Moving to UK - my dog is coming too

[BookWitch]

I'm British, but I have never owned a dog in the UK, we currently live in Asia but we are moving back in a few weeks.
My dog (golden retriever rescue) is coming too.
She's chipped and vaccinated and all her paperwork is in order.

I have a few questions about dog ownership and etiquette

She's hardly ever been in a car before. we're planning on buying an large hatchback/estate. Do I need a crate for her to travel in?

She's a mature dog with no health problems. Would I be able to get insurance for her. She's about 9/10 years old. If I can't get insurance, do vets do payment plans where I can pay a certain amount each month so I have credit with a vet when I need it?

Plus anything else I should know? I'm so excited to bring her to the beach

Great! I'm about to bring my dog from east Africa to UK. Sounds like you're pretty organised. Do you have a name tag for her collar? That's a requirement in UK that we had to sort out. There's a lot of dog etiquette in UK, and you can pick up on a lot of it here that's what I'm trying to do! But you just find a way to suit you and your dog. Other things..... dogs should normally be restrained in cars, doesn't have to be a crate. There are also seat belt things and harnesses. I'm getting mine used to being in her flight crate in the car at the moment and building up the length of trips.. it's just a night in the plane for her, but getting her used to being enclosed seemed kind, as she never has been before. Is yours used to meeting other dogs and walking on roadsides? I'm trying to keep mine used to things that she'll see a lot more of in the uk than she does here. I don't know much about insurance, but I'm sure somebody here will. Good luck!

Yeah not really just a name tag for collar, but your details, phone and address

It is a legal requirement that the dog is restrained in the car in the UK and failure to do so could net you a fine and invalidate your insurance. You could use a crate or dog bars to portion off the boot or a harness and seat belt attachment.

In the UK, the Control of Dogs Order 1992 states that any dog in a public place must wear a collar with the name and address (including postcode) of the owner engraved or written on it, or engraved on a tag. Your telephone number is optional.

Other than that dogs should be under control at all times. In many instances this would mean on a lead. Farmers may shoot your dog if it is off lead in a field with livestock in it so take care of that one.

You should pick up your dogs poo (unless it is suitable to be flicked into a hedge with a stick or is well off the beaten track). You definitely shouldn't hang poo bags in trees like strange shitty Xmas decorations!

Generally it is considered polite to check in with the owner before allowing your dog to approach theirs or before stroking their dog.

Dogs aren't allowed in shops or cafes unless it specifically says so but are allowed on trains and buses.

Thanks all.
Yep, poo bags are a must I know, she's already chipped but will get her a tag as soon as possible.

As soon as we have a car we'll decide how to keep her safe in the car

I did NOT know that about the car restraint! We are in massive contravention.

My dog travels on the passenger seat or footwell, and he's certainly not the only one. He had to get a rabies vaccination and confirmed treatment for tape worm (within a certain time frame) to be allowed back to the UK after a trip to the continent. He's off lead everywhere, unless specified (some parks and meadows with livestock). Plenty of dog friendly restaurants and cafés, we usually call to check beforehand .

Insurance can be atrocious with plenty of loop holes for payouts though. You're not allowed to leave your dog in the car during warm days, unless you can guarantee for air-condition and ventilation

You can get vet payment plans - my friends have one. I can’t remember what it’s called though...PetPlan??

Komorebi If you don't restrain your dog in the car then you are risking two things. The first is that they are a missile in a crash and can injure themselves or others and the second is if you have an accident it will be used against you by the insurance company even if it wasn't your fault as the other person could say it distracted you.

OP, how you restrain them is up to you in terms of crate/carrier/seatbelt etc.

For insurance read the T&Cs as 'most'companies will exclude any preexisting conditions.

You mention wanting to take your dog to the beach - be aware that not all beaches are dog friendly at all times of year, though some are even in the summer, and sometimes certain parts of beaches are dog friendly.

Is your dog used to walking on a lead? When I was travelling around Asia I don't think I ever saw a single dog on a lead, but here it's a legal requirement if you're walking along a road or similar (obviously not in a park). Does your dog come back when you call?

Bring a supply of the food you've been feeding the dog (if you can get it through customs) so you don't have to make a sudden switch and risk upsetting her tummy. www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk is an excellent site for picking a nutritious dog food that you can source in the UK.

Luckily it's warm at the moment, so she will be able to acclimatise, but be prepared to need to buy a dog coat in the winter! Equafleece are widely liked on MN.

She does walk on a lead, she is only used to walking on paths. Where we live now is not dog friendly at all. She isn't keen on grass, especially wet grass, we have told her she will have to get over that!

I know which of our local beaches will be dog friendly, we are pretty sure she has never been on the beach or in the sea. we are pretty sure she will be scared at first, and will need other dogs to show her how it works!

Thanks for all your advice

There's a Facebook page which might be useful: caring for rescued ex street dogs. I know its not completely your situation, but lots of tips for managing dogs who are fresh off a plane and not used to traffic or other situations etc.
Uk things I'm looking forward to: more places to bring dogs (Yes! Beaches!), fewer diseases and ticks, less concern about her meeting a snake in the garden, meeting other dogs without rabies risk!

You may find the following link useful about responsibilities of dog ownership in the uk www.gov.uk/control-dog-public.

You say that all your paperwork etc is in order but there are slightly different rules for bringing dogs to the uk from different countries. The link is here www.gov.uk/bring-your-pet-to-uk. Hopefuly you are moving from a listed country outside the EU. If you are at all unsure or your country isn't listed then you need to make sure that your dog's documents would be accepted as there is a possibility your dog could be quarantined. Just because your dog would be accepted on the plane doesn't mean they won't be quarantined.