Laura-lee

Evening all

I apologise as I'm sure there is already a thread on here somewhere asking all the same questions as I'm about to...Just baffled by all the info I've been reading on the web

Myself, my husband are considering moving abroad. I am 99% surenitmwill happen if we can find a suitable area for us all. We have looked into Australia in the past, however I had doubts just as we applied for our visa, main reason because its so far for family to visit or for us to return to the uk.

We are now looking into Spain, I love tenerife as a holiday place however I'm told work is not easy to find here. I've been reading so much online I'm all in a pickle now. I've read costa del sol is a nice place however I've also read that our two dogs, who will be coming with us, are on the dangerous dog list there. Which means they would need to be muzzled and kept on leads at all times, which I am not prepared to do.

We also have to consider schools... We would prefer an English school that teaches Spanish, I know there are fees for international schools. I am planning on taking up Spanish lessons before we move, ASAP infact.

Work wise... My husband holds a HGV license and is a qualified plumbing and heating engineer. He is currently project manager for wind turbine transportation. I'm unsure as to how easy it is to obtain work and in what areas work is available... I have been a full time mum for the last two years but done home care previous to that.

So I guess Im looking for suggestions on what regions have ample work for those who aren't fluent in Spanish, have reasonable english type schools, and somewhere that doesn't inflict a law whereby any dog that weighs over 25kg and is of 'dangerous type', must be muzzled in public....

Many thanks in advance...

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

I believe that the law regarding the dogs is throughout Spain but I am sure that there must be someone on here with more reliable information on this factor. One thing that I am very sure about is that there is no ideal province for work, Spain is in an employment crisis and many Spaniards are leaving to find work in other countries. So if fluent Spanish speakers are unable to find work I do not think that it will be at all easy for you. In order to live here now the government insists that you prove how you are going to support yourselves.

Sorry to have to hit a negative note but it is the way it is here at present.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

jackytoo

Probably hundreds, usually 2 or 3 per week. You will also get the usual my area is ideal posts too.

Fred James

Pretty well no chance of work in any regions of Spain if you are not fluent. In the south it is 35% unemployment.

The dog laws apply across the whole of Spain.

A HGV licence is not a lot of use - there are tens of thousands of lorries off the road at the moment as there is no work for them and plumbing and heating skills are not a lot of use either as there are plenty of out of work plumbers here since the entire construction industry collapsed.

I think you will need to look somewhere entirely different to meet your criteria - Spain is definitely not on the list for you.

andyrich666

RE- The Dogs, Its not your call, while I do believe there are places that may not inflict the law, you personally can not call it.

As much as I understand and agree with you, its the law of the country and you have to abide by it or take the consequences, hopefully you can accept that first.

andyrich666

I met a HGV or 'wagon driver' as he preferred on our last visit and he worked in a chip shop, he was content, also he could have been lying as the longer he talked the more aamzing were his life stories, but still...............when we left him, it hit me just how hard it is to get a job if you had too.

some of the things Jacky has responded to me in some posts, well they play on my mind a few weeks later

Rosemary

A lot of Spanish lorry drivers and builders seem to have headed off to Germany so I presume that there is still the possibility of work there.

Rosemary

HBG

I've had so called 'dangerous' dogs for years in Spain and the new rules are rigidly enforced. In my area, not only does the dog need to be muzzled in a public place, but you need to attend the local town hall to pass a test to determine whether you're a suitable person to keep such a dog. On top of that the dog needs to have dangerous dogs insurance, which doesn't come cheap, and the usual chip and health checks.

But, as usual, us honest expats greedily soak up all the Spanish laws forced upon us and comply with them, only to find that our Spanish neighbours just laugh at us. They don't bother with any of them, they don't even insure their cars, never mind their dogs, and if you see a dog with a muzzle the owner will be a guiri.

(I don't advocate a foreigner breaking any Spanish laws, a Spaniard might get away with minor transgressions, but you won't).

Laura-lee

Thanks for replies..

I'm thinking about Australia again now...Simply for work and the fact they speak english and our dogs are not classed as dangerous over there! Bugger how far away it is for family, we want what's best for OUR family

andyrich666

Yes it looks like when / if we move we will have to do the same, have a medical and draw a plan of the house and pay the fee. It did put me off for a while, just have to see how it goes once we are there.

I met some people with same dog but they have not done that, but I think it depends how the dog acts, mine as in my avatar has a big jaw and is always open when he walks and panting and he looks the part, but he is not dangerous.

The other similar dogs do not have such a look about them and do not pant from what I have seen, so they do not give the look of the breed.

I also met a lady with a muzzled dog similar to ours and she said that it was not long before the council (is it?) wrote to her, I would imagine somebody tipped the authorities off.

Training our dog to wear a muzzle is not very easy, he has already broke out of one and ripped it to shreds.

missile

Good luck down under

Laura-lee

Thanks. Never as easy as it sounds though is it and I'm so impatient lol! We'll get there one day.

ononno

As others have said Laura, best of luck. Sorry, just can't get my head round the concept of a life changing move, involving children, being dictated by DOGS?
'o nonno

Laura-lee

What do you think I should do then? Rehome the dogs? I couldn't imagine having to explain to my boys why we've left our dogs in another country. They have to come with us. I can't imagine not being able to let them run about playing with each other like they do every day here at the park either. Which is something that won't happen in Spain. I know it's going to cost a bomb to take them with us to oz but we will just have to see what happens...

chrisjolly

In my experience many people say they want to move away from the UK, some actually do, but many do not for family or work reasons. Those that do often go back for family reasons so make sure you have thought about why you want to move away in the first place. From the numbers of Rumanians that want to go there it cant be that bad!!