UK_2_OZ

There is no way I would leave my dog (golden retreiver - nearly 2) she means the world to our family. We are all going despite the cost which will come off of the equity from the house. She also eats spiders etc but we will have to deal with it bearing in mind if the spider is poisonous it might get you rather than the dog. All is equal when it comes to a spider sticking its fangs in.

I also know you can spray the garden and house against critters but this would not only be done for her sake but also for ours and all our safety.

Checking the dog for ticks every day is it really that bad considering how much happiness and part of the family our dog has become, For me it would be like leaving a 2 year old daughter in England while we jetted off to Australia and visited her once a year. I don't think so.

shiels

With all your Australian knowledge Vash, if you feel its ok to take your cat, then i need to reconsider taking mine!!! Thank you.........C x

newlife_downunder

I will be very sad should we get accepted in to Oz, as I will not be raking my little babies [ 2 westies 8yrs and 3yrs] We have decided Toni the eldest would find it too much travelling and Aggs the youngest whilst probably would be fine, I cannot part them now, they are inseparable. Very sad times :-( I am hoping that my Dad will offer to re-home them, then I will be able to see them from the webcam )

breezeboylan

For us it was never even a consideration. Our girl is part of our family and we just would not have come if she couldn't have, simple as. She is a large german Shepard and we knew we would find it hard to find a rental with her, as well as the cost, but to us it was just part of the whole emigration process. As Vash said there are thousands of dogs all over Australia surviving quite nicely every day so I didn't even consider whether we would have any problems with her. She is an absolute loony dog, not a bit calm or quite and we have had no problems with her at all. She goes out walking in the bush every night as she seemed bored on the beach. We let het off the lead and she runs around like she always has. The only precaution we do take is to make sure there are no Kangaroos about when we let her off the lead as I know she would run over to them (she likes to play with everything) and dogs have been known to be killed by a Kangaroo kick, that said we used to do have to be careful in the U.K that there were no horses, cows or sheep in the field. We have no regrets at all about taking her over.
Tracie

magicsprout

my little guys manage to avoid the adders on the moors in this country and had to be restrained from showing a badger whos boss today. i think there are dangers in every country.

nik04

So far 1 of my jack russels has killed wasps, hornets, upteen spiders of various types, 3 cane toads, dragon flys, cockroaches and other things she got spanked for i.e gheko's and a blue tongue lizard. I have tried many things to stop her but she obsesses over anything that moves and won't listen to me even when food is involved (beef,chicken or treats) i think she has obsessive compulsive dissorder of some type or just plain nuts. She was the same in the UK so she's not gonna change god knows i have tried, the other one we had from a puppy wont chase anything except the postman. Still i know i would not have stayed here more than a couple of months without them it would have been too hard.

Vash the Stampede

My pleasure, mate.

jayjd12

I am glad we are not the only family who believe in pets are for life, our dog is a great companion (didnt think I would have personally felt this way some years ago).

annqldau

Despite what a lot of others are saying we were happy we re-homed very well and that our dogs were just as happy as when with us. Dogs may be for life but unfortunately your life is longer than theirs, we would rather be kind to the dogs and re-home them than be cruel and bring them with us to an initial life we knew would def be unstable and unsuitable and with no definite knowledge of where we would ultimately end up living, what jobs we would be taking and how much time we would have to devote to the dogs needs.

Our dogs would have trashed the new rental house and would not have been suited to it's cream decor, which would have been a dark muddy brown in one day...and they would have hated being locked in a small bathroom every day when we were at work as well. Our bitch would have burst her heart chasing birds here or would have been knocked down or ripped to shreds on barbed wire doing the same as she was obsessed with chasing them. Our house and garden in UK were suited to their needs but this house isn't.

Go with what is best for you, your family and your dogs it's a personal decision and don't let others try and make you feel guilty afterwards if you know what you have done was the best all round.

nik04

Your right it is a personal thing, my belief is that dogs are just like kids they dont ask you to have them, you choose to have them. I am not trying to make people feel guilt for their decisions, just trying to say it's easier for some to give up family members than others and make sure you don't regret any decision you choose. I know myself that i would have regret leaving them behind and would resulted in my early return to the UK.

232Bar

We 'chose' to have the dogs before any thoughts of moving here were even on the horizon. We had 2 Italian Spinone and a Border Terrier, all of which needed space, time and exercise. We decided it was better (NOT easier) to leave them in good hands in the UK as we had no idea when we came over what sort of house we'd be in at first, what jobs we'd be doing, how much time we would have been able to give to the dogs. I make no excuses for doing this as, to be honest - it's got f*** all to do with anyone else - and I believe we made the right decision. 'Loving' your dog (or babies as some people seem to refer to them?? ) doesn't necessarily require you drag them half way around the world with you. Is that you doing it for the dog, or rather is it you doing it for you? I suspect in most cases the latter is true. It is a very personal decision to make, individual to each pet owner - neither group of which (the 'leavers' or the 'bringers') should be judged by the other. I have my views on it, as I'm sure all people have and I stand by my views and the decision we made. I would only recommend (and I hasten to add - recommend) that you look at both sides of the argument fully before you decide to bring your pet (or 'baby' if you will) with you.

oliverandlisa

Our boys come out of quarantine in 19 days... I CAN'T WAIT!!! I know i will find it much easier to settle when they are here.

Lisa.xx

232Bar

Why did you feel you couldn't settle without them?

(Serious question - not a p*** take)

Bushpig

Your dead right about all of the above, some people seem to think by not bringing the dogs that we are saying that you shouldn't have dogs in Oz, it is a personal dicision that only you can make, do a list of pro's and con's i.e dogs age, type as on another thread,one of those people on here who won't go to Oz with out their dog has just found out they can't send it. My dogs going to brilliant homes does not mean they weren't part of the family for 9 years or that I could just as easy give me kid's up, it's just what is right for them.

oliverandlisa

I didnt feel i couldn't settle without them but said i know i will find it much easier to settle when they are here.

Lisa