WOW! How exciting. Good luck with the move!

I never thought of No Ship labels. Good idea. I'd like to do what you are doing -- organise everything by room, but we are very cramped for space here.

We've booked a hotel suite for the last few days in Canada. We are going to move the cats there, and our suitcases, the day before the container arrives.

Separating what is going from what we are leaving is more of a challenge. No Ship labels will definitely help.

My dog Nyla is at daycare today. When she comes home she usually grabs her toy rabbit, checks her food bowl then gets comfy on her blanket. So I will put those 3 things back in their usual places after the shipping has gone. As long as Nyla finds her rabbit, bowl and blanket she won't care that everything else has gone!

Good luck CalgaryPete. I'm liking the logistics. I was thinking the very same thing about a 'shipping room' etc.

I'm really interested to hear about how your last few days go, as I'm struggling to work out the logistics of the move myself. We have a 10 month old daughter too which makes things tricky.

We have an apartment which we will have to vacate at the end of the month, plus items to ship and lots of furniture that we are selling. I am wondering if it would be prudent to book some accommodation for us for a few days to a week which we can live in while we clear the apartment and deal with the shippers.

Feel free to respond when things are less hectic and you are in the UK! Good luck.

Thanks! Shipping day is pretty relaxed for me at the moment. Starline shipping are doing a really professional job. Everything professionally wrapped and boxed. I'm in a 3 bedroom house with just enough furniture for one person and a compact labrador, so I can keep out of the movers way easily. I was surprised there are only 2 movers. They must be fit, and they're certainly hard working. I've been outside (-20C) clearing out the shed just so I don't feel lazy sitting here with my iPad.

Having my dog Nyla out of the house today is helping. She's not so good at keeping out of the way, and she might be upset if she saw people taking her dog beds.

what size container are you using? I am loving your thread as it is worth keeping and referring to for when the time comes for us to go!

Good luck with the move. Ive booked my shipping day for a day my dog is at daycare also. She's a lab also and thinks that everyone who comes round is coming to play with her. She also gets anxious with a lot of disruption so best for her to be playing with her pals. Is Nyla going on the same flight with you? was her paperwork easy? Most stressful part of the move for me is having to have my dog in cargo hold, she's going to freak out!!

Groupage. That's a shared container. They estimated I have 400 cu ft of furniture and other stuff. £3900 with Starline. I chose them because of the good reviews in this site.

The furniture is a queen size bed, 7ft by 8ft shelf unit, 2 big bookcases, small table, bins, couple of chairs, small cabinet, bedside cupboards and a secretary desk that is still flat packed. (No sofa. It's getting mangy so I'm having it euthanised.)

The rest is books ( 140 or so), pictures and ornaments, clothes for one person, hand tools for gardening, spare hiking gear, a large dog pen, a turtle, a christmas tree, boxes of photos, bits, bobs and broken computer backup drives.

For the shipping insurance I worked out the total value. It was the same as the cost of shipping the stuff. But I don't want to replace my old junk with new junk, so I'm shipping it.

Nyla is flying business class on Air Canada. I think it must be business class because it's costing $3500 Canadian. That's with Boomerang. My vet chose them. I don't know why it's become so expensive, compared to what I paid to bring 2 Golden Retrievers to Canada 14 years ago. So Boomerang have done the paperwork, which made it very easy. I know I could have found cheaper options, but I really trust our vet so I went along with his recommendation. Nyla is 11 and still fit and healthy.

I feel a lot less stressed using a pet travel company. They know the business. For example, they recommended the Sunday flight because the cargo area at Calgary is much less busy then, so less noise and less stress for the dog.

Nyla had a rabies booster about 3 weeks ago (because her vaccinations run out soon) and then worming treatment yesterday.

Nyla actually likes her crate, so I think she will sleep for most of the flight.

Yes. She will have enough space in her crate to stand upright, turn round and lie flat. I won't.

Boomerang will pick her up at 2pm on Sunday and give her a short stroll before the flight at 6pm.

At Heathrow, the staff at the animal reception centre will let her have a pee break. It can be 2 to 3 hours after landing before I can collect her.

4 pm The truck just left. They started at 9:30 this morning.

My furniture and junk is now on the way to a secret location somewhere in England. I'm staying with friends when I arrive, so I asked Starline to put my stuff into storage somewhere near Manchester. I don't actually know which of their locations it will end up in. I should probably try to find out. But we have everything we need in our suitcase and 2 holdalls, so it can wait.

Time to collect Nyla. It's a bit nippy out with -34C windchill. Tempted to skip the evening walk.

This seems like a happy thread. I'm really enjoying it. Good luck to you and Nyla!

So now I spoil it. There were tears and roses at the daycare this evening when I collected Nyla after her last day there. She has been there every day, Monday to Friday, for 7 years.

The girl who has known her longest was in tears. They gave Nyla a gorgeous bunch of roses. She liked the scent.

I feel guilty taking Nyla away from all the kind girls and her dog friends at the daycare.

Awwwwwwww! It sounds like you love your Nyla as much as we love our two girls. A dog is always fortunate I think if they have found people to care for them. To really love them. And the people who have loved the dog well they are more fortunate still!

Please don't feel bad for sharing your beautiful four legged friend with the rest of the world. They really do save us from ourselves after all.

Thanks. I think Nyla will like England. I want to show her the Lake District.

It's the same for my dog Libby. She's been going to daycare for 7 years and when I told them she would be leaving all the girls got so upset. One girl in particular almost cries every time I oh to pick her up. I'm dreading the scene on her last day. I do feel vas taking her away but then I think about how much she us going to enjoy all those walks in the beautiful English country side. And how nice it will be to be in a dog friendly country. She can even go for a pint with me lol. I think my parents aw mine excited about her coming home than me lol.