TrAvelling Europe with a tiny dog

There are requirements for each country that have to be met. For example, in Italy (we are moving there so I have researched) vaccinations and a microchip must be administered in a specific order and then a USDA certified vet must issue a certificate withint 10 days of travel. Once you get into Italy, you can see an Italian vet who will issue you an EU "pet passport" allowing you to travel throughout the EU with your dog. You'll want to research the requirements for the countries you plan to visit. The US Embassy site in each country is a good place to start. And talk to your veterinarian. For Great Britain (colleague's experience speaking here) there is a quarantine required.

"while traveling all over europe for 5 months" Unless you get special visas, change that to 3 months. Read up on the rules of the Schengen Treaty, which limits your time in most of Europe to 90 days. Back to the original question... Europe is remarkably dog-friendly, at least in the countries I know best- Germany, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France and Norway. If you bring your dog with you, don't expect to visit a lot of museums. But pet-friendly lodging is easy to find, and only the fanciest restaurants will refuse to admit a well-behaved dog. Dogs are even allowed on tours of many historical buildings. The rules for dogs on public transportation varies, but if you have a dog small enough to carry, it shouldn't be much of a problem.

While it certainly has it's logistical problems I can understand you not wanting to leave your dog behind. On the up side I think it could lead to experiences you might not otherwise have. People will probably be more inclined to interact with you because of the dog.

Katalina, I just came across a blog last week written by a couple who have spent the last year traveling the world and when they got to Europe they had their two dogs shipped over and are now traveling with them and love it. I wish I could remember the blog site. I'll do some research and try to find it for you and send you a PM. Lisa

Katalina, As Tom mentioned, you will absolutely need to do some research on the Schengen Accord, which limits those travelling as tourists to NO MORE than 90-days in any 180-day period. Penalties can be severe, so this is not something to be taken lightly. Of course, if you're travelling with an E.U. Passport, the situation is completely different. Cheers!

People on this forum love nothing more than pointing out Schengen rules. Like a dog with a bone.

That's true, but on occasion, you'll see posts from people who really have no idea. They might suggest they're going to travel around for a year but know nothing about the immigration laws, or they may indicate they intend to work for a while, but they don't know anything about work permits or visas. In this context, it's probably good to broach the idea of the rules so that they start thinking it through more fully. I was shocked at Barajas in Madrid when a dude next to me had already purchased a ticket and was trying to check in for a trip to China without a visa – the desk agent was equally surprised & was trying to explain to him that his day was going to play out a little differently than what he had planned. If someone had only mentioned the rules...

What Michael said, there's just too many people who don't know the rules. I go a lot of places that have a fairly complex visa processs so I think I'm pretty savy. Nope . . . . never heard of the Schengen rule until five or six years ago. When I first heard of it, I tried to think back about how many times I must have violated it (cumulative, not consecutive days). The best I could come up with was probably 'several', but gave up trying to pin down the exact dates. Nobody had said squat to me, either going in or going out. The past year was mostly asian trips, so I was in the clear. Tracking procedrues may have changed during that period, but I know in my heart that there has to be a couple of times since I've been aware of the rule that I've punched it (going out, not in) and still nobody has pointed out my sins. My guess is that, if there is a tracking system, they've got me labeled at 'the butt-head that always leaves' and don't make an issue of it. That said, I've never some close to totaling ninety consecutive days.

In addition to the issues already noted above you need decide what kind of trip experience you want. I have traveled with a small dog. It is always easier and you will always have more options about where to go, stay and eat if you don't travel with a pet.

My two cents worth: I understand that being away from your pet for five months is a very long time and that pets are family. However, aside from the issues raised in prior posts, I urge you to consider the impact of this on your dog. For example, if you have to quarantine, you will not be with your pet and it will be left with strangers in a weird place. A very long flight (with no doggie facilities) can be very difficult and traumatic for an animal. Most hotels are not going to be amused if you leave your dog behind so you can visit places that are not pet friendly, not to mention the anxiety your dog will feel being left in a new place alone. I personally would find a good pet sitter, pay them handsomely to spoil your dog, and enjoy a trip knowing that he or she is in a safe place well cared for.

Four pounds is a pocket dog; wouldn't even have to ride in the cargo hold. If it's had proper dressage, bring it. If it's not trained right, you can do it before you leave. It's too hard to find someone who will take care of your sweetie the way you would. Just adjust your schedule accordingly. We left our dog for a long period with a family member and had a sad outcome.

Four pounds is not a dog. Just a big rat that barks !!

My cats, all over 10 lbs, would call it a snack.

"wouldn't even have to ride in the cargo hold." That is true on domestic flights, but I'm pretty sure all live animals have to travel in a special compartment on overseas trips.

I've never traveled with animals but I wonder, for those of you who have done, do they get ear pressure like humans when they fly? Are there special doggie sweets that they can suck during takeoff and landing? And if they have a 10 hour flight where do you take them for their walks?

In 2002 I traveled to Germany with 3 small dogs, 2 in cargo and the "wuss" under the seat. I got some of those disposable potty pads and took him to the bathroom to potty. Totally illegal as they aren't supposed to be out of their carrier at all. I also had him on my lap, under the blanket, when the lights got turned down. Still illegal. Oh well. However, I did try to just get a rescue dog here from the US, like the lady from italy said, she had to have the international chip, rabies within a certain period, health certificate within a certain period etc. Not sure if every country really checks when you go across borders, as when I drove the same 3 dogs to Italy they were supposed to have muzzles and pet passports (this I did) and no one even checked, they didn't even check MY passport! You will need to do extensive research to make sure you have all the correct documents, correctly timed etc. I think 5 months is a long time to leave a dog, but I also think the paperwork is going to be a major hassle. But good luck, and remember they usually don't allow dogs in churches.

I'm a dog lover, too, but... Just curious about how others here would feel about it if you were on your plane for a loooong international flight, and the person seated next to you had a dog on their lap... "Oh well" would not be my reaction.

Given the choice of a baby or a dog on the lap of the the person sitting next to me......I choose the Benji;)

For those of us with allergies to animal dander, please find a way to leave your dog at home. We hated leaving our cat and found a wonderful "animal nanny" who came to our house twice a day take care of our pet, bring in the mail, water plants, turn lights off and on, etc. We got daily emails letting us know that our cat was coping just fine with the substitute attention.
Leaving your pet in his normal home and having an animal lover care for him/her would be much less stressful for the animal.

I am allergic to dogs AND cats, and am miserable if an animal is near me on an airplane. Please be considerate to your fellow passengers and leave the dog home.

I hope you decided to bring your dog with you! I just got a Maltese puppy and as soon as he had his vaccinations sorted we started travelling together. It opens up great opportunities for meeting people and is just more fun! Also, with such a small dog, it's not a hassle at all. The only difficulty is that to get into the UK, it's best to take a ferry, rather than fly or do Eurostar (which as of May 2012 doesn't allow dogs). But it's worth it. We just got back from Brussels last night - and everyone in the airport was fawning over him. Rachel

A lot of places in Europe are very dog-friendly so the idea of traveling with yours is tempting. But it can cost a lot of money and there's a lot of red tape to jump through to get your dog here. What would be most important, I think, would be finding out the regulations of the country you're flying into. I'd pick one that does not require quarantine. Germany doesn't if the dog has a clean bill of health from the vet beforehand - you do need a vet certificate of a German form, a chip, some paperwork from the USDAA, and there's a customs fee too I think...just helped a new guy get his dog out of customs, it was a bit of pain. But your dog is small enough you might be able to find an airline that would let you keep the dog with you in the cabin. I brought my cat over that way. ALL THAT SAID: the process of getting the animal over here is pretty traumatic to the animal. I brought my cat because we were going to be living here for at least 3 years. If our stay had been less than a year, I would have left her with my mother temporarily. Unless your dog has a real resilient spirit and is really good with change, stress, unfamiliar situations, etc, I think it would be easier on the dog to leave it at home.

Kat,
We took our Jack Russell with us to Austria over Christmas and all of us had a wonderful time. We flew Lufthansa and they were terrific about Thor. He flew in the climate controlled area of cargo (he was just a couple of pounds over the in-cabin limit) and was just fine for the trip from Denver to Vienna. The Lufthansa stews let us know when he was aboard and that the captain had adjusted the heat so he would be comfortable. Everyone in Vienna and Salzburg adored Thor and he was allowed into every restaurant we went to with the wait staff bringing him water and treats. The US paper work was not too hard to navigate, many vets have experience filling out the forms. Make sure your dog has the ISO compliant 15 digit microchip, that is a definite requirement. Thor has since trimmed down so he will be going in-cabin this August with us to Switzerland and Italy (yes we know all the requirements). Sherpa makes very good airline compliant soft carriers, but with the size of your guy you can get a combo backpack/wheeler from Snoozer that is airline compliant. Make sure you let the airline know when you reserve your tickets that your little guy is coming. Most will charge you a fee of around 125-200 $$ for this. Well worth it in my opinion. Please other posters, I do not need your 2 cents about the pitfalls, etc about bringing my dog. Have raised Jack's for years and traveled with them all over. For others thinking of bringing your dog you should always consider it's temperment and how he/she may react. I always recommend taking your dog on a short, "practice flight" somewhere maybe an hour or 2 away. For Europe and bigger dogs Lufthansa and its commitment to pet care will always have my vote. They even have a pet Lounge at Franfurt if you have a (I believe) longer than 2 hour layover.

Unlike Alex, I am not an authority on this, but two cents is not worth much, so I will contribute mine, anyway. A long trip, especially the flight over and back, can be very stressful to a pet. I would not subject one to that much stress unless it were for a permanent move. On a lighter note, I agree with Paul about the last thing Paris needs to import. The same goes for airplanes. I don't like the idea of a sitting in or stepping in dog poo on a plane. When the dog has to go, do you let it outside?

Kat,
Forgot to mention that most museums and other points of interest may not allow your dog in. We got around that by having one of us hang out in a Cafe with Thor while the other visited the museum or whatever. Then we switched. Worked quite well. Have to also say in our many vivits to Austria, having Thor with us last visit got us into so many more conversations with the locals. As someone has said in this thread, most countries in Europe are very dog friendly.

Getting a dog into Britain used to take 7 months which included one month for rabies vacc and blood test results and then 6 months quarantine. It has recently been cut to a matter of weeks, but still with very strict rules, far more than in the rest of Europe, so if you plan to visit you must check out the entry requirements for the dog before you leave. Despite being known as a nation of dog lovers the Brits do not allow dogs in most pubs and all restaurants, in banks, post offices, shops, offices, airports, motorway service stations - the list is endless. We have taken our dogs to all of these in Germany where dogs are much more welcome and often get given a bowl of water in pubs before we have even ordered our beer. Sad, but after Britain it's a nice change.

To those who comment on creativity with the rules when flying with pets... Having suffered serious breathing difficulties when folks insisted on having their "babies" in the cabin, and worse yet, sneaked them out into their lap, I suggest you think about your fellow passengers. Is having your dog/cat with you really worth endangering the life of a fellow passenger? I would hope not.
It's something to consider.

You can carry small pets with you in the cabin legally on many airlines, it's not bending the rules. I agree that sucks for severe allergy sufferers. But I also wonder how those severe allergy sufferers handle Europe in general then, since in many places dogs are allowed in restaurants, bars, stores, etc. They're pretty hard to avoid here. A severely allergy person surely could switch seats on a plane if they were in a row with an animal. And someone whose life could be endangered by being in proximity with an animal surely would also carry medication necessary to prevent that severe a reaction?

Not to mention sitting next to people with colds, flu, or worse. Taking a dog in cabin is not bending any rules. If you are going to start having restrictions you can start with disallowing ill people, people who wear heavy perfumes, or that smell bad...what about heavily overweight people who overflow their seats... Come on, if you are flying somewhere these days you have to make allowances and take precautions. People who take their pets are paying for the privilege to do so and have every right to bring them, just as long as they follow the airlines rules.

Dear allergy suffers 1. It is not going to work. Good luck but the dogs/cats are still coming
2. And even if someone on here did decide to be nice to you...service animals are always allowed....