tuckerdc

Will do the same inquiry on the Canadian board of course, but just wondering if there's important stuff we need to know if we want our pooch to accompany us on a driving trip to the Magdalen Islands...?

dfrostnh

This is a very important question. I know you have to have health and vacination certificates. There should be a website with the info.

annieO

You need to get a special permit from your vet before taking a dog into Canada. We got one for our dog last year and I think it was $25.00 (and then we left him home).

nytraveler

Before taking your dog on any trip be sure that s/he is implanted with an ID chip - in case of any problems. (Really every pet should have this - but it's much more important for a dog traveling than one that never leaves the backyard.

And you will need proof from your vet that your dog has all the proper vaccinations within the required time period.

starrsville

Bringing Pets Into Canada

DOGS: Current, there is no quarantine for import of pet dogs. If you have several dogs, you may be asked to provide certification that they are your personal pets and not for resale. These conditions apply to temporary visits and in-transit visits.

Dogs may enter Canada if accompanied by a valid rabies vaccination certificate issued, in either English or French, by a licensed veterinarian, which clearly identifies the dogs and shows that they are currently vaccinated against rabies. This certificate should identify the dog, as in breed, color, weight, etc., plus indicate the name of the licensed rabies vaccine used (trade name), serial number and duration of validity (up to 3 years). Please note if a validity date does not appear on the certificate, then it is considered a one-year vaccine.

There is no waiting period between the time the dog is vaccinated for rabies and the time it is imported into Canada.

If the above requirements are not met, an inspector will order the owner to have the dog vaccinated for rabies within a period of time specified in the order and to provide the vaccination certificate to an inspector, all at the owner's expense.

* Note: Rabies vaccination or certification is not required if the dogs are less than three (3) months of age.

SPECIAL PURPOSE DOGS: Service dogs that are certified as a guide, hearing or other service dog are not subject to any restrictions for importation where the person importing the dog is the user of the dog and accompanies the dog to Canada.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/...onal_1170.html

kireland

On the Canada board someone has replied with the requirements (looks like a vet issued valid rabies certificate is all that's needed).

I have a (sort of) related question so I hope it's okay to post it here...

We are planning to drive to Toronto from DC to visit family (8-9 hr drive). We will be going for a week and would like to bring our 3 yr old yellow lab. He is a very happy well mannered boy and in great health BUT he is a maniac in the car! He has a really hard time settling and usually roams around the back of the SUV the whole time, whining, shedding and dripping everywhere! It appears that he is overstimulated by all that is going on outside the windows (we think this because the only time he has ever chilled out in the car is a night when there isn't much to see). So far he's only done short trips (to the vet or dog park) and before taking the long trip we are going to consult our vet about giving him something to make the trip less stressful for all of us. Have any of you had something prescribed (or otherwise advised) for your dog to take the edge off in a similar situation?

Thanks very much!

starrsville

The right answer is, ask your vet.

Not in the car, but I had a dog that would just get herself in a tizzy. We were using Benedryl for skin allergies (per the vet) so when she'd get a bit hyper, I'd give her a Benadryl to calm her down a bit. She was a small dog and would chew a children's Benadryl tablet.

But, ask your vet.

SusanM

Our dog is 1/2 lab and also acts this way in the car. We don't take him anywhere we don't have to!

We have vet-prescribed doggie downers for when he goes to Wisconsin with us, and they work very well. We've found that it takes a couple hours for them to start working, so we plan accordingly. They can also take forever to wear off - I'd say 6-7 hours.

kireland

Starrsville - We are definitely going to consult the vet - wouldn't dream of self-prescribing for our Duke!

SusanM - how does your dog behave on the downers? Do they more or less put him out or is he just a bit more mellow? Do you recall what the drug is called?

Thanks!

starrsville

kireland, when the pup was frantic (either from scratching or just one of her tizzys) we'd ask, "Gracie, do you need a Benadryl?". She'd get up and trot into the kitchen and wait by the drawer that held her Benadryl. She knew what it meant and she knew when she wanted/ needed it.

The good news is that she was a great traveler. 4 pups in the car and they would settle down and be asleep within minutes - no medication . Gracie would always get up to navigate when there was any change in speed or direction.

It was an easy solution for her. None of the other 3 have ever needed it - but it sure helped her.

wliwl

kireland:
Would a crate fit in the back of your SUV? My dogs (and I!) are much happier inside a crate in the car.

Rachel

In addition to your dog's rabies certificate, i would bring your dog license. Also, there is a different micro chip system in canada than the us. We learned as our dogs are immigrants from Canada and our vet here in NY cant read the chips. we had to have new chips put in them. Maybe that's changed (our dogs are 2 years old). when we brought our dogs into the US as puppies, the customs agents barely checked anything, Actually, they simply asked us were we were, what we were bringing back and we told them each time, a puppy, which was clearly visible. It was sort of scary-i can envision drug dealers using cute little puppies as drug mules.

lovetolaugh

Starrsville - I have an "itchy" Gracie also!! Is she by chance a Schnauzer? Your benadryl story is a hoot!

Ruff

Our dog whines and talks in the car for hours on end, and our Vet suggested one benedryl. And I'm writing to tell you that it doesn't always work. No real difference in our doggie. After about 3 hours he gets tired...but it is a long 3 hours!

starrsville

Yes, Gracie was a schnauzer. She was my heart.
She knew EXACTLY what the question meant, and she knew when she needed a Benadryl - either for itchy skin or just a tizzy
Ask her the question, and she'd run to the Benadryl drawer! My first schnauzer took (prescribed by the vet) prednisone and I contribute his early demise to it. Benadryl was a wonderful substitute for it for Gracie.

lovetolaugh

I'll have to try that. We are currently giving her Prednisone shots and I hate doing it. I know it's not good for her in the long run. Would you believe at one point we were both on the same prescription medicine for itching!! It works for me but not for her. I'm going to give the Benadryl a try. Thanks!

SusanM

Sorry I didn't get back to you, Kireland, I lost track of this thread. Hubby knows the name of the drug, but he's still sleeping and the label has come off the bottle.

It doesn't put the dog out entirely, he's just very mellow. You can tell by his eyes when he's on it - they're sleepy looking.

MikeT

If the dog hates to travel and needs to be drugged, then why take it on an 8-10 hour car ride? I can understand if one has to move, but if the dog hates the trip so much, why put the dog through it just becuase you want it along?????

SusanM

I don't know if anyone's talking about 7-8 hours in the car, MikeT. In our case, it's a four hour drive to my sister's farm, where our dog is in doggie heaven running free with his three doggie cousins. At home he's never let off the leash, because he has never once failed to run away, but when he's with them, he doesn't leave their side.

kireland

My trip is an 8-10 hour drive and we don't think our dog hates the car - quite the opposite - he seems to love the car and is over excited about getting to be in the car! He acts happy - tail wagging, jumping around, runing from window to window - but he can't just mellow out and sit looking out the window, which may indicate stress and that is why we are going to speak to the vet about a mild sedative. We want to take him with us so that he doesn't have to stay in a kennel for a week and where we're going he would have tons of fun running free, swimming etc. so it would be great if he could come. We'll wait to see what the vet says. Thanks for the advice so far!