There are many perks to learning to fly your own plane, one of our favorites is your dog can tag along. We caught up with Florida pilot Allison Leeward and her dogs Griffon and Merlin to hear about some of her adventures and learn the ins and outs of flying with your dog. Allison is a fourth-generation pilot, so she grew up flying – and so did her dogs. Allison adopted both her Australian cattle dogs as puppies and started introducing them to flying as soon as she got them.
Merlin, a blue heeler, was six months old when Allison adopted her in March 2012 from the Australian dog rescue society. Griffon, a red heeler, had her first flight at eight weeks old when Allison picked her up from a rural shelter in Calhoun, Georgia. Now, Merlin’s loyal and ball obsessed, while Griffon’s brave and always trying to get attention. “They’re pretty normal for heelers,” says Allison. “They're totally neurotic and crazy in the best way possible.
READ: Why Your Dog Needs Hearing Protection
Allison generally only takes her dogs flying when they have a set adventure destination in mind – though sometimes Griffon will get in on a joy ride. When they do go on an adventure, she makes sure the flights are never longer than around 2 hours so they don’t have to spend too much time in the air without a pee break.
Allison generally flies with her dogs in one of three planes: her two-seater Cessna 120, her husband’s blueDHC2 Beaver seaplane, or her family’s six-seater Kodiak.
Both dogs get super excited when they go to the hanger because they get to run around off-leash and explore new smells. When it’s time to fly, they happily jump into the plane on their own knowing it means they’re going somewhere fun – Griffon’s even jumped into other people’s planes thinking she could hitch a ride. “They didn't actually crank up and leave or anything like that,” says Allison. “But [Griffon] was like, okay is this what we're doing? Okay, I can do this.”
Allison’s favorite adventures with the dogs and her husband are when they fly to a lake on a seaplane and camp on the beach. “We just play Frisbee for hours on end and then cook a delicious meal on the edge of the water.”
Most recently, Allison’s crew flew to Asheville where Griffon got to see snow for the first time (and loved it). However, Allison says the flight home turned into a very smelly one thanks to dog farts. Without any windows to roll down, dogs farting in the plane is not a fun experience: “Everybody was gagging. I don't know what happened, but I think it was all the Christmas treats and cookies.”
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Top Tips for Flying With Dogs
Of course, flying with dogs has its risks and safety considerations. Allison is mindful of this and has a process for making sure her pups are safe and comfortable on every flight. If you’re thinking of getting your dog in the air, here are Allison’s top tips to help you out.
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With many small private planes, noise decibel levels can be extremely high and can cause noise-induced hearing loss. That’s why pilots often wear hearing protection – and your dogs should too!
“My dogs aren't uncomfortable in an airplane without hearing protection, but I know in the long term [without hearing protection] that they're going to lose their hearing and that's not something that I want for them,” says Allison.
Training
It’s extremely important that your dogs have good recall and listen so you can keep them safe around the planes. Allison sent both her dogs to professional training programs to ensure they have excellent recall and obedience.
In regards to plane training, Allison stresses the importance of getting your dog comfortable with the plane and with flying before doing any big trips. She recommends taking it slow and tailoring the process to your dog’s general confidence level with being in a car or trying new things.
Get the quietest plane you can find and start with taxiing around. Then move to short flights and gradually increase the flight length over time. Throughout the process, use lots of positive reinforcement with treats and attention and have someone in the back with your dog to monitor if they get stressed.
In any plane, like Allison’s Cessna 120, where the dogs sit in the front seat, or have the ability to access the front seat, consider tethering your dog away from the controls so that they cannot interfere.
Exercise Before the Flight
Before flying, Allison lets her dogs run around and play for a while so they can burn off some of their energy. Once in the air, the dogs settle down for a quick inflight nap before the next adventure.