[To obtain your Pet Passport, the rabies vaccine should be administered not less than one month or more than 12 months prior to export. Then your dog has to have a blood test to prove that the vaccine is in its system and until then your vet can't issue the passport. Your vet will advise you on timing.]

[The Spanish College of Veterinary Surgeons actually recommends an annual rabies vaccination, in fact I think it's obligatory annually.]


That's really interesting, Hillybilly.
I'm not saying I doubt you or your information - but our experience has been different!

Our UK Vet had no problem giving us a Pet Passport WITHOUT the blood test, because she knew we weren't bringing the dog back into the UK again.
Actually, it was the factsheet from the Vet which stated the blood test wasn't necessary in this situation, that alerted us to the fact we didn't have to go "the whole hog".

On arrival here, we sorted out a Vet long before we registered with a doctor (!) and he pointed out in our dog's passport, that although the UK rabies vaccination had a 3 year validity, it had to be re-done after 2 in Spain.
Could it be yet another one of those things that has 20 different answers, depending on where in Spain you live......and who you ask!!?

In fact, in our region it's compulsory to worm your dog every 3 months......and the worming tablets are FREE! I think it's a great idea, but I'm sure there are loads of dogs that aren't wormed that often!! (And how would they check anyway!?)

Steve,
Loved your website!

What a fantastic looking house and location!
How long have you lived there?
Maybe once we've got over the traumas of having our house built (still at the architect stage at the moment! ) we can bring our GSD down for a holiday?

We're not all that far from the Portuguese border, and I'm particularly keen to start exploring some other parts of Spain in the not too distant future.

By the way, Ozzie looks really gorgeous! How old is he?
I bet he's in his element with all that water around!
Fantastic news that your Vet pulled him through leishmaniosis - that must have been an awful time for you.
You prompted me to look into the disease, so thanks for the warning.

It's a small world isn't it?
You mention your Vet did some of his training in Carmarthen - my parents live near there!

All the best,
Sam.

[Yes, it is indeed Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower peninsular Swansea.
I can't believe you recognised the location from that little picture!]

Hiya Chris!
Well, once seen, never forgotten!
I reckon it's got to be one of the most beautiful places in the UK - totally unspoilt and clean; and amazingly quiet! There were only a handful of people on the beach!

I was only saying to my friend from Swansea, that if the UK had guaranteed sunshine, a lot of people wouldn't need to move abroad!!
You are very lucky to live in such a beautiful area, and I wish you lots of luck in selling your house soon.

My parents live in Ceredigion, and I'm always teasing them - saying that Extremadura (where I live) is like Wales..............with sunshine!!

I'm really pleased for you, Mercedes, that you have found a good reliable kennels where your dog is obviously happy
However, as our dog is nearly 8, we have made the decision that we won't be taking her back to the UK at all - even though I feel terribly guilty that she won't see her 5 "best friends" again!!

As I've said previously, if we need to go back to the UK we'll do it separately, so that one of us is left here with the dog.

Heaven forbid - should there be a family emergency, we have friends living nearby who would look after her. After all, if you need to get back to the UK quickly, you're hardly going to want to go by boat ( I wouldn't put my dog on a plane) and neither would you want to mess around with flea and tick certificates.
It's horses for courses, obviously - but for us, our dog doesn't need to travel outside Spain

All the best,
Sam.

Hi Sam,

We use Javier Llanos in Lepe. He specialises in operations, is very good and does not charge the earth. Driving into Lepe from Ayamonte on the 'ring' road' turn right at the crossroads to Isla Antilla and he is about 1/2 mile down on the right. Big blue and yellow sign. Tell him Ozzie and I referred him to you.

If you have any problems give us a call 959 502030 or 679719575 this only works if we are away from the house but we should have an answr phone.

Good luck

Steve

Hi again Sam, thanks for the comments re the site, house and all. We are finishing our 5th year so are almost native except we try not to speak in too local a dialect.

Ozzie is 4 in a week or so time and as you say look pretty good on it. They say a dog looks like his master, well I am still hoping for the trim and sleek black look without the black, just maybe a touch of rust.

Where are you located in Extramadura? We overlook Portugal which is weird as the time over there just 300 metres away is one hour different from us and yet our son who lives in Sweden some 1500 miles east is on the same time. Crazy.

Do come and see us if you need a break from housebuilding you will be more than welcome.

Cheers

Steve

Thanks for the info Steve. Its nice to know there is a vet closer to us in case of an emergency. It takes us 40 minutes to get to the vet in Almancil, so a vet in Lepe should be half that time.

Sam

Re the leishmaniosis thingie, we've been told that garlic bits (or dried garlic granules) mixed with the dog food is a good prevention method.

[Where are you located in Extramadura?]

Hi Steve

We live in a small village, just ouside Trujillo - do you know it at all?
We've been here 13 months, completed on a plot of land just before Christmas and have been trying to make definite plans about the house ever since the end of January; but our architect is quite elusive!
However, he shocked me by calling round this morning to make an appointment for this evening - so maybe things will start moving soon???

How big is your village?
There are about 300 people living in ours - but we "swell" to a busy 400 or so at Semana Santa and during August!
I know what you mean about trying not to adopt too much of the local dialect! Otherwise it's a bit like trying to learn TWO languages, isn't it?
I do find myself slipping into dropping my "s", "d" and saying "ow" instead of "ado" whan I'm chatting to the older people because that's all I hear from them!
I'd love to think I could be fluent and "almost native" after 5 years here.

Hope Ozzie has a great birthday - he really is a handsome boy.

Well, you keep working on honing your sleek, black (or rusty!) looks - and I'll start worrying about the fact that I seem to be developing as much grey hair as our 8 year old dog (but at least mine isn't around my muzzle!)

Have put your website into our favourites, and have mentioned it to the O/H who's away at the moment (for once he didn't respond with "Oh, I don't know about that!) so things are looking promising for a visit!
When I'm busy tearing my (rapidly greying) hair out over this forthcoming build process, I'll picture your casitas, the pool and the river, take a deep breath and will march on

Take care, Sam.

Hi Sam, for some reason I thought I was chatting with a bloke!!! Stupid me.

Our village has 428 registered inhabitants but only about half actually live there. Of this there are about 80 estranheros of different nationalities. We live about 10 k's outside.

Trujillo? heard of it but will need to look at a map to find it. Did you follow the Google map link on our site? Pretty nifty as you can home in directly onto our track, a bit worrying as we can't put another house up or roof on a room without someone being able to see from outer space!!!!

Do come and see us.

Big lick from Ozzie

Steve

I really have no idea about garlic but it is supposed to cure nearly everything isn't it.

At one time we had to give him 12 pills a day and a very nasty injection every day for a month, under the skin of, I believe, something containing chromium. I was not his best friend for a while.

Whole experience very nasty and we really thought we had lost our dog.

Steve

Hi Steve,

I have heard some real horror stories about the leishmaniosis and know a few who have lost their pets. I'm so glad your dog pulled through it and I'm sure he knows you were looking out for his best interests.

Martha

Hi Steve,

Well, you could be forgiven for thinking I was a blokie!
However, I am a Sam of the Samantha variety - and only used to get called my proper name when my Mum was cross with me!!

I haven't yet looked at your Google earth link, but will do.
This technology is a bit worrying really, isn't it?
All very clever, but you never know if there might be a little alien looking down into your bathroom, do you!?

Hi Sam see you have got your picture done,looks nice,I have just got back in with George,got to go shopping soon looked your village up on the map,the google map is brill,and I have the map on the sofa so I can look places up,your way down south,have you found the locals friendly? Bye for now xx

Martha,

many thanks for that. We were a bit naive when we moved here and had not considered the doggy problems. Mind you we bought him in Portugal and were lulled into thinking a local dog might be less prone than an import.

Hey ho at least that is all behind us for now.

Steve