Travelling with a dog from the U.S. to Germany

My girlfriend and I are planning to move to the city in mid may but have run into some complications transporting her dog over. is there a certain airline which has a REASONABLE fee for pets (her dog is a little smaller than a Lab size) or any other suggestions for someone who has gone thru this hurdle? our goal is to transport our little on safely, so as not to be subjected to ice cold temperatures, etc, but not spend an arm and a leg doing so. thanks for any help, it is much appreciated!

to fly a dog on the same flight as you but not in the cabin it is (or was back in Dec. 2006) $220 to go Munich to Milwaukee, WI. That was for a 43lb dog and it's crate (large size crate).
United's rate is about the same as others.

I'm not quite sure what you're looking for or what you consider a reasonable fee or ice cold temperatures.
If i remember correctly the temp and pressure controlled hold the larger (non-carry on) pets travel in is 60F? possibly 55F? I think it says on the United website.

If you're flying the dog 'cargo' (as in not the same flight as you) it's a lot more. I think it cost me around $700 or so back in September 2005 (for the same dog and crate).

Hi
I flew my husky over from Atlanta to Munich (then took the train to Berlin). It cost 1500 on Lufthansa - which was actually more than my flight in coach cost. However, they took good care of him - he was fed, watered, and walked as soon as the plane landed. Part of why it cost so much was because we flew in the beginning April 2006, which meant I had to pay the extra cost of heating part of the cargo hold.

Also, don't forget that if you want to avoid quarantine, start early with the vet visits. 6 mos, 3 mos, 1 month then 10 days before you leave. Make sure you have a EU ready micro chip in the dog (they'll require it), the international vet certifications - and a USDA certificate for the dog. The fees for each of these will vary, but in the end, if you have them all AND a healthy pup, you'll be able to avoid the quarantine and take him home with you straight away.

Good Luck - bringing the pup is a decision I've never regretted, I doubt you will too!

phoenix-rose- what are you talking about with all those vet visits?
you need a blingual health form and a current rabies vaccination.

Not sure, Mere, but could she be thinking of the UK? I know it isn't that complicated for Germany.

here are three other threads on this topic with more than enough info for you.
The best thing to do is- call the airlines you're thinking of flying with and ask the price (have your crate size/dimensions and dog's weight with you when you call).
After that sort out the vet stuff. The vet part is super easy. (so is the airline part)

thread one talking about dogs going from the US to Germany

thread two talking about flying with dogs

thread three talking about importing pets

Rabies is the only thing they worry about and they overdo it. Rabies is just not that prevalent and no animal that has been yearly vaccinated should ever be quarantined. Its a stupid law that doesn't reflect the reality of many truly civilized countries where vaccinations are mandatory for pets.

Bipa- that's possible. not sure. The UK has gotten 'better' due to the pet scheme, there is still more required than going to Germany, but... Either way. To get a dog into Germany basically you need a valid bilingual vet form filled out and proof of current vaccinations (mainly Rabies) and an ISO standard microchip (so if coming from the Us that's the tricky part- make sure your chip is int'l and not just US. more and more places are starting to use the int'l chips, but depending on when/where your dog was chipped it might vary).

*sigh* I think I had to have so many visits b/c mine's a husky which means he's got some wolf in him... so they're never quite sure how all the vaccines and yadda yadda take. Most were a walk in, yep, he's healthy, walk out type deal.

I've never been to the UK - I just know that I was told repeatedly to get him into Germany at the time - and those were the requirements.

Do NOT go cheap on this one. Trust me. Dogs have died down there, I know two people who have had that horrible experience. Have the vet prescribe a mild sedative for the trip. Take the best airline you can take, regardless of the cost. This is not a place to cut corners. Once you get your dog here, life is great, because dogs can go everywhere.

DO NOT GIVE YOUR DOG A SEDATIVE.

All the vets and the airlines will say the same thing. Giving the dog a sedative increases the chances that he will die because the affects of the sedative changes at 35,000 feet.

DO NOT GIVE YOUR DOG A SEDATIVE.

ditto what Phoenix-rose said!
yogadiva- where are you getting your advice? why would you sedate a dog when medications have different effects at different altitudes and no one is in the hold with your dog to know how it is doing. There is no need to sedate the dog. The dog should be already crate trained, used to loud noises and movement. Sure... it might not be lovely experience for the dog and the dog will probably be stressed for a bit, but that's better than a health risk that could've been avoided.

If you feel you need to give the dog something then go with a 'natural remedy' you can get some of bach's herbal stuff or rescue remedy. i'd say use it a few times so you know how much and how it affects your dog, but rescue remedy is just a bunch of holistic herbs.
A few drops of rescue remedy on a dog treat and lavender behind the dogs ears often helps calm the dog down without being a possible health risk.

Two other products to consider are D.A.P. (Dog Appeasing Pheremone) and RELAXAN. Both will help relieve stress without actually sedating your dog and you can get them online or else through your vet.

For travel, RELAXAN is probably the better of the two. Essentially a multi-vitamin pill that can be given to dogs and cats, it relies on the principle that L-Tryptophan is a naturally occuring amino acid which is a chemical precursor to serotonin. It helps keep animals (and us!) calm and better able to handle stress. Also available as other brands like Nutricalm. Or you can just feed your dog lots of turkey for a few days prior to travel, which also contains higher amounts of tryptophan.

We brought our little one over just this pass Jan 2008. It was $75 each way from the US to here, but she flew in cabin with me. We gave her the same pill I give her when we travel in a car. It is small and pink. It worked great! No problems.

As far as the country, they required a chip in place and flying papers showing that the dog has all shots and that they are current. The cost was $70 from the vet and is good only for 10 days. Another good tip is to put your name and contact information in both English and German on the crate or bag.

Make sure you fly directly from US into Germany. You do not want to go thru a country like England where they will take the dog and quarantine it.

Also, make sure you check the list of breeds that are not allowed into the country. I hear that certain breeds have to take an aggression test later when they are registered.

It seems that prices have really changed since I came over ('98). I flew Delta and paid $100 for my dog (75lbs) and $100 for the rabbit in my lap. I chose not to sedate my dog and he was totally freaked out--BUT he got over it relatively quickly. We flew Pittsburg-Atlanta-Zurich-Munich. I would definitely try to fly with as few stops as posssible if I had to do it again. I think they took pretty good care of him. He almost was not allowed to fly because the stop in Atlanta was going to be too hot. I had to postpone the flight a week and it was still too hot. After I about died of heartache at the gate in Pittsburgh, they said they would let him fly and take him out in Atlanta and then reload him when it was time. They actually did this!!! I saw a really big guy sticking his nose right up to the carrier and talking to my dog as he guided him up the ramp. That was so cool!

The poor dog though was so nervous when I claimed him at baggage. He shook the entire hour trip to the house where I was staying. He sat in my lap the whole way. Unfortunately he stunk really bad cause he peed all through his carrier. No matter. He was completely fine the next day. I am so glad to have him here! He is still here--just turned 11!

Well, good luck!