Flying with Dogs

[blsewardjr]

Our dog is about 45 pounds. We use the Roadie(c) from Ruffriders.com in our car and aircraft. We've found that using a carabiner to connect the D-shaped metal end of the harness to the locked seatbelt works better in the DA40 then attaching the harness directly to the seatbelt as you do in the car. A crate might work better but the aircraft is usually full with luggage, Christmas gifts, etc. when we bring the dog.

[LTek1]

I agree that the Mutt Muffs aren't as protective as one would hope, but I do think it takes the edge off. My dog will go to sleep with his on, but fidgets nervously in the back seat if they fall off or if he paws them off.

[Lance Murray]

My impression is that the mutt muffs don't seem to offer much protection however my dog will push them off when we are on the ground. In the air he doesn't push them off. Maybe they do offer a little attenuation. My dog is small so for us I decided to use a small pet carrier and then wrap it in a heavy furniture blanket. My thoughts are that the heavy furniture blanket attenuates some sound.

He is not a big fan of flying with me.

[Lance Murray]

[Tom Davis]

We have two dogs: A Weimaraner and a Standard Poodle. The Weimaraner is 11 or 12 years old, but the Poodle is much younger. Today my son & I took the Poodle flying for just over an hour today. It was the first time the dog had been in a plane. He was a perfect gentleman.

Taking a que from blsewardjr, above, I got a Roadie from Roughriders. It worked perfectly.

We did not get more than about 4,000 feet above the ground (We are near Asheville), but it did not seem to bother his ears in the least.

[rwtucker]

I'm a dog lover and every dog I have taken flying has a different attitude about being in the air. Of the two dogs in my immediate family, one prefers flying to driving and the other prefers driving to flying. The one that prefers flying hides when he senses a driving trip coming up. Don't ask me how he knows since both modes of transportation involve the car in the first leg. He knows.

The one thing our dogs have in common is that they dislike ear muffs. We have tried ear plugs too . . . no joy there either. We did learn that ear plugs make a good doggie snack. I have a nice padded enclosure in the back seat for our dogs and that deadens some of the sound. I can't be sure but it does not appear that the sound bothers them. They go to sleep right away and wake up when they hear the squeal (sometimes, feel the thud) of the landing.

[jon1746]

My dog love the plane. My dog will not where the mutt muffs

[Lance Murray]

I modified my mutt muffs with blue space foam. I was pretty disappointed when I opened them up. In stock form I don't think they do much at all.