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

[Cactuscacti]

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.

It's far too stressful on a dog for just 6 months, that would be very selfish.

Put your feelers out and find a good foster family for him. And then go and enjoy your adventure.

it’s not some magical place. Just a different continent where normal folk go to work, pay bills, shop, etc

Great point. Why go anywhere, really? I mean, the whole world has normal folk, paying bills & shopping. Probably best just to spend the rest of your life on your sofa - that way you don't risk disappointment.

Go to Kakadu, OP, and see aboriginal paintings and crocs. Watch the sunset in Darwin. Do a long walk in Tassie. Drink wine in Margaret River and the Hunter Valley. Explore the Great Ocean Road. Dive off the Barrier Reef while it still exists. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy

Go go go! Your DDog will be fine whatever you decide as you love him and will do what’s good for him. What a great opportunity! Yolo!

the dog is obviously not your family if you are going away and yet lots of posters have suggested the DP goes and leaves his human children behind. But I guess that's OK cos he has a penis

@SleepingStandingUp well I would not want my DH going away for 6 months or even 3 months for that matter BUT we would talk it through and if it did happen we would have discussed it and both been happy with it. The dog won't know why he is with someone else will he?

I hope the OP's dog is fine and happily goes back to living with her when they return. There are some positive stories on here. I know of quite a few totally different situations though.

I don't agree that dogs don't really care who they live with as long as they get fed, walks, love etc.

Well sounds like you’ve decided to go. All this “great opportunity, you’d be mad to miss it” is crazy.

What a weird thing to say. And the paying bills bit. Of course daily life happens in Australia like it does everywhere in the world. There are some breathtakingly beautiful parts of Oz and this might be your only opportunity . I live in Asia op and adore going away to Margaret River. Your dc will be enriched by the opportunity to travel somewhere different - mine travel frequently and love the experiences- even to places where people go about their daily life!
Have a ball you've made a brilliant decision

I beg to differ. I do think there's lots of magical places in Australia. We pay bills wherever we go but nicer to do it in a lovely place 🌞😁😁😁

Margaret River and surrounds is amazing! Love it

@SleepingStandingUp um, not to be pedantic, but the OP's dog also has a penis

Rescue dogs and pups are flown here frequently and I’ve never heard anyone say their dog was traumatised by the journey. It’s only a day or two out of their lives.

The biggest drawback to Australia has to be the spiders. You could not pay me to go there.

There will probably be a flood of posts now from people saying you never see spiders there but just about everyone I know that has been there has seen big spiders. One of my friends, who is absolutely terrified of spiders, was persuaded to go there because everyone said "Oh you won't see any spiders! She had a massive one drop on to her head.