# Will the Dogs Accompany Us, On Interstellar Voyages? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 16, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639 "2009-08-16T17:43:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/21 "2009-08-19T03:31:13Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > The unfortunate first feline astronaut encounter with zero gravity on the vomit comet: > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvU9GZjBTzs](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvU9GZjBTzs) And I thought laser pointers were a riot! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/22 "2009-08-19T15:55:35Z")
Yes, there will be dogs in space, and as proof I submit this Hugo-winning 1955 short story - an old favorite of mine which I hope you’ll enjoy as much as I do: [http://web.archive.org/web/20080124051440/http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/classics/classics\_archive/russell/russell1.html](http://web.archive.org/web/20080124051440/http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/classics/classics_archive/russell/russell1.html) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/23 "2009-08-19T16:00:55Z")
In the 1987 documentary **Spaceballs** , Mawg, a half-man, half dog, named Barf barf was featured so I would say yes. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/24 "2009-08-19T16:53:46Z")
Everyone’s talking about bringing dogs into space as pets. What about as workers? There are still a lot of jobs that dogs do for humanity…shepherd, rescue, guide, ratter, hunter, retriever, defender. Now, it’s likely that they’ll be transported as frozen embryos, as others have noted, but I’m sure they’ll be part of any terraforming/colonizing effort. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/25 "2009-08-19T17:07:33Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > If and when inter-stellar travel becomes feasible I would imagine the technology to create artificial pets either through robotics or genetic engineering would also be feasible. These pets would be designed to be even more appealing to humans than current pets and would be easier to look after. I expect that is what humans will take on their inter-stellar journeys. Why worry about that, though, when your artificial robot girlfriend can take care of your pets for you? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/26 "2009-08-19T17:22:22Z")
“Yeah, all right all ready, Champ, you can go out. Here you go…”. “Oh, crap!!!” Music for the first interstellar mission featuring humans and dogs should be provided by one of my favorite surf rock groups, _Laika and the Cosmonauts_. By the way, **Ralph** is plenty old enough to come back and post in his threads once in awhile, apart from just providing the OP. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/27 "2009-08-19T17:55:21Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Yes, there will be dogs in space, and as proof I submit this Hugo-winning 1955 short story - an old favorite of mine which I hope you’ll enjoy as much as I do: [http://web.archive.org/web/20080124051440/http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/classics/classics\_archive/russell/russell1.html](http://web.archive.org/web/20080124051440/http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/classics/classics_archive/russell/russell1.html) Ha! I remember that one. Loved it. ---
**Author:** ![kitemaker\_chuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a88e4f/32.png) [@kitemaker\_chuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitemaker_chuck)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/28 "2009-08-19T18:52:15Z")
It sounds like a nice idea. The only concern I’d have would be the introduction of this Earth species (dogs) into an untouched (by humans) alien environment. Would introducing dogs (or other Earth animal species) into the environment on an alien planet (without a lot of prior study of that environment) contain the possiblity of the destruction of various native species of that alien planet, (as happened on Earth?) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/29 "2009-08-19T19:11:26Z")
Not if your name is John Grimes. In the Rim of Space series, all ships have cats, and in one there was an evil dog planet. Chandler was a sailor. I don’t think an interstellar ship can be too cramped, because people can’t live for years cooped up like that. (No shore leaves.) There should be plenty of space for a few cats and dogs to remind them of home. Guide dogs would be excellent choices - bred for many, many generations to be smart, obedient, and friendly, and a trained one will never chew on anything and poops on command. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/30 "2009-08-19T19:19:26Z")
> [@kitemaker\_chuck](#): > > It sounds like a nice idea. > > The only concern I’d have would be the introduction of this Earth species (dogs) > into an untouched (by humans) alien environment. > > Would introducing dogs (or other Earth animal species) into the environment on an alien planet (without a lot of prior study of that environment) contain the possiblity of the destruction of various native species of that alien planet, (as happened on Earth?) Of course it would contain that possibility. In fact it’d be very likely. But humans are going to be about 10,000 times worse for any given environment than dogs. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/31 "2009-08-19T21:14:20Z")
> [@kitemaker\_chuck](#): > > It sounds like a nice idea. > > The only concern I’d have would be the introduction of this Earth species (dogs) > into an untouched (by humans) alien environment. > > Would introducing dogs (or other Earth animal species) into the environment on an alien planet (without a lot of prior study of that environment) contain the possiblity of the destruction of various native species of that alien planet, (as happened on Earth?) Odds are very, very good that either the dogs will mess up the environment, or the environment will mess up the dogs, if the humans let the two interact freely. (Not to say that the coin _can’t_ land on it’s edge, but…) > [@Voyager](#): > > I don’t think an interstellar ship can be too cramped, because people can’t live for years cooped up like that. (No shore leaves.) There should be plenty of space for a few cats and dogs to remind them of home. Presuming the majority of the humans aren’t freeze-dried for the duration, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/32 "2009-08-19T22:07:21Z")
The dogs are actually the 3D manifestation of hyperdimensional beings that have been roving the Galaxy, fetching scientific data, for over a billion of our years. We ourselves are only a laboratory creation of the dog scientists who, in a masterful effort of breeding and genetic manipulation, not to mention psychodynamic social engineering, have developed us to the point where we believe we are the masters. Of course they themselves don’t know that they themselves were the result of even higher hyperdimensional entities which appear to us as the cats. But that’s just a side issue…of course they’re going back into space when they take us along. What, you didn’t know any of this? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/33 "2009-08-20T01:49:32Z")
But… but… Douglas Adams said they looked like mice! ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/34 "2009-08-20T22:52:11Z")
I imagine they’ll _try_ to take dogs along, but the first time someone rolls down the window so the dog can stick its head out… ---
**Author:** ![MeDrewNotYou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@MeDrewNotYou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeDrewNotYou)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/35 "2009-08-21T01:20:19Z")
What, no mention of [Captain Archer’s Porthos?](http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Porthos) If we use generation ships, I think its a safe assumption that they’d be relatively spacious and would have artificial gravity. In that kind of scenario, its hard to imagine there _not_ being a few cats and dogs brought along for the ride. Probably only the smaller breeds would be running around while en-route, but we’d certainly have some, along with most of the traditional small pets. They don’t require that much in the way of resources and they provide a substantial psychological and emotional benefit. There could be a ship-wide limit on the number of the pets to provide an optimal balance of resources to benefits, so they could be more of a community good, but there will be enough so that everyone has a chance to interact. Frankly, with a ship carrying hundreds or thousands of people, some small number of pets seems an insignificant drain on resources. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/36 "2009-08-21T09:38:13Z")
Well of course according to The Muppets we already have Piiiigs in Spaaaaace ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639/37 "2009-08-21T10:49:24Z")
Since the conversatiion has turned that way, a fictional dog in space I can recall would be Tinkerbell from _Empire From The Ashes_; the sentient interstellar warship Dahak took a liking to her, and zoomed her though his antigravity transport shafts at high speeds since she liked the wind ( like sticking her head out a car ). Plus, he barked at her. There later were also several genetically enhanced, highly cyborged talking dogs with near human intelligence. One of the characters taught them to play poker. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-dogs-accompany-us-on-interstellar-voyages/506639.md?page=1)