My hubby is bringing his work dog back to UK to live with us on Saturday. She is originally from holland but was flown from holland to Nigeria in April. She has a pet passport with required rabies titre test paperwork. On saturday she will fly with hubby from Nigeria to Paris, Paris to Amsterdam, then Amsterdam to Heathrow. (yes I know it seems a long winded route but the company are paying so can't complain too much).

I have checked on Defra and as far as I can tell she only needs the passport and to be treated for tapeworm before entering the UK but wanted to confirm this is correct? She isn't a breed recognised by the UK Kennel club so she won't be added to any breed registers so we don't need paperwork for that.

It all seems a bit 'too simple', I feel like we are missing something huge! Any advice would be great.

The main thing is has there been three full months since the blood was taken for the titre (and it was microchipped before the Rabies vaccine). 

If so then yes if the correct pet passport forms or equivalent certificate is complete.  Just need the tapeworm treatment more than 24 hours less than 5 days before entry to UK.

When you say she's flying with your husband do you mean she's flying into UK via CARGO as that's the only way she can enter UK on a plane, she can travel as far as Amsterdam with your husband as 'excess baggage', but not into any UK airports :-(

There are specific rules about coming in from 'other countries' of which Nigeria is one, which I'll have a look at.

Nigeria is a non listed country so it depends on when the rabies titre test was done -the rules say vaccinated, then 30 days later blood test, then a 3 months wait after that.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/pet-owners/#d

What breed is she? (Just being nosy LOL!)

Ok - checked and as long as she has a valid EU pet passport and has been titre tested in the EU before going to Nigeria you'll be fine on that passport.  Normally there's a 3 month wait after the valid titre test :-)

from DEFRA

Arrange a blood test - After your pet has been vaccinated, it must be blood tested to make sure the vaccine has given it a satisfactory level of protection against rabies. The blood sample must be taken at least 30 days after vaccination. The length of the waiting period before entry to the UK is three calendar months from the date your vet took the blood sample which led to a satisfactory test result. The three month waiting period will not apply if your pet was vaccinated and blood tested in the EU and issued with an EU pet passport before it went to an unlisted country.

I don't know all the exact dates, hubby has those but she has an EU pet passport issued in Holland, and she had a titre test before April (before she went to Nigeria) so I'm fairly sure there has been a 3 month wait anyway.

I did not know about the Cargo only rule into the UK though, although the company he works for (or won't as of Saturday) are sorting out the flights for the dog so they will be able to sort that anyway. She is i believe going as excess baggage as far as Amsterdam.

and..the all important question...she is a Dutch Shepherd. She won't necessarily be staying with us forever, he hopes to complete her training and find her a working home (but ill believe that when I see it!)

Just had a Google, they're striking looking dogs aren't they! To my untutored eye looking something between a GSD and a Malinois. Nice! :-)

We have Malinois here anyway, she is short coated like a Mali but Brindle in Colour, Hubby says she is just like our Mali's (which I think is why he has taken to her)

Oh wow, I LOVE The Dutch Shepherds!!! I assume this is a working one, but the show ones are SO pretty (Erm, no offence meant -but I think you know what I mean, same thing as with Malis!), have seen them at shows abroad, just like Brindle Malis. I've seen working ones here. Definitely a breed I'd love to have one day.

To my untutored eye looking something between a GSD and a Malinois.

Just like the Belgians they come in 3 coat types, personally of course I think the shortcoated ones are the nicest. :) It's almost exactly the same body and type as in a BSD, the working ones of course will be heavier in type etc. Virtually all photos Google came up with were working type, but I found this one (show type) which really shows how similar they are:
http://fotoalbum.hollandseherder.nl/Album%20KH/slides/Cindy%20v.d.%20%27s%20Gravenschans3.jpg

as long as she had the shot and then a 30 day wait and then an acceptable titre test you don't need the three month wait :-) I've long liked the look of the Dutch shepherds (I've GSDs myself), what sort of training is your husband doing with her? 

> as long as she had the shot and then a 30 day wait and then an acceptable titre test you don't need the three month wait :-)

If the dog has been to a non listed country it's titre test will only be valid if it is over 3 months old.

For example you couldn't titre test a dog go to a non listed country and return in under 3 months.

Im fairly certain the titre test was done a while ago. I will double check with him later.

She is a partially trained explosives detection dog but as he is leaving the company they were going to give her away as a 'gift' and he didn't want that for her so she is coming here. It has as all projects do turned into a nightmare, she cannot be shipped to the UK on saturday as they don't handle cargo at weekends and there is nowhere for her to be kennelled until next week so I think I will be going to collect them now!

Hope she is worth it, I don't do boats (get very sea sick) and have never driven abroad!

Well at least you won't have what my hubby and friend had collecting me from Brussels (closer than Amsterdam) in December 2010, with blizzards closed airports, rerouted/delayed flight etc.

Driving the other side of the road is fine, you only need to remember which side traffic will be approaching when coming in from slip roads and to go anticlockwise on roundabouts. 

I think she is working type, her ears look a bit big not to be! Don't have many pics yet but hopefully these two will work.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81283894@N07/7448747390/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81283894@N07/7448747098/

She is lovely ! Good luck with her here !

as long as she was done correctly in EU the 3 month rule doesn't apply - see the copied bit from DEFRA above, with a valid EU passport and originating in EU the 3 month rule is waived....

It's not too bad, but I'd take a sat nav to warn you of your speed as they're very hot on that sort of thing - the country with the most speed cameras I found was Belgium though....

Oh I do like her photos.  I do hope that hubby is able to convince you that she needs to stay!  :-)

Aw she's gorgeous, lovely of your hubbie to look out for her:)

Big ears LOL but WHAT a pretty face!!! Love her.

only if 3 months have already elapsed from when they already had the titre test done, without a titre and a 3 month wait a dog that has been in a non listed country can't come in.

If that's not the case then it is very dangerous.

They definitely cannot come in without the 3 months wait, which the link I posted yesterday explain, copy and paste from it:

What you need to do if you are entering the UK from an unlisted non-EU country via an EU or non-EU listed country

    Under the new rules a pet from an unlisted country, whether directly or via a non-EU country, will be allowed to enter the UK without quarantine as long as they meet the EU entry requirements detailed above (microchip, vaccinated against rabies, blood sample 30 days after vaccination and then three months wait).
    As pet travel rules for entry to the UK will be the same as the rest of the EU there is no advantage in entering another EU country before onward transfer to the UK i.e to avoid quarantine.

> I'd take a sat nav to warn you of your speed as they're very hot on that sort of thing

Since January in France a law was passed that made it illegal to have speed camera alerts on your sat nav, high on spot fines if they find you have them.  so you need to disable them.  You are also supposed to carry single use Breathalyzers from 1st July, but the fine is only EUR11, about the price of two of the packs.

Also you must have high viz vests, warning triangle and those things for your lights to shift the direction so you don't blind them driving the other side.

Rules for driving in France

Her blood test was done on 12/3/12 so we are ok on that one.

Getting her in is proving more complicated than we thought though! She is going on the flights with hubby as far as Amsterdam but there needs to be a minimum connecting time of 2 hours at Paris, his was 1hr 55 so she wasn't allowed on. Had to change the second flight to a later one, Just waiting for confirmation now that she is booked on.

As for the trip from Amsterdam, we are having to pay for this now and the cost of kenneling my 3 dogs, 2 ferry crossings and a 1000 mile round trip was getting pretty high so she is now going to stay with a friend in Amsterdam from Sat until Mon then she is coming over as Cargo to Heathrow on Monday as it worked out cheaper in the long run.

I think after all this effort she will end up staying! :)

Lovely looking girly :)

Hope all works out :)

> I think after all this effort she will end up staying! :-)

She looks a sweetheart