How International Working Dog Delivery Works

Moving a working dog across borders is a logistics exercise with a living animal at its centre. Done properly, it is routine; done carelessly, it causes delays, stress to the dog, and refused entry. This article explains the general shape of international delivery so you know what to expect and where your responsibilities lie. Requirements vary significantly by destination country and change over time, so treat this as an overview and confirm the current, exact rules with your destination's import authority before you plan travel.

The general sequence

Most international deliveries follow a recognisable order, even though the details differ by route:

1. Confirm the destination's import rules — the foundation everything else is built on.
2. Veterinary preparation — identification, vaccinations, and any required tests, on the destination's timeline.
3. Official documentation — health certificate and export/import paperwork prepared close to travel.
4. Transport arrangement — flight or ground route, crate, and handling.
5. Customs and arrival — clearance at the destination and handover.

Because step one drives everything, never begin veterinary timing or book transport before the destination requirements are confirmed.

Veterinary preparation and timing

The dog must be prepared to meet the destination's entry conditions, and timing is the part buyers most often underestimate. Common elements include:

• Microchip identification consistent across all documents.
• Rabies vaccination, frequently with a required waiting period before travel, and sometimes a blood titration test for certain destinations.
• Core vaccinations and parasite treatments within specified windows.

Some of these have minimum waiting periods that can add weeks or months to the schedule. Confirm the sequence early. For the document side of this in detail, see health documents for a working dog.

Documentation

Official paperwork is usually finalised close to departure because health certificates often carry short validity windows. Typically this includes an official veterinary health certificate, export documentation from the country of origin, and the import documentation the destination requires. The exact set and validity periods are set by the destination's import authority — verify them against current official sources rather than assuming last year's rules still apply.

Transport options

Air transport

For most international moves, air transport is the practical route. This generally means an IATA-compliant travel crate sized correctly for the dog, with adequate ventilation, secure fastenings, and water access. The crate must meet airline and IATA standards, and acclimating the dog to it in advance reduces stress. Routing matters too — fewer connections and attention to climate and layover conditions make for a calmer journey.

Ground transport

For shorter or regional moves, ground transport can be appropriate and sometimes less stressful, with rest stops and direct handling. The same identification and documentation requirements still apply at each border crossed.

Customs and arrival

On arrival, the dog and its documents are presented to the destination's authorities for clearance. Some destinations conduct inspections or hold animals briefly; a few require quarantine depending on origin and the dog's status. Knowing your destination's arrival procedure in advance — and having complete, consistent paperwork — is what keeps clearance smooth. Incomplete or mismatched documents are the most common cause of problems at the border.

Who is responsible for what

International delivery is a shared effort, and it works best when the split is clear from the start.

• The buyer is usually best placed to confirm destination import rules, since your own importing authority is the definitive source, and to handle import-side clearance and any local requirements.
• The seller handles origin-side veterinary preparation, documentation and export logistics, and coordinates transport.
• Both should agree on the timeline, the route, and who covers which costs before travel is booked.

Our approach is to support the dog from selection through to delivery and to coordinate the origin-side process transparently, while being clear that destination rules are set by your authorities and must be confirmed there. We will not rush a dog onto a route that its preparation or the paperwork does not yet support.

Practical advice

• Confirm destination requirements in writing before any timing begins.
• Build in margin — vaccination waiting periods and certificate windows do not flex.
• Acclimate the dog to its travel crate ahead of time.
• Keep all documents together, consistent, and tied to the microchip.
• Verify everything against official sources for your specific destination.

A well-planned delivery protects the dog and your investment. When you have a destination in mind, we can walk through the origin-side process and likely timeline for your route — request a dog to begin, or read how it works for the full picture.