Hi

In July/August I will be collecting a bitch from Italy who we are importing in whelp. Her passport is valid now so we are quite flexible about when we collect her (she is due in season in July). I was wondering what people's thoughts were about the safest time in pregnancy to undertake such a journey. I know the answer ideally is probably not to but we have to get her across somehow and I feel driving her is less stressful than flying.

We will have a large air conditioned estate car and she is used to car travel having being shown around Italy quite a bit. She is an easy going bitch and knows us from a previous visit so hopefully she will cope OK. We will take the journey quite easy so she is not in the car for long periods (though in fact the car may be more comfortable than outside in Italy in August!) and we will be staying overnights en route in motels where she can be in the room with us. And we have a portable fridge that runs from the cig lighter so we will have plenty of cold water all the time etc.

But I would obviously like to minimise risk to her or the puppies. Would it be better to get her very soon after mating or wait a few weeks for the embryos to attach? Would appreciate people's thoughts.

Thanks
Janet