doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com impoorting a dog from Europe, has anyone done it

I may have an opportunity to get a Kleine Munsterlander pup from someone I know in Switzerland next year. She is a hunter and her whole familiy are hunters and they run KM's.I met her [censored - come on man!]. very nice dog, perfect size, super friendly and according to my friend, a hell of a retriever.

A pup must e 12 weeks old to travel out of Switzerland. no other s restrictions to US.
my concerns are the traveling part. it seems like airlines wont let me buy a seat for a crate to sit next to me.

so, my worry is the trauma of being in a cargo hold for 8+ hours. Swissair has a special section, air conditioned, temperature controlled for dogs in crates. But I would rather have her in cabin in a crate.
what are your experiences and suggestions/advice?

Why not use Space A and go get her.

I'm pretty sure you can use one of the very small crates as a carry on and put it under the seat to your front. Assuming the pup will fit of course. My wife worked for a few different airlines mover 20+ years and has told me that people do it all the time.

I'm further informed that this is known as "Pet in cabin" and there is a fee associated with it. Also, there can be import regs concerning things like health certificates and quarantining that need to be resolved ahead of time.

I have imported 2 Bernese Mt Dogs. One from Belgium. One from Slovakia.

One came in to JFK. One Newark. Both were 9-10 weeks old

Newark was easier. All shots, Pawsport etc

Both were not in Summer. There are restrictions. Fall and Winter.

Direct flight. Gryffon is next to me as I type.

Brian:

A friend of mine brought an Irish Water Spaniel pup back from England in 2006. That pup was 8 or 9 weeks old, and he was allowed to keep him in a crate at his feet.

Now that was 2006, and he flew non-stop from London Heathrow to Dulles. I'm not a fan of shipping pups. I much prefer traveling to the breeder and picking the pup up and bringing home. But this one is in Switzerland. You mentioned traveling to get the pup, I would. Contact the various airlines that have routes to and from and ask what their policies are about keeping the pup with you. That is a long trip in a cargo hold. Good luck.

Why put yourself and a pup through all that stress and aggravation?

A lot can happen on a flight that can traumatize a little puppy.

You can find better dogs from that breed in North America.


OWD

I know I can use a crate that fits under the seat. if the pup is small at 12 weeks that would work.

as far as stress and aggravation. dealing with Swissair has always been easy. they appear to have a very dog friendly policy.
no quarantine for dogs coming from Switzerland to US.

I dont see how you would get a better dog here than SWitzerland or Germany. Germany is the origin and they have pretty strict breeding requirements. Switzerland is even more thorogugh. as I saym, the Swiss make the Germans look like Italians!!!!


Yes things can happen. Thats what I have to determine the risk/reward.

When's the last time they had any real/substantial wild bird hunting in that part of Europe?

Not released birds or driven birds, but real wild birds hunted with pointing dogs. Sure, they shoot some woodcock here and there, but there's not much of it. Same with partridge.

Have they ever had wild bird hunting in Switzerland?

So who cares about breeding requirements when there's no wild game to run the dogs on or to refine their hunting abilities and bloodlines?

You can set up tests and play hunting games. But only wild birds make birds dogs.

And why would a breeder in Germany or Switzerland sell you their best dogs? You can't help them build their reputation in their region. Better to sell you the less promising pups in a litter. Great way to get rid of them and make some money.

Also, a lot can happen to a puppy on a flight that long. Leaving its mother/kennel will be the most stressful thing that has ever happened to that puppy. Now it's going to an airport, being handled by different people, being exposed to different sounds and smells, and this is going on for a while.


OWD

I have no knowledge of the breed of dog that Brian wants to bring from Europe, but I do have a bit of experience with importing Greyhounds from Ireland. These are retired racing dogs or ones that never developed into racers. Their ages range from 2 to about 5 yo. Brian doesn't mention the age of the dog he has in mind.

These Irish greyhounds are flown in batches of four to six from London to Raleigh on a non-stop American Airlines flight lasting about 8 1/2 hours. They are shipped in large individual crates clearly marked "LIVE ANIMALS". Add at least an hour or so for crating and loading/unloading on each end of the flight So the dogs are in crates for 10+ hours PLUS the time it tales to ship them from Dublin to London. The AA flight to Raleigh typically flies at an altitude of about 40,000 feet where the outside air temp is about -70 F. The atmosphere in the portion of the cargo area where the dogs are carried is surely controlled.

In spite of the travel process, the dogs are surprisingly well adjusted when they arrive here. Tails wag, they enjoy a bit of human attention, and seem no worse for the wear. I usually help out by taking one somewhere near the cargo area so the dog can relieve itself, drink some water, and walk around to stretch its legs. Then it's off to the person who will foster it prior to adoption.

The bottom line to all this is that shipping a dog by air for a log distance isn't as bad as we might think.

OWD and Brian bring up valid points. Brian, have you looked into the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA)? They recognize both the small (Kleine) and large Munsterlander. A breeder search through them should put you on a pathway to finding a breeder that actually hunts wild birds.

I agree with OWD regarding wild birds. Hunt Tests are fun, and a great way to keep a dog in shape. They are also a great way to evaluate desire and prey drive, and to meet like-minded folks. But, dead ducks thrown from a launcher don't dive, or swim off into cover. They don't run into the thickest cover in a field. All too often, breeders slap a JH title on their dogs and advertise them as "field or hunting stock."

The true test is wild birds. I agree with Brian on strict breeding standards. Most breed organizations here in the USA would never stand for a breed warden. That is why research of both breeder and pedigree, to include dogs other than just the sire and dam is important.