Traveling with a dog – this is what you should think about

Traveling abroad with a dog is great – but requires a lot of preparation. It is important to keep track of rules, papers and diseases.

The first thing to do before setting out on a trip is to find out which rules apply to taking the dog where you are going, emphasizes Janina Pfalzer, press officer at the Swedish Kennel Club (SKK).

– It can really vary. If you intend to make a stop on the road, you should check what applies there. The rules tend to change, so you should check every time you go, she says.

There may be rules about being on a leash, requirements for a muzzle or deworming. Pfalzer suggests taking a look at the Swedish Agency for Agriculture’s website, which collects information, or contacting the relevant country’s embassy in Sweden.

Check for diseases

Other countries have diseases that are not found in Sweden. Therefore, it is important to find out which and if the dog must be vaccinated or take prophylaxis.

Then there are dogs that are not welcome even if they have all the vaccinations and papers in order.

– Denmark, for example, has a list of 13 breeds that are prohibited, including the American Staffordshire, which is quite common in Sweden. There are boring court cases where the authorities have simply taken the dogs, warns Janina Pfalzer.

A dog that is going out and traveling must also be ID marked, either with a chip or tattoo. It must have a valid vaccination against rabies and a valid passport.

– It can only be issued by a veterinarian and you as the owner must sign, otherwise it is not valid.

Think about the journey home

Before you set off, you should also think about the journey home. Even if the dog normally lives in Sweden, you must “clear” it when you return, i.e. go through customs on red and show a passport with rabies vaccination. It is possible to register the entry in advance with the Customs and then you can travel on green.

Janina Pfalzer emphasizes the importance of not being careless or thinking that everything will work itself out on the spot.

– Say you’re leaving and can’t enter the country you’re going to – then you have to go back to Sweden and the rules are the same here. If you do not have a passport or rabies vaccination, quarantine applies, or euthanasia at the border.

But if you just have everything under control, it’s just a matter of traveling. Dogs usually find it fun to go on adventures.

– Dogs like to be involved and they like to be with their owner.