Tip: DIY Dog ear muffs

Our airplanes are noisy and we all need the best ear protection...My dog (min-pin) goes on most trips with us and needs her own ear protection. So I set out to make her a more comfortable muff.

Using an Oregon Aero foam upgrade set I had from an old DC headset I cut and glued to form a cup shape, also glueing on the low density foam after. I used shoe goo.




I chose a thin but quite stretchy dress sock. Larger dogs would need wife's tights or yoga pant leg...
Then insert the foam cups into sock and roll sock ends (toe and top band cut off) inside one end at a time. So now what touches the dog is just the sock fabric.


I tested the DB reduction near a piece of our shop equipment at 85db and found an 18 to 20db reduction = 65-67db.

I have Katie wait till taxi to try it on Hana because at that point she appreciates the sound reduction effect more than dislikes the muff.
Push the cups around a bit under the sock to cover and tuck in the ears. This photo was taken this morning on a three hour trip to Montana. Sock slipped back some for photo but she kept it on the whole way!


I have a pair of the smallest factory made mutt muffs, black, if someone is interested.

We are in Colorado Springs. Flew up for the AOPA fly in. Our dog was sporting our home made muffs the whole way. They look way more ridiculous than those you fabricated. No, not posting pics.
But I am going to try and copy your design when I get home... to see if it stays in place better. Still having some issues with slippage. And same here.... sold the small Mutt Muffs... just did not work.

so, quick question;
We have a small 6 year old 9lb multi-poo and would love to take him with us on our trips.
How did you start with getting your pup into the plane?
Does he fly, land and take off in your lap or do you secure him someplace?
I'm concerned with him panicking etc, although hes a very calm dog, i am not sure how he would react.

moll780 said:

so, quick question;
We have a small 6 year old 9lb multi-poo and would love to take him with us on our trips.
How did you start with getting your pup into the plane?
Does he fly, land and take off in your lap or do you secure him someplace?
I'm concerned with him panicking etc, although hes a very calm dog, i am not sure how he would react.

Click to expand...

How does your poo do in the car? Ours loves trips, but knows the difference in the plane to stay on Katie's lap. Our tandem seating forces that though.
We remove the stick and Katie puts a blanket on her lap. We don't put the head muff on her at home or in the plane until the engine is running so she "wants" it at that time. Run-up works good.
Start with a test flight, then a short trip. For the dog it is the destination, like camping or the coast. And they want to be with their family, so they will endure the ride just fine.
This has been our second min-pin, we had two at a time for five years, full lap for Katie, hot in the summer.
When we camp we see a lot of other flying dogs. Some bigger dogs get put in luggage or back seat. Lap size dogs are so spoiled! I don't see caged dogs except for pilots and paws missions.

Dog Muffs

Great job, Bruce!

I have a pair of Mutt-Muffs that I use on many of my Pilots N Paws missions, but for some dogs, they just don't fit, including our Fox Terrier. This looks like a solution that will work for a larger variety of dogs.

Yes, our RV's are not the quietest of GA aircraft. My 172 is a little quieter but still too noisy for our little friends.

Thanks for sharing your version of dog muffs.

moll780 said:

so, quick question;
We have a small 6 year old 9lb multi-poo and would love to take him with us on our trips.
How did you start with getting your pup into the plane?
Does he fly, land and take off in your lap or do you secure him someplace?
I'm concerned with him panicking etc, although hes a very calm dog, i am not sure how he would react.

Click to expand...

Gil, as a Pilots N Paws pilot who has flown several dogs of different temperaments, I would offer the following comments.

If your dog likes to ride in a car, he should do just fine in an airplane. Sudden changes like starting the engine might spook him, so it would be best to have someone holding him when you start the engine.

I would not recommend taking a dog for a first flight with no other adult to help unless that dog is in a portable kennel. Speaking from experience...

I introduced our Fox Terrier to flying by putting him in the airplane and just taxiing around the airport. After that we took him up and he did just fine. However, we used to have a Rat Terrier, who was terrified of riding in a car, so there was no way I would ever think of putting him in the airplane. I don't think it was the breed as much as the individual dog's personality as to why he didn't like any vehicle. He was perfectly content to stay at home.

The hearing protection seems to be accepted by the dog better, just as Bruce said, by waiting until the engine starts and then the dog can hear the difference and better understand why you're putting something strange over his ears.

Some of my four footed passengers have done better than some of my human passengers. And no kidding, (knock on wood) so far I've not had any dog pee or poo accidents. That's why I always take them for a walk before we get into the airplane. And always, always, have the dog on a secure leash at an airport. I know of one pilot whose passenger got out of his collar and ran across the runway. I'm not sure if they ever found the dog, not to mention the hazards presented to other aircraft.

Update

Flew yesterday, first fully loaded trip of the season, and Hana still has no problems with her "Sock Muffs".
A hangar neighbor asked to borrow a spare headset and I forgot, my David Clarks are all torn apart for the Oregon Aero foam.
Hey...what we do for our furry friends!

Very nice, Bruce! My wife made similar ear muffs for our dog (she calls it "ear muffins"). She did not take the scientific approach like you and tested it, but Pookie seems to like it just fine. And coincidentally, our first dog's name was also Hana.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3XXrCYpP8guUXNNbXhCNFEwTlE/view?usp=sharing

Muffs

I must be muff challanged.
One sock, insert one muff in each end. Got it.
How do they stay on the dogs head? How does rolling the ends keep them on?
I must be missing something.

Hi Larry.

wirejock said:

I must be muff challanged.
One sock, insert one muff in each end. Got it.
How do they stay on the dogs head? How does rolling the ends keep them on?
I must be missing something.

Click to expand...

Sorry Larry, just saw this...
I may not have explained it well...
Cut off the toe end and most likely some of the sock top to make both ends the same length from the heal.
Insert both cups facing inward together into center of sock. The heal should be below the cups and looking into the sock you should see the sides of the cups.
Then push one loose end of the sock between the two cups, then the other end into the first.
So now you should be able to push you hand (or dogs head) through the sock with a wrapped up foam cup on each side.
Does that Help?

If I am getting the method correct, then technically it is not necessary to cut off the toe end, right? you can just push the muffs in from the calf end, and then tuck the toe end into the open calf end of the sock?

edneff said:

If I am getting the method correct, then technically it is not necessary to cut off the toe end, right? you can just push the muffs in from the calf end, and then tuck the toe end into the open calf end of the sock?

Click to expand...

No, cut the toe off, then you have an open tube to streach over your dogs head, with both sock ?ends? folded inside over the foam cups.

Next time I am at the hangar I?ll take and post some more pics.