CONTENTS

Message Form

Gundog Enquiry Form

Advie Gundogs

FAQS

Derry Argue

Bob White Quail

Advie Update and Buying dogs

North American Sales

Puppies for Sale

Gundog Enquiry Form

Training

Hunting

Sporting Agents/Guides

Field Trials

Firth Productions

Order Form for books and videos

Falconry

Morrich Highland Ponies

 

Advie Update                                 logo.gif (2167 bytes)
All the latest news

 

UK Sales
These days I am effectively banned from UK field trials, but it seems that UK field trialers are still anxious to get my dogs! Strange, isn't it? Mr Lee Cooper is one of these. He has repeatedly been told that I will not sell him (or any other UK field trialers) a dog yet he persists in his harassment. I think I meant to be flattered to hear that my dogs are so good. The fact is that I breed "the wrong type of dog".  I was told this years ago by a lady at a field trial. Apparently, what people want is a dog that they can trial in the summer, show in the winter, and keep as a house pet all the year round. I am proud of the fact that I breed the "wrong type of dog" and shall continue to breed the type of dogs I like for my own enjoyment for as long as I am able. Meantime, Mr Cooper, please go and annoy someone else because you do your cause no good at all. Harassment is
defined as "repeated, intrusive or unwanted acts, words or gestures that are intended to adversely affect the safety, security or privacy of another, regardless of the relationship between the actor and the intended target" and is a criminal offence.

People who buy dogs
There seems to be a thread of lunacy amongst enthusiasts of the pointing dog in the UK these days.  Or is it just me? Would you sell a dog to someone who phones at 1.30am? Or someone who is obviously so drunk that he is almost incomprehensible? Or who has been told he won't get a dog but persists in asking, again and again and again, to the point of harassment? Or tries to force you to sell a dog by threatening you with their tax inspector partner? Or announces that he will visit your kennels, rather than politely asking if he may? Or leaves rude messages on your answering machine? Or gets his mates to contact you when you have made it plain that his attentions are unwelcome?  Early in my dogging career, field trials were attended by some illustrious personalities in our society. People like Lady Aukland, Lord Rank, the Whatney's (brewing magnates), and many big landowners who actually kept and shot over their own dogs. Then field trials became the best place to buy a cheap title with "handlers" so obese that no reasonable person would believe they could ever work a dog on a shooting day, let alone train one!  These days the objective is clearly to destroy the traditional working pointer and replace it with the show dog bred to be a house pet that will run like an express train for all of two minutes but will appeal to the majority of owners and increase The Kennel Club's revenue from registrations! All those who knew about dogs as they once were have been sickened at the show bench decisions and forced out or have given up.  It is no accident that one of our "top field trialers" is a big noise in the show world and has now been forced onto the working world by the usual internal politics directed by the KC.  Then, of course, there are the "falconers", the "look at my bird, look at me" merchants. But we won't venture down that road! Where are all the professional men who trained their own dogs and shot over them? Why are so few estates shooting over dogs these days when Arkwright mentioned that, 100 years ago, every landowner of note kept their own kennel? I would welcome a few enquiries from normal sane people who can justify keeping what better men have called "the racehorse of the gundog world", but I live with ever diminishing hope.

In the past, I have tried to whinnow the wheat from the chaff and was delighted to get an enquiry from a young gamekeeper. He visited for a few days and I quickly taught him the rudiments of dog handling. Everything went well until the estate he worked on was sold and he was sacked. The dog was declared as part of the fixed equipment, handed to the cattleman, who had it chained up in the cattle shed. As there was no one who knew how to work the dog and were all frightened of the speed it ran, it never got out and was, presumably, put down for being out of control. I am afraid that is by no means atypical. When a gamekeepers' association commissioned a film about the profession, the film maker came to me. Yes, I would be delighted to work my dogs for him to film. But that sequence was vetoed by the association as "not something gamekeepers do". Why not? Ah, possibly because they've been on an "approved course" sanctioned by the KC. My kennel maid went on one of those and came back wondering how the instructor (one of the KC darlings) managed to get a nine year old dog to chase a hare! These events, in my experience, are just a way of putting money into the pockets of the "good ole boys" and, again, are usually directed by the KC. Why do we allow this to happen?

I have a litter of pointer puppies born on the 7th March 2010. All are orange-and-white/lemon-and-white.

Turkey is the latest addition to the list of countries I will not export to.

Exporting Accompanied Dogs
Why is it those with no experience always think they know best? I always advise against transporting a dog as an accompanied pet. The professionals really do know best! So I was reluctant to assist in the export of a dog from my kennel to Turkey accompanied by the owner. As I feared, the export ended in disaster as the client  insisted in booking the dog onto a flight with a height restriction on the travelling kennel. A minor point, you would think, but young dogs grow at an alarming rate as I warned the client. But he advised, "Go ahead anyway".  So when it came to ship, the dog required a bigger box which would not go onto the plane! In the circumstances, the purchase price was refunded and the dog (one of the nicest I have bred in a while) remains in my kennel. So why the ban on exports to Turkey? Frankly, I am unconvinced that this client was at all concerned about the welfare of the dog.  I have to assume this is the normal attitude. Where there are doubts about welfare, I will not sell.

Adam gets a new dog

Top grouse expert and scientist Dr Adam Watson is getting a new Advie pointer for his research work to replace "Henry" who sadly died recently. Adam says he has been getting dogs from me for his work for over 35 years but I can't believe it has been that long! Incidentally, every hunter who hunts grouse should have a copy of Adam's book in their library. It is simply entitled "Grouse" and is authored by Adam Watson and Robert Moss. The publishers are Collins and the vital ISBN is 978-0-00-715098-4 with a cover price of 30GBP, available through any good bookshop. It is 530 pages long so look forward to a good read!

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the picture.

 

 

 

Adam has kindly said I might reproduce the following photographs of Henry from which you might recognise the Advie stamp!

Adam says,

"The unforgettable Henry, first and last pictures are of points on ptarmigan on Meall Odhar near Glas Maol, the middle photograph is of a point on a family of red grouse above Glen Shee. His first summer with me, in 1997".

  Click on thumbnails to enlarge pictures

 

 

"For Sale" and "Artificial Insemination"
As stated elsewhere, I breed pointers for my own pleasure and for my friends and I do not run a breeding kennels. Even so, dogs have large litters and occasionally I have surplus pups. Having said that, I have kept the same line of pointers for nearly 40 years so have no shortage of clients wanting to replace an aging or deceased companion. These days, working English pointers are something of a rarity in the UK -- and sportsmen able to train and work them, and living in country where dogging is still possible, even rarer. So I have nothing for sale unless it is advertised here!

The same applies to artificial insemination. I am sometimes asked if I will export semen. Top class working English pointers are the race horses of the gundog world. They are not cheap to buy or to keep. If you want to save money, go elsewhere. And if you do not understand that advice try approaching Rolls Royce and ask if they can supply one of their cars with a Ford engine because you want to save the pennies!

I also confess to being a bit eccentric in my hatred of the telephone! If you must telephone me, the answer is "No"!


Did you hear about the "new" research into canine body language by Alexandra Horowitz of Barnard College, New York, USA? Below is a cutting from the BBC web page. Ms Horowitz could have saved herself much time and the US tax payer much expense by investing in a copy of Colonel Konrad Most's "Training Dogs" written in 1910 and published in English by Popular Dogs in 1954. Copies are currently available from any good book seller by quoting ISBN 1-929242-00-X, price around £10. The knowledge she has "discovered" has been around for at least 100 years!

 

 

Can dogs really look 'guilty'?

By Sean Coughlan
BBC News

 
Gracie the dog
Humans project their own emotions onto dogs, researchers found

That "guilty look" on a dog's face is all in the imagination of the human owner, suggests research.

Dog owners have often claimed they can read the expressions of their pets - particularly that tell-tale look when they have done something wrong.

But researchers at a New York college tricked owners into thinking innocent pets had misbehaved - with the owners still claiming to see this guilty look.

The study found that the expression had no relation to the dogs' behaviour.

And researchers found that pet owners' belief that they could read their dogs' "body language" was often entirely unfounded.

More information at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8096912.stm

Puppies -- I am expecting one litter shortly. If interested, please enquire.

"PEDIGREE DOGS EXPOSED"

If you didn't see the documentary on BBC1 TV about The Kennel Club and pedigree dogs, you can do so now by buying the DVD. Just go to this site:

http://www.passionateproductions.co.uk/

OR you can see it on YouTube for free! (If the link does not work, cut-and-paste it onto your browser):

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=1929F6E7CEE3D67B&search_query=pedigree+dogs+exposed

Pedigree Dogs Exposed

A shocking exposé of one of the greatest animal welfare scandals of our time

Two years in the making, Pedigree Dogs Exposed lifts the lid on the extent of health and welfare problems in pedigree dogs, caused by decades of inbreeding and breeding primarily for "beauty" rather than health and function. Supported by strong testimony from top experts, the film argues that, without radical reform, many of our best-loved breeds face extinction.

But what was not covered by the film is the parallel nonsense of some field trials where the judges are unable to read canine behaviour so have to apply "fancy points" -- oops! Sorry, I should have said "Eliminating Faults".  Eliminating Faults are necessary for those who do not understand dog work and cannot read canine body language as a "quick fix" to judging. Rather than select against genetic faults in dog work (as opposed to training/experience generated faults), judges rely on artificial criteria. I'm told some of these "rules" have developed by custom, which just goes to show how silly they are! Canine behaviour doesn't change but fashions -- which are more appropriate to the show bench -- do.

I have explained what goes on in the page about Field Trials where no criticisms or whistle blowing will be entertained here in the UK. Anyone speaking out will find that they do not get many wins or even runs in trials. Most of the serious gundog people have now given up on UK pointer and setter field trials as they are just a joke. Some still attend and tolerate the nonsense because it gives them a chance to run their dogs on well stocked grouse moors after the trial. The saddest thing is that these field trials are now a social gathering with very little to do with dogs at all!

I seriously suspect that The Kennel Club finds working dogs an embarrassment.  Here are the published breed standards and here are the KC approved judges telling us what a dog should look like to perform the function they have been bred for -- except they can't do it!  Then along come a heap of dogs that would never win a KC show and do the job as it is supposed to be done!

Inbreeding: I was consulted by the producer of the above documentary and I pointed out that inbreeding does not CAUSE the problems described in the documentary. It is the poor selection of breeding stock followed by inbreeding that is at the root of the problem. That means the SELECTION of suitable breeding stock is WRONG! Who are responsible for the selection of breeding stock? The breeder, of course, but a major influence are the Show and trial judges who make the awards.  Who approves these judges? The Kennel Club!

College lecturer and writer for various sporting papers Graham Cox states,

"I agree with you absolutely that the problems identified in that BBC programme which prompted the 30 page 'don't panic Mr Mainwairing' response from the KC are not the result of close breeding/line breeding/in-breeding or whatever you want to call it.  It is the cumulative effect of judging decisions made on the bench and in the field which is critical.  To the KC's credit it already had a review of Breed Standards underway and it has now written into each and every one that dogs given tickets must be 'fit for function and fit for life' (to quote the strap line that they are publicising widely).
 
Now all that would be so much froth and hot air on its own.  What may just nudge things in a better direction is the requirement that Championship Show Judges attend either an Open GWT or an Open Field Trial.  At the purely logistic level that's quite significant: if it results in just some blinkers being removed from eyes it really will be significant.  But, as they say, hold on to your hat: all pigs are fed and ready to fly, but whether they ever get airborne . . . . . . . . ."

 

Banned!: The writer, Derry Argue, was banned from some field trials years ago! Jon Keane and Richard McNicol, secretaries of two Scottish field trial clubs, wrote telling me my entries would not be accepted, indicating that I am banned for life! Neither party has consented to give a reason but I can make an educated guess. Mr Keane  is, I believe, an incomer to field trialing from the show world and an obvious darling of The Kennel Cub establishment.  McNicol, according to reports, is allegedly receiving an education in dog handling from some of his students at gamekeeping college. It is very easy to become an authority in a totalitarian state as former regimes in Russia and China have demonstrated. All that is necessary is to eliminate the opposition, either by execution, imprisonment, or expulsion! Once they are out of sight and sound, the next step is to either erase their names or blacken their reputations. The trouble is, it rather proves the lie that KC field trials are fair competitions open to all! If you can't beat 'em, ban 'em! Job done.

Out of interest, I forwarded copies of Keane's and McNicol's  letters to the Chairman of The Kennel Club who stated that no one should ever have a lifetime ban from competition, let alone for no stated reason,  and he urged me to re-apply. I have not done so. My applications to several other clubs were refused and I was told I would need to become a member in order to compete which application would need to be proposed and seconded by existing members. More nonsense, as I was already a member of these clubs but had taken a few years off because of farming commitments. Under the rules of these clubs (as they should know), a member cannot be ejected for not paying the annual subscription, provided he pays the arrears when asked. I prefer not to associate with liars and fakers and I will never knowingly allow my dogs, or their descendants, to get into the hands of those who should more appropriately be keeping lurchers and ferrets. When I wanted a working GSD, I went to a Polish breeder and would not have even considered a show bred UK specimen!

Coincidentally, I had a visitor here enquiring about a certain doctor. There is no such doctor anywhere in the area but he took advantage of his visit to have a look around my kennels. A few days later, he was assisting Dennis Douglas, Chairman of the KC Disciplinary Committee, make an exhibition of himself at The Scottish Game Fair over 100 miles away with some of the "famous" Douglas spaniels. Personally, I find the petty intrigues of the KC mafia and associated free masonry rather amusing! What will they get up to next?

"Working Dogs" are in the news these days. There was a piece on BBC TV's Country File recently which discussed various "working" breeds considered under threat and another on Radio4 about Gordon setters which are low in numbers.

 Unfortunately, both reports were misleading in that they showed representative working breeds that are "working" in name only.  The dogs were the show variety of working breeds. Nobody seriously interested in a dog for work would acquire one on the basis of Kennel Club registration alone yet no attempt seems to have been made to correct the error. Every year there will be a parade of gundogs at some of the bigger country shows -- but they are not working dogs, just the show imitations of the real thing. The Kennel Club is mainly concerned with the showing of dogs (and to a lesser extent with field trialing) and both show and working versions of the same breed are registered without any differentiation on the same register. So, let the buyer beware! Sadly, the two types are coming closer as the working side diminishes.

 

German Shepherd Pup

Aza is now (1/9/08) ten months old and desperately wanting to meet a burglar! Any volunteers? She is, of course, a working German Shepherd and she has very little to do with those poor wretched creatures shown in "Pedigree Dogs Exposed". The poor GSDs in that film could barely walk, let alone do the work they should have been bred to do.

 

 

 

New girl:

Aza update (3/5/08): Aza, left,  is now four and a half months old. What a difference a month makes! See her previous picture (below). She is now A DOG!

She has been taught to bark if she wants to go out and if I am slow letting her in again, she opens the door herself! She is, of course, perfectly house trained. She barks on command, bites softly when told, Seizes hold on command, Releases on command, Leaves (i.e. breaks off an attack) on command, Sits (on her haunches) and Downs (flat down) on command, goes into her box when told, goes into her kennel when told, stops barking when told, comes immediately to call....Hmm. Have I forgotten anything? She is also a charming, intelligent, and delightful companion. The only problem is, she answers the telephone with a Czech accent but we are working on that <g>. Meanwhile she defends me from vacuum cleaners and polythene bags blowing in the wind with great courage and determination!  It makes a change to hope that a burglar would be foolish enough to try to break in so your dog can get in some practice! Believe me, she is a different dog if she suspects an intruder is about!

 

 

 

(Aza, left) I have always wanted to train a German Shepherd but, rightly or wrongly, have been nervous of acquiring one from UK Kennel Club registered stock. "Aza", born on the 11th December 2007,  is the latest addition to my household. And I do mean household!

 

(Aza's mother, left)

 Yes, I have deviated from a life long rule and finally got a dog in the house! Bred from top Eastern European working lines (border guard dogs from the communist era), "Aza" house trained herself in 24 hours and is a great joy. She accompanies me everywhere and will be trained for man work, so please make an appointment before calling!

 

 

 

The latest news is that "Aza" has worked out (at three months!) that she can negotiate the electric fence (4,500 volts) by squeezing between the insulators and end post. She barks on command, knows her box, asks to go out when she wants, and (oh dear!) has discovered that hens lay eggs and where they lay them. She also chases the hens out of the barn and "leaves" on command. She will also stalk the sheep but, again, comes away immediately on command. I cannot understand why anyone would even think of using an electric collar on one of these dogs, they clearly do not understand much about dog training.

For those interested in German Shepherds, Aza's mother's pedigree and pictures is at http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/pedigree/487788.html

and her father's pedigree is at

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/pedigree/433444.html

A film clip of the father working can be found at the following link (be aware that the trial shown is in Poland).

casup15 sonberg.wmv casup15 sonberg.wmv  

More videos of Aza's mother (Bianca) and her sister here. (http://uk.youtube.com/user/jahdkajsdhkjas)

 

NEW!  All falconry and Highland pony related material is now on its own page as things were getting a bit confused here! The links are on the left.

 

Stop Press:  SOLD

The latest litter of pointer puppies was born on the 9th March 2007 and is out of a very good looking daughter of "Paco", sired again by "Ben" -- see below for Ben's picture. Photos of the pups to be posted shortly. Black-and-whites and orange-and-whites. Dogs and bitches. If you are interested, contact me using the gundog enquiry form. Photographs of these pups now added. If I get an exceptional litter of pups or they are off valuable lines, I'll run them on.  ALL NOW SOLD or retained for my breeding program.

 

 

Left: "Ben" - sire of the pups. Click on the picture to enlarge it.

 

 

Ben's pups below: ALL NOW SOLD

 

 


Enquiries for puppies will be dealt with on merit, so you need to complete the dog enquiry form if you are interested (click here). Enquirers will need to convince me that they can give the pup a good working home and that they have the knowledge and experience to train and work a high class English pointer , so it is in your own interests to complete the form fully. If you have already been refused in the past, please do not apply again.

Please note that I do not sell dogs over the telephone and refuse to discuss prospective sales with callers!  If you want to enquire about dogs or puppies for sale, use the Dog Enquiry Form.

If you want to ask a question about training, contact Derry Argue (or anything EXCEPT to enquire about buying a dog)  please use the Message Form

 

The most recent postings on this page start from the top.

 

Want to generate your own pedigrees? Try this site (it's free!) http://www.pedigreequery.com/generator/

Click on pictures to enlarge them!

Buying Dogs

What do they cost? Pointer pups start at around 600GBP ex-kennels.  I no longer sell trained or part trained dogs. These are rough guide prices and individual dogs may be cheaper or more expensive.  I do not sell dogs I would not be happy to keep myself. Please bear in mind that I breed and keep dogs for my own hunting pleasure. I do not breed to sell.

To access a currency conversion calculator on line go to http://www.xe.net/ucc/

What should I buy? A pup, started dog, or fully trained dog? A pup will adapt to the way you live than an older dog but you will still have to raise and train it. All Advie pups are farm raised which gives them an excellent basis for making a good hunting dog but does not necessarily equip them to become a family pet that lives in the house. Started dogs are hand trained and know about game. Their experience and degree of finish depends on how far their training has progressed. If you take on a started dog you are assumed to possess the knowledge to complete the training. Trained dogs are expensive and not offered for sale very often. It is giving a dog the correct experience to complete the training which takes the time. And as we all know, time costs money.

When is the best time to buy a dog?  Most people want to buy a puppy or a new dog in the spring, probably because they then have the summer to get to know the dog and complete any training required before the hunting season in the autumn/fall. But because everyone tends to want the same things, it might be better to go for a new dog later in the year -- you will have a wider choice. Because the winters in Scotland can be severe, we tend to avoid having pups too early in the year. Now that we have bob white quail to train on, training does not depend on whether wild game will lie to a point (usually when they are pairing in the spring or have broods in late summer) so timing is no longer so critical.

Warranties: My dogs are warranted to make good working gundogs given sensible informed rearing, handling and training. I do not breed from any dogs which are in the least suspect, select hard on working ability, and ruthlessly cull those which do not measure up to my own high standards. This is the way I have bred my dogs for the last thirty years and why sportsmen in over 25 countries world-wide have invested in Advie gundogs.

A Health Warning:  It has recently come to my attention that certain unscrupulous breeders are using my kennel name "Advie" when naming the puppies they breed. You should know that it requires both a male and a female to produce puppies! No matter how good my dogs may be, they cannot correct the faults in the dogs they are bred to. Nor will anyone consistently breed good dogs simply by matching pedigrees. I have been breeding my pointers for over thirty years and it takes experience to know which matings will produce good dogs and which will not. If you think you can cut corners by going to a breeder riding on my coat tails, I wish you the best of luck!

Dogs at Stud:  As a general rule, I do not allow my dogs to be used for breeding outside my own kennel within the UK. However, I may allow my pointers to be used on approved bitches and if so puppies from these matings will be advertised here.   Within the UK, dogs bred from 100% Advie lines are only available direct from my own kennel.

Buying a gundog in the UK:  The British Isles and Ireland still has some of the finest gundogs that the world has to offer. However, I have selectively linebred my own dogs because I have yet to find better dogs for general hunting outside my own kennel. If you are considering buying a gundog from the UK I would say, go ahead but use your intelligence to make proper enquiries-- and be careful!

If you decide on a dog from Advie Gundogs, you have probably done your research, know about dogs and have seen them in our videos or visited Miller's Place. You have exercised good judgment in coming to a kennel with an established track record established over several decades. You won't get the hard sell and a lot of enquirers get turned away simply because they cannot offer the dog a good working home or demonstrate that have no idea what it is all about. The welfare of our dogs is the first priority.

Caveat Emptor (That's Latin for "Let the buyer beware!"): First, you ought to be aware that the majority of pedigree gundogs bred in the UK will be registered with The Kennel Club in London. This registry makes no differentiation between working dogs and show dogs.

As an example of what can happen, I had some correspondence with a Greek sportsman who complained that he had not had much success with British dogs. My further enquiries revealed that he had imported four dogs from Britain from four separate show kennels! He had not done that essential research. Show dogs will not give satisfaction as workers under demanding conditions.

Designations: Avoid dogs with the letters "Champion" or "SH Champion" in a UK pedigree. These are show dogs. Having said that, some imported dogs may have the prefix "Ch" when that might mean a field champion, but equally it might not. Confusing, isn't it? Field trial dogs will have FTCh (Field Trial Champion) or maybe FTW (Field Trial Winner) in the pedigree. Frankly, FTW could mean anything. But, best of all, use your intelligence and make enquiries. You won't find any show breeding in Advie dogs.

Next, a Kennel Club Working Gundog Certificate is meaningless. It is not worth the paper it is written on. All the dog has to do is to acknowledge game and make a pretence of being able to work. I keep repeating the quotation from Arkwright's book about the New Forest pig that was taught to find and point partridges within fourteen days. If that pig had been registered as a gundog with the KC, it would easily have qualified for a Working Gundog Certificate! (Heck, these days it might even win a field trial!). Many owners of show dogs claim their dogs work, as I am sure they do. It is a question of how you define the work of a pointing dog and what standard of work you require.

Field trial awards are no guarantee. As I stated earlier, I have seen over forty dogs "tested" at a British field trial in approximately two hours. I have seen a dog win a stake with less than ten minutes actual running time. I have seen judges who did not know the rules, who do not understand dogwork, and who just seem unable to judge the item on the other end of the lead. I do not say that they are dishonest but the alternative explanation is probably even worse!

Remember that buying a dog is like acquiring a wife or husband or having a child. There is no guarantee that the union will succeed. As I repeat again and again, a dog is not a TV set or a washing machine. It is only one half of a working partnership. A dog is not built to a specification and there are no guarantees. Sure, I can guarantee my dogs, but can you guarantee your ownership, training, and subsequent handling?  If you cannot drive a Ford Escort, buying a Ferrari or a Rolls Royce will not help you.

On the other hand, if you are a reasonably good trainer, buying a dog that has been carefully bred for work over centuries, has all the right instincts, and has been correctly reared from day one, is probably going to be the best decision you ever made. The experience of owning and working a top grade gundog is going to give you the thrill of a lifetime. Short of owning and riding your own racehorse or hunting your own pack of hounds, I can think of few things which can give the same thrill with fewer frustrations. Quality does not cost, it pays!
  
Shipping Dogs abroad - the facts

Advie Gundogs will no longer be exported to the USA. I am sorry about this but I have experienced too many problems.

We do not ship puppies until they are at least ten weeks old.  Live dogs are only accepted by the airlines for transport if they are kenneled in a crate that conforms to the IATA Mandatory Regulations for that dog, i.e. the box should be made to measure for that dog. We have been making up these boxes and have shipped our own dogs world-wide for more than thirty years.

The airline will require a veterinary certificate issued within 48 hours of traveling stating that the dog is free from signs and symptoms of disease and is fit to travel.

We drafted a veterinary certificate for the airlines which includes the measurements of the dog as detailed by the IATA Regulations. As some owners  shipping a live dog have found this useful, you can download and print a copy free of charge by going to international vet certificate for travel by air.

Import Regulations?
What are the import regulations of your country? These vary and can be very strict. Get it wrong and the dog may be turned back. We find out what these are for you and make all the necessary arrangements.

Puppies and dogs are shipped inoculated against Hardpad, Leptospirosis, Parvovirus and Hepatitis and this is included in the ex-kennel price. Our dogs at Advie Gundogs are NOT inoculated as a matter of course. Instead, we maintain a "closed kennel" - no other dogs are permitted on the premises.

Links:  

The International Air Transport Association regulatory details on transporting live dogs. Click on the thumb nails to expand them.


Shipping Costs:
We have to levy a non-negotiable standard shipping charge of 300GBP (approximately 600USD) on all dogs we export . This charge covers the following costs:

  • vet certificates for the airline and importing authorities (50GBP), 
  • making up the travelling kennel to IATA regulations (60GBP), 
  • Ministry of Agriculture Export Certificate (no charge), 
  • delivery to airport (0.50GBP per mile for actual mileage), 
  • miscellaneous documentation (no charge), 
  • shots/vaccinations (45GBP), 
  • Kennel Club registration (12GBP), 
  • Kennel Club Export Pedigree (50GBP), 
  • Kennel Club Transfer of Registration (12GBP), 
  • telephone, mail, time, etc.  (No charge).
    Air freight charges are added to this AT ACTUAL COST. We charge the purchaser the cost of the air freight as soon as it is known to us.

So, the total cost to you  = Purchase price ex-kennels + shipping charge £300 + air freight at cost.


These terms are not negotiable. If you consider buying from another kennel, check the costs of using a professional shipper before you buy. 

Ownership of the dog passes when the full account has been paid. If there has been no payment,  it may be sold to another purchaser without notice. We may agree to hold a dog on request at owner's risk but reserve the right to charge a fee for boarding etc. Sometimes it takes quite a long time to get all the registration papers through  (our KC is notoriously slow) -- but you will get them eventually!.  These papers will allow you to register your dog with most kennel authorities world-wide. If you do NOT require registrations, the price will be reduced .

Accompanied dogs - the cheapest way to transport a dog is as "excess baggage" but you are advised to enquire well in advance of your visit. It could take weeks to get the correct documentation and at least seven days to make up a box to IATA Regulations. So please don't assume that you can do "cash and carry". Where our dogs are concerned, we won't take chances.

The Bottom Line: The welfare of my dogs will always be the over-riding consideration. If in doubt, I just won't sell!


Advie Gundogs

Miller's Place, Fendom
Tain, Easter Ross IV19 1PE
Scotland  UK

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