I aenten't dead

[commodorified]

Though I do presently have the flu. Which probably means a few posts in the next couple of days.

At the moment I'm researching the best way to get the dog (Oh, heck, um, hi, everyone, we got a dog! This is Bogart!)




Anyway, that's where I've been. Glued to a dog who's had a stressful start in life and is still half-convinced he's going to be taken away from us and moved to another shelter cage at any moment. It's a lot.

So. Researching ways to get Bogart out west with me when I next go to see Mom. If that seems the best option — like a lot of rescues he's anxious, and he bonded to me first, so the question is is he best without me but with the family or with me for the long visit but crated for the trip.

Most dog-owners I've asked about flying with dogs too big for the cabin have said, basically, "well, if it's your ONLY choice ..." and that has been consistent across many people who don't know each other, so.

Via Rail allows dogs on the Canadian, under certain conditions.

A test-run seems indicated once he's doing better with the crate thing.

Do I have any friends in Toronto or Montreal who would enjoy having me and a 40lb dog to visit for probably two nights? He is good with kids and adults and possibly TOO fond of cats — he tries to bring them his toys.

He is *great* with other dogs and that's not me being fond - he continually surprises me by his diplomacy and capacity to get shy or tiny dogs to play with him. He was in the system for a year before he got to us (and a stray dumped in the Everglades before that) and so finds the human environment puzzling quite often - stairs and leashes took a fair bit of explaining - but it turns out he has vast experience in group dog situations and is a joy to walk off-leash.

He's not as good about distinguishing toys from not-toys, but I stay on top of him fairly well and would likely keep him out for most of the days anyway.

Comments

[mme_hardy]

Hi Bogart! Welcome to love. And nice to hear from you, too, er .. whatshername ... *g*

[commodorified]

*tosses a slightly damp Kong Wubba at you*

[tree_and_leaf]

What a good dog!

[commodorified]

SUCH a good dog.

[legionseagle]

What a lovely dog. Sorry I can't help with the practical side (though given he's an elder statesdog I imagine anyone who has a number of dogs would be delighted to see him.)

[commodorified]

When he graduates to "cargo ship Montreal-Liverpool" you're our first stop. <3

... wait, quarantine. Hell.

[recessional]

Actually not a problem anymore! If you get checked out by a vet specifically certified to make the determination, from Canada there is no quarantine. Found this out when sibling was in Wales. From here:

You can enter or return to the UK with your pet cat, dog or ferret if it:

has been microchipped
has a pet passport or third-country official veterinary certificate
has been vaccinated against rabies - it will also need a blood test if you’re travelling from an ‘unlisted country’
Dogs must also usually have a tapeworm treatment.

[commodorified]

He's got everything but the tapeworm and actually possibly that. He has vet paperwork from 3 cities in two countries it can be hard to keep up.

[starcat]

The thing about UK is - if you are traveling by air, they insist a pet company is hired for the border. That increases the cost.
The tapeworm thing is done within *days* of leaving.

Just fyi: the rabies titre is *expensive*. My vet told me *after* I ordered it and had it drawn. "PS it's $500." Also a young puppy with one rabies vaccine to her name, might not be immune enough yet... (ask me how I know)

[legionseagle]

I'm sorry to day that there are complications because of Canada's status as a "listed country".

[recessional]

It means you also have a blood test and the third party vet certificate, and as with all pets you have to have various proof of vaccinations.

The point is quarantine is avoidable.

[commodorified]

Oh yeah, that's all pretty basic. I wonder if the shipping line would allow it? (And of course I am not holding any UK friends to any hasty words about how cute my dog is at this time, I woule explicitly prearrange at the time.)

[recessional]

I first found out about the chances when Sibling went to Wales; I've since known multiple people who both visited and moved with cats and dogs. *palms up shrug* I mean travelling ANYWHERE with animals can be a risk that way? but it's honestly not Fortress Britannica when it comes to travelling with animals anymore.

[commodorified]

Well, fair. This is a rabies zone. I shall research.

TBH I would be shocked if the shipping line did permit it, but it's a delightful idea.

[legionseagle]

I mean,

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I mean, <lj="recessional"> may well be right there are ways to get round it these days. But it's very difficult to over-estimate the atavistic issues about rabies and The Continent in my childhood (I'll not lie -- these are also, I suspect, more relevant to Brexit than I would like to think.) We had PSA films as a child which emphasised the horror of INFECTED! FOREIGN DOGS!

[commodorified]

Well, I'm not sure it's more horripilating than how *I* feel about rabies, so I'm sympathetic. Rabies is TERRIFYING. It's an awful way for anything to die.

OTOH I'm not keen to arrive in the UK with no obvious way to turn around and go back and find that some aspect of the paperwork is not in order. See above, dog has separation anxiety so kennelling in isolation not an option.

On the grasping hand, have you considered Ottawa for your Late Spring Through Early Fall visiting needs? (I do know planes and Partner don't mix, so I suppose it'd have to be a business thing.)

[perennialanna]

Well into my adolescence - I can't remember which tabloid produced the Perfect Headline in "Rabid French Bat Bites Pregnant Woman In Kent", but I'm guessing the Express. Made a change from Diana's effect on house prices and winter temperatures.

[commodorified]

Can bats cross the Channel? I thought they had fairly small territories.

I mean, as you say, the Express, but is it even possible?

[perennialanna]

If it did fly across the Channel I'm surprised it had the energy to bite anyone at all. Perhaps it was more like Exhausted Pregnant Bat Plummets Onto Woman With Mouth Open.

My mother still has The Fear about rabid foxes walking through the Channel Tunnel.

[commodorified]

Well, as I said, I can't honestly judge. None of the upstairs cats goes/went outside voluntarily basically EVER (Dreadful enjoys a occasional lounge on the porch on a harness, but only with at least one human handy) and yet we get them their rabies jab *religiously*.

[commodorified]

So what I conclude from all this is, you will all have to come to mine for a Batmoot and Bogart/Dreadful party.

I will order a fatted calf at the word.

[juliet]

I have a friend who used to do Bat Care Stuff & I don't know about the Channel, but bats & rabies is a thing. A very rare thing, and seemingly only in Daubenton's bats, but it does happen -- Bat Conservation Trust say 15 bats found since 1986 with the relevant strain of the virus, out of 15,000 tested, and sadly a bat worker in Scotland died in 2002. These days bat workers are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated.

This does not, of course, mean that the Express story was necessarily true.

[commodorified]

When we did the Moneymusk bat count we were absolutely forbidden to touch or approach the bats, I do recall that.

I mean this is also to protect them from untrained people I assume.

[ceb]

Dog! *dogful glee*

[jesuswasbatman]

I'm surprised that Canadian rail requires dogs to be crated. British trains have no rules and most European ones require muzzling at most.

[legionseagle]

It would have been nice to have dogs on the Canadien.

[commodorified]

Right? I assume allergies as well as safety/liability because it says dogs too large for baggage handlers to carry in their crate must wear a muzzle when being taken to the baggage car. But since apparently they try to seat all the dog-owners in the car by the baggage car you'd think they could hang out in that one.

(Bogart would start a mosh pit, I can't lie)

[legionseagle]

A doggy mosh-pit would have been a delightful distraction during the Saskatchewan and much of the Alberta portions.

[commodorified]

True! The thing about the Prairies is that they actually ARE lovely — at WALKING pace. Especially in spring.

Anything faster and they're a very flat blur.

[commodorified]

I will say that googling various dog sites suggests they break their necks to get you time with your dog/cat and make sure the critters are safe and comfortable, so that's reassuring.

[starcat]

Canadian rules are much more annoying than British and european. British dogs go to pubs!! Greek restaurants let you bring your dog in!

[welcomingsong]

Hello Bogie! Such an adorable dog! I don't think Mimi would deal too well with him visiting, though. Or Min, for that matter, given that Mimi somehow intimidates Min.

Sorry to hear you're feeling crappy and won't be making it out to my place tomorrow. I hope you'll feel better soon, and that your monkey is confused about maybe carrying your germs.

Take care, you!

[commodorified]

I hope so too. 💜💜💜

[starcat]

My 50-ish lb dog has flown both domestic and international. I taught her about crates when she was 8wk old but I think if you are crate training him now, he will find comfort in his crate.

Westjet is AWESOME with pets!!!! Can't say enough good things. I've flown with a cat in cabin and dog in luggage. They have a very good system and are very reassuring they will take good care.

You are welcome to come visit me!! Waterloo has an airport. And a train station!

[starcat]

Also, BC isn't that far. Greece was 9 hours just on the plane, plus three hours check in before the flight.

I would fly rather than train, seeing as he has to be kenneled in the train.

[commodorified]

Good to hear about Westjet. There have been enough stories of appalling neglect and mistreatment of animals on flights to give one serious pause of late.

[starcat]

The first time I flew with Tess, the lady who checked her in reassured me they make a priority to care for the dog. She said they had flown some hunting dogs to Alberta a few days earlier and the man said to her, "now don't get me wrong, I love my wife BUT my dog is REALLY important, you must not let any harm come to her." So it felt like she understood how important it was.

I wouldn't put my dog on an American carrier. Air Canada did ok with her to and from Greece but totally gets negative points for lack of actual reassurance to the owner.

Westjet is totally awesome. And once the dog figures out the take off and landing part, I'm sure lying quietly in the dark in the hold is much less stressful than for the people sitting in a cramped seat in the passenger part of the plane. And you get to see them quite quickly after disembarking. Dogs are the last to be loaded and first off.

[dewline]

Congratulations to you and Bogart on the strength of finding each other!

Congrats!

[jesse_the_k]

A+++ dog. Our (newish) girl had a similarly checkered history, and the more she settles in the happier we are. I love upside down dogs like that -- makes it easier to snuggle their warm bellies.

[agoodwinsmith]

I am sorry you are ill, but you can post dog photos (and cat photos, and dog + cat photos) as often as you like. :)

No help in your conundrum, though. We have a cat who hates the box, but also hates to be away from us so puts up with the box. I don't know how he would fare in the cargo hold of anything, but I don't think well. Some of the stories about dogs not being cared for well on flights lately (last 2 or 3 years) would give me pause, also.

I know: stay home and post pictures of dog, instead.

[commodorified]

this, as I say, is why the train option. Still involves a crate, but with me having regular access and doing the care myself.

[ironphoenix]

Glad to hear you not ded! Also, I hope things continue well with Bogart!

Glad to hear it

[james_g4clf]

So pleased - if you do get to England you're both expected in Calshot.

BTW have you heard about Megaera?

[black_hound]

As someone who has flown with multiple dogs many times it can be stressful if they are not very comfortable being crated as part of their regular life. My two were good with crates and didn't have separation anxiety but I still dispensed a low dose of tranquilizer to help them along.

Also helpful was that they had each other for company and reassurance.

It also takes constant vigilance on the part of the human to make sure that they are being handled appropriately by the baggage handlers and real important -- they get loaded into the proper compartment.

Things may have changed BUT when I was flying with dogs, the animals had to be loaded into the baggage compartment under the first class cabin because that baggage compartment was environmentally connected to the passenger compartment so any live animals would get proper pressurization, air circulation and heating/cooling. The baggage compartment under coach was just for baggage & had zero environmental controls.

Since Bogart is still adjusting to his new wonderful! life putting an anxious dog on a plane is probably not a first choice. Just my 2 cents.

[ephemera]

Hi Bogart! such a cutie!