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If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

The doghouse

DH been offered a 6-month contract in Australia - should we go? (We have a dog!)

86 replies

Cactuscacti · 12/10/2019 09:23

DH and I can’t decide whether or not he should take this contract. We have a puppy.

Ordinarily, we would - I’m freelance and our children are young enough for this to be a fun adventure.

But we have a puppy! I looked it up, and he’d have to spend 10 days in quarantine. But is that - plus the flights - too traumatic for such a short amount of time? We’d definitely come back to the UK after 6 months.

OP posts:

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BritInUS1 · 12/10/2019 19:39

Have you looked at how much it costs to take a dog to Australia? My friend paid £000's

I think if you have committed to a puppy you shouldn't go

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user1493494961 · 12/10/2019 19:53

I would go and take the dog.

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user1471465525 · 12/10/2019 20:26

Please don't subject a puppy to such a long flight and then quarantined for ten days.Leave him with family if you do go.

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Cactuscacti · 12/10/2019 22:15

Ahh gosh so conflicting!

Yes we really don’t want to leave him. While the project would be good for DH, he doesn’t want to go without us all (which I get, I’d be the same). There is a chance the project could lead to more permanent work in Australia (The project is in Sydney) but we don’t even know if that’s a life we want (far from family etc).

The puppy is definitely one of us. But my MIL has already said she’ll take him for 6 months, so a dog sitter isn’t needed, really. But I don’t want to leave him behind (the puppy and I have the biggest bond).

A few months ago, before we got our puppy, we’d have all jumped at this adventure!

(But yeah - as the PP said - spiiiiiders!)

OP posts:

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Wolfiefan · 12/10/2019 22:18

Don’t do that to a puppy.
If you leave it with MIL you won’t come back to the same dog. It’ll have grown up without you or any training you would have done. And if she wants to keep it?
I’d rather send DH alone than leave my pets

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C0untDucku1a · 12/10/2019 22:20

My mil would have my dog. He loves his time at grandma’s and always comes back exhausted. She is a big walker and has a puppy who wears my boy out!

Take the opportunity. Send for the dog if you stay.

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TowerRingInferno · 12/10/2019 22:22

He goes
You stay with the puppy and visit for a holiday part way through.

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adaline · 13/10/2019 07:35

The cost will be into the thousands - plus the impact on such a young puppy could be absolutely massive. I wouldn't do it.

You say you'd leave your puppy behind but after six months away from you it won't really be your dog anymore. It'll be a teenager that's grown up in your MIL's house and who is used to her routine and rules. It will have bonded with her and you'll come back and disrupt it again

Either you all go and give the dog up to your MIL, or DH sucks it up for six months and you stay home with the kids and the dog. It's a massive disruption otherwise - six months isn't really long enough to make it worthwhile!

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Els1e · 13/10/2019 08:10

I would go and like you say treat like a big adventure. Tricky decision about your puppy. I know someone who took their dog who was under a year old when they went and their dog was fine. Coped better than they did with the journey. But they were going for 3 years. Worth researching the costs. What about one of those house sitter sites, where someone lives in your house rent free for 6 months and looks after your dog.

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wellhelloyou · 13/10/2019 08:27

6 months is a very short time. You'll be amazed at how quickly that goes in a new country with lots of different experiences.

We brought our cat to Australia. She had to travel separately on three different flights, spent quite a while in Dubai airport, and then 10 days in quarantine. Bear in mind there could have been extra time in quarantine if there were any issues found by the vets. The only quarrantine venue is in melbourne so she had to then take another flight to where we lived. We were moving here however so it was always going to be the case to bring her.

You will also need to look at all of the injections and vet visits leading up to when you take your dog. For our cat - she had to have rabies tests and then show she was clear for at least 6 months before she travelled. Plus about six other vet exams/administration of worming/fleas protection. The paperwork is huge for both the UK and Australia. We hired a pet transport company but even then we had to be heavily involved.

All up fully inclusive UK and Australia side cost over £3,500.00. Dogs are more expensive. You've then got to put the dog through the reverse in a short space of time, albeit Aus to the UK is easier with regulations and no 'standard' quarantine.

I would not have done all of this for 6 months to our cat and then had her go through it fairly soon afterwards.

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wellhelloyou · 13/10/2019 08:33

If you have someone who can look after your dog why not go for the six months. Look carefully into all the requirements for moving the dog and obtain quotes. Keep up the worming/fleas ect. You can even have the rabies test done as long as you opt for the longer term one as it will last.

Then if you then are extended for longer, you can then make an educated decision about moving your dog. You'll already be partly there with the rabies vacc and flea/worm treatments and just ask for the pet transport company to refresh quote.

Bear in mind it also can be much trickier obtaining a good rental that allows dogs in Australia. Not impossible but just trickier

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Strugglingtodomybest · 13/10/2019 08:35

I wouldn't take the puppy, no way. It's too short a time to justify putting it through that. I'd leave it with MIL.

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wellhelloyou · 13/10/2019 08:38

Also I would say as it is only 6 months - treat it as a big adventure. So many people would live to do this but never have the chance.

What a great thing to do and an easy way to test if you like it out here before making the huge commitment.

It may be hard at first and yes of course you will miss your family and friends but the lifestyle out here is fantastic. If it is not for you, then it was just an adventure and you can slot back into your normal life.

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LuckyKitty13 · 13/10/2019 08:42

Do not go. Puppy is in the earliest stages of his life where he is bonding with you and learning etc, this will be potentially very traumatic for him and could affect his personality for life . It can take 6 months to organise an export of a dog to Australia and can cost upwards of £500. If it was a lifetime move then possibly but wait until he is older. But for 6 months absolutely NO WAY!

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LuckyKitty13 · 13/10/2019 08:44

Sorry to clarify - that's £500 in uk vet fees.... not flights and other stuff needed. As PP says it cost thousands all in!!

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doxxed · 13/10/2019 08:45

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for privacy reasons.

Teacakeandalatte · 13/10/2019 08:47

A friend is looking into emigrating to Oz with his 3 dogs and he says its going to be around £10,000.

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NumberblockNo1 · 13/10/2019 08:51

6 months is far to short to do that to a puppy for :(

Why dont you go for the middle month as a holiday? you have face time etc so can be in constant contact. It really isnt that long .

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XXcstatic · 13/10/2019 08:53

Go - it's an adventure and you will look back and kick yourself if you don't. Pup will be fine with your MIL.

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theconstantinoplegardener · 13/10/2019 09:02

Go to Australia with your DH and leave the dog with MIL. It sounds like the dog will be happy and well cared for with her. Six months in Australia is an amazing opportunity. Also I think the potential damage to your marriage/family unit is far greater if you and your DH are apart for six months, than it is with the dog. The dog will be fine with MIL and will soon fall in love with you again once you're back.

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AnchorDownDeepBreath · 13/10/2019 09:05

I'd absolutely go, and I'd leave puppy with MIL because it's a stressful journey for a dog.

In your shoes, I think you have to choose between going with your husband or staying with your pup, and see which feels more natural to you.

I'm a huge arachnophobic and managed fine with spiders, I saw very few.

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TigerJoy · 13/10/2019 09:10

Leave puppy with MIL. It's too hard for him to make that journey twice in 6 months.

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yoursworried · 13/10/2019 09:14

I'd go and leave the puppy with mil. Be a great adventure for you if your kids are small

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Shittiestdayinalongtime · 13/10/2019 09:16

Leave the puppy with mil, and for. I've been to Australia a few times and it's great! Going again next month. I haven't come across the spiders yet or the snakes! Seen a few big floods though!

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adaline · 13/10/2019 09:33

If you do go and leave the puppy are you prepared for the very real possibility that the puppy (then a teenager) maybe be settled at MIL's and not be happy to come back and live with you?

Basically are the willing to risk giving up your dog for this? At such a young age they're incredibly impressionable and sending them to live with someone else for six months then expecting them to come back to you as if nothing had happened is a big ask for a young adolescent dog.