Griffonpoint - Dedicated to the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

Many times, Griffonpoint pups go to homes far away from where we are located. The best way to get the puppy from our kennel to you is to ship by air.

If your puppy is being shipped by air, we recommend that you send us a cloth item (ie: t-shirt or pillow case) with the scent of you and your family on it approximately 2 weeks before your puppy is going to fly. You can also send 2 items, a fresh one for each week. Have each member of your family sleep with the cloth item for a night, then put the item into a sealed plastic bag... and mail it to us. We will use this while your puppy is here, that way your puppy will already be familiar with your scent - making the transition even easier.

Since we get your puppy used to being in an airline crate (whether they are being shipped or not), being shipped by air in a crate is not as traumatic as you might think.

The pups who are being shipped will be at least 10 weeks of age, so they have already been weaned and have started to assert themselves independantly within the litter.

When you open the crate door, your puppy will be ready to greet you as his/her new best friend.

Shipping is more expensive than driving to pick your puppy up or paying for your puppy to fly with you in the cabin or as excess baggage.

Cargo Airfare - Normally $150 to $400 depending on destination (there can be additional kennel charges if the flight is overnight)

Airline Crate - $50 to $70 for a puppy sized crate

Transportation to the airport (if the local airport cannot be used for connection/weather) charged by actual km. - this can be shared if more than one pup is travelling to the same airport or area.

Certificate of Acclamation and Veterinary International Health Certificate ($50-60) dated within 10 days of shipping

And, there may be additional shipping fees, (ie: terminal charges, customs fees, vet inspections etc.) depending on the Airport/State/Province/Country. New TSA rules apply to shipping from Canada to the USA, and a broker may be necessary to make flight arrangements and drop off. This can add another $300 handling fee to your shipping bill.

Pups must be under 12 weeks of age to travel across an International border without a rabies vaccination, so if your pup is to stay with us a bit longer, the next opportunity for crossing the border is at 16 weeks (30 days after their rabies vaccination).

Confinement Regulations: Young pups must be kept confined on the owners property until 30 days after their rabies vaccination, the dog-import.pdf form must be filed http://www.cdc.gov/animalimportation/dogs.html

Plan the arrival of your puppy for a time when you have time to spend with your puppy... house breaking and bonding are both very important and how you proceed in those first days can set your puppy up to succeed. And, Even though you could spend the entire time with your puppy, make sure you are still having your puppy spend some time alone (maybe an afternoon nap in the crate) ... every day, right from the start - while you are at home, but not in the same room.

Have your crate, towelling (for bedding), play toys, chew toys, puppy food (we will tell you which your puppy is eating), food and water dishes, leash and collar, and grooming supplies... all ready for your pup's arrival.

In your home, have ready, a safe area that you can confine the puppy to for housebreaking... (most often the kitchen, laundry room, or porch is blocked off). Have a leash to further keep track of your puppy... this makes housebreaking a cinch! Check the fencing to make sure that there are no small holes for your puppy to squeeze through, or places where your puppy can climb out (chain link is easily climbed by a determined pup). Plan to supervise your puppy outdoors, to make sure of this. If you want, you can create a 'bathroom area' for your puppy, make a visibly defined area where you take your puppy each and every time to go to the bathroom... this takes more effort to start with, but it can make your life much easier over the many years you will live with your dog.

Your puppy will be shipped in an airline approved carrier, on an airline which has heated, atmosphere controlled cargo bays. Generally, pups cannot be shipped over the Christmas Holidays, and there are also restrictions in place if the temperatures outdoors are too hot (85F 29.4C) or too cold ( -10F -23.3C) as your puppy must be safe while travelling on the baggage cart from the airplane to the cargo terminal.

Bring the following with you when you pick up your puppy

Identification
Money
Flight information, phone numbers, waybill number
Ear Plugs (joking)

Water bowl
Food Bowl
Water in a bottle
Food (either puppy food or some hot dog treats cut up really small)
Leash
Collar (with a tag on it, or a card taped on)
Clean Bath Towel
Spray bottle with water and soap in it
Rubber Gloves
Lots of Paper Towels
Garbage bag for soiled bedding and paper towels
Plastic baggies for picking up Puppy Droppings

Call ahead of time to find out the location of the air cargo department, the customs office.

The morning of the flight, I will call to let you know your puppy is on the plane. Sometime before you leave for the airport, I recommend that you call the airline to find out whether your puppy's arrival flight is on time, or if is early or late.

1.Go first to the Airline's Air Cargo Department to get the paperwork for clearing your puppy through customs (international).
2. Next take the paperwork to the Customs department and pay the import fee and have paperwork stamped cleared.
3. Go back to the Airline's Air Cargo Department (go here first if not international) and give them the stamped paperwork, pay them for the air Fare, and make sure you receive the package of information from Griffonpoint (Puppy Primer, Health Certificate, Vaccination Record etc.)

4. Pick up your Puppy!

Now the fun starts. You will have a lonely and hungry puppy who (most likely) has to go to the bathroom - or has already gone in his crate.

Most puppies are very eager and anxious to get out of the crate. Your puppy may be yipping in the air cargo office, or the employees may have already taken him/her out for a bathroom break. The person who lets the puppy out is often greeted as though they are a long lost friend.

Your puppy could also be a bit out of sorts, not understanding what is going on... if so be patient. If your puppy is entering a fear period, he may act even more unsure of himself/herself. Be the pack leader, let your puppy know they are safe and that you are a good and fair leader... the way you handle he situation will instill confidence in your new puppy, and get the relationship off on the right foot (paw).

Take the airline crate to a quiet place away from the cargo terminal, so that when you let your puppy out of the crate - your puppy will be away from the disease-risk of "bathroom areas" commonly used by travelling pets. Your puppy does not have full immunity to disease like Parvo yet, so you have to use common sense about exposure to risky areas.

1. speak to your puppy from outside the crate, speak confidently and in a friendly manner so he gets familiar with your voice
2. open the crate door slowly and encourage your puppy to poke his head out, you can offer a little food at this point
3. gently help your new puppy out of the crate, remember this is where your puppy is going to get the first impression of you
4. While you are holding your puppy securely and gently, Put the collar on your puppy and attach the leash
5. In a clean area (chosen away from the messy doggy bathrooms around the cargo area) let your puppy relieve himself while walking around and talking in a confident and friendly manner
6. If your puppy has made a mess in the crate, this is the time to clean it out - using the spray bottle and the paper towels.
7. If your puppy is stinky from the mess in his/her crate, you can often use the bathroom in the air cargo area to do a quick wash up (if you think it is necessary)
8. Let your puppy have a drink and some food (from your hand preferably) but not too much, as you want your puppy to keep clean on the way back to your home, and don't want to make him so full he has to vomit.
9. After your puppy has relieved himself, and had a drink and a little food, go for a little walk, mostly follow your puppy around, letting your puppy stretch his/her legs. Then, put your puppy back in the crate for safe travel home. Give your puppy the clean towel to curl up in, this serves to help your puppy feel secure, and it also will cover your puppy with your scent, giving your puppy good start into being a member of your pack.
11. If you plan to drive with your puppy outside the crate, make sure you have two people in the car, one to hold the puppy, one to drive the car. The passenger is best to hold the puppy on the towel (in case of stomach upset), not allowing the puppy to explore the vehicle while it is being driven.

You are on your way!

Remember you have just brought a very intelligent and determined little dog into your home. Start things off by considering... when my puppy is an adult, will I want this behaviour?

Your puppy will probably behave perfectly for the first little while (no jumping up and no mouthing) but be prepared for the first time he decides to check your leadership... and your puppy will do this... it is just a matter of time.

Remember to make an appointment with your Veterinarian for a health Examination... Your puppy was already checked out here, before shipping, and it is necessary for you to now have your own Veterinarian give a health examination. Bring your puppy book so that the Vet can learn a little about the breed (there is a page in there for Vets to read).

Vaccinations: Your puppy will be up to date on all vaccinations. Pups have vaccinations every 4 weeks, until the initial vaccination series is finished. Your puppy will not be fully immune until after the last booster, so use common sense when taking your puppy out for walks and exposing your puppy to other dogs. You will want to ask your Veterinarian if there are any indemic diseases that you need to have your puppy vaccinated for, as some diseases are specific to the area. Discuss with your Veterinarian whether to do yearly vaccinations, or not.

Rabies shots: required by law, generally also necessary for your city's dog licencing... Some States and Provinces will go with a shot at 6 months, then at 18 months, and then a shot every 3 years or so... some more some less. Check with your Vet on what is needed in your area. Rabies shots are necessary for cross border travel of pets, so keep your records in your file and keep Rabies shots up to date.

DeWorming: Generally, we deworm our puppies every week as they are raised on a farm and are out there tasting the many things they find in the woods and fields. Once your puppy is in your home, it is less likely that they will need such frequent deworming. Discuss this with your Vet. If you have children, you will want to stick to a deworming schedule, as you don't want your dog passing parasites onto your kids.

Heartworm: The same goes for heartworm control,discuss with your Vet their recommendations for heartworm control.

Watch your pup's bowel movements after shipping. Changes in food and water can cause softening, which normally corrects itself. If it turns to diahhrea, feed your puppy some canned pumpkin (not the pie filling - just pumpkin) .. 1/4 cup of canned pumpkin, along with a couple of teaspoons of plain yoghurt will help your pup. If the diahhrea persists, call your vet, it could be something more serious picked up on a walk.

The most common problem following shipping is a bladder infection... so watch for frequency of urination, and watch for your puppy straining to pee. In order to prevent bladder infections following shipping (or from spending a lot of time in a crate), give your puppy plenty to drink, you can even put a little chicken soup stock in the water to make sure your puppy is hydrated following shipping.

Keep in touch with us.... especially in your pups first months with you. We are here to help you in every way we can. This is a magical time, with your puppy experiencing new things, forming new bonds, and becoming a member of your "pack" or family ... remember that Griffons benefit from plenty of socialization, and from firm, kind training methods.

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Thank you for visiting.

For further information, contact
Shannon Ford

Griffonpoint Kennel
Alberta - British Columbia - Canada


phone 250-809-4583

e-mail info@griffonpoint.com

Shannon Ford is a member of