Last year, me and my boyfriend decided to move back to our home country in March of 2012. Since leaving Toby behind wasn’t an option, my duty was to find out exactly what we needed for the trip and to put together all his paperwork. I started with the research pretty early, because all this was new for me, and I wanted to make sure that on the day of the flight I wasn’t missing anything.

When traveling with your dog to Europe the first thing that your dog will need is a microchip. The microchip required by the European Union is a 15-digit microchip that meets ISO standards 11784/11785 and operates at 134.2 kHz.

If your dog already has a 9 or 10 digit microchip (in U.S. pets are usually microchipped with these), then your dog will need a new 15 digit microchip, OR you can carry your own microchip scanner, since at the airports and in the E.U. they have scanners only for the 15 digit microchips.

We ordered our 15 digit microchip online and paid about $50 for it. It came with free registration in a pet database, and our vet implanted it free of charge.

After the microchip implantation, your dog will need to be vaccinated against rabies. The vaccine should be given at least 21 days before the travel date. If the rabies vaccine was given before the microchip was inserted, it won’t be recognized, which means that you’ll need to re-vaccinate your pet. We microchipped our Corgi on June 24th 2011, and on June 26th 2011 we vaccinated him, and this way we avoided any complications.

When you receive the rabies vaccination certificate from your veterinarian, make sure that your dog’s microchip number is listed on the certificate!

Documents needed to travel with your pet

Now that you got the microchipping and vaccination covered, it’s time to start worrying about the paperwork. Don’t worry, it’s not complicated! The most important document that you will need is the EU 998 health certificate. You should go to: http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/liveanimals/pets/nocomm_third_en.htm to print it out (the downloadable forms, in different linguistic renditions are found at the bottom of the page, in the blue rectangle).

You will need to print out the EU 998 form in the language of the European country of entry and it will need to be completed either in English or the language of the European country of entry. For example, we came to Romania, but entered the European Union through Germany, so we needed the German version of the form, which my vet completed in English. The EU 998 certificate must be filled out by a USDA accredited veterinarian (ask your vet if he/she is accredited), with block letters using blue ink.

Make sure that all the information on the certificate is correct (I triple checked everything, especially the microchip number). Also, make sure that all the dates in the EU 998 form are written in the European format (dd/mm/yyyy).

After the EU 998 form is completed, signed and stamped by the vet, you must send it to your USDA area office for endorsement. To find the USDA office in your area, visit: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/area_offices/ and select your state. You will need to send the EU 998 form together with the rabies vaccine certificate (signed by the vet) and a check for $37 payable to USDA APHIS. The USDA area office will return the endorsed EU 998 certificate to you, via regular mail.

You may be lucky and find an USDA office close to you, in which case you won’t need to mail the EU 998 certificate, since you can drive over there and get it endorsed. You will need an appointment, though, and they don’t accept cash.

Another document that you may need is the APHIS 7001 International health certificate. This is usually required by the airline, but not all airlines require a health certificate for traveling pets. I advise you to acquire it, just in case. Your vet should be able to provide you the APHIS 7001 certificate (you can see it here: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/library/forms/pdf/APHIS7001.pdf). The info on this form is filled out on the computer, and your vet will have to sign it after printing it out. Since the vet is the one providing you with this form, he will charge you for it. I think I paid $45 for it.

The APHIS 7001 certificate should be issued no more than 10 days prior to the pet’s departure, and will need the USDA endorsement as well. This can seem tricky if you need to send it by mail to the USDA office, since there’s such a short time frame, but here is what you must do: when sending the APHIS 7001 form to the USDA, include a pre-paid self-addressed overnight envelope (UPS, FedEx, USPS etc.), and this way you should receive the endorsed form just in time for your flight date.

Endorsement for the APHIS 7001 International health certificate will cost you another $37, unless it is sent to the USDA office together with the EU 998 certificate, in which case you will pay $37 for both certificates.

Usually, airlines don’t require any additional documents, but I recommend calling them and finding out.

Now you’re done with the paperwork, too. It’s easy and you can do it all yourself, there’s no need to pay any pet relocation services.

There’s one last thing you’ll need to do before your departure, and that is: buying a cage (for dogs traveling in the cargo hold), or a pet carrier (for dogs traveling in the cabin with you), and getting your dog accustomed with it. Dogs are normally allowed to travel in the cabin if the dog’s weight (including the carrier) is no more than 18 lbs. For carrier/cage dimensions and prices for transport, please contact the airline you will be flying with.

As I mentioned before, putting everything together is easy, but it was very stressful for me, because I wasn’t able to find all the information that I needed in one place, and I always felt like I was running out of time.

I finished with Toby’s paperwork one week before our departure. Actually, the EU 998 form was already completed, but I wanted to endorse it together with the other one, the APHIS 7001, so I made the appointment with the USDA one week before the flight date. I was lucky and I didn’t have to send the documents in the mail since we had an USDA office 15 minutes away from where we lived. I just drove there and in 5 minutes I had both certificates endorsed.

The thing that made me more nervous and stressed was the fact that Toby would be in a cage for so many hours. When possible, book a non-stop flight. That’s what I did. I booked a flight from Chicago to Munich, we then stayed in Germany for a couple of days at some relatives, and then we drove to Romania. Even if the drive to our home country was 12 hours long, I preferred to have Toby with me in the car, where I could see him at all times.

I must say a little bit about what happened at the airports, in Chicago and in Munich. When we arrived at the Chicago airport we first went to the check-in counter where we paid for Toby’s trip. After that, they (Lufthansa airlines) checked to see if the cage was big enough for Toby, and they also took a glance at the EU 998 certificate. Then, we had to take him to a place where they took my Corgi out of the cage to inspect the inside of it. After this, we had to drop him off with a man who took him on the plane. By that time I was literally crying because I was so worried, and I could see on Toby’s face that he didn’t understand what was happening.

When we arrived in Germany, after a stressful flight, we went to look for our baby. We found him smiling and well at the excess baggage claim. Since I was told by a USDA worker that a vet needs to see Toby, check his paperwork and scan his microchip once we arrive in Germany, I took him and went to “Customs”. There, I tried explaining what I wanted to a few German speaking persons, and finally I spoke with a vet over the phone, who told me that I ‘m free to go, and that he doesn’t need to see my dog. Go figure, after all the stress that I went through with everything, they didn’t even look at my paperwork!

Even though nobody checked Toby, I always had all his paperwork on me, including the EU 998 and APHIS 7001 forms, rabies vaccination certificate, microchip implantation certificate, and a record of all his vaccinations and tests. When traveling with your dog, I suggest you carry these documents with you, too. You never know who might want to take a look at them.

I hope I didn’t leave out any important info regarding traveling with your pet to Europe. If I did, please don’t hesitate to let me know. Also, if you have any other question, and I can help, I will happily do it.

In the end, our experience with moving with Toby to Europe was a pleasant one. He loves it here because he has a big backyard, and he also has a girlfriend that he likes to chase.

Shorty likes to have his belly tickled, enjoys body massages and likes to sleep belly up. He’s also spoiled with lots of toys (that keep him from chewing on furniture) and lots of walks. Shorty enjoys car rides as much as he enjoys walks and going to the park, and he sometimes gets to go to stores where he’s allowed to go in, which he loves.

Shorty is not only beautiful, he’s smart, too. He is a very well-behaved Corgi, knows tricks, such as “shake” and “rollover”, and he knows his front yard’s boundaries, and won’t try to chase dogs that pass by. Shorty loves to play, sleep, getting treats (his favorite are ribs), and he also likes snow, even though he doesn’t get too much of it in Texas.

Josie can’t get enough of her Corgi, and says that he’s such a blessing and joy to have. She also says that Shorty makes every day a happy day, and he’s better than a lot of people. So true..

Thanks, Josie, for sharing Shorty with us!

Once outside, he loves getting showered with snow. I’ll just take handfuls of snow and throw it at him. He jumps trying to catch some snow, and let me tell you, he jumps in the most amazing way I’ve ever seen! I think you can see a few of Toby’s moves in the video below. Enjoy!

They also did more research on Corgis and were happy to find out that they have that “big dog” attitude, but come in smaller packages. And so, Carol and Doug decided to get a Corgi puppy. They found a breeder who had a new litter of puppies, and after choosing their puppy (a gorgeous girl, who they named Phoebe), they visited her regularly and took lots of photos and videos of her.

At the time Carol wrote me, baby Phoebe was still too young to leave her mother’s side, and Carol and her family were waiting patiently until they could bring home their new bundle of joy. But time passes quickly, and by my calculations, Phoebe should now be home with her new family. I will definitely contact Carol and ask for some updates on life with Phoebe, but until then, enjoy the pictures and the video she sent!

Thank you, Carol & Family for sharing Phoebe with us!

Molly is 5 years old and she’s the mother of Muffin and Moxy, who are both 3 years old. Molly is a smart tri-colored Corgi that knows how to behave nice to get what she wants. Her favorite sleeping spot is under the table, and she’s afraid of thunder.

Moxy has a beautiful sable coat, she’s tender, loving and Angela spoils her a lot. Moxy has a sweet personality and likes to be around people. She also loves getting her belly rubbed.

Muffin is the hyperactive one of the gang, likes to have fun, but she can be loving and tender, too. She also likes food a lot and can eat almost anything.

Welcome to CorgiDogs, girls! Thank you, Angela, for sharing them with us!

Unfortunately, none of the breeders had puppies available, nor they planned litters for the summer of 2011. Mie sadly realized that it would be another year, at least, before she could get a Corgi puppy. And here is where luck and faith intervened (or maybe it was the Holiday spirit), and on December 24th 2010, one of the breeders contacted Mie with good news: he had one puppy available, a red and white female with a natural bob tail. The breeder had her on-hold for another person, but since he didn’t hear from him in over a month, and decided to give Mie a call. And this is how Mie’s life changed.

In the blink of an eye Mie and her boyfriend happily agreed to get the puppy, and decided that on December 28th they would make a six hour train trip to pick up their new bundle of joy. She was named Bailey, after her creamy color and sweet and strong character.

Bailey loves playing tug of war with her ropes, she loves her stuffed dog toy, and she also likes sleeping on her back. She is a very smart 1 year old Corgi and she loves doing tricks, too. Her favorite one is “Stick ‘em up!”.

Thank you for sharing your Corgi with us, Mie! Bailey is mega-cute and I can see that she is a very happy and loved Corgi. Velkommen to CorgiDogs, Bailey!

Goldie is very, very protective of her Rachel, and she will attack anyone who is aggressive towards her Mom. If you are not trying to hurt Rachel, though, you’ll discover that Goldie is actually a love bug, and she is very friendly.

Goldie likes to sleep in her Mom’s bed, and she always follows her around, in case Rachel needs help with anything. Rachel describes her Corgi as adorable and she also says that Goldie is everything, even more, than she could’ve asked for.

Thank you, Rachel, for sharing Goldie with us!

Tena decided to make her daughter’s wish come true, and started looking for a Corgi breeder in her area, and when she found one, she fell in love with this awesome breed, also.

Angel and Bella like to do many things together, such as playing in the water or playing tug of war with their toys. Because Angel and Bella are strong chewers, Tena always buys Doctors’ Foster & Smith chew hooves that she fills with peanut butter. She then freezes the chew hooves, and lets her two Corgis enjoy them whenever she needs to leave the house. This way, Tena knows that Angel and Bella are kept busy with their frozen treats until she returns home.

Thanks, Tena, for sharing your girls with us! Welcome to CorgiDogs, Angel and Bella!

Playing and eating are two of his favorite activities and he somehow manages to combine them. Good thing we’re always there to tape him and show his fans how awesome he is.

Lucky is very “talkative”, and loves playing fetch outside and sometimes even inside. Lucky became a Mommy for the first time in the summer of 2011, when Stephanie decided to have just one litter of puppies from her sweet Lucky. Corgis are hard to come by in her area, and she wanted to share the awesomeness of Corgis with other people.

Lucky gave birth to 3 darling babies, that got lots of attention and love from both Lucky and Stephanie. All three of them are in their loving forever homes now, with families that will cherish them for their entire lives.

Thanks, Stephanie, for sharing these photos and videos with us!