# Advice for the Canine crowd



## chgra4 (Oct 6, 2010)

Prosperous New Years Wishes to All!

It appears we will be relocating to Dubai from South Africa in the March timeframe and have 2 larger dogs (adopted greyhound from the States and a boerbel mix adopted during our time in South Africa) - and therefore questions in advance to keep their interests in mind.

1.) What neighborhood would you suggest that has the best situation for dog walking, bigger yards, fenced in yards or any of the other nice to haves

2.) Kennels that offer superb care since we sometimes have to travel

3.) Alternative to #2 may be referenced house sitting/ pet sitting services 

4.) Of course a vet that someone can vouch for, that is caring, and has some experience with larger breeds

5.) Any orgainzed dog walks/dog classes or trainers that may help us to start to network.

Sorry for the numerous questions, but I am sure anyone who has also relocated their "adopted family" would have experienced some of this already. Thanks in advance for sharing anything you can!


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## AndreaMarshall (Nov 22, 2010)

chgra4 said:


> Prosperous New Years Wishes to All!
> 
> It appears we will be relocating to Dubai from South Africa in the March timeframe and have 2 larger dogs (adopted greyhound from the States and a boerbel mix adopted during our time in South Africa) - and therefore questions in advance to keep their interests in mind.
> 
> ...


Please utilize the search functions as i personally have answered these same questions at least 4 times within the last month 

1. any neighborhood built by the developer called EMAAR is usually pet friendly. The Greens for example is one of them...Arabian ranches is another.... Most other neighborhoods don't have any pet walking facilities and actually ban pets. Abu dhabi is less pet friendly than out here in dubai. They are banned at JBR and i think at Dubai Marina as well, but it makes sense there are no grassy knolls, no bushes, its horrible for an animal and an area more frequented by the local arabic population ( and they are petrified of dogs, or just so grossed out by them like a overgrown sewer rat)
look up EMAAR properties first....the greens the springs arabian ranches...all are pet friendly. 5-15 tall (20-30 storey) tower buildings in addition to 2-5 storey villas, surrounding a few man made lakes, some villas have "gardens" here at the greens but they are tiled or concrete...i think arabian ranches has grassy gardens. Behind the greens is Emirates GolfClub and the houses on the course have fenced in gardens with grass and i have seen dogs that live there......

2. Dubai kennels and cattery is well known, however an ex-employee stated there is animal abuse there, and i have met various pet owners who used them for day care and picked up a traumatized shaking pet and vowed "never again". Paws Pet Planet and Posh Paws are the two places that most of the dog owners at The Greens use.

3. There are some housemaids who LOVE dogs and will offer to come walk your dog for an hour and play with him/her. I have seen a few do this, but mostly i see them just walk them outside then stand and chat with their friends as they keep the dog on the leash, then walk back inside. Paws Pet Planet offers a pick up/drop off daycare service from 7am - 7pm Many dog owners here utilize them. Many others have moved to Arabian Ranches, as they apparently have a large garden and can install a doggy door.

4. Our dog is 35kg and almost 100 cm tall. The vet we chose is called BLue Oasis petcare. Its run by an Austrian vet, and has a very caring staff, with toys for the dogs to play with, Royal Canin and Eukanuba food ins tock, as well as a "store" with toys and harnesses as well as medication and training dvds. A very thoughtful caring staff, i have NEVER been to a vet that was like this place. I have heard that pet owners who use these people like them and enjoy their fair pricing rates (they didnt even charge us for our first visit) and i have heard just "eh" things about the vets nearby in al barsha. Its best to maybe wait a few days if you can and ask fellow dog owners where to go, like we did.

5. You dont need organized dog walks or anything to network, just be friendly and have a friendly dog. If he/she isn't then work on training them to correct the bad behavior (growling) and reward the good behavior (butt sniffing, relaxed attitude, calm and inviting) Our community usually has doggy happy hours before most people go to work and after they return home from work. Theres an area behind the buildings thats a long rectangular stretch of grass and bushes the dogs go off leash and play tag and wrestle around 7-8am and 6-8pm. Sometimes throughout the day however we encounter other stay at home moms with dogs taking a midday walk - a luxury since come summertime, walks will be reserved for early morning and evenings only.

New pet stores are popping up all over the place, but most have low quality dog food such as purina, pedigree, and eukanuba. These all use animal byproducts in their food instead of wholesome ingredients. Its like feeding your 5 year old human child Pringles for lunch, followed by a dinner of Mc Donalds french fries and a coke. Some dogs do ok with this however we spend extra money on Royal Canin for our dog since he has intestinal issues. It runs us about 200 dirhams every 2-3 weeks.

Hope all of this helps 

Andrea


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## chgra4 (Oct 6, 2010)

AndreaMarshall said:


> Please utilize the search functions as i personally have answered these same questions at least 4 times within the last month
> 
> 1. any neighborhood built by the developer called EMAAR is usually pet friendly. The Greens for example is one of them...Arabian ranches is another.... Most other neighborhoods don't have any pet walking facilities and actually ban pets. Abu dhabi is less pet friendly than out here in dubai. They are banned at JBR and i think at Dubai Marina as well, but it makes sense there are no grassy knolls, no bushes, its horrible for an animal and an area more frequented by the local arabic population ( and they are petrified of dogs, or just so grossed out by them like a overgrown sewer rat)
> look up EMAAR properties first....the greens the springs arabian ranches...all are pet friendly. 5-15 tall (20-30 storey) tower buildings in addition to 2-5 storey villas, surrounding a few man made lakes, some villas have "gardens" here at the greens but they are tiled or concrete...i think arabian ranches has grassy gardens. Behind the greens is Emirates GolfClub and the houses on the course have fenced in gardens with grass and i have seen dogs that live there......
> ...


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## m a s (Dec 20, 2010)

Hi, here is the latest dubai dog article from Xpress, Gulf News's weekly newspaper in the city, that answers some of your questions. Good luck 


: Dubai dog owners are being kept on a tight leash as owners are fined weekly. Canine registrations have more than tripled in four years, prompting Dubai Municipality's Veterinary Services Section to bulk up their public awareness campaign by teaching dog owners new tricks.
Its team of inspectors have been issuing a fine a week - 55 in total in 2010 - to owners who fail to follow the municipality's dogs rules. Most of the fines are in Jumeirah Beach Residence, Mirdif, Marina and Umm Suqeim.
But many new Dubai residents are getting hot under the collar, albeit a dog collar, about the city's canine rules. They are confused about where dogs can and can't go, what they will be fined for and fear the city's anti-dog attitude has been getting worse.
Dog owner Daniel Burgin, a Springs resident, said tempers seemed to be reaching a boiling point for some, like when he saw an Emirati man pull off the side of the road to yell and threaten a resident whose dog was unleashed last month. Dog debates continue to rage on expat online forums, showing the frustration and confusion felt by both sides in the community.
However, Veterinary Services Senior Vet Health Inspector Adil Eltayeb Elbadri told XPRESS: "There is no dog ban in Dubai."
He set the record straight and advised that the dog rules in Dubai included: Dogs are banned from all beaches and public parks. The animal must be kept on a leash and/or an appropriate mask in public.

Owners have to clean up and dispose off the animal's waste when taking the dog outside.
All dogs must be vaccinated and registered and allowing a dog to become stray is also an offence. Failure to comply with these rules could result in fines from Dh200 to Dh500.
The rules were devised to accommodate all cultures and nationalities, Elbardi explained.
There is a separate set of rules for 16 dog breeds prohibited in apartments, and seven breeds of dogs banned from the UAE. Dogs can be impounded and owners can get a Dh5,000 fine for failing to prevent a dog from harming someone, or for owning a banned dog.
The municipality began clamping down on owners, as dog numbers increased.
Rising numbers
Dogs registrations have more than tripled in four years, with 8,243 in 2010 compared to 2,113 in 2006. The number of pet services have also shot up, Elbardi noted, with more than 40 pet food stores - mainly for dog food - compared to just four when he started the job in 1999.
The Veterinary Services Control Unit, manned by six men monitoring the dogs rules and an Emergency Team for aggressive dogs, issued fines for the first year in 2010 to owners who failed to comply with the rules. But Elbardi said the violations needed to stop, adding that a public awareness campaign would be launched at the Dubai Dog Show in March. Elbardi hoped dog violations would fall by 65 per cent this year.
Meanwhile dog confusion continues to reign in the community.
Dog owner May El-Labban is baffled by people who shy away from her pocket-sized Pekinese Pomeranian pooch.
"I have four to five-year-olds and 50 to 60-year-olds who will walk away or cross the road even from a dog as small as Chanel. She's so tiny and timid," the American-Lebanese sales manager said, confused about the anti-dog feeling.
Confusion has heightened since residents at Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) recently received notices ordering the removal of their pets. A Shorooq Mirdif resident also faced the same situation late year despite the Shorooq community guide stating pets were allowed.
But problems began brewing back in 2008 when Dubai Properties forbade all pets, excluding goldfish, from JBR. This came as a surprise to many dog owners who had bought a property in the development. Other residents were relieved as they complained communal green areas were polluted with faeces, while the planters were stained with urine from dogs.

Nowhere to go
But many owners are fed up and are calling for a designated dog park.
"You can't take dogs anywhere here," said exasperated owner and Marina resident Ulrika Christoffersen of Sweden.
"No beaches, no parks, nowhere - I wouldn't bring a dog here." She was aghast at the thought of dogs being kept in apartments.
That was the harsh reality for Jane Gammage when she and her husband were affected by the financial crisis. The couple and their German Shepherd had to downsize from a villa to a two-bedroom apartment in the Greens this year.
"It was really difficult with Vinnie (dog's name) at first".
But when Gammage was forced to choose between giving up the pet or adapting, it was a simple decision - she now takes him for three walks a day to meet his needs.
"That means my whole lifestyle has changed. They (dogs) are a lot of work but I wouldn't be without Vinnie," she said.
Dubai dog owners who spoke to XPRESS rated the Green's gated community as one of the best areas to own a dog. The Greens man-made lake surrounded by greenery is viewed as an unofficial ‘dog park'.
"The facilities are great," resident Rania Elgebaily, said. "I used to take them to JBR, but it's just not possible now. I know people have moved from JBR to the Greens because it's dog-friendly," she said. However, other residents in gated communities feel restricted. Springs resident Gharam Al Areeny felt her four Yorkshire dogs were fenced in at her gated community because she didn't know where else she could take them without risking a fine.
Recently. dog rescue shelter K9 Friends issued a warning to all dog owners: "not everyone likes dogs and owners have to be considerate,'' committee member Dorothy Wainless said.
"If someone is walking toward me I deliberately go onto the road or walk around them to be considerate," she said.
Wainless advised other owners to follow her basic dog etiquette, hoping it would let sleeping dogs lie in Dubai.

Who let the dogs out
•	The children's playground and park is off limits for dogs but they are allowed in other areas
•	Unlike JBR, pet owners are allowed to walk their dogs in the area. However, dogs are prohibited in most buildings here
•	The decision to allow dogs rests with the developer of the tower in question
Dog registrations have more than tripled over the past four years - 8,243 in 2010 compared to 2,113 in 2006. the number of pet food stores have also shot up from four in 1999 to more than 40


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## jessel (Feb 8, 2010)

*Blue Oasis Vet*

Unfortunately Blue Oasis was not a good experience for me. No complaints regarding staff who are friendly helpful and caring. Sorry can't say the same for Dr Wolf, who was rude, aggressive and unprofessional. Perhaps some customer service training would not be amiss! Will not return, and do not recommend - will find someone else!


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## AndreaMarshall (Nov 22, 2010)

Oh we loved Dr Wolf! Maybe he was having a bad day? I expected him to be rough and harsh just because of where he is from, which is a stupid thing to do but its just what i assumed. And he was nice to the dog, sat on the floor to examine him because he was scared, clipped his nails and didn't charge us for it, pet Bodie the entire time he was talking to my husband and me, took 20 minutes to explain our food options to us (Bodie is a Parvovirus survivior = messed up intestines). He ran out of municipality id tags, so took the time to write a professional looking letter incase we got stopped by cops. The girls at the front desk gave Bodie a bowl of food because he was going GAGA over the "Treats" they were giving him (Which were little kibble bits) and they handed us 3 free sample packets of food. Dr. Wolf also cracked some jokes with us, and offered to help us sell our dog crate (until we realized a few weeks later we need to keep it)

Based on that, I'd say hes a good guy and wa sjust having an "off" day when you visited, Jessel? There is a place in Al Barsha some other neighbors go ... but they do not like the staff there - they are very cold, theres no toys in the waiting room to play with, no free coffee, hot chococlate, or tea to sip whilst you wait and the vets are very bing bang boom. But thats what some people want, or end up with a good experience regardless - i can PM you the name, or name of other places if you need. Maybe next time we go back Dr. Wolf will be rude to us and we will need to find another one anyways? :/


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Not sure if all vets are crazy expensive here but Al Barsha, 2 cats, rabies and annual shots only, 850 dirhams. I about fell on the floor. I was expecting like maybe 300 ?? max 350. Not sure if all vets are just outrageous priced but if that is the case... this is the place to be a vet!! They are banking!!!


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## suzeq (Sep 13, 2010)

I can't really answer any of the question yet but I'm here this month looking for an apt/villa for a move around the same time from the US. We have an adopted greyhound and would love to get together for a walk or play date after he arrives. They seem to really love other greyhounds. If I find anything good in the next couple of weeks I'll let you know. My husband does not want to move to the Greens - even though it's very lovely - because of the commute. He works in Sharja and has an office mate who says it takes about an hour in traffic. We did look when I was here in Nov at a couple of buildings in Business Bay and saw several dogs. Even large ones. There is some great information if you search. Some conflicting. My concern now is getting him here but so many people are so willing to help. It's very nice. Thanks to all who have answered my questions! Good luck and hope to have that walk or play date!


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