Need to ask a couple of questions, so if anyone has done this, can you pm me please.

Never done it Sam but we did spend our honemoon cruising the Russian waterways from St Petersburg to Moscow and I have to say of all the dogs I saw over there not one was looked after properly. Not to say that everyone in Russia is like that I am sure there are great dog lovers there but I think the general treatment is not so good as in Britain. I do know the show contingent is quite lively and I am sure we only saw the "street" dogs really as I assume the better kept ones were not out roaming.
I think the general animal welfare is not too good, we did see quite a few incidences of "have your picture taken" men with baby bears and monkeys. And There were lots of roaming dogs if you went off the beaten track (My OH is terrible for wandering off...not so good in Russia they do like you to follow the guides like sheep!!) He wandered off inside the Kremlin and was severly chastized for it!! I need to keep him on a flexy lead or one day he will be carried off to a sleezy goal in some far flung country....
We went to the State curcus, after worrying about it as we knew there would be animals there but decided that it would be such a shame to not visit while we were there but I was not surprised to see big cats posing for pictures (were they doped?? Probably) The human acts were wonderfull and it is a big part of what Moscow is about along with the ballet... (Wonderfull)... but If I went back I would not go again. Pity really as the acts were so very clever but I was not happy about the animals. They looked well  but I worry about training methods.
Knowing you and your vetting process I am sure all will be well!!
Aileen

Funnily enough I had an enquiry for a puppy today from Russia, had to translate much of it through Google.

I have exported to Russia St Petersburg in fact there was a lot of Red tape and did it though Air pets in the end they send you all the requirements pick puppy up, are fantasic with them and sort everything out for the other end which can be hard going. PM me if you need any help

Karin

Hi Sam,

I had one go to Sochi just a few weeks ago.. It was a freind of mine's sister.

They are unbelieveable relaxed about most things. 

Pam

Apart from the fact it is such a huge place so we have to be careful not to generalise on the whole country,  I know a few of my Russian friends when they want another show puppy always buy another one in rather than breed their own as they are a bit worried were they would end up.  That said the people I know are in a very very good area and buy only what the intend to keep for life themselves.

hmmmm like I said....if anyone has done it then a pm please. I dont need to know what its like there, ive been enough......and my vetting process is the same as it is for any ovrseas export....only to people I know personally.

That was really my point , for people not to generalise. If the breeder has doen their checks other peoples opinions off the place don't matter :-)

Happy to help if I can.

i haven't but my friend has.  fell free to pm me and i;'ll pass  any queries you have on.

I'd agree with merlot, I am Polish and generally animal welfare is still pretty low down on the list of priorities, and attitudes to dogs are what they may have been here 30 - 50 years ago.

Generally society still thinks of a dog as something to tie outside the house to guard, or to use for hunting, not generally as part of the family, though of course there are exceptions. 

I have exported a bitch to Poland, but ti was to a friend, who had a more enlightened attitude, and she was never bred from, but was shown.

well im glad that all my central and eastern friends are not like this. Certainly all the polish bloodhound people I have met, have the same attitude to their hounds as in the UK.

Oh Sam, I didn't mean dog people as we think of them (which are probably considered even more eccentric there than they are here).

I know some lovely people very into their dogs and canine welfare. but the society in general, is not like that, and it would be very hard to be a dog breeder worthy of the name in that country trying to find the sort of loving pet homes most of our puppies in most breeds are likely to end up being.. 

I am sure it is just the same in any country. 

For example I even committed the cardinal sin of selling a puppy to a family in Japan.