Dog into Canada

[dcason]

For the first time in many years, we have acquired a rescue dog and will be bringing her to Canada (nova scotia/newfoundland) in the future.

From what I've been able to find out, the only thing required is a rabies vaccination certificate. Has anyone been required to bring anything else? I usually bring all her vacation records anyway.

Treats and food...I read somewhere that goat and lamb treats/food was not allowed back into usa? Anyway, does anyone have any info on that? Or have you had anything confiscated? I get the 40 lb. limit on food which is fine.

Any insights...will be using Calais because it is so easy...never a wait.

[dcason]

Re the crate. She is crate trained but we have not used it in about 4 months and really don't plan to...only maybe for the trip on ferry. I assumed she would sleep BUT she also might get into stuff if we cannot tire her out enough before the trip.

Still thinking about the night ferry which would solve that as she would be sleeping! I just don't want to miss out on sleep if it should be rough....

[myredracer]

We've been asked 3 times at most entering the US to show our vaccine for rabies and not anything else. If you ever want to leave your dog at a doggie daycare in Canada or US, you'll need show the rest of the vaccinations, esp. kennel cough.

After many years of going back & forth across the border, we have never even once been asked about vaccination papers for our dog back into Canada. Same with dog food.

When taking dog food into the US, their rules are quite strict and you could end up in hot water if not careful. You should go to the appropriate US gov't website for the latest up to date info. as things can change. Used to be bags had to be unopened but that's okay now as long as it's in the original bag. Some types of dog food with meat are banned like lamb & goat. Only pet food manufactured in the US or Canada is allowed. We take bags of dry salmon & tuna into the US, opened and unopened all the time and they're fine with it. We never even take any kind of meat, fruit or veggies for us into the US just to be sure.

Note that when you cross the border into the US and they ask you if you have anything to declare, you should tell them if you have dog food and what's in it.

If I understand it right, you have a concern about a long ferry trip? I would not use a crate unless the dog has been crate trained beforehand. You might talk to your vet and see if there is a tranquilizer you can get. We've used a part tablet of Gravol a couple of times to keep him calm and/or asleep at night (long forgotten why).

[dcason]

Ha, I know full well the energizer bunny will be wild as heck when we get back in rv....plan on stopping ASAP to run her a bit and take care of business and find a place to overnight.

[BCSnob]

We don’t give our dogs anything to help them chill. We act like traveling this way is normal; and they accept it as normal. If we act like something is abnormal, they pick up on this and react to it. Dogs are very good at reading our emotions. We do expect to have a pack of “energizer bunnies” once we reach our destination.

[dcason]

Uh YEAH,if your borders can handle it mine surely can. I will bring a metal crate and turn on some soothing music (which is probably more for me). Do you give them anything to chill them out?
Donna

[BCSnob]

I’d recommend bringing a crate even if just for the ferry crossing; it will give you peace of mind that your dog is not getting itself into trouble. Active dogs can handle 5hrs or more sitting in a crate while traveling without a break, as long as they are old enough to not need a bathroom break. If our very active Border Collies (working sheepdogs) can handle it your dog can too.

[dcason]

Thank you...glad to know no issues.

Yes, Newfoundland it is and I've asked ferry questions and we re going to wait a year. She is a lab/cattle dog mix so no bully breed issues. She can chill but this rescue girl needs her exercise, hence waiting a year. She is approximately 2.5 years now but pretty sure I would not feel comfortable leaving her in the rv for that long right now. If she decided to occupy herself (still deciding on crate...we don't use it any more) that might not be pretty. We don't leave her at home for more than a couple of hours...she sleeps then. Would have to exercise her really hard before the ferry (not sure that is possible as she needs lots of it)...not sure I want to do a night ferry and pay the extra money for a room. She has spent lots of time in rv (2 months wild west, 2 months florida) so she is very familiar with it.

As far as putting her with other dogs in kennel? There is no way I would do that to her even if I had access to walk her. I saw her response when we were watching tv one night and there were many barking dogs in a kennel situation. She went from sound asleep to running for the door...fast! So no her kennel days are over.

Yeah, the vegetables have way more interest!

[NCWriter]

By the way, the campgrounds we’ve used in those two provinces have been quite dog-friendly. Don’t recall any extra fees, and there have been poop bag dispensers in some places. Lots of trails for long walks.

(Had a friend who encountered a no-dog campground elsewhere in Canada, but I’ve never seen that up in NS or NL.)

[NCWriter]

We’ve made a few RV trips to that area and never been asked to produce anything in the way of paperwork or food, though we’d be glad to if asked. Our Labrador dog is usually getting a good look at the inspector - they know she’s on board.

One caution is that the Newfoundland ferry from Nova Scotia (5 or 6 hours for shortest one) means your dog will have to stay in the RV unattended during the crossing. So you’ll want to be confident the dog can handle that. The other option is the kennel room for an extra fee. We’ve seen it, and it’s not a very happy place for a typical dog. For more information on this topic, google Marine Atlantic.

[nikoregon]

I understand some provinces will not allow the bully breeds, Staffordshire terrier etc.

[Steve_83406]

I took my border collie into Canada in April when I went to pick up a sailboat I had purchased. I took his vaccination/rabies record and a health certificate from my vet. Coming back, he was sleeping in the back seat of the truck, and since everyone was so interested in the sailboat and how to get it through customs, I inadvertently smuggled him back into the US! Nobody asked and nobody looked.
Steve

[colliehauler]

Collies went to Canada a lot with me, just carried the proof of rabies vaccination. Dog food can be iffy sometimes depending on any meat issue. To save time I just stopped on the Canadian side Walmart and purchased the same dog food.

[camp-n-family]

Bring all up to date vaccine paperwork that you have, rabies is a must. Keep all food in the original bag/containers. We've never been asked to produce anything for the dogs until this last trip when we had a puppy with us.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

Way back in 'o6, as we returned to the USA from Canada, we were asked to produce the bag of dog food we were using, to prove that it was made in the USA. It was, they were happy. But that was on the heels of a "Mad Cow" being discovered in BC, I think? So the USA was being very fussy about what kind of meat (and its source) crossed the border.