Moving Your Dog Abroad: How to Get Organized and Make Final Travel Preparations

Now is the time to get organized, really organized. I know what you are thinking: “I have my dog ​​travel folder and tons of information … I really feel prepared!”

One thing we learned is that sometimes having too much information means that you have too much information. It’s time to get really organized and discard papers, prints, and other things that aren’t really useful.

Merge documents

Instead of lugging around a binder of 100 loose sheets of paper, we decided to create a 2-page Word document with lots of bullets for all the important things we had learned about the process of moving Winston abroad. Our headlines were things like: airlines, paperwork, Italy rules, tips on the ground, etc.

Creating that 2-page document with important points not only helped us seriously narrow down our portfolio of dog movements, but it was incredibly useful on the day we traveled when our minds were in a million places and we could barely think straight.

Check dates, appointments and facts

To rest easy, we went ahead and googled again to confirm a ton of information we had about the moving process. Anything and everything we were a little nervous about we reconfirmed to help ease our nervousness.

We called the airline again (about the fourth time), confirmed appointments with the vet, spoke with the USDA, and contacted a few expats who had made the move before us.

This was a crucial step for us. It’s when we went from being nervous planners to being very confident that we had all of our ducks in a row. I don’t want to be corny, but knowledge is power, and feeling fully informed about the process of moving Winston abroad felt good.

Appointment of veterinarian

Bring all the documentation from your regular vet and your dog travel folder. The vet visit should be fairly straightforward. When you leave with the documentation, you should mail it in immediately or prepare to take it to the USDA office.

Mentally preparing your dog for a long trip

The best thing you can do for your dog before his travel day is to let him spend long periods of time in your kennel.

We are very lucky. Winston loves his kennel. Whenever we take him out, it’s not uncommon for him to come in, snuggle, and take a nap. When I was a puppy, we read some great advice on how to make the kennel a happy place. We never punish him with that. We have always lived away from family and friends, so Winston knows that when he goes to the kennel, it is usually for a long time.

However, not all dogs are used to traveling, so it is important that your dog becomes familiar with the kennel in the weeks leading up to your travel date. If you watch TV as a family at night, place the crate on the couch or on the floor and put your puppy inside. Start with small increments of time and work your way up to a few hours.

Another great idea is to ask your vet and USDA vet for travel advice as well. Our vet suggested putting my husband’s dirty t-shirt in Winston’s kennel for the trip. Damn if Winston wasn’t snuggling that thing tight when he got to Rome!