Importing puppies

[Aescleah]

hi everyone
welcome to top boerboels I thought that maybe one of the things we could do was put up a weekly discussion so here is the first one. Since there are alot of people who are getting puppies next week I thought my first subject would be importing dogs internationally. 
Lets start out with the rabies quarantine all puppies that are too young for their rabies shot must be under house quarantine for two months. they must have there shot at 16 weeks and must stay under quaratine for one month after. there is a form that must be filled out you can access this form online, before the puppy can clear customs the owner must sign the agreement.
http://www.cdc.gov/animalimportation/pdf/dog-import.pdf

Here is some more information about importing importing puppies from the cdc.
http://www.cdc.gov/animalimportation/dogs.html

Importing a puppy is surprisingly simple as long as nothing goes wrong.
usually at least with lukas, you just need the code he gives you and your ID. Alot of it depends on the airport you are picking up the puppy from. Some airports have handling fees like about 40 $ some do not but be prepared if it does. I picked my puppy up at RDU in Releigh NC there were no problems or fees. 

Another thing to think about is make sure you tell customs that this is a pet only. if you dont you might be paying extra fees and taxes on the potential or what you make on the dog as a breeder. some airports take this very seriously others do not. Also be prepared to have the dog food that was provided by your breeder to be confiscated.

If you can help it try to get the most direct flight you can. My pup came on a non direct delta flight. She went to Atlanta first then took a connecting flight to RDU. she missed her first two flights in Atlanta. i was a nervous wreak but apparently pups are rarely on the flight anticipated they are usually early or late. It might be best to call ahead to see if your pup is on the flight it was assigned.

Weather and shipping puppies 
Weather can be a very big concern when shipping dogs during extreme weather in summer or winter and during the hottest and coldest months they may not ship dogs, esp brachycephalic dogs like bull mastiffs and bull dogs.

The kennel
If its a spitsvuur pup he or she is going to arrive in a nice wooden crate by the way. I still have mine and I use it for my min pin.
So you will have the crate the pup and some papers the breeder provided a health cert vaccination records and other misc forms I am a bit fuzzy with cause my vet lost mine. 







What should you bring when you pick up your puppy
Towels 
Baby wipes
Water and a dish
Food if you have a long drive 
Leash and a collar
Blanket

When I was ready to pick up my pup I made a nice bag full of all the goodies I thought I needed I was such a nervous wreak I forgot it and did not even realize I did till I was at the airport. It might not be a good idea to over do it with food and water cause the pup might get motion sickness on the way home in the car.
Should you let your puppy out of the crate at the airport?
I did not feel comfortable doing this it was only a 20 min drive home and I decided to wait. I did not want to expose my puppy to something while she was not fully vaccinated.

How quickly did I bring my puppy to the vet after he arrived? 
The next day I would encourage everyone to do a full scale parasite check making sure to check coccidia and gardia I would also quarantine the little guys till you have the test results back and clean up all poo in the yard using bleach I cannot suggest this strongly enough.

So there you go my take on importing puppies from Africa. Everyone chime and share your experiences or if you have any questions I will be happy to help if I can.

Ashley