Moving with a dog.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

As my POE is slowly (painfully slowly!!) approaching in September, I'm starting to get everything ready now. I'll be taking my 9 year old golden retriever with me and I want to make sure I understand exactly what he needs. From what I've read, all I need will be proof of his updated shots (especially Rabies) ... is there any other paperwork I will need from the vet that I should ask for? He's going to be going for some recent shots and a checkup in two weeks and I want to be prepared with what I should be asking for.

I also have paperwork from the breeder from when I first purchased him when he was 8 weeks old though I'm not sure if I'll need it.

Thank you!

[Inky 1,111]

Only need recent shot records that are up to date records and record of current rabies vacc that is up to date.

They never even looked at my papers for my dog when we crossed.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Excellent. Luckily his entire history is with the same vet so I'll be able to get a printout of everything fairly easy. Thanks

Another dog related question, when I POE ... my fiance will be with me as well as my dog. Will he be allowed to stay with my dog while I'm brought in to be processed?

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Be sure to get a copy of your dog's medical history from your vet so you can hand it over to your new vet in the States .

My then fiancee went in with me when I used my K-1 visa. I don't remember if he was told to go in or was given an option to stay with our cats or not. It may depend on the POE. I know that they did 'verify' some of the information with him, but I do know that people enter on K-1s without being accompanied by their fiancees all the time so unless they specifically need to see him in secondary with you, you can ask if he can remain with the dog.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Be sure to get a copy of your dog's medical history from your vet so you can hand it over to your new vet in the States .

My then fiancee went in with me when I used my K-1 visa. I don't remember if he was told to go in or was given an option to stay with our cats or not. It may depend on the POE. I know that they did 'verify' some of the information with him, but I do know that people enter on K-1s without being accompanied by their fiancees all the time so unless they specifically need to see him in secondary with you, you can ask if he can remain with the dog.

Ok, that's good, I'll ask. Because my dog would completely lose his mind if he was left alone. Thank you!

[Inky 1,111]

My mom and i were both told to go inside. They didn't say if we could bring the dog or not with us but we left him in the car. I could hear him barking from inside the station thing. =( needless to say someone got mcdonalds frys because we felt so bad leaving him in the car lol

[OBX 51]

I made sure I had my recent vaccination and check-up report from my vet when I POEd but I wasn't even asked about the dog. I had to leave mine in his crate while I was processed because I was on my own; they didn't even mention him although I could hear him barking all the way into secondary.

When I travel back and forth now I am never questioned about the dog re-entering the US but on most of my recent trips going back into Canada they have asked if he was up to date on his shots. Sometimes they want to see evidence other times they are satisfied when I tell them yes.

Edited July 22, 2011 by OBX

[la2011 5]

They never even looked at my cat when I moved ! He was in a carry-on bag and I guess he had nothing to declare because he didnt make a peep.

I wouldnt worry about it. As long as your dog has all his shots, you're good to go.

[Canadiandggal 49]

Excellent. Luckily his entire history is with the same vet so I'll be able to get a printout of everything fairly easy. Thanks

Another dog related question, when I POE ... my fiance will be with me as well as my dog. Will he be allowed to stay with my dog while I'm brought in to be processed?

when I was doing my Poe, there was a guy that came in right behind me and they made him bring the dog inside so they could search his car plus to show documentation for the dog. was a cute thing.

[Stuart and Thea 95]

I plan on bringing my dog and two cats with me when we cross. I will have papers for all the anaimals stating that they are in good health, as well as their shot profiles. It is up to the officer if they think an animal is in poor health, they can order it to be seen within a time frame when you cross, though I don't know how they'd police that exactly.

I plan on having the dog loose in the back of the car, and the cats in carriers, but if they won't let my fiance stay with them, they'll come with me. (it's against the law here to leave an animal in a vehicle, and I'll be damned if a border guard is going to make me break the law, even if it's not the law there!)

I will be planning lots and lots of rest stops, and have a bottle of rescue remedy ready to slip into their food and water for the trip to make it more comfortable with them, and I already have a vet lined up there in case of emergency. I also plan to find local vets on the route, and find out who has emergency clinics just in case...

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I plan on bringing my dog and two cats with me when we cross. I will have papers for all the anaimals stating that they are in good health, as well as their shot profiles. It is up to the officer if they think an animal is in poor health, they can order it to be seen within a time frame when you cross, though I don't know how they'd police that exactly.

I plan on having the dog loose in the back of the car, and the cats in carriers, but if they won't let my fiance stay with them, they'll come with me. (it's against the law here to leave an animal in a vehicle, and I'll be damned if a border guard is going to make me break the law, even if it's not the law there!)

I will be planning lots and lots of rest stops, and have a bottle of rescue remedy ready to slip into their food and water for the trip to make it more comfortable with them, and I already have a vet lined up there in case of emergency. I also plan to find local vets on the route, and find out who has emergency clinics just in case...

I traveled with six cats. We took rest breaks every 3 to 4 hours and I would let them out of their crates one at a time to use the litter box (they did) and to have something to drink (which they also did). We planned on driving no more than 10 hours in a day so it took two days to drive from Chatham to just south of Atlanta. We spent the night in a pet friendly hotel, paying a refundable $25 deposit. I brought travelling litter boxes and put those in the bathroom for the cats to use, along with some of their own water from home (bottled) so I could give them that to drink. I also brought a small hand held vaccum (like a dust buster) and used that to vacuum up any scattered litter in the morning. The litter boxes themselves were disposable so I chucked those in the garbage when we left and had another disposable one in the van for the rest of the journey. My then fiance (who drove the van) had already set up the spare room with litter boxes for their arrival so that helped in getting them settled into their new home.

One thing I noticed while driving - every time a big transport truck passed us the cats would 'shrink' down into their carriers so I ended up putting fabric (extra towels, clothing) over top to block out their view of the windows. That seemed to make it easier for them. You might want to investigate spraying the cat's carriers with Feliway before the trip - it is a pheromone based product that reassures the cats that they are safe. Be sure to find some way to secure the carriers with seat belts so they don't go airbourne if you have to stop quickly. There are usually lots of rest stops along the interstate that you can use for your dog and your own relief.

Yes, in this weather it is unsafe to leave an animal in a car unless someone is with them and the car is on with the air conditioning running. You can remind the officer if they don't allow someone to stay with the animals that you need to bring them in. Most places in the US also have laws against leaving children and pets in cars when the temperature is above or below certain degrees. They need to be considered like small children and provided with a safe environment while you are being processed as well. You might want to print off some of the information about what staying in a car for even 10 minutes in summer weather can do to have added ammunition if you run into any opposition. Leaving windows open is just not good enough.

If you haven't done it you might want to microchip your pets and include their new address, as well as have collars with an emergency phone number listed right on the collar, as well as including the same information taped onto each carrier, as added safety precautions. Hopefully there will be no problems along the way, but these are actions you can do that can help in emergencies.

Good luck and safe travels

Edited July 22, 2011 by Kathryn41

[Stuart and Thea 95]

I traveled with six cats. We took rest breaks every 3 to 4 hours and I would let them out of their crates one at a time to use the litter box (they did) and to have something to drink (which they also did). We planned on driving no more than 10 hours in a day so it took two days to drive from Chatham to just south of Atlanta. We spent the night in a pet friendly hotel, paying a refundable $25 deposit. I brought travelling litter boxes and put those in the bathroom for the cats to use, along with some of their own water from home (bottled) so I could give them that to drink. I also brought a small hand held vaccum (like a dust buster) and used that to vacuum up any scattered litter in the morning. The litter boxes themselves were disposable so I chucked those in the garbage when we left and had another disposable one in the van for the rest of the journey. My then fiance (who drove the van) had already set up the spare room with litter boxes for their arrival so that helped in getting them settled into their new home.

One thing I noticed while driving - every time a big transport truck passed us the cats would 'shrink' down into their carriers so I ended up putting fabric (extra towels, clothing) over top to block out their view of the windows. That seemed to make it easier for them. You might want to investigate spraying the cat's carriers with Feliway before the trip - it is a pheromone based product that reassures the cats that they are safe. Be sure to find some way to secure the carriers with seat belts so they don't go airbourne if you have to stop quickly. There are usually lots of rest stops along the interstate that you can use for your dog and your own relief.

Yes, in this weather it is unsafe to leave an animal in a car unless someone is with them and the car is on with the air conditioning running. You can remind the officer if they don't allow someone to stay with the animals that you need to bring them in. Most places in the US also have laws against leaving children and pets in cars when the temperature is above or below certain degrees. They need to be considered like small children and provided with a safe environment while you are being processed as well. You might want to print off some of the information about what staying in a car for even 10 minutes in summer weather can do to have added ammunition if you run into any opposition. Leaving windows open is just not good enough.

If you haven't done it you might want to microchip your pets and include their new address, as well as have collars with an emergency phone number listed right on the collar, as well as including the same information taped onto each carrier, as added safety precautions. Hopefully there will be no problems along the way, but these are actions you can do that can help in emergencies.

Good luck and safe travels

Had NOT thought of that one! Thanks for the tip, added to the list!!

I have mixed reviews on the feliway, as to how bad it smells etc, and we will be in the car for a few days with these guys, also it might interfere with the dog, no? I'll get it if it's worth it, was even looking at the little pheremone collars they sell for cats and the large air freshener for dogs, but don't want the scents competing with each other, or making us gag either. I know I can use the Rescue Remedy for all of them, (and myself!) but am on the fence about the Feliway... what do you think?

Oh, edited to add, you cannot bring pet food containing beef across from the US to Canada, not sure of the other way around, but I've seen that you can only bring unopened bags of food across the border. I feed raw, so only have to stop at the butcher along the way, but it's a good idea to bring lots of your dog's regular food with you, as it might not be available where you're going. Either that, or switch your dog before the move, you DON'T want your food confiscated at the border, and then have to switch to what you can find at the local Walmart, only to end up with a dog with the runs...

Edited July 23, 2011 by Stuart and Thea

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Had NOT thought of that one! Thanks for the tip, added to the list!!

I have mixed reviews on the feliway, as to how bad it smells etc, and we will be in the car for a few days with these guys, also it might interfere with the dog, no? I'll get it if it's worth it, was even looking at the little pheremone collars they sell for cats and the large air freshener for dogs, but don't want the scents competing with each other, or making us gag either. I know I can use the Rescue Remedy for all of them, (and myself!) but am on the fence about the Feliway... what do you think?

Oh, edited to add, you cannot bring pet food containing beef across from the US to Canada, not sure of the other way around, but I've seen that you can only bring unopened bags of food across the border. I feed raw, so only have to stop at the butcher along the way, but it's a good idea to bring lots of your dog's regular food with you, as it might not be available where you're going. Either that, or switch your dog before the move, you DON'T want your food confiscated at the border, and then have to switch to what you can find at the local Walmart, only to end up with a dog with the runs...

I have used feliway in our home extensively and can promise it has absolutely no odour. You won't notice it at all. The dog may notice it but it shouldn't cause him any problems. I have tried the pheromone collar as well and discarded it quickly - it has a floury type of substance over it and it seemed to cause the cat problems. I ended up taking it off as it didn't seem to be working and was causing the cat to become upset. The feliway in the spray or the diffusers cause them to relax and in some cases even be more playful. You will smell only your air freshener and not the Feliway at all.

Regarding feeding raw, you might still want to purchase some of the more commercial variety for emergency purposes. There are no-grain foods available for cats (Blue, Evo, Origen) that you can use (don't know about the dog) and you could also get food that is not beef based but is lamb or chicken or one of the fish based and get them used to that if it is different than your regular. I made sure that the brand I was feeding was available also in the US but brought along a week's worth supply with me. I had no problems at the border with the cat food - they never asked. Many grocery stores in the US and stores like PetSmart also carry variations of raw food diets in fridges or freezers so you may be able to pick up a suitable supply along the road that will get you to where you are going.

[Stuart and Thea 95]

I have dehydrated raw available as a backup, Honest Kitchen makes some superior food, it's from the US, and it's the reason why I know you can't import American beef to Canada even in pet food!

Orijen/Acana is a great company, but their food supply is sporadic with the fish brands, Evo is good, but never heard of Blue. At any rate, I'd go canned over kibble, but the dehydrated is perfect backup, I use it camping already!

[Penny Lane 8,159]

We will be splitting the trip up into two days as well.

He will be loose in the front of the truck with us and we plan on stopping every 2-3 hours so he can drink (will bring water and his water bowls) and stretch his legs and tire him out.

We'll be spending the night in a pet friendly hotel in Windsor and leaving early in the morning to cross the border.

I will have enough food for that first day (and will try to keep him on his regular feeding schedule) and I have an unopened bag for the second day. If I can't bring the unopened bag, that's fine, his food brand is available for purchase where we're headed, so yay for that.

He isn't microchipped, but I do have a collar for him that has all of my information on it.

He is the one I worry about the most on this trip. I don't care about my comfort, I just want him to have an enjoyable ride to his new home.

There is no way I will leave him alone in the car if they make my fiance come into secondary with me. My dog goes goes where I go. Not a freaking chance.

Edited July 23, 2011 by Coconuts