Can anyone tell me about importing puppies. I know there has been changes in the law recently.
Quarentine for a puppy in my opinion is to long. I have heard about the pet passport?
Also about if they have a vet certificate saying they have been health checked, also had there
rabbies jab. They are aloud to came on a pet passport, is this true?

You can bring them in on the pet passport but you need to realise that by the time that they've had their rabies, blood tests etc. done it is about 9 months of age before a dog can come into this country.  The DEFRA site will tell you what you exactly need to do and when/

How come then on some of the American sites they say next day puppies?

Warm Regards

They can ship them to arrive in the UK the next day, but in that case they need to do 6 months quarantine. If you go through that route the 'pup' comes to the new home at about 8 months of age. If you use the pet passport route it's 10 months old.

Of course, within the US there's no quarantine like that.

Can you use the Pet Pass. Scheme to USA, I thought it was only for Europe, Don't know what made me think that.

Here are the lists of EU and non-EU countries from which animals can enter under Pet Passport (referred to as 'pets') Scheme.

I have lying by my feet a 3 year old male dog who we imported to the UK at 9 1/2 weks of age and he spent 6 months in solitary confinement.  I visited him 3 times a wek and one of his other owners once a week throughout.

He has such a lovely temperament that he bounced out of thre with no problems and actually atended his first show 3 days later.  He showed in 3 classes and got better with each class, as at first he didn't understand going round the ring, as he had only ever done an up and down his run :D

I think the actual pups temperament is very important if they are to go into quarantine.

Also gatting a pup on Pet Passport at 10 mo0nths old can be almost as difficult as at that age they may find the flight and change in home more traumatic and they won't have gottento know you.  the cost is likely to be similar as you would need to pay for 8 months board and lodging with the breeder as opposed to 6 months kenneling fees in Quarantine. 

The only plus of course is the dog could be socialised, but you would need toi know that this would be done, as s pup kept in kennels would be little better off than one going through Quarantine.

As I a badly wanted a puppy from abroad I obtained mine from a bitch brought into the UK in whelp.

No quarantine, no waiting until 10 months old when 90% of my basic training is done in the first nine months.

Have never understood how it is that pups can leave quarantine at weeks old and their Mums either have to finish 6 months in there or be re-exported.

Because the pups are born over here in the UK - no problemo :D ....... but I think I would still worry!!

Margot

Yes but they are in daily contact with the bitch who may ahve Rabies which is why she is in Quarantine?  Or is it if she were incubating the disease they woudl automatically be immune through maternal antibodies?  Would love to know the scientific justification.

My thoughts, too!

As far as I know you're right about the maternal antibodies ;)

Pups under 12 weeks are considered not to be able to catch / carry rabies hence why quarantine born are released at 8 weeks and puppies exported from for eg. the UK don't require rabies injections prior to reaching 12 weeks.

Strange but true .......
(as I understand it anyway :P )   Teri

Teri,

An animal of any age can catch rabies. The only reason why a puppy under 12 weeks of age could not catch rabies is because it still carries antibodies from its mother.   Which is why in the U.S. puppies are innoculated against rabies at 12-16 weeks of age. 

All dogs entering quarrantine are injected with the rabies vaccine, even if they've been innoculated previously and the vaccine is still in the effective stage.  I suspect that the reason why 8 week old puppies would be released from quarantine is because they would have been well protected via mom.

Stacey