Has anyone got experience of flying with a recently served bitch?    We need to go to Sweden to the stud dog , and it's the choice between ferry (2x18 hours + another ferry) or driving to Schipol (Amsterdam) and both myself and the bitch flying.     I am slightly hesitant about flying the bitch home again.

Any ideas  or tips would be appreciated

Jo

Hi Jo

Sorry can't help you decide, but we did a similar exercise and opted to bring her home without flying her.

We took our girl to Sweden for mating (flew out) and she came back via the Channel Tunnel.  We flew home without her after the mating and then went a bit later with our car to collect her.

Didn't fancy flying her home.  I'm sort of sure she would have been OK but knowing it might be stressful/loud/bumpy on the flight was perturbed that the strain might not be good for her. 

Probably being a worrier but expensive exercise and apart from the bitches welfare didn't want to do anything to jeopardise the potential pregnancy as it was long planned!

Opted for the CT as the dog is in the car with you the whole time, with the ferry, as you know passengers are not allowed to remain on the cargo deck so dog has to travel solo. 

It was a long journey as we don't live anywhere near the CT and of course, the trek up through all the countries en route to collect her was a long drive. 

Luckily, the stud dog owner kindly offered to drive her part of the journey.  We met up in North Holland where we rendezvoused, collected our girl and turned around and drove back to the UK - took us 32 hrs from home to north Holland and back.

She had a successful pregnancy so a good outcome.

Chrissy

The easiest -although not quickest- way to Sweden is to take the ferry to Holland, drive through Holland, Germany and Denmark and take the bridge over to Sweden. If you take the ferry overnight (ideally from Harwich as that is quicker than from Hull) you can do the driving in a day (roughly 12 hours including stops) but you do arrive in Southern Sweden -if you want to go to Stockholm it's another 7-ish hours car journey but it's by far the nicest option for the bitch. I've done it for showing and I'm planning to do it for a mating as well. If you go via the channel tunnel you effectively add two more countries to your route (France and Belgium) so waste a lot of time.

Thanks folks - at what stage do you do the worming that Sweden needs?  Which bridge is it into Sweden from Denmark?

Luckily i need to go near Gothenburg, so not too far that end.

You have a full ten days for the worming and Frontline to get to Sweden. The bridge from Denmark to Sweden is Öresundsbron -website here:
http://uk.oresundsbron.com/page/34 It's a lovely experience!

Thanks for that Marianne - I didn't know it existed!

Jo

I'm sure you are aware :) but thought I should mention that for Sweden the passport rules are different to the UK passport so do make sure your dog has been tested according to their rabies regulations as well... Not sure what the entry rules are if flying from UK to Sweden but if going through Europe definitely need to have them right.

id drive any time, id never fly an adult in Europe when driving is so esy, and flying so mega stressful (well for my breed anyway)

Flying they just have to have the passport if they're coming directly from the UK without landing anywhere else.  Coming through the other countries they need to have their titres taken after 120 days have passed from their rabies jabs.  I've spent the last few weeks trying to figure this all out.

To Chris

How long did it take you to get from the Tunnel to Sweden?  We're travelling by car when we go (we're only an hour or two away from the Tunnel).  We're heading to Orebro - not quite as far as Stockholm.  So I'm curious how long it took you to cover the distance you did.  I've not driven on the continent before so am doing as much research as I can and somehow I think my GPS is lying to me when it says I can do it in 16 hours (from the tunnel to where I'm going).

Thanks

ps - a lot of people going to Sweden to breed...  and in different breeds.  That's really interesting.

Could you not fly from UK and come back to Schipol?  If it makes the human ticket dearer may not be worth ti.

I flew my girl back from Finland one local flight and then from Helsinki, no problems in 2006.

I will be doing Heathrow to new York, New York Brussels and then Ferry home via Dunkirk to Dover.  Just have to hope it doesn't get too cold to fly.

Jo I would not be worrried about flying your bitch home as long as you do it soon after the mating ie before day 12 post mating

Just one question Jo.  Does her Rabies and blood tire test conform with Swedish standards?

If she was blood tested a months after a Rabies shot and not since then she won't comply as they require a blood test not less than 120 days after a Rabies shot, up to 364 days after one.

Not sure if she has not travelled outside UK whether they allow dogs from UK to still go straight in without this, and you'll be OK for your return for the UK PETS rules.  Should you want to go again though you'd need to have the Swedish timings.

Now I'm getting confused and a little worried.    Her passport has two initial rabies shot, with clear blood taken after the second shot, then a rabies booster three years later, on  21st August this year.

Do I need another antibody titre, because I don't really have time for the result........

If I drive, do they check at the bridge?

Jo

Yes the rules are bloods taken at least 120 days after rabies vacc, then the passport is ready instantly for entry to Sweden, no wait.

If you drive, they will not check passport at borders. At the bridge, it's pot luck. We stopped and TOLD somebody to check it -who then promptly looked at the wrong page for a split second, said okay and waved us on. They are pretty bad at checking in Sweden including at airports.