Dogs or not

[wfourie]

I have a query which hopefully someone can help with

I have read that Aussie's are not very dog friendly is this a myth? I have promised our son a pet dog for his 5th birthday if we are in Aus by then (august) however if dogs are not acceptable I better start working on him now to avoid a very sad little boy! We are all desperate for a dog especially as we are leaving behind our beloved 8 year old cat don't know where she is going yet but will work that out nearer the time.

thanks

[JohnKelly]

To say that Aussies are not very dog friendly would be incorrect.

Just about every suburb has a Dog Training Club and every State has its own Canine Association.

There are the same Dog Obedience/Retrieving/Show Trails as you would find in the UK.

However, I do know where you are coming from and Australians do regard dogs in a different light the the Brits.

For example, with the exception of Guide Dogs for the Blind, dogs are not permitted on public transport, nor are they permitted to enter any food shop etc, etc and so it goes on.

But hey, let's not get too worried, you will certainly be able to get your son a Pup. The big question will be what breed of dog and that's where you really need to be careful.

As I type this reply I have a very large Golden Retriever lying at my feet.

[Jackie]

Hi
We have a dog - 12 yr old labrador that we took to NZ and then over to Brisbane. I would say that there are a lot more dogs here than NZ and people seem more accepting of them. We rented in NZ and really struggled to find a place that would take the dog (a lot of the places you wouldn't even put a dog in!). However, we had no problem at all when we came to Brisbane just had to ensure that the house was flea bombed and the carpets cleaned when we left - which we were more than happy to do. Most dogs here, though, are kept outside (as they are in NZ) but our dog has always been an inside dog and we wouldn't keep him outside - whatever suits you really - you will be fine, there are heaps of dog owners.
Good luck
Jackie

www.moveover.com.au

[drawlings7]

Hi there just started application to go to Perth my brother and sister in law have been there for 2 years and we have just come back from a holiday there. We have an 8 year old lab that will be coming with us so we were looking at the dog side of things. My brother in law has got a lab that he bought in australia and he takes him to the dog beach down the road which also has a dog shower - you don't get many of them in england. All the dogs get together and have a really good time.

[ABCDiamond]

Different Councils have different laws about dogs, and maybe, due to the total numbers of all these rules, some poeple have got the impression that Australians do not like dogs.

As has been said, Dogs are a very common family pet, but..... the rules are such the owner Must look after them, not let them wander and attack natures wildlife etc.

My own council has a rule that only allows a household to own 2 dogs, unless they apply for special permission. Part of this reason is that dogs have been a known killer of Koalas.

Over 4,000 koalas are killed each year by dogs and cars alone

http://www.savethekoala.com/kidsliving.html

Some councils have set up special areas called "Off Leash areas" where you can excercise your dog off its leash, otherwise penalities apply for any dog not kept on a leash.

Again, these rules are not because Australians do not like dogs, but to protect native wildlife etc.

There were an estimated 2.8 million Australian Households with Dogs in 2002.
Pretty high compared to the total population :)
http://www.petnet.com.au/statistics.html

[Jem]

Wfourie,

Are you leaving your cat behind out of choice or is there an age restiction on importing them?

[wfourie]

not sure about age restriction but got her docs out and she is only 7 this year and we have had a quote to take her with so considering taking her with now.

[Mike H]

Going through the motions of making arrangements for our 4 year old Heinz variety. My only advice would be start looking into it well in advance.As there are a few up front things need taken care of (ie. not getting the Leptospirosis element in the annual booster!), so worth taking advice from a good pet courier (a lot of the stuff that they will tell you your own vet may not know!).
Good luck

Mike H

:P

[spray21]

Mike do you have experience of this? Can you recomment a pet courier?
One thing that I am worried about is what the actual flight will be like for our labrador - will there be a person there to look after the animals, or will he be on his own in a crate surrounded by other frightened animals?
Also what will it be like once in quarantine? I think he has to stay in for 30 days after arrival before we can take him to the new place.

Any advice/info v much appreciated!

[drawlings7]

I would also like to know about these things as we are worried about how our Lab will cope with the flight and quarantine as she is only used to staying with close family shes never been in kennels.

Thanks