Taking the dog flying - any tips?

[JamesMooney]

This is a non-Mooney-specific question, but I've seen lots of MS'ers have photos with their canine companions in the plane...

We're taking our 7 month old dog for his first flight in our Mooney (and hopefully many more after that) soon.

Curious if folks have any tips for introducing your dog to flying in a small plane? Tips, tricks, lessons learned?

[Hank]

Make it easy on the little guy. First few flights should be short and smooth, with a reward on the ground.

How does he do in the car? Will probably do similarly in the plane. When we travel, our dog goes in his crate on the backseat; short flights he sits in our laps.

[1964-M20E]

Yes try and start with short flights.  My dog does fine even though when I first got her it was a 2 hour flight home after only knowing her for about 2 hours on the ground.  She will jump into the plane on command.  Most of the time she goes to the back seat every now and then she gets into my seat and asks if she can have the controls today.  That was her first flight in 2014

 

[201er]

That’s just silly, dogs can’t fly! 
 

But birds can 

 

 

2 hours ago, Freemasm said:

I'd really like an expert to weigh in here.

Canine ears process sound energy far more effectively than humans, Our related physiology never really evolved and is probably devolving.  Sound power levels double every 3 dB but we humans perceive double at about every 10dbA (the actual noise has actually >quadrupled).  I love animals especially dogs, in fact I prefer their company to many people I've met.

Having a dog in that environment unnecessarily without hearing protection probably downright bad for their health, maybe cruel even.

Luckily birds don’t have this problem and even rejuvenate their hearing.

 

[Will.iam]

2 hours ago, 201er said:

That’s just silly, dogs can’t fly! 
 

But birds can 

 

 

Luckily birds don’t have this problem and even rejuvenate their hearing.

 

but the bigger question to bake your noodle, is if the bird is flying around in the cockpit do you have to add any weight for the bird in your take-off data?

[201er]

19 minutes ago, Will.iam said:

but the bigger question to bake your noodle, is if the bird is flying around in the cockpit do you have to add any weight for the bird in your take-off data?

An African or a European swallow?

Edited August 6, 2021 by 201er

[Will.iam]

Just now, 201er said:

An African or a European swallow?

Touché 

[cliffy]

Just put its normal at home bed in the back and it will probably lay down and go to sleep like ours used to.

[carusoam]

There is a few threads around here regarding pets in the Mooney….

Ear protection, O₂, and other things….  
 

The first MSer seeking such advice was @Samurai Husky…. Search on Sam’s name… you will discover a treasure trove of doggy detail…

We also have a few veterinarians around here…

 

If it is only a few flights… no big deal…. But, if you intend to bring Fido along on lots of flights….  Get him a good ear protection device up front…

That first flight can be pretty hectic and scary for him… making the second flight a bigger problem…

 

PP thoughts only, not a doggy whisperer…

Best regards,

-a-

[A64Pilot]

I’ve flown with two very different dogs in our Mooney.

First is our two year old Havamalt, he did fine in the first flight or two, but interestingly gets nervous at higher altitudes, he’s fine at 5 or 6 thousand, but get him up to 9 or so and he gets nervous, I don’t understand that. We have flown with him wearing hearing protection and without, he doesn’t seem to care either way.

Second is a very old Lab who had never flown before, by old I mean she is 13 and average age of death for a Chocolate Lb is 10 and 1/2 so she is very old.

‘She laid down in the backseat after awhile and just went to sleep, no stress at all. She was sort of a rescue and will probably never fly again.

‘I think it depends on the particular dogs disposition, if they are laid back kind of dog then they will do fine, if they are a ball of nerves, maybe not, so first flight plan on it being short if needed. 

Where I live O2 isn’t really necessary,but there are O2 masks for dogs, it’s actually a whole head hood.

‘The one thing I do differently with a dog aboard is descend very slowly, 300 FPM max and watch them closely to see if they start shaking their heads etc from inner ear discomfort as I assume maybe as they don’t know to clear their ears that pressure could build up, so far there hasn’t been a problem, maybe I’m being over conservative?

My opinion, worth absolutely nothing is that occasional flights aren’t going to cause any hearing loss as natural sounds like thunderstorms don’t.

I spent thousands of hours as a kid in the backseat of a 182 without hearing protection and never had any hearing loss,I don’t think anyone wore any in the 60’s, maybe occasional flying isn’t as bad for our ears as we suppose.

Apparently  Brownie does fine even in inverted flight.

Edited August 6, 2021 by A64Pilot

[neilpilot]

3 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

First is our two year old Havamalt, he did fine in the first flight or two, but interestingly gets nervous at higher altitudes, he’s fine at 5 or 6 thousand, but get him up to 9 or so and he gets nervous, I don’t understand that.

Dogs with a flat face, such as Maltese & Pugs, will have trouble breathing at higher altitudes.  I suspect what you considered nervousness might have been breathing distress.

[KB4]

8 minutes ago, neilpilot said:

Dogs with a flat face, such as Maltese & Pugs, will have trouble breathing at higher altitudes.  I suspect what you considered nervousness might have been breathing distress.

Yes. Below 8 always.  Better at 6 for my guys—Brussels Griffon and any dog with a squished face like this. . . 
 

[geoffb]

I see all these cute little dogs.

My navigator is 105 lbs of we'll say, enthusiastic, labrador.  First flight at 10 weeks when he was noticeably smaller.  I never had the rear seat back in the E and always have the seats folded down in the K, so he has plenty of space.  He does provide a random, continuously varying trim system when he decides to change positions.  He'll look out the window for a while, curl up in the back and lay down, repeat.

I can't get mutt muffs to stay on his head, fur is too smooth.  If the noise, even of the E, bothers him we can't tell.  It can't be too uncomfortable and certainly not torture to him, as I find it difficult to prevent him from trying to board, and have the scratched in the wing paint to prove it.  I dare you to try to keep that dog out of the plane.  I now keep a moving blanket handy to support his ingress and egress.  As he finally starts to grow up, if I'm proactive and make him sit and stay, I can get the blanket on the wing before he launches himself into "GO" mode.

If the dog likes to ride, my guess is riding in plane is just another ride.

[aviatoreb]

Since this thread is degrading into cute puppy pictures:

Well since my girl strata doesn't like to fly, I don't have many pictures of her flying but here she is in the car wearing her special aviator's jacket.  She is cozy in cars.

[Skates97]

33 minutes ago, aviatoreb said:

Since this thread is degrading into cute puppy pictures:

Well since my girl strata doesn't like to fly, I don't have many pictures of her flying but here she is in the car wearing her special aviator's jacket.  She is cozy in cars.

Looks like the nose gear collapsed when she landed. 

We have done a number of pilots n paws flights and the dogs all did well. I have only taken our smaller dog flying once, it was from UT back to CA. She was fine and happy, until we started flying. The first picture is before I started up. The second is how she spent the entire 3+ hour flight, sitting there with her back to me. Talking to her, offering her treats, didn't make a difference, she was not happy and wouldn't look at me. We landed, I put her in the back seat of the truck and she was back to herself like nothing ever happened.

[Jay Bird]

[201Steve]

Can be a risk of upset stomach. Keep towels around. Stomach acid probably not good to leak into wing spar. 

[201Steve]

[A64Pilot]

22 hours ago, neilpilot said:

Dogs with a flat face, such as Maltese & Pugs, will have trouble breathing at higher altitudes.  I suspect what you considered nervousness might have been breathing distress.

Interesting, but look at him, he doesn’t have a flat face at all, and wouldn’t difficulty in breathing manifest itself in panting?

We have only had him high as in 9.5 once, so it’s early to say he was nervous from the altitude, I do know pugs have difficulty breathing, even at seal level you can often hear it, especially if they exercise, but Mikey doesn’t.

I may on a clear day take him out flying and go to 9.5 to see, normally it’s cloud clearance that drives me up there, so maybe the clouds had him nervous? 

Interesting hypothesis and has me concerned, no one wants to put their pet in a position of breathing difficulty

[JamesMooney]

Thanks everyone for the tips! We took Quincy for his first flight today. Lots of time on the ground getting familiar with the plane, and we went at his pace. The flight was a short hop around the patch (as short as the DC SFRA allows). We got ear protection and he was very good with keeping it on. Used his ‘car bed’ and he seemed content. Slow climbs and descents (300-400 fpm) for his ears. My wife sat in the back for this first flight too. All in all, success! We’ll gradually expand the distance and maybe get him used to a few $100 hamburgers for him and us soon. Thanks for all your tips. 

[Pictreed]

On 8/5/2021 at 8:35 PM, Will.iam said:

but the bigger question to bake your noodle, is if the bird is flying around in the cockpit do you have to add any weight for the bird in your take-off data?

Ok, I'm just reading this and now my head hurts!

[MooneyMitch]

One of my past dogs loved doing whoop de do's , floating in the back seat!