Airborne_Again wrote:
You can enter through the GA gate as a visitor?
I don’t do shows or anything like that, but I have a two year old cocker spaniel.
He has been in the back of my TB10 once (and up to FL100!) I believe he views it much like the car. He doesn’t like the car much (will not get in willingly, goes and hides if he thinks it’s on the cards, has to be lifted in) and I’m not sure he understands that it’s a mode of transport between places too far to walk between. He reckons it’s just a big noisy dog-shaking box. Anyway, once in and engine running (with both car and aeroplane) he just lies down and looks a bit bored. When it looks like we’re getting out he gets all jazzed up, ready for a run around.
The setup is to put his bed (relatively small for a cocker) on the back seat, put his harness on (looks like a waistcoat, means any strain is not on his collar/neck) and then clip to his harness a short 1-2ft strap that plugs into the seatbelt socket.
I do wonder about damaging his hearing, but this is a gun dog – his kith and kin routinely endure shotguns going off a few feet from their head, and I believe they do tend to go deaf in old age after a life working on game shoots. The noise does not seem to upset him – I watched him carefully while I started the engine, and he didn’t seem to react.
Taking him out of the UK in the aeroplane is likely a paperwork exercise that I can’t even be bothered to think about.
I may try him in the plane again sometime, perhaps on an A-B trip within the UK rather than a local tootle from White Waltham.
Hi!
So, during last 2 months we did a few trips with dogs to different destinations. The longest took 8 days and we’ve done great socialization job with our Welsh Corgi Pembroke. Now he’s regular breed winner and young champion of 2 countries.
I would say, that flying is easiest part. No veterinary/customs checks during all flights. 8000 feets seemed to be fine for dog. He was active as always after all flights. Despite the fact, that there are no checks, vet passport with all valid stamps (rabies, worms) must be carried with every dog on board.
For taxi we always had small plastic clipper cage and it was very useful with some drivers, who do not accept dogs in cabin due to personal reasons. Actually, we faced this problem only in Belgium.
For rental cars we used fabric cage. Car remained clean during all rental period and there was no claims yet from rental companies. Retracted cage is flat and fits perfectly second baggage compartment of 172.
Hotels usually charge for dog. Good hotels (in Germany, Sweden) provide bowl and mat, others (Belgium, Baltic states) – just get money. Pricing varies between 10 and 30 euros per night per dog.
While choosing accomodation, it’s important to make sure, that hotel is close to city park. It’s not easy for dog to do it’s job on concrete surfaces. Especially for dog shows, make sure, that hotel room has bath tube to wash the dog.
Cute! And keeping a good lookout 
