I am starting to consider bringing in a puppy from Europe.  I have read the new DEFRA rules etc but can't make head nor tail of it to be honest :o

I have heard people say that they have travelled to breeders in Germany etc and brought home dogs there self and not had to do passports and customs etc etc.

Now I am not sure if you can travel to a breeders, collect your puppy and bring it home on the tunnel thing in the car yourself ? what exactly goes on.

I have done Ireland to and from, with the dogs in the car and gone to southern Ireland and no one has ever cared to even ask about the dogs, I know it's not as strict but you should have documents I believe.

Of course I'm thinking about it ATM so need to be ready and know what it is I actually need to do.  So complicated, but I'm not blessed with brains I'm afraid :D so if this comes across as a dumb question my apologies

Hi,

It is quite straight forward now - once you get used to DEFRA! :-)
You can travel to the breeders and collect your puppy but it must have been vaccinated against rabies first, then after 21 days you can bring it into the UK, providing you comply with the other criteria for the Pet Passport.
This should cover it ; http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/

Jeff.

Once the pup has been vacinated against Rabies and had the correct worm treatment and has it's pet passport you can get on the train and drive back. We are driving over to Holland and driving back via the tunnel later this year. (For a mating not a pup)
Aileen

as others have said, it's very straightforward, I went to Germany for a pup in January...

your pup has to be 3 months old, it has to be microchipped and then can be rabies vaccinated.  The vet fills in the pet passport which you need when you come into the UK.  after 21 days your pup can travel - but must be wormed by the vet (and the passport completed) and then you have to wait 24hours and have 5 days to return to the UK.  The person you're buying from should sort all this.  Pup will be close to 4 months of age.

I went by ferry, but it's similar on the chunnel - you stop at customs and they scan your pup and check the pet passport, you get on the train and come into UK - where they will look at the pet passport and may recheck the microchip.

I went by ferry, but it's similar on the chunnel - you stop at customs and they scan your pup and check the pet passport, you get on the train and come into UK - where they will look at the pet passport and may recheck the microchip.

For the channel tunnel the only check is done in France, not at customs but at their special pet passport place at the terminal, before you board the train, nothing is checked when you arrive, you just drive off the train and leave.

thanks for the help :)  will look into the pet passport for my own dogs.

first thing must make contact with breeder and register an interest of future litters :D