# Dogs in Mexico



## hopefloats (Jan 31, 2021)

My son recently passed. My mother's estate was held in trust for him as he had some mental health issues. What that means is in the event of his passing a house here in Canada and a cash trust will be passed on to me as per the terms of my late mother's will. 
Sadly I have had to hire a lawyer as the Executrix of the estate is not doing her duty in dispersing the estate. 
In fact she is ducking the process server and I will now be obtaining a court order for her to provide an accounting.
She is making it difficult however at some point this will be resolved as my mom's will is crystal clear in it's intent.
So...my plan is to sell the property here and purchase a considerably less expensive home in or around Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. I have been researching this for the past couple of years... I just did not know how I would make it happen.
What happened to my son is tragic but perhaps some good can come of it.
My intention is to move there permanently and obtain residency.
So Questions regarding a GSD (German Shepherd Dog)in Mexico 
1. How do they fare with the climate change ?
2. Being a tropical country what vaccines or medications would they need that they don't need in Canada ?
3. If anyone lives near Merida is there decent Veterinary care ?
4. Expats - how did your dog manage the flight ? Much red tape ?
5. Any poisonous critters or other dangers for a dog ?
Anything else at all you can advise dog related or not. Also feel free to pm.
Thanks


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

There are plenty of German sheherd in Mexico o it hould not be a problem
The vets know what the local parasite maybe , my dog did not need more vaccination here , There are vets in Merida
I do not know about flying dog, someone who did can tell you .. Unless you have direct flight maybe to Cancun, be careful, the more stops over the more stressed the dog will be and the more chance of problems you will have. 
There are bugs but my dogs have not had any problems. One got bitten by a scorpion but with anti hystmine it was not a problem.
Mexican as a whole are afraid of larger dogs and dogs can be poisoned by rat poison by accident or on purpose..One of the nasty dog poisoner in our village was a Canadian so you should have the same problem in Canada.
There are lots and lots of dogs in Mexico. The attitude about dogs is different. It is not as easy to travel with a dog here but most people leave their dogs home with a housesitter when they go away.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

I flew a big (120 lb) dog from the east coast US to the west coast when I moved around 20 years ago. It was definitely very hard on the dog. No support-dog business back then, he went as cargo in a dog crate. I had to change planes in Dallas and saw his crate sitting out on the tarmac waiting to be loaded into the second plane. Although it was only March, it was certainly really hot, and when we arrived at the west coast the dog was absolutely stinking, like he had sweat profusely. It may have been a side-effect of the anti-anxiety/anti-sickness drugs. He had also fouled the cage, of course, that was an extra pair of smells on top of the sweaty-dog smell. Needed a bath pronto, but I couldn't give him one. I had to load him into the rental car (which got stinky) and take him to the kennel where I had arranged to keep him for a couple days until my household stuff arrived and I moved into my house. I begged the kennel owner for a bath for him. Really torture on my poor dog.

From Canada to Mexico, I don't know if you can avoid stopping in the US. And that would mean clearing US customs, and vet paperwork for the US as well.

So if you fly your dog, try to plan ahead and have care pre-arranged for him and a way to get him from the airport that doesn't involve taxis - as they may simply refuse to carry a super-stinky dog. Maybe split up the journey with a layover in some convenient US city with an understanding kennel that can give your dog a bath and a meal and a day to rest between flights.

I've read some stories on the net about people having their dog quarantined on arrival in Mexico due to some paperwork deficiency. Keep in mind that officials can find a deficiency in perfect papers if they choose to. Other requirements can be invented if necessary to obtain from you what they're seeking, which might be some palm grease, so be prepared with some spare cash.

If you have the option to drive, it would be a lot easier on the dog, but obviously harder on you, as it's 27 hours drive just from Laredo, TX to Merida. If you have other stuff to move that would benefit from being driven by you, then I'd consider that option, and no matter what get it done before summer gets here.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I moved with 3 mastiffs 20 years ago and we drove down,, that was fine but I would not have wanted to fly them.. especially with stop overs..


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

That makes me wonder, how do you drive a car with 3 mastiffs in it. Well, I guess the answer is obvious, one in the front and two in the back. But where did your husband sit?


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

We also had 3 cats. I drove a car and my husband a pick up, the cats in their kennels at the back of the pick up and the Neapolitano on the passenger seat..
The other 2 Bordeaux on the back seat of the car. That was in July...
No one bothered us..


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## hopefloats (Jan 31, 2021)

citlali said:


> We also had 3 cats. I drove a car and my husband a pick up, the cats in their kennels at the back of the pick up and the Neapolitano on the passenger seat..
> The other 2 Bordeaux on the back seat of the car. That was in July...
> No one bothered us..


I would think not. lol


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Actually at the border I got to meet some scary guys who were very friendly and offered me 2000 pesos for each dog LOL.. When you have this type of dogs you meet interesting types of people.


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## hopefloats (Jan 31, 2021)

There's not enough money in the world to ever sell my girl !


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

citlali said:


> Actually at the border I got to meet some scary guys who were very friendly and offered me 2000 pesos for each dog LOL.. When you have this type of dogs you meet interesting types of people.


You can meet interesting people even without dogs. Once I traveled wearing a Mexican straw hat and carrying a colorful hammock from Chiapas. Several people asked for permission to take my picture, and one TSA agent wanted to buy the hat. Another time, while out hiking we ran into a very friendly young guy who had a Glock in the pocket of his jeans.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

ha ha.. last week I went to get the car washed. sitting next to me was a guy on his telephone, I glanced in his directio becaue there was a huge pick up being cleaned with dark windows etc.. I saw a scope ponting at me.. the guy had a machine gun accross his lap , pointed n my direction as he was texting away-- moved on his other side ... The truck was brand new and black so he could have been a cop undercover but my neighbor who was a cop tells me that wa not a cop weapon so who knows..


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

This time last year I was investigating buying a handgun. There is only one gun store in Mexico, run by the army. It is on the outskirts of the Polanco area of Mexico City. They have a pricelist online. Anyway - we live in a neighborhood where some of the houses have armed bodyguards. We walk most mornings and often pass by a house where 3 bodyguards stand around waiting to drive the kids to school. They are nice guys and I brought up my gun research. They all proceeded to pull out their weapons and compared/critiqued them for my benefit. My wife was not too thrilled with my idea of getting a gun. We have a good friend, a 70'ish year old Mexican woman. I said to my wife - let's see what she thinks. When I brought the topic up over lunch one day she said - oh I have two guns in the house. My wife was quiet.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

It is one thin to have a gun in your house and another to be sitting at a carwash in a village with a machine gun on your lap..


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

citlali said:


> It is one thin to have a gun in your house and another to be sitting at a carwash in a village with a machine gun on your lap.. This guy was no bodyguard either...


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## hopefloats (Jan 31, 2021)

Well since I am coming from Canada and it is 57hrs driving time I think it would be considerably less stressful to fly. 
It's my understanding that the more reputable airlines take a lot of care when transporting animals. 
Although the talk of unsavory individuals etc is interesting (not sure what the intention is here ? You can find guns, gang violence and shady characters in any city in the world)....any practical advice from Canadian expats would be appreciated.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

citlali said:


> Actually at the border I got to meet some scary guys who were very friendly and offered me 2000 pesos for each dog LOL.. When you have this type of dogs you meet interesting types of people.


I wonder what these characters were thinking of doing with your dogs. Something totally innocent, I'm sure.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

citlali said:


> ha ha.. last week I went to get the car washed. sitting next to me was a guy on his telephone, I glanced in his directio becaue there was a huge pick up being cleaned with dark windows etc.. I saw a scope ponting at me.. the guy had a machine gun accross his lap , pointed n my direction as he was texting away-- moved on his other side ... The truck was brand new and black so he could have been a cop undercover but my neighbor who was a cop tells me that wa not a cop weapon so who knows..


In this case, it's better not to know!


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

The trend, prior to covid, was fewer and fewer airlines were taking animals as cargo. The most reputable were the ones that cut the service first, the very little additional revenue wasn't worth the reputational risk should an animal die in transit.

Some airlines that do carry animals will only do it during certain parts of the year. 

If you are flying from central canada, I doubt you can find a flight that flies over the US without landing somewhere in the US. If you are departing from a Canadian coastal city, you might find flights that loop out over the ocean, but I would not be shocked to find that you cannot avoid stopping somewhere in the US. 

Good luck with your arrangements.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> I wonder what these characters were thinking of doing with your dogs. Something totally innocent, I'm sure.





Isla Verde said:


> In this case, it's better not to know!


I do not know but I had just seen Amores Perros and I thought ,"what are we doing moving here"...


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

eastwind said:


> If you are flying from central canada, I doubt you can find a flight that flies over the US without landing somewhere in the US. If you are departing from a Canadian coastal city, you might find flights that loop out over the ocean, but I would not be shocked to find that you cannot avoid stopping somewhere in the US.


Right now with Canadian travel restrictions due to the virus, things are in a muddle, but otherwise, there are tons of direct flights from many cities in Canada to many cities in Mexico. Where did you get the erroneous idea that one has to stop in the US? I've flown direct back and forth from Puerto Vallarta to Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto.


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## hopefloats (Jan 31, 2021)

Also as I mentioned there is much to sort out first. I would guess I am looking at a minimum a year from now if not more so I am assuming the covid situation will be resolved by then
For example - flight
United Airlines
United Pet Safe Program (currently suspended but I guess they are short staffed due to covid- I imagine it will resume in the future)
https://www.united.com/ual/en/US/fly/travel/animals/petsafe.html


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

Don't know where I read that there were few direct canada to mexico flights, I half think it was on this forum, someone complaining about having to stop in the US. 

Also I thought I read somewhere else at one time the US would not allowing airlines to use its airspace unless the flight landed in the US. Maybe that was some temporary post-9/11 thing that later got rescinded.

Dunno if I'd want United. Family dog ‘fried’ to death on United Airlines flight: report

Note especially the last paragraph: 



> Some 18 pets died on United flights in 2017, compared with two each on American, Delta and Alaska, according to the US Department of Transportation.


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## hopefloats (Jan 31, 2021)

eastwind said:


> Don't know where I read that there were few direct canada to mexico flights, I half think it was on this forum, someone complaining about having to stop in the US.
> 
> Also I thought I read somewhere else at one time the US would not allowing airlines to use its airspace unless the flight landed in the US. Maybe that was some temporary post-9/11 thing that later got rescinded.
> 
> ...


omg


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## hopefloats (Jan 31, 2021)

I thought a 7ish hr flight would be way less stressful than 6 days driving. Of course when the time comes I won't be transporting her without some serious research.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

hopefloats said:


> I thought a 7ish hr flight would be way less stressful than 6 days driving. Of course when the time comes I won't be transporting her without some serious research.


You mean less stressful for the dog or you? If the dog, it really depends on the dog. I did an 8 day drive from Mexico to Canada and back with my dog. She'd certainly never been in the car that long before, just short jaunts around town, and I wasn't prepared for how she'd handle it. 
For starters, she almost never relaxed, even though she had her bed and plenty of space in my SUV. She sat up almost the entire time, watchful. Occasionally she'd lie down, but the moment some truck would barrel by, she'd be on high alert again. At least she was exhausted enough to bed down for the night in strange places when we stopped for the night.

Then, when I'd stop for gas or a driving break, and put her on the leash so she could do her business, she wouldn't. She's grown up in in the countryside and has always been free to roam around and had never even peed in my yard before- she trots off to the empty field behind me on her own to do that, so it turned out that she considers that private business and wouldn't relieve herself while on the leash, which had never occured to me. So after walking her around for 10 minutes with no action, I'd just put her back in the car.
She held it for about 8-10 hours a day until I got somewhere I was spending the night and found a safe area to let her off leash. 

But I think I was more stressed out about all that than she was, and that 7 hours in a kennel on a plane would have been worse for her.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

eastwind said:


> Don't know where I read that there were few direct canada to mexico flights, I half think it was on this forum, someone complaining about having to stop in the US.


If you use a US based carrier, they do stop in the US, but Westjet and AirCanada fly direct.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

For a flight, you can get a pill for the dog from a vet that helps with anxiety, motion sickness, and helps them sleep it away. For a multi-day car ride, I don't know if you'd be able to keep giving the drugs to the dog day after day.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

My dogs were very calm for all the time we travelled. They loved being with us in the car so it was not problem.. We had to train one before we left who was scared to death in the back of the pick up and would have a bright green diarrea after about 3 minutes in the truck. We had to take him several times a day a few minutes at a time in the truck and do longer and longer rides.. At the end he ended up riding in the cabin with my husband where he was fine..But that was an ordeal to train him to ride in a vehicule....


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

Here's how I trained my dog to ride in a car.

When he was a puppy, I got him into the front passenger seat (he was a little reluctant and nervous), and got in the drivers seat and just sat for a minute and petted him, talking calmly, then I let him out, without ever turning the engine on.

Next day I repeated this, but turned the engine on for a minute.

Third day we actually drove somewhere. I drove to the nearest fast-food place and went through the drive through. I ordered a single hamburger, no anything. No sauce, no cheese, nada. Gave it to him in the car. That made a positive association he never forgot!

Never had a problem after that. I'd open the car door and he'd just jump right in. It was a small, low, two-seat sports car and one time I had the window open and he jumped in through the window on his own. He made it half way, then used his back feet to scratch the paint to get himself the rest of the way in. He was a 120 lb dog, so it was very much a cartoon to have him in the passenger seat of my little red sports car.


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

I'm reminded of the 'Marley and Me' movie...


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

We had not one but 3 mastiffs so they could not all ride on the front seat of the truck.. The one who did not care for it at first was the Neapolitano... He was some sight in the cabin..


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

Well it sounds like this pet import process has changed dramatically since we lived it.
We had to visit the nearest USDA office (it was at the international airport) and complete paperwork with them.
We had to have our vet give our pets shots and put the bottle's label on a little pet passport of sorts. That had to be within a small window of time and we drove here from the east coast so we were worried about time.
We had to each claim 2 of our 4 pets. 
Then when we got to the crossing Mexico showed no real interest.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

I wonder how the OP made out.


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