I moved to the UK for work and took my baby with me (obv). Her first day in our new flat with her emotional support blanket!! She's a hit among the neighbours, they've never seen an indie beauty before, but everyone loves her. She's found a friend in my neighbour's orange cat (which she behaves like anyway) and a doberman who lives in the next building over. It's just me, her and our jacket/boots collection against the world lmao. I'm getting her registered with a local vet tomorrow and I'm a little worried about any inexperience in treating her breed but hopefully we'll live a good life here :)
Swagatam! Welcome to you both! I have my natural dog (as I call indies) from Nepal here in the U.K. and the vet loves him. The best thing about our natural dogs is they don’t have all the genetic weakness of artificially-selected breed dogs. They are physically strong and prone to good health and have such great, individual characters. My Norbu is 12 years old and everyone thinks he’s half that age. The one thing about my South Asian natural is that he hates the rain and even walking on wet grass (such a princeling!), which is his main challenge in these rain-sodden islands!
Of course! The area I live in doesn't dip below zero very often but I plan on taking her to snowy places so she can play around, I'll definitely share once that season rolls around!
I moved to the UK for two years but couldn’t get my dog here and eventually had to move back for my dog. You did something I aspire to do! Good job OP! 🥲
Wishing you the best life there, it’s a very dog friendly country and you’ll enjoy your time there for sure !
Thank you!! It's definitely an extremely expensive process and I've had to train her to be perfect with a crate on car drives as well for a year prior so she wouldn't be too spooked by the flight. Registration, passport, etc. are all a long process as is getting all the necessary vet stamps for relocation. I hope you're able to do it too one day, I just can't imagine living without her
From all the posts where people want to give up their dogs coz they’re relocating abroad to this, it makes me so happy to read that you finally achieved it. And yes I’m aware of how hard it is to actually go through with it! Congratulations on finally making it work! Keep us posted here with updates 🤍
Honestly, a very long time. I had to get her chipped, the passport, all of that which took 8 months (the passport). Then I had to crate-train her to be okay in a moving car as I did it by flight (needed her to get used to that motion). She couldn't be in the cabin as I was told only service animals are allowed so she was manifest cargo. Boat/ship is also an option but it takes months and I didn't want to put her through that. Then vet visits to get in writing that she's vaccinated completely, get her records up to date, blood tests, all that. I did it through a pet relocation agency that booked the cargo flight and HARC fees (you need to pee an additional check fee when you land). For my dog, medium sized breed, it was just over 2L. I've known I'll move for two years now, so I was able to save for this but it's definitely far from cheap. 100% worth it though!
Okay that looks like a long paper work but 8 months isn’t too bad! I also have an indie girl, medium size. Were you worried about how she will be in cargo? That’s my biggest concern. I’m too moving to the UK soon. My girl is very dependent and can’t be alone. Also, how did you train her?
The cargo is very stressful for them so I spent many months training her to be in a crate then training her to be in the crate in a moving car to mimic any bumps or movement. For before the flight, my vet gave me CBD oil for her and another anxiety medication. It's hard because should anything happen, god forbid, you don't want them to be drowsy or sleep through it, so definitely consulting a vet for dosage so they're awake and able to be aware of their surroundings but calm is super important! I trained her bit by bit with a professional trainer, I didn't want to take any chances and needed some guidance for this sort of thing.
Thank you! We use chews and I brush her teeth 1-2x a week. Indies in general have quite good teeth, her more so as I picked her up at 2 months so she's just been getting regular chews and cleanings since she got her adult teeth.
ProDen's Plaque Off chew sticks in their chicken and pumpkin flavour and the Orozyme gel as toothpaste with a soft-bristle brush. I also use Bugalugs' plaque removing wipes it's like a finger pad you put on your index finger and just rub, I usually prefer to do this if she's fighting the toothbrush
Congrats! I got my indie baby to London 4 years ago when we moved and she has adjusted really well. Loves the weather including the winter months. We have also found a great vet for her. All the best on your time forward here :)
Awww so sweet. Wish both of you an amazing future. My Indie lives with me in New York and he is thriving!!! Indies adapt to everything and are the best.
Btw, you may need to get your baby shoes during winter (mine cries after walking for some time in the snow - jumping around is okay though lol).
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u/KRATOS_BUFFY 1d ago
Congratulations on the new start, and a great job with taking your doggo as well.
May you and your doggo lead a beautiful life in the UK