Puppy Education

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When you have decided that the time is right for you and your family to emigrate, what happens when you have a pet dog? Many families have this hard decision to make every year and it is a very difficult choice indeed. If you decide to leave your dog behind, you will miss it terribly, and the dog will also have a lot of heartache. And if you wish to bring your dog along, the process is fairly complicated and pretty expensive. Not to mention the stress your poor pooch will inevitably face along the journey. This article looks at what you should be aware of if you have decided to bring your old friend along for the adventure.

Two Choices

So you have decided to bring your dog on your travels abroad? The next thing you should think about is the method you will use for the journey. You have two plain choices to make:

• Organise the export issues yourself

• Use a Pet Carrier

The first choice is by far the cheaper, but is a heck of a lot more involved. You need to ask yourself if you have the time and effort required at this moment in time. It is especially harrowing if you have a family to consider, you will all be under so much pressure. There is the new job, the new house and the new schools to organise, plus the whole new culture you will be required to take on board. This is why most families opt for the pet carrier choice, because apart from a few tasks they will handle the whole shebang on their own.

Your Dog

So let’s assume that the technicalities are all in hand and all you really need to do is comply with the vaccinations and the carrying case. What you should really concentrate on is deciding if your dog will be okay for this massive transition. If you are using a pet carrier, you will usually not be able to fly with your dog, because most airlines will not allow dogs on board as checked-in luggage. They will allow the dogs to fly as cargo, but this has to be a different flight to yours. You will probably not see your dog for around a week, and that is cutting it fine. You need to consider your dog’s age and physical condition. If you are moving to a hotter climate, this will be a major factor. A young healthy dog can cope with such a change, an older one may find their health compromised.

More Considerations

If you have a short nosed dog, like a bulldog, you should check to see if the country you are travelling to, allows these breeds. Many airlines also have issues because the dogs find it hard to breath in the cabin. There is a possibility that even a healthy dog will have issues whilst on-board. They will be without human support for the duration of the flight, if anything happens to the dog, like a seizure, then they will not be cared for.

Be Sure

Despite the warnings in this article, every year thousands of dogs are exported without any issue, just be sure that you are transporting your dog halfway across the word for the right reasons – Good Luck!

Attached Images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Creative Commons image source