wife "communicating" with her.

I am more concerned about the noise level and possible hearing damage. As a 'competitive' AKC hunt test dog, Cami will need to hear whistle tweets a hundred yards out (even in the wind). The comment, "Don't waste your money on Mutt Muffs," is important. I will check out the others!
 
I would first ask a veterinarian about the seriousness of doggie hypoxia....
 
My dog is generally alert and looking out the window up to about 300AGL, then she takes a nap until I pull the throttle back on short final. That's her cue to wake up, "We're here". All of the dogs I've transported for PnP have done roughly the same. Alert for a little bit, then got bored and went to sleep.

Most recently my passenger decided to take a cue from the rescue dog as well.

11693837_10207147256909947_5800548548014103649_n.jpg
 
MikeTuggle said:
I am more concerned about the noise level and possible hearing damage. As a 'competitive' AKC hunt test dog, Cami will need to hear whistle tweets a hundred yards out (even in the wind). The comment, "Don't waste your money on Mutt Muffs," is important. I will check out the others!
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A data point.

My shepherd has flown over 250 hours with me and shows no signs of hearing loss. At least 200 of those hours were in mutt muffs...for what good that did...no 4paws headset, they weren't around yet when we were still flying regularly for work and now we don't fly often enough to justify it (he might fly 3 hrs per yr).
 
We got a new pup about 10 days ago. The older Son and I flew up to get her, about a 45 minute flight. She did fine on my lab, kinda like a car ride.

I know it's different that your situation. I'll try a proper introduction of 'Kara'(family consensus name). The picture is upside down small, but then right side up once opened?
 

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Our dogs did great flying. Maggie (Italian mastiff) was very attentive while in taxi mode, on the ground she would lay on a blanket while we load/unloaded. Our new girl Ziva (American mastiff) does pretty good too. taxi time or enroute she will "co-pilot" or find a spot and curl up. Neither dog liked IMC turbulence, they would lick our arms or want to cuddle with my wife flying right seat.

We do Springer Spaniel rescue flights and for the most part they sleep from start up to shut down. I had one Springer that sat up and stared at me the whole trip, never settled and didn't look happy.

1) ziva co pilot
2) Ziva sleep spot
3) Maggie on watch
4) Maggie hanging out on her blanket, ready to load
 

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Ours was introduced to the airplane at 6 weeks of age for a short flight (4.5 hours to home)
Has always flown with us/me
Stands on his hind legs begging to be put in the plane if I climb in to check things before I'm ready to go
Soon as he is in he sits on my seat
I look in and say "get in your seat"
He gives me 'that look' but jumps to the rear
Whereupon he humps the daylights out of his pillow
Some ladies find this scandalous (usually older ones)
Some find it quite entertaining (usually younger ones)
The one negative is every time I land he says it was "ruff"
He is now old and blind and crippled (diabetes)
I really miss flying with him
 
My 90lb lab is fine with flying. I indoctrinated him with a method I've used before.

First, get the dog in the airplane, crank the engine and just sit there for a few minutes. Then, shut down and get out. Come back an hour later and crank it up, but this time, go taxiing around. Then, shut down and get out.

Next day, hop in, crank up, and go fly one lap around the pattern. Then land, shut down and get out. No problems after that.
 
Introduce Cami to flying in stages. First put her in the airplane, back seat, iin whatever harness you're going to use, while you "do stuff" on the ground, such as the preflight, etc. Even walk away, chat with others, and so on. If she's ok, the taxi around for a while. Still,ok? then trip around the pattern. Back on the ground, take her out for a walk. If she's still ok, then go fly. But don't subject her to something she doesn't like. Yes, have your wife in the back seat with her for insurance until Cami's comfortable with flying by herself in the back.

Some sort of harness is really required. It's insurance, just in case. 100 trips might be perfect but 101, something might scare her and you don't want 60 # of dog freaking out in ghe airplane.

Treats. Lots of little treats.
 
I've taken our dogs with me flying since 1988, we flew our first dog, a pregnant Lhasa Apso on a 2.5 hour flight to the inlaws in September at 3500 ft in a 182! Good grief it was hot, bumpy and hazy!! :mad2: I have never noticed any hearing issues, my current dog is a lab mix and she has flown a couple times in the 182, she generally sleeps. They don't seem to like the window being open on climb out, but when it's hot and you don't have A/C, you don't have much choice. ;)
 
For the record, here is Adirondac Flyin’ Camilla (“Cami”)...
 

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MikeTuggle said:
Well, not really....

I am looking to purchase a Skylane this year and I want to carry my 60# Golden Retriever, Cami, in the back seat, when my wife and I travel to see the kids and grandkids.

There are lots of goodies that I can buy: "earmuffs" for hearing protection; a harness to keep her down in the seat; hammock-style seat protection that hangs from the headrests; etc.

What I can't find anywhere is any documented process of how to introduce her to the experience of flying this way.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Or, if you've flown with your dog, how has your experience been?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I open the door, they jump in and make themselves comfortable, and we go fly. I've never had a dog be a problem, the harness tied into a seat belt is likely a good idea, I have just never done it.
 
I flew my dear departed Moogie dog a couple times, she was fine. My boy dog will never get in an airplane. In the car he howls, except the one time he barfed. I wouldn't mind the howling much, but could live without the technicolor yawning. He stays on the ground.

I suspect our Phyzzbyn would do just fine in the aircraft, but I doubt we'll ever find out. Won't take one without the other. Just isn't right.
 
Baxter, my jack russell terrier, is a nutcase in the car if he's not in his crate in the back.

In the airplane he is totally chill after about a minute. He's upgraded to first officer, now that the wife is in the back seat with baby.

Not a fan of mutt muffs either. They don't have much padding, which was a moot point anyway, as he pulled them off his head after the first flight and chewed on them. Otherwise, he seems fine with the noise and shows no hearing deficits.
 
This one howls if she DON'T get to go!!

image.jpg
 
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The only dog I've ever had in the plane (PNP) went to sleep almost right away, woke up halfway to eat dinner, then went back to sleep until landing. In fact she seemed more stressed in the car on the way to the hangar than in the plane.
 
Brad Z said:
Baxter, my jack russell terrier, is a nutcase in the car if he's not in his crate in the back.

In the airplane he is totally chill after about a minute. He's upgraded to first officer, now that the wife is in the back seat with baby.

Not a fan of mutt muffs either. They don't have much padding, which was a moot point anyway, as he pulled them off his head after the first flight and chewed on them. Otherwise, he seems fine with the noise and shows no hearing deficits.
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Yeah, I was with a friend who tried Mutt Muffs of he Shepard, they don't make very durable chew toys.

I have never had a dog seem distressed over the noise, and they always seem to be fine going for another ride.:dunno: The nervous ones curl up under a seat usually. I had a cat that would ride the dash.
 
Oh...another thing you might want to do that I don't think has been mentioned...until you're sure she'll be a good flyer, withhold food the morning of the flight.

I did this until my shepherd had flown numerous uneventful trips, then I no longer worried about it.

All PnP dogs should have breakfast withheld the day of the flight.
 
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