Snape

Travel the world Far too much out there to stay put in one place.

Fantastic thread, really interesting read. Thank you for sharing your experiences and I'm so pleased to hear that you and your family are feeling much more settled in Oz x

Yikes, some of the staffie comments make me so sad. It is a shame that a bunch of idiots owning the breed have brought it to ruin. Like any dog, you shouldn't leave them unsupervised with children and I think it's important if any dog is going to be around young kids that you make sure you are clued up on its history, whatever the breed. Also the comment about crossbreeds/mongrels needs to be taken with a pinch of salt IMO. Whilst I agree that any dog breed will come with tendencies to certain health issues, if you do your research and make sure you go to a reputable breeder who carries out the necessary health tests then you are taking a big step towards minimising heartache. In addition to this, accidental crosses or designer breeds won't mean that your dog is less likely to suffer for hereditary conditions - it just means that they could run the risk of inheriting poor genes from both breeds. Obviously I'm not talking about a full on mongrel here. (Sorry, went off on a bit of a tangent there!) From the breeds you've listed, I've heard great things about border terriers with kids! Also if you want a breed that can run for miles in the heat maybe take a look at the Rhodesian Ridgeback.

We would be looking to move in 2015 at the earliest. Haven't even begun the visa process but hope to do so later this year ideally moving to Melbourne and we're heading out in October to get a feel for the place as well as visit family!

Going to Melbourne and Sydney in October! For a holiday but who knows, we could end up there in the future

My dog is called Raleigh and a lot of people think he's called 'Riley' lol. The kitties were called Leon and Ophelia (Phee for short). We also had 9 rats called Angus, Finch, Marley, Percival, Kingsley, Cyril, Hamish, Rupert and Seamus

Sad to hear this, I grew up watching a lot of his films and he seemed like he was very involved in charitable work. I feel for his family too, particularly his teenage daughter. May he rest in peace x

Definitely the aspect of the move that scares me the most. I do have a sister who will continue to live in London and my dad's family are all scattered around the area so it helps to leased the blow. I just hope to be in the position to be able to fly back every couple of years. Currently my my parents spend about 3 months in Asia a year so hope that that could be a middle ground to meet Sadly, I don't think we'd ever see OH's parents in Oz but his two brothers would continue to live nearby.

Though I'm not there yet, factors that appeal to me are the weather, the excitement/adventure and it's just something I've always grown up thinking I'd do. I spent a lot of my childhood growing up in either Singapore or Australia and we moved around a bit so in some respects, I don't have the same depth of roots in the UK as others who have grown up here may have. Plus, I know it's still a bit away but I'd love to be closer to Asia. My mom's side of the family live in either Singapore, Malaysia or Australia so it will be nice to have that proximity.

Oh wow this is great news! So worried about bringing my dog, still not sure if he'd cope with the heat

Give your pup a command when toileting and take him out frequently to urinate. Puppies will pretty much need to go after they eat, play, wake up etc. we crate trained our boy and though it is essentially a cage, it is not intended to be used as one. Puppies need a place to chill out and a safe area where they can retreat (if you have children for example). The crate is basically a den and should not be used as a form of punishment. If you do decide to try crate training, begin slowly and make him associate it with nice things such as treats Our dog will go and rest in his crate at nights, though the doors are left open - I just think he finds it comforting. Also, if possible I would avoid puppy pads altogether as you are essentially teaching your puppy that it is ok to wee indoors and this could be confusing. Can't help re insurance but make sure it is a life policy to avoid any issues with pre-existing conditions going forward. We use Petplan in the UK after looking into it quite a bit. Might be worth checking out

Thank you for the link, Snifter Thanks for the rough guide too, Bob - It's handy to have a rough idea in mind since we're still in the early stages of planning our move.

Thanks both for your replies! When I said clipped, I meant just a shorter coat than I'd normally cut when grooming him - definitely nothing as short as shaving or whatever

Hi Curious to know roughly how much I'd be looking at to send my Newfoundland to Aus. I appreciate that it will vary depending on the level of service but it would be super helpful if you could give me a range. He weighs approx. 70kg. Also, as he is a double coated breed, will he be comfortable flying or will his coat need to be clipped quite short? Thanks in advance!

I give my dog garlic capsules throughout the year as it is meant to deter ticks. When it is tick season, we use Advantix once a month and haven't had a tick since.