Driving to Spain with your staffy

We've driven to Spain for the last two years with Ralphy (he loves his holiday in the sun, early morning/evening runs on the beach and of course all those people when we go out of an evening). And of course we're due to go back this September.

Was just wondering if anyone else has done this and to hear of their experiences.

We have never done this but there are several people on the forum who have asked about it recently, would be interesting to hear your experiences doing this.

Certainly something ive considered my only concern is getting through France as Ledger is rescue so i dont have any papers and i believe they can be funny with staffy crosses

jshrew wrote:Certainly something ive considered my only concern is getting through France as Ledger is rescue so i dont have any papers and i believe they can be funny with staffy crosses

I'd love to do this but in the same boat, Zeus is pure staff but I don't have any papers so don't want to be in the position where they turn us down..

jshrew wrote:Certainly something ive considered my only concern is getting through France as Ledger is rescue so i dont have any papers and i believe they can be funny with staffy crosses

That will be an issue I've been told. We are flying Marquez in through Barcelona for our move to Andorra later in the year which won't be a problem but because we plan on taking family vacations with him once we move there and it will involve travelling through France, we had to make sure that we had a dog with proper papers proving he is 100% staffordshire otherwise we would have a big problem.

Hi. The first time Ralphy went to Spain he was only five months old and obviously still very 'puppy cute'. He was going to live with my daughter in southern Spain. We went over on the tunnel (so easy, quick and as you keep your dog with you no stress or leaving them on their own). We travelled down through France stopping every couple of hours for walks etc. We had gone prepared - we too have no papers for Ralph, which were understood were required in France but as we were only passing through we played dumb to a certain extent. We did take a muzzle (which we do every trip) but have never had to use it. In Catalunya mostly he is made a fuss of, bars and restaurants would bring him a bowl of water and some even dog treat biscuits! One of our Spanish friends has a Dobermann, a Dogue de Bourgogne and a Labrador. They said we shouldn't have any problems as long as we were sensible (one of her dogs should wear a muzzle but she never has.) We understood that in Malaga they would have to register him at the local town hall, visit a vet and undergo a course to prove Ralph was controllable and they could control him. Six months later and they decided to return to the UK. So Ralph was back in Catalunya, then the UK. We have taken him back to the Costa Brava for the last two years, usually September when it is a little cooler. The local vets in Spain check him very thoroughly and administer his worming tablet before we return to the UK. We administer Frontline before we leave the UK and he has a Scalibor collar, which he wears from roughly two weeks before we leave the UK until we return, this is absolutely essential. We take him out every day, runs on the beach (take care as some beaches do not allow dogs in Spain) and walks, generally early morning and early evening. Ralph comes out with us during the day and evenings. We are known in the village having gone there for the last 30+ years, whether this makes a difference I don't think so. The only time anyone has ever said anything was a German tourist who threw a right wobbler, saying he should be muzzled etc (this was whilst a group of young Spanish kids were playing with him). We even met a Spanish couple on the beach one evening with their six month old rescue staffy. I believe you just need to be very sensible, aware of your dog and others (the Spanish can and do let their dogs take themselves for a walk!) and be prepared (muzzle in bag) and aware of local rules/regulations just in case. On the way home we stop overnight in a French hotel, this has never caused a problem and he is welcomed. Ralphy loves his holidays in Spain and is looking forward to the next one.  

Hope this helps anyone who is interested and that I haven't bored you all with my rambling!

That's great if I ever sort my VW transporter plan that sounds promising, where abouts do you go? I used to go to Empuriabrava 4-5 times a year and looking to head back there more frequently again

Hi Jules,

Just down the road from there at L'Estartit. We generally go three times a year but the hound only gets one holiday at year! as driving is more expensive than flying.

Hi Petab, what is a Scalibor collar sorry I've never heard of one of those ?

Hi Kathy

The Scalibor collar is like a rubber collar about 0.5cm thick and it protects against the sand fly and other 'bugglies' that carry leishmaniasis which is a killer for dogs. So its a must if going to Europe. This disease is prevalent there and heading to the UK. It is something that we need to be aware of.

Thank you for letting us know   

petab wrote:Hi Kathy

The Scalibor collar is like a rubber collar about 0.5cm thick and it protects against the sand fly and other 'bugglies' that carry leishmaniasis which is a killer for dogs. So its a must if going to Europe. This disease is prevalent there and heading to the UK. It is something that we need to be aware of.

Yes it's a nasty disease and many dogs in Spain can contract it especially if they have a compromised immune system. Our old boy Kosyta ultimately died of it. He did recover from it but it doesn't completely leave their system so if they get sick or the immune system lowers, it can come back which is what happened to him.

There is a new vaccine for Leishmania (we will not be giving it to Marquez as he has bad reactions to vaccines) which I'm concerned about as it is a series of injections over a short period of time. If a dog already has leishmania the vaccine can kill them so all dogs must be tested to make sure they don't have it.

Leishgard is a medicine that is used to build up immunity and protect dogs against Leishmania to help them fight it incase they do get it. This can be used on dogs already affected by leishmania. The drug is actually Motilium (Domperidone) which people use for nausea and vomiting. It is recommend the dogs take 1 dose a day for 1 month, 1 month before the start of the season (May-September) to build up an immunity. We'll be starting Marquez on this 1 month before we leave for Spain as we will arrive in the middle of the season.

On the homeopathic front, I've also been able to get Leishmania nosodes to help protect him further as well as getting a chem detox to reduce the effects of the Domperidone and the Scalibor collar. The sandflies are terrible down on the Costa Blanca and we (humans and dogs) have a very high risk of contracting the disease. For some strange reason, my husband seems to get bitten more than my daughter and I (Mosquitos love us though and not the hubby) and he said that they are already out now as he was getting bitten during his visit to the house this month.

Raw diets are also recommended in the prevention and treatment for Leishmania as that improves the immune system. Sugar and (carbs in general) and processed crap are the enemy which is the same for people who are fighting any sort of illness, disease or cancer.

One of our english friends who lives a few hours south from us there and works at a Rescue Shelter says that they actually have to put down the dogs with Leishmania as it really is a losing battle once they get the disease

Fortunately we will only have to deal with this when we visit the house in Spain as Andorra where we will be living is too cool for those nasty buggers!

There is a great page on FB where I've been lots of info in helping prepare us and Marquez for our move called Living with Leish. Its english with mainly expats living in Spain as well as UK residents who have rescued Leishmania affected dogs from rescues.

Hello - I'm also interested in what happens when you go abroad with your Staffy x who has no papers. At what point do they check the papers? On the British side or over in Calais etc?

Also - how hot is too hot for a Staffy? Rupert doesn't love heat and I would worry that if I took him to France in Summer he wouldn't be able to cope and be miserable. Any thoughts?

Rupertsbooks wrote:Hello - I'm also interested in what happens when you go abroad with your Staffy x who has no papers. At what point do they check the papers? On the British side or over in Calais etc?

Also - how hot is too hot for a Staffy? Rupert doesn't love heat and I would worry that if I took him to France in Summer he wouldn't be able to cope and be miserable. Any thoughts?

From what we've been told you will most likely be turned back.  When we decided to get a stafford, we had to make sure that we 1. he had predigree papers proving his breed and 2. He was true to standard so that they wouldn't question he was 100% SBT and not a mix.

While it can get warm in France, I don't think it's too hot so Rupert should be fine

Hi, the only papers they have checked are his passport and of course they check his microchip (both at Calais) on the return journey. Ralph isn't x but we don't have pedigree papers for him. I would say here please get your microchip regularly checked at your vets, or definitely before you go away (I know a lady who got stopped on her return to the UK and the chip and moved and they couldn't find, luckily her vet rescued her but have always been advised to check here in uk before leaving.

As to too hot, Ralph loves the heat and sunbathing. He'll lay in the sun here and on the terrace in Spain and once too hot will move into the shade. We don't walk him, or only for short periods, if its 25 degrees plus. I guess its common sense but as I say he loves to lay in the sun.
So if your staffy doesn't like heat I'd be wary in the summer months.

I can only say we drive through France, so only stop for rest/loo breaks and with Ralph this is better in the Aires than at the service stations. The hotel we stayed are were fine and we had no problems, perhaps lucky for us?!!

I am aware that many people are wary of staff's both abroad and here in the uk and I guess I err on the side of unless someone approaches us we don't go bounding up to them. We've had people stop us in Spain to ask about him and pet him. He is very much a people's dog but as we have other dogs in the wider family and children ranging from babies to teenagers he is a family pet and has been raised having to behave with all. There are staffy breeders in France and Spain and from our experience a lot of staffy lovers.