Hi Mike,
I do understand your concerns. We have a lab-hunting dog mix as well and I know how much exercise those dogs need.

Well I would not worry too much about moving places with the dog as long as you are not moving country every six months. A dog is a very flexible animal and she will certainly adapt.

But:
- are you sure you will be able to give her enough attention and exercise? Starting a new demanding job is time consuming and you will certainly not work 9 - 17. And it not always possible to live near a park or somewhere to take your dog out. Also you will have to invest time socialising with people which is time you cannot bring with the dog.
- Also you might have problems importing her in some countries or exporting her from some countries as the regulations are very different from countries to countries. You might as well have to leave her in quarantine somewhere and six months without being authorised to see your dog can be very long. If you know more or less where the company is going to send you over the next few years then do your research and try to find out if you can take your dog with you.

Make sure you have a back up solution, if for whatever reason you cannot take her to a country with you. Who could take care of her while you are away. What would happen if something happened to you while you are living in a foreign country? Would someone come and pick up the dog?

This is a great opportunity you have here working for an international company in different countries. It is a very tough decision to make. Re-think it all, do your research. The dog will be fine if you can cover her needs.

You wrote this post 2 weeks ago. Hopefully I am not too late!
Let me know what you have decided.

Good luck! Caroline

 

Hi

Have just moved my 2 weimaraners from the US to Geneva and 2 months later have now moved them to Brussels.

They have gone from a big house with big garden to a 1 bed appartment (although we're only here for a couple of months) and they are doing fine, they've had to go through a lot of changes including having a babysitter when I went back to work full time. Basically as long as they get enough exercise, food and love, they're fine. A routine seems to help too, it does take a couple of weeks for them to settle in but then it's no worries.

Hope it helps, I know exactly how you feel!

 

variation on dog question

Hello - I am thinking of repatriating to the US after 11 years in the UK. I have two dogs and two cats - one cat is elderly, one dog is on heart tablets, one cat is middle aged and highly strung, one dog is young but highly strung and so bonded to me he hates if I go to the loo without him. I believe they'll be fine getting used to a new home, new climate and scarier wildlife, but I'm VERY concerned about the actual travel. The idea of putting them into the cargo hold of an airliner makes me burst into icy sweats. If the airline would allow me to travel in cargo too, it wouldn't be so bad...
I have Googled until I can Google no more looking for a firm that does charter flights from the UK (preferably from Scottish or northern English airports) to the US, allowing pets to be in the passenger section with me. They can be in carriers as long as they can see and hear me and I can see and hear them. I found a firm that does charters from any UK airport - but only to European destinations and when I emailed them for advice, they didn't reply.
I've read a lot about airline pet travel and understand thousands of pets do it every year, but even if nothing goes wrong, I believe it will be too difficult for my pets. And then there's all the horror stories! I know charter would be very expensive, but first I need to know if it's at all possible, and then worry about how much it would be. Does anyone have any information or advice about this, please?

 

Variation on Dog question

Hi

I wrote earlier about my two weimaraners that I brought back from the US to Europe. I also worried and worried about travelling with them as my male is like the dog you were describing, if I have a shower he takes the clothes I've just taken off to go and lie down with them. One of the reasons I actually got my female dog is because I knew I would be making the trip back to Europe and I thought it would help my male.

First of all, the cat - I don't know whether you know this but you can actually take the cat on board with you as long as it's not over a certain weight. I brought my cat back with me first of all (it's one pet per person) and she sat on my knee under a blanket most of the flight (although they are strictly supposed to be under the seat infront of you in their bag). I bought a bag on wheels which is like a small wheelie suitcase so she wasn't bounced about a lot and gave her a small amount of sedative. The whole trip took about 15 hours and she only started really moaning when we got to baggage claim and that was because she had pooped in her bag and I think probably the sedative had completely worn off at that point. Anyway, she was completely fine and within a couple of hours was back to her normal self!

Taking the dogs was a lot harder on my nerves and me and my husband actually took a sedative ourselves!! We did all the things that it says on the websites by leaving the crates out in the living room for about a month before we were travelling and every time they went in we gave them treats and praise. I put some really comfy cushions in there and they did used to go in by themselves eventually. Anyway, I got some sedatives from the vet and tested them out on the dogs at home by putting them in the crate so I could judge how much to give them because as you probably know you have to be careful how much you give them as they need to get up and move around to keep their circulation and breathing going. When travel day came I gave them a sedative about 30 minutes before we got to the airport so they weren't stressed at the airport. I won't lie to you, it was awful leaving them and I was completely panicked! Anyway when we got to the other end they were still groggy and the female had really bad diarrhoea so they had been stressed but all in all they were fine. It took a few days for them then to acclimitise to their new surroundings but they're definitely not scarred from the experience!

I hope this helps, I also looked into every possibility so I know what you're going through...

Good luck!